Our Courses and Seminars:
Courses for Utility Organizations

Collaborative Learning is prepared to deliver seminars and short courses on a wide range of topics that are relevant to Public Power utilities in particular and to utility organizations in general. These programs can be offered with standard or customized content and in standard or customized modules to best fit an organization's needs and available resources. Many of the programs are readily adaptable to delivery through Internet webinars and other distance learning methods.

Executive Management & Governing Boards

• Governing with Excellence                                                                             
  Effective Policy Leadership for Public Power Governing Boards
• Electric Utility Basics
  A Primer on Electric Utility Infrastructures, Technical Operations & Business Management
• Strategic and Business Planning for Public Power Leaders
  Process Design and Facilitation ~ Linking Strategic and Business Plan Elements ~ Communication and Consensus-Building ~ Effective Implementation
• The Strategically Focused Organization
  Aligning Structure, Culture and Accountability with Strategic Direction and
  Performance Imperatives
• Performance Management and Benchmarking for Public Power
  Selection, Definition, Reporting, Analysis, and Peer Comparison of Critical
  Performance Measures
• Collaborative Decision-Making
  Tackling the Challenge of Group Problem Solving and Decision Analysis
• Keeping the “Public” in Public Power
  Demonstrating the Value of Public Power Systems to Local Communities
• Effective Stakeholder Engagement
  How to Identify and Engage Stakeholders in Dialogue about Critical Issues and Plans
• Values-Based Leadership
  Showing Public Power Leaders how to ‘Walk the Talk’ with Core Values
• New Tools for Decision-Making in Challenging Times
  Using Systems Thinking and Other Tools to Analyze Complex Problems and
  Difficult Decisions
• Getting Through
   How to Effectively Communicate Your Message Verbally and Visually
• Meeting Leadership and Facilitation Skills
  How to Have Fewer Meetings, Shorter Meetings, and Meetings That Get Things Done
  

Management & Technical Professionals

• Effective Management of Electric Field Operations
  Improving Employee Productivity, Work Scheduling and Execution, Customer Relations, Safety/Risk Management, Employee Relations, and Organizational Leadership
• Outstanding Customer Relations for Utility Operating Personnel
  Improving Customer Relations in the Field 
• Effective Crew Supervision in Utility Operations
   Building and Sustaining High Performance Crews
• Principles of Project Management
  Policies, Procedures, and Best Practices that Support Successful Outcomes
• Leadership and Facilitation of Internal Project Teams
  Creating and Sustaining Effective Internal Project Teams
• Communicating Effectively with Governing Boards, Customers, Regulators, and other Stakeholders
  Avoiding “Tech-Speak”:  Conveying Technical Information to Non-Technical Audiences
• Stakeholder Engagement in Capital Projects
  Building Support through Effective Two-Way Communication
• Business and Professional Ethics in the Real World of Utility Professionals
  Character in the Workplace that Builds Integrity and Trust
• Personal Power and Influence
  Making the most of personal style to produce extraordinary results for employees, customers, and organizations
• Construction Contract Administration Principles and Techniques
  Basic philosophies and techniques for administering construction contracts, including communication, ethics, relationships with contractors and subcontractors, record-keeping, change orders, and schedules.
• Total Quality Management Tools and Techniques
  Understanding the history and basic concepts of TQM and how to use simple tools and methods to analyze and resolve organizational bottlenecks.

Engineering & Operations Professionals

• High Voltage Electrical Distribution Systems
  An Overview of Infrastructure Planning, Design, Operation and Maintenance
• The 2007 National Electrical Safety Code (NESC)
  Practical Application of the NESC for Engineers and/or
  Practical Application of the NESC for Field Employees
• Overhead Electrical Distribution
  Planning, Constructing and Operating Overhead Line Structures, Conductors, and Equipment
• Underground Electrical Distribution
  Planning, Constructing and Operating Underground Line Structures, Cables, and Equipment
• Maintenance of High Voltage Electrical Distribution Systems
  Principles and Practices of Maintenance Management for Electrical Distribution Systems
• High Voltage Electrical Safety
  Safety Principles and Practices in the Design, Construction, Operation & Maintenance of Distribution Systems (Incorporating NESC, OSHA, APPA Safety Manual, and other resources.) 
• Reliability in Electric Utility Distribution Systems
  Measuring and Improving Distribution Reliability