A vehicle is power. We can go where we want,when we want and with whom we want. But driving has its risks. I found that turning over the car keys to my teenagers was a little unnerving. But my fears were displaced. My boys, with spotless accident records, are better drivers than their dad. For me, turning over the car keys has worked out well.

Life Is About Letting Go

But for many of us, letting go of the wheel and handing over the keys is incredibly difficult. We want to be in control. We want the next generation to see things our way. But each generation has the right to form its own thoughts and opinions. And ultimately, each generation will shape our companies to reflect their values and desires.

I've been mulling over how to get new blood into the electric utility industry. I've come to realize that we baby boomers need a reality check. If we are in the driver's seat, we won't be for long. It's time we equip the next generation to run tomorrow's utility. Too many of us are attempting to steer, only to find out we've been putting on the brakes.

Most department heads addressing staffing shortages are asking the same question, “How do we attract young people to our industry and keep them engaged?”

“Generation Y” Will Shape the Future

Maybe you've seen the Mel Gibson movie, “What Women Want,” in which Gibson can actually hear what women are thinking. Fortunately, we don't have to suffer Mel's fate of near electrocution to shock us into hearing what the next generation wants. We can just ask them. They are not shy. I've been doing a little polling of 20-somethings, and here is what they tell me:

Don't offer me security

We watched our parents get the shaft and know security is something you can't offer. Only when we develop the skills the marketplace wants, will we feel secure.

Don't tell me to be patient and wait my turn

We live in the age of instant gratification. We want work we can immerse ourselves in and we want it now.

Don't expect my life to revolve around work

We want balance. And if you push us too hard or too far, we're out of here.

Turn me loose

We want to be encouraged and guided, not controlled and manipulated.

Let me work with peers my age

We don't want to be completely surrounded by the ancients.

Give me technology

We've grown up with the Internet. You want graphics, animation, 3-D software? Turn us loose and be amazed.

Would you like a visual picture of what our next generation looks like? Take a look at these photos. The guy on the left is Joel Dembowski. He's a structural engineer who creates, analyzes and maintains the finite element structural models used in transmission line design. The guy in the middle is Stacey Sheffield, an engineer who doubles as a programming jockey, developing custom programs to automate and streamline his group's routine engineering tasks. On the right is Graham Smith, an engineer who pushes the limits of PLS CADD in engineering design. He also tracks his construction projects through to completion. These three work together to streamline work processes at Georgia Power Co. (Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.).

Have they run into problems? Every day. Do they face resistance from within the company? Of course. And some of this resistance is needed. But don't quench their fire as they attempt to turn the world upside down. These three are taking their company — and our industry — in the right direction. Utilities simply must upgrade their processes and streamline their workflow if they are to prosper — even if it requires us to suffer a little irreverence and a glitch or two.

Life Is More Than a Job

These guys are more than their jobs. Joel is a motor head who rides a Harley. He is also into skateboarding. Graham is into backpacking and Ultimate Frisbee. Music and fishing are everything to Stacey.

These three are finding plenty of challenges at work right where they sit, which is right outside the office of principal engineer Dennis Mize. They can tap into Dennis's 30 years of experience and heartache any time they want.

I asked Graham if he had any interest in department hopping with the goal of moving up in the company. He responded, “That isn't my thing. I like what I'm doing, and I'll stick with it if I'm supported and feel like I'm making progress in my career.”

We've seen the statistics on how many engineers and technical professionals our industry will hire over the next 10 years. And it is a little frightening. But, it is not too late. We need to work with our universities to prepare a new generation of engineers. But even more, we need to let go of the wheel and turn over the car keys. Joel, Graham and Stacey would appreciate the gesture. It's time we learned to relax and enjoy the ride.