“What are you going to do now, Commanding Officer (CO)?” These words still bounce around in my mind after 40 years. The place is Ft. Riley, Kansas, U.S., and leadership training of a platoon of future U.S. Army officers is taking place on a hillside. In the scene, a soldier is lying on the ground writing in pain and holding his left side. He is complaining that he has appendicitis.

The bigger picture is the unit has a mission and must get on with it immediately. As the CO, I have to make a decision about the welfare of this soldier versus the impending mission. Bottom line, he is holding his left side not his right where the appendix is located. He was faking the illness to get out the mission.

I'd like to speak to the new COs coming into our industry who are pressured into making quick decisions without sufficient knowledge. You'll want to be confident that you have the knowledge to make rational decisions when senior management is in your face yelling, “What are you going to do now, CO?”

Let's face it, we all address tough situations in our jobs everyday because of the expanding dimensions of new technology, combined with the severe loss of knowledge our industry has experienced. Where do you go for the training? Where can you find the expertise you need to help you make critical decisions?

There might be individuals in our power industry in similar jobs or with extensive experience that would be willing to share with you, but how do you reach them?

I've spent the majority of my career in underground T&D, and the best resource for me is the Insulated Conductors Committee (ICC) of the Power Engineering Society (PES) of the IEEE. The ICC meets twice a year to write a guide and standards on insulated conductors, cable terminations and testing. In our working groups, our mission is to share specific information, not only in the working groups but also in discussion groups. We share more general information in subcommittee sessions. The ICC also hosts an educational program on topics such as cable design, partial-discharge testing or lead-paper cables. The ICC is an excellent resource to get answers to your underground questions.

I'd like to say we will roll out the carpet for you and pave the way to make your life easier, but that is not always the case. If you need information and intend to make your mark, just stand up and make your needs known. This is a key point: Not only do you learn personally, but you get to share and increase the knowledge base of those within your company; you can show your people what is really going on. How else can you save time and money so effectively than to go to one meeting to learn from the experts?

Of course there are plenty of sources available for information on underground engineering design and construction. Within this issue of Transmission & Distribution World, you will learn about the latest information on underground cable technology. But your grasp of technology is only part of the picture. You must share the knowledge you've gained within your company to create a “learning organization.” So the next time you are faced with a tough situation, you will know what to do, or at the very minimum, know where to go to find the experts who know the answers.

Look at this issue with new eyes and ask yourself: What new knowledge is here? How can I use this information to inform colleagues and grow the knowledge base in my company? When you do this, you're on your way to being the CO.

Kenneth E. Bow received the BSEE degree from Michigan State University in 1962. Following graduation, Bow joined The Dow Chemical Co. (Midland, Michigan, U.S.), where he has been involved in the research and development of materials for the wire and cable industry for more than 35 years. He is currently the chief scientist for the development of polymer and coated metal products for wire and cable applications. He is primarily responsible for the global development of applications and cable technology associated with cables using plastic-coated metallic shielding and armoring tapes.

Bow is a fellow of Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) and a member of the Wire Association International, the National Association of Corrosion Engineers, the Society of Plastics Engineers, the American Society of Materials, the International Conference on Large High Voltage Electric Systems, U.S. National Committee (CIGRÉ), and the International Scientific and Technical Committee for JICABLE.

Bow has authored/co-authored more than 100 papers and holds four patents. He received the Distinguished Service Award from the Insulated Conductors Committee of the IEEE and has received several prize paper awards. He is active in the standards process of IEEE and the Electronics Industry Association (EIA).