Institutional Knowledge and the Emergency Preparedness Gap

One of the more pressing issues in the emergency preparedness field – and for the utility industry as a whole – is the trend of declining institutional knowledge across the workforce.  The cold, hard truth is that Baby Boomers are exiting the workforce en masse, and, broadly speaking, utilities are struggling to replace their knowledge and experience.

How the Drain of Institutional Knowledge Impacts Emergency Preparedness

The result of this emerging retirement boom is an erosion of knowledge and experience that essentially guarantees the mistakes of the past will be repeated in the future.  Younger employees need time to climb the learning curve, and often fall into a cycle of reinventing the wheel, simply because they lack institutional knowledge.  Thus, in turn, creates inefficiencies that hinder productivity.

This is not good for utility companies on “blue sky” days, and the problem is exasperated further during emergency situations.  Experience matters, especially when dealing with situations that arise infrequently.  Yes, lessons learned documentation is likely available to help, but experience always trumps book knowledge.

What’s the Solution?

There are several things utility companies can do to plug the proverbial hole from which institutional knowledge leaks:

• Engage in effective succession planning – like anything in our field, having a plan is a critical first step.
• Increase the frequency of training opportunities like exercises and drills – as they say, practice makes perfect.
• Review emergency plans and processes to identify any updates that might be needed to clarify processes and procedures – remember, it’s all about KISS (keep in simple, stupid).
• Increase focus on tools and technology with which younger workers are comfortable and knowledgeable – younger workers are generally more comfortable with technology.

In the final analysis, the growing gap in institutional knowledge can be overcome, but it won’t happen on its own.  Utility companies need to confront this issue head-on and take aggressive steps to slow the inevitable knowledge drain.