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any times, departments spend more time reacting to issues than planning for them. Even worse, they often later discover missed opportunities for coordination that would have saved resources and time. These are exactly some of the circumstances a group of subject matter experts at Washington Gas repeatedly experienced. They often found themselves in reaction mode each time they interacted—typically during “fix it now” meetings or when time was of the essence. So, five years ago, these SMEs decided to address the problem.
Led by Washington Gas’ Facilities Department, FREE was created, representing several departments across the company: Facilities, Real Estate and Environment. After a year of quarterly meetings, FREE realized it was missing another major department involved in its work—Safety. Together, under the new acronym FREES, the team quickly began realizing the benefits of collaboration. Not only were conversations taking place on current issues, but they were efficient, greatly reducing the number of emails and telephone calls needed to resolve issues. More importantly, resolutions were agreed upon by all in advance and planned for appropriately, rather than being abruptly changed midstream to address a concern not initially considered. This strategy contributed toward the departments using resources more effectively and meeting expectations consistently.
Another advantage of working collaboratively across the company is the ability to discuss issues on the horizon and plan for them before they become real problems. Because the team discusses respective current and planned projects, working together brings about diverse thinking and diverse problem-solving techniques. Working in silos, without the benefit of outside dialogue, often can result in less-than-optimal solutions. Potential issues not considered by one department but raised and addressed ahead of time by another department can save a company dollars, time and resources.
Over the past three years, FREES has continued to make strides in identifying and solving issues that impact numerous departments across the company. Some of FREES’ recent successes include:
According to Laura Boisvert, vice president for operation services for WGL, “FREES enables us to plan earlier to avoid issues and to address them better when they do surface. Also, FREES is a prime example of how diverse thought can bring about creative, viable solutions. Anything ‘better’ in my book is a win.
“I am proud to champion this team as it directly advances Washington Gas’ core values of working safely, thinking responsibility, acting with integrity, making informed decisions and achieving results, all through fostering diversity of thought,” she added.
This type of real teamwork also enables departments to better appreciate their individual contributions and respective departmental challenges, and it provides team members the opportunity to support each other toward viable success. At the same time, it provides opportunities for team members to learn more about each other’s jobs, responsibilities and their departments’ overall contributions to the operations and success of the company.
Team support is stronger than individual effort, and the benefits are often far-reaching. You can start by identifying the concerns that your department shares with other departments. Pinpoint the person or people responsible for those concerns and determine if they have the authority to make decisions to address those concerns. Also, consider if that person has a budget and the authority to commit the funds or maintain the resources to find funds to address concerns. Lastly, find those people and staff who are passionate about addressing matters in a more efficient and diverse way and have the drive to advocate for this change in approach.
In the end, taking the time to lay the proper foundation with the right team could pay off many times over.