~ A four-part feature story ~
PART II: Positive Leadership + Positive Employees = Change
By Dr. Natasha J. Gittens, Ph.D., CHE, CHT
“If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.” –Anonymous
I decided to start Part II of this series with the above quote for one important reason: While researching, I realised that many consumers viewed NV GEBE as a stagnated organisation that was not changing but continued to do business the same way, year after year.
Based on that premise, I wanted to go into the interior of the organisation and conduct candid interviews with both leadership and personnel on what they were “actually” doing to move NV GEBE forward and improve service standards.
My first stop: the office of the Managing Board. I was determined to gain a comprehensive understanding of how leadership worked and, most importantly, how much emphasis they placed on consumer satisfaction. I knew that starting at the top would set the stage for what was to come.
My first question was to the managing board: Chief Executive Officer Kenrick Chittick, Chief Financial Officer Iris Arrindell, and Chief Operating Officer Veronica Jansen-Webster.
As the leaders of NV GEBE, how do you place consumers at the top of your priority list?
“As a Managing Board of NV GEBE, it is our responsibility to guide and lead the organisation in a manner that positions consumers, the St. Maarten community at the top of our priority list. We understand and take full responsibility that we are not the ‘perfect’ organisation, but one which identifies their challenges and takes ownership of them.
“No organisation is perfect, that is a given. However, we realise that we must continue to advance in the energy & water sector to provide the best services possible to our customers continuously.
“We have reviewed the consumer statements posed in Part I of this series, and we have addressed them with the appropriate departments and placed emphasis finding appropriate solutions.
“However, we do know one thing. We can no longer do business as usual and expect our customers to be satisfied with our services. We have learned many lessons from our predecessors and are utilising those lessons to ensure a positive way forward.”
I made an immediate discovery once the interview was underway. There was a strong sense of determination that presided in the room, it resonated. I must admit I felt that they had dispelled my opening quote. “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.”
I had a paradigm shift and another quote came to mind by the famous Vince Lombari: “Individual commitment to a group effort – that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilisation work.”
I wanted to find out if my intuitiveness was correct. Was the organisation shifting from a laissez-faire approach and ascending on much needed, accelerated change? I asked myself, “Are they changing their standards from doing what they have always done and adopting more effective customer-driven strategies? To get the answer, I had to go deeper into the hull of the organisation, the belly so to speak.
I went right to the source, Mishlyn Stephens, head of the Commercial Department – the department most frequented by customers – the “hub” of customer interaction.
Ms. Stephens, how is your online platform supporting consumers with effectively managing their accounts?
“Our mission is to make sure our team is connecting with our customers on every level of their experience, to ensure their needs are met in person and online.
“We enjoy greeting and supporting our customers in our payment centres, but we also want to encourage our customers to transition to our online services and sign up at www.nvgebe.com for the following reasons: Faster, convenient services; easy access to account status logging on with a mobile device; avoid long lines and extensive wait times; engage in a LIVE chat on our website.”
Next location? The Power Plant, where I interviewed Mr. Brown and Mr. Mota, two frontline mechanics.
Gentlemen, what is the Power Plant team doing to prevent power outages?
“We have made engine maintenance a high priority. Our engines are serviced regularly and that provides us with the reassurance that fewer outages will occur. All service updates are in accordance with manufacturer recommendations.”
I was excited, and I started to recognise that a consistent pattern persisted from one department to the other and from one employee to the next. They all shared the same vision: A vision to improve services. I was curious whether my final interviews would ring true to my interpretation of the organisation.
The Distribution Department was my next destination. Its mission is to deliver quality work to the community by dedicated NV GEBE personnel in the most efficient and effective way.
I had a chance to sit down with the dynamic duo of the Distribution Department, Patrick Drijvers (Assistant Distribution Manager – Planning, Engineering and Execution); and Ramiro Hernandez (Assistant Distribution Manager – Electrical & Water Operations, Maintenance and Meter Affairs) along with several of their technicians.
Mr. Drijvers, how has your effective management style impacted technicians to go the extra mile?
“My approach is starting at the threshold of the department, ensuring that team members have the tools they need to get their jobs done efficiently. We realise the right tools directly impact the quality of work delivered.”
“In addition, Mr. Hernandez and I listen carefully to the feedback from our valued technicians that are in the field every day. They are our eyes and ears and are trained to identify obstacles and challenges that require immediate solutions that improve service standards to diverse clients.”
Gentlemen, as technicians in the field every day, how have you worked to improve the image of the organisation?
“We understand that teamwork is key. Our leaders have respect for our knowledge and recognise our willingness to go the extra mile every day. We realise that our work on the frontlines makes a difference for customers and we must do our best to move GEBE forward.”
Mr. Hernandez, how do you feel your direct role impacts the St. Maarten community?
“As a technical person with almost 30 years of experience in the water and electrical field, with analytical and decision-making attitude, my role in the distribution department has impacted our water and electricity networks very positively, especially after the devastation we suffered with Hurricane Irma.
“This translates into faster recovery times after storms, system failures and blackouts. We have developed a plan to renew and expand our networks – still crippled from the before mentioned storm – and we are going ahead with it.
Part II provided a look into the NV GEBE family and acknowledged that accelerated change is present and in motion. Interviews with the NV GEBE leadership and personnel did provide the answers I was looking for somewhat.
I walked away feeling that the organisation was “attempting” to place consumers first but had a lot more work to do. I realise that change is continuous, and if the organisation is truly committed, we will all begin as a community to reap the benefits from their improved practices as time goes on.
Part III will highlight how NV GEBE was able to directly support us through one of the most horrific, devastating hurricanes that hit this island.