On the road to success...charting our course
Journey
Our
On the road to success...charting our course by Todd Simmons, Learning Organization Team Member ALLETE has a history as a company with a strong learning culture. ALLETE has had to navigate many external challenges over the past 100+ years. During those challenges it has been our employees’ willingness to embrace continuous learning that has made us successful. Today is no different. Cost pressures, ever-changing environmental requirements and the tremendous turnover of our workforce are just a few of the challenges buffeting the Company. For ALLETE to continue to be successful, its employees must continuously learn and grow.
“The more you ask yourself why something is what it is - the natural tendency is to learn more about it.” —Bill Poulter
S P E C I A L
Recent Powergram articles about “learning to learn”, “continuous learning” and “continuous improvement” were written to provide examples and definition for how we all can constantly improve. The goal of these articles has been to create awareness for “how” we all can contribute.
“I never learn anything talking. I only learn things when I ask questions.” —Lou Holtz The attitude each of us brings to work is important as it helps set the tone for how well we learn. We all have a part to play in determining our company’s success and at the same time improving ourselves. We encourage continuous improvement through new learning opportunities while reminding everyone not to overlook the day-to-day opportunities for growth and learning. Companies with strong learning organization cultures are in the best position to succeed! To create and maintain a learning organization you need a company that promotes and affords employees opportunities to continuously learn, and you need employees that are willing to hold themselves accountable to make it happen. We are fortunate that we have both!
E D I T I O N
POW ERGR AM
—
“Arend Sandbulte, past CEO of Minnesota Power, made a comment to me when I first started working for Minnesota Power: ‘As long as you are willing to learn and try new things you will have employment at Minnesota Power’. While not assuming that I was guaranteed anything, I took to heart his key point, the importance of learning and trying new things. Over the years I’ve had the benefit of working across many areas of Generation that range from Fuels to Operations and Generation Operations, from yard worker to thermal business operations manager to General Manager – Wind Operations. These positions have all provided me everyday opportunities to learn, though I haven’t always recognized them as doing so. I thought of them more as gaining experience rather than learning. Some opportunities have been formal moves from one plant to another or one job to another. Yet many have been internal opportunities to participate on a specific project or initiative. Whether it is accepting the invitation to participate on the Laskin SIT Team or work on a chemical clean at Boswell, Laskin or Taconite Harbor or as a member of the Minnesota Power Foundation Board there have been no shortages of learning opportunities. These opportunities did require some approval, but they all primarily required a willingness to learn and try new things. What have you learned today?” – Todd
JUN E
2013
Our
On the road to success...charting our course by Todd Simmons, Learning Organization Team Member ALLETE has a history as a company with a strong learning culture. ALLETE has had to navigate many external challenges over the past 100+ years. During those challenges it has been our employees’ willingness to embrace continuous learning that has made us successful. Today is no different. Cost pressures, ever-changing environmental requirements and the tremendous turnover of our workforce are just a few of the challenges buffeting the Company. For ALLETE to continue to be successful, its employees must continuously learn and grow.
“The more you ask yourself why something is what it is - the natural tendency is to learn more about it.” —Bill Poulter
S P E C I A L
Recent Powergram articles about “learning to learn”, “continuous learning” and “continuous improvement” were written to provide examples and definition for how we all can constantly improve. The goal of these articles has been to create awareness for “how” we all can contribute.
“I never learn anything talking. I only learn things when I ask questions.” —Lou Holtz The attitude each of us brings to work is important as it helps set the tone for how well we learn. We all have a part to play in determining our company’s success and at the same time improving ourselves. We encourage continuous improvement through new learning opportunities while reminding everyone not to overlook the day-to-day opportunities for growth and learning. Companies with strong learning organization cultures are in the best position to succeed! To create and maintain a learning organization you need a company that promotes and affords employees opportunities to continuously learn, and you need employees that are willing to hold themselves accountable to make it happen. We are fortunate that we have both!
E D I T I O N
POW ERGR AM
—
“Arend Sandbulte, past CEO of Minnesota Power, made a comment to me when I first started working for Minnesota Power: ‘As long as you are willing to learn and try new things you will have employment at Minnesota Power’. While not assuming that I was guaranteed anything, I took to heart his key point, the importance of learning and trying new things. Over the years I’ve had the benefit of working across many areas of Generation that range from Fuels to Operations and Generation Operations, from yard worker to thermal business operations manager to General Manager – Wind Operations. These positions have all provided me everyday opportunities to learn, though I haven’t always recognized them as doing so. I thought of them more as gaining experience rather than learning. Some opportunities have been formal moves from one plant to another or one job to another. Yet many have been internal opportunities to participate on a specific project or initiative. Whether it is accepting the invitation to participate on the Laskin SIT Team or work on a chemical clean at Boswell, Laskin or Taconite Harbor or as a member of the Minnesota Power Foundation Board there have been no shortages of learning opportunities. These opportunities did require some approval, but they all primarily required a willingness to learn and try new things. What have you learned today?” – Todd
JUN E
2013
