Water In Real Life

By The H2duOBusiness Education Government Non-Profit

Water In Real Life episodes

October 15, 2018025: The Science Behind Storytelling with Master Storyteller and Author, Kendall Haven.
Kendall Haven is an internationally recognized Subject Matter Expert on the cognitive neuroscience of story and helped create the study of the Neuroscience of Story. A performing master storyteller, Haven has, for over 30 years, led the research effort for the National Storytelling Assn. and International Storytelling Center into effective story structure and into the process of story-based influence and persuasion and has been designated as a Distinguished Visiting Scholar at Stanford University.
Haven’s two seminal works (Story Proof and Story Smart) have revolutionized our understanding of the neural and science aspects of effective story structure. He serves as a story consultant to departments in various U.S. government science agencies (Navy, EPA, NASA, NOAA, and NPS) and to the Singapore Armed Forces as well as with numerous corporations, nonprofits, and educational organizations.\
Top Takeaways:
People aren’t interested in ideas, they’re interested in people. If you listened to Episode 12: Water Nerd’s Guide to Storytelling, we introduced Kendall Haven’s research on the neuroscience behind storytelling. We take this convo deeper as we chat with Kendall Haven about:
The decades of research that demonstrate the power of story.
How our brains are hardwired from birth to process all information by putting it in story form.
Why providing information in story form makes your content more memorable and impactful.
Your greatest storytelling resource are the people of your organization.

Resources:
Story Smart: Using the Science of Story to Persuade, Influence, Inspire, and Teach by Kendall Haven
Story Proof: The Science Behind the Startling Power of Story by Kendall Haven
Sponsor:
Utilities can now automate leak alerts with Dropcountr – the customer portal built for water utilities. Dropcountr helps customers manage their water use and avoid unwanted usage with leak alerts. The team works with the utility to set automated burst and continuous usage thresholds for their users, to help them avoid bill surprises, reduce customer calls and improve customer satisfaction. The leak alerts run in the background, your team never needs to think about them – it’s kind of like magic. Find out more about Dropcountr and the work they’re doing at theh2duo.com/dropcountr.
Show notes:
[4:15] Kendall’s story, a master storyteller who worked for entities like NASA, Boeing, the World Bank.
[10:36] Storytelling is hardwired in your brain even you were born.
[11:46] Key reasons it’s worth it to focus on storytelling.
[13:50] Stephanie’s first intro to storytelling and finding out about Kendall’s research.
[15:40] Kendall gives a sums up his research to develop his two books Story Proof and Story Smart.
[20:50] How your brain processes stories– what reaches your conscience mind.
[27:35] Kendall gives an example from Story Smart of the how the Make Sense Mandate and the Neural Story Net works.
[30:07] Your choice to end stories negatively or positively–emotional impacts occur either way
[32:22] We set up a story from Story Smart: how the use of effective storytelling drastically changed one non-profit’s ability to fundraise and change behavior.
[33:28] Before we get into the story–Kendall breaks down the basic elements of a story. *Write this down and refer back for presentations, posts, publications, etc!!
[36:49] The non-profit story continues–Rotary Club were working with hospital for AIDS children. People need more than the numbers/results, they need the full story, which includes the bad parts, the struggle.
[41:34] United Airlines example that shows you the employees and the behind the scene complexities of a plane ride.
[47:20] Definition Storytelling–Story (noun) and Telling (verb)
[49:48] What happens when we aren’t consistently communicating with our customers and letting them fill in the information gaps with their own “banks of prior knowledge”?
[50:25] The curse of family stories.
[52:00] The curse of knowledge.
[53:08]
If you want to communicate, you’ve got to start not with where you are, not what you know, not with what you want to say. But with where your target audience is and with what they know, with what they think.Tweet This
[55:06] How do you overcome the two curses?
[57:35] Character writing–have the people who represent your target audience in the room or conversation with you.
[59:12] Kendall breaks down the Make Sense Mandate and the Neural Story Net.
[1:05:17] Stephanie relates this to the “2015 High Water Bill Outrage” in North Texas.
[1:07:42] It’s about understanding the story your audience already has and reframing it.
[1:09:18] Kendall breaks down in-depth how to craft an effective story.
[1:18:15] Arianne kicks off the “lightning round” of questions: Kendall’s favorite books, what drives his productivity and one call to action.
Please consider rating the podcast with 5 stars and leaving a one- or two-sentence review in iTunes or on Stitcher. This helps tremendously in bringing the podcast to the attention of others. We give a shoutout to everyone who rates the podcast with 5 stars in future episodes.
Give us some love on Twitter by tagging us @THE_H2duO or by using the #WaterInRealLifePodcast
If you know someone you think would benefit, please spread the word by using the share buttons on this page.
Thank you for sharing some of your time with us. We know how precious those minutes are. Share your story, you never know who needs to hear it and remember, “Those who tell the stories, rule the world.”
Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
1 hr 27 min
October 08, 2018024: The value of water through the lens of adventure with Adventure Hydrology founder, Chris Wolff
Christopher Wolff is a Hydrologist, Adventurer and Storyteller who is using his passion for the environment and his love for exploration to change the way we learn about this little blue planet we all call home.
For over decade, Chris worked as a Hydrologist for organizations such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, New Mexico Environment Department, and County of San Diego. Seeing the need for a new way to communicate water and natural resource science, Chris founded Adventure Hydrology in 2018.
Adventure Hydrology is a social media forward platform that uses the lens of adventure to teach people about our amazing world.
Chris is also working to make Adventure Hydrology a channel where other scientists, researchers, volunteers, and activists can share their stories, as we come together to inspire and engage others to explore, discover, and protect our amazing world.
Top Takeaways:
People seem to know about geology, ecology, and biology but most don’t know what hydrology is. They don’t know the importance or value of water but take this challenge as an opportunity to think outside of the box. Chris is turning the tide by making water ‘sexy’ through adventures like white water rafting, climbing mountains, canyoneering and glissading.
Three things we, in the water and environmental industries, can get in our way: using fear or scaring people about issues, letting politics lead the way, and not sharing data and knowledge to move the needle forward.
Storytellers must fight through those with trepidations of sharing information to teach the value of water. Continue to bang that storytelling drum.
Be aware of your surroundings to bring action and protection of the resources you love.

Resources:
Firefight (Reckoners Series) by Brandon Sanderson
Sponsor:
Utilities can now automate leak alerts with Dropcountr – the customer portal built for water utilities. Dropcountr helps customers manage their water use and avoid unwanted usage with leak alerts. The team works with the utility to set automated burst and continuous usage thresholds for their users, to help them avoid bill surprises, reduce customer calls and improve customer satisfaction. The leak alerts run in the background, your team never needs to think about them – it’s kind of like magic. Find out more about Dropcountr and the work they’re doing at theh2duo.com/dropcountr.
Time Stamps:
[1:30] Shout out to Imagine A Day Without Water
[3:38] Chris explains ‘why water’.
[7:28] Adventure Hydrology brings the “sexy back” for water.
[11:18] Definitions of canyoneering and glissading.
[13:15] Sponsorship and partnership opportunities.
[14:58] What it’s like to work for the federal government, aka U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, according to Chris.
[17:40] Inspired by an experience on the Rio Grande, the idea for Adventure Hydrology was born.
[19:43] Holy discontent.
[20:30] See the Rio Grande River episode.
[22:37] Hurdles we face in the industry.
[24:09] There are “darn cool” things going on in our industry. Is there a fear of success?
[26:24] Stop waiting for people to come to us, we as educators have to go to them.
[31:35] Telling the “wild” water stories.
[33:57] #RealNews. Everyone has a water story to tell. Water creates connections.
[38:41] Dinosaur tangents are fun.
[40:49] Chris tells what’s important about education around water and natural resources
In the end we will conserve only what we love; we will love only what we understand; and we will understand only what we are taught.” – Baba Dioum
[44:03] A walk through of Chris’s video planning process.
[47:53] Chris breaks down Al Gore’s Climate Reality Leadership Corps he recently attended.
[53:34] The H2duO and Chris play a word scrambler game to demonstrate how literally everything can be connected to water.
Please consider rating the podcast with 5 stars and leaving a one- or two-sentence review in iTunes or on Stitcher. This helps tremendously in bringing the podcast to the attention of others. We give a shoutout to everyone who rates the podcast with 5 stars in future episodes.
Give us some love on Twitter by tagging us @THE_H2duO or by using the #WaterInRealLifePodcast
If you know someone you think would benefit, please spread the word by using the share buttons on this page.
Thank you for sharing some of your time with us. We know how precious those minutes are. Share your story, you never know who needs to hear it and remember, “Those who tell the stories, rule the world.”
Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, we only recommend products or services we use personally or believe will add value to our readers. We are disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
1 hr 10 min
October 01, 2018023: Affordability, leadership, and the impact of showing up with Greg Wukasch
Greg Wukasch, our mentor, previous speaker at Catalyst 2018, guest on episode 3, and current manager of the External Affairs Department with the San Antonio Water System. Beginning in 1998, as an Education Coordinator and now as the External Affairs Manager. Greg really considers himself more of a “story teller” putting together water stories for citizens across the city he loves. When not talking H2O, this self-professed water nerd also enjoys talking strategic planning and corporate culture.
Greg and his team have developed impactful programs that have continued to create community between SAWS and the community it serves. These programs include the high school education program Impact.
Top Takeaways:
So many times we look to each other and compare, especially in the communication and education sphere of the water industry, to get ideas and standards. But affordability is different. Every city is different in terms of demographics, struggles, infrastructure issues, and services therefore affordable water issues will be unique.
Go where your people are already gathering. Go beyond the social media and take a more personalized approach with our customers, with your neighbors.
Greg’s two big leadership takeaways: have the courage to lead and it’s ok to make mistakes, just handle them well.
You can’t be afraid to try something out and if it doesn’t work in the moment don’t be afraid to change it at the last second to meet the needs of your people.

Resources:
4 Disciplines of Execution by Chris McChesney, Sean Covey, Jim Huling
Servant Leadership on Action by Ken Blanchard and Renee Broadwell
Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek
Sponsor:
Utilities can now automate leak alerts with Dropcountr – the customer portal built for water utilities. Dropcountr helps customers manage their water use and avoid unwanted usage with leak alerts. The team works with the utility to set automated burst and continuous usage thresholds for their users, to help them avoid bill surprises, reduce customer calls and improve customer satisfaction. The leak alerts run in the background, your team never needs to think about them – it’s kind of like magic. Find out more about Dropcountr and the work they’re doing at theh2duo.com/dropcountr.
Show notes:
[4:55] Kick off with the affordability-Greg attended The most relevant and timely conference had ever been too.
[5:38] Affordability and affordable water issues are beginning to make their way to the top and to many different cities.
[6:20] Manny Teodoro kicked off the conference explaining the uniqueness of affordability.
[7:35] Greg will talk about SAWS affordability program, being gut punched by the opening speaker, and the outreach goals they’ve reached.
[10:24] Greg was listening to intently to Manny Teodoro’s presentation he forgot to take notes at times. See his presentation notes here and follow twitter @MPTeodoro. Words on Water episode.
[13:10] Greg breaks down SAWS humanized outreach strategy of “meeting them [customers] where they are”.
[17:53] Greg takes the program further-gives an example of trying something new adjusting as you go.
[20:35] We’re at a moment in the industry where the analytical side is meeting a social science side.
[24:56] Be an authentic leader, willing and wanting to be with our neighbors.
[26:13] A theme within the podcast about being authentic and being connected with your customers.
[27:24] Find your ambassadors to amplify your message.
[28:00] Closing down the conference with an impactful panel that includes industry professionals and advocates for the poor.
[31:51] Greg attended the global leadership summit-hear his takeaways and how he turns his learning into action.
[34:04] It takes Courage to lead. It takes courage to believe in a cause bigger than yourself. -Simon Sinek
[34:13] You must get comfortable taking risks. Fear has no place in your success equation. It takes courage to be a leader. -Carla Harris with Morgan Stanley
[34:50] “Things were going fine with our affordability group, why did you have to come in and try to do something bigger.”
[35:28] Not being afraid to make mistakes. The road to success is paved in mistakes well handled. -Danny Meyer restaurateur
[38:39] Greg gives examples of taking action from the theory he learns at conferences and books.
[41:30] Arianne gets fired up: are you taking what you learn from conferences and summits back to staff and implementing the takeaways and action items?
[44:50] Knowledge hoarders
[45:02] Great leaders constantly learn and share the knowledge.
[46:15] Seth Godin’s blog inspired Stephanie.
“If you’re not working to changes minds, why are you here again?”
[48:37] Greg’s quick encouragement to the H2duO.
Please consider rating the podcast with 5 stars and leaving a one- or two-sentence review in iTunes or on Stitcher. This helps tremendously in bringing the podcast to the attention of others. We give a shoutout to everyone who rates the podcast with 5 stars in future episodes.
Give us some love on Twitter by tagging us @THE_H2duO or by using the #WaterInRealLifePodcast
If you know someone you think would benefit, please spread the word by using the share buttons on this page.
Thank you for sharing some of your time with us. We know how precious those minutes are. Share your story, you never know who needs to hear it and remember, “Those who tell the stories, rule the world.”
Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
52 min
September 24, 2018022: Communication-the Baseline for Conservation with Robb Barnitt, CEO and Founder of Dropcountr
Robb Barnitt is the Founder and Chief Executive at Dropcountr, a water SaaS (software-as-a-service) company that transforms data into actionable information for utility staff and their customers.
Robb has spent his career working at the intersection of technology and sustainability in roles with Arthur D. Little, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and several Silicon Valley startups. He holds a Masters degree in Engineering from Stanford and an MBA from UC-Berkeley.
Top Takeaways:
The water sector has amazing committed people. They want to do something meaningful. This extends to the technology-oriented folks–developers and engineers. For those young professionals that want to make a difference, there’s a lot to like about the water industry.
Customers view water utilities on the same level as the other utilities they communicate with regularly. They expect a higher level of service and access such as real-time alerts regarding usage thresholds, leaks, and bill notification.
Access to information isn’t just about bill pay and water usage. It also provides utilities the ability to communicate about other areas of concern for customers such as hydrant flushing. Robb gives a case study on Dedham Westwood Water District outside of Boston.
At the 2018 WaterSmart Innovations Conference: Dropcountr, Rogue Water and Alliance for Water Efficiency are teaming up to discuss the importance of communicating with your Spanish speaking population in your community. A more complete inclusivity requires delivery of information in a language that’s preferred by the customer. If you want to educate and develop that relationship then you need to be speaking the same language. Whether Spanish is a requirement or just a preference, it’s a pretty nice gesture. It’s more than a translated website, you can actively engage in the culture.

“Strive to be more than a vendor, be an industry participant.” Robb Barnitt, Founder and Chief Executive at Dropcountr
Resources:
Scrum: The Art of Doing Twice the Work in Half the Time by Jeff Sutherland
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Conscious Capitalism: the Heroic Spirit of Business by John Mackey and Raj Sisodia
Tech resources:
Tech Crunch
Hacker News
Maven’s Notebook
Survey:
JD Power Survey
Sponsor:
Master Meter Inc delivers game-changing results for you across Finance, Customer Service, and Utility Operations. They offer an array of products to meet your utility’s needs. Check out their free ebook on financing smart water solutions here.
Show notes:
[4:20] Robb’s origin story, from rural America to water tech startup CEO.
[8:45] Why is it important to be in the water sector, in this moment?
[11:30] How is technology helping to bring utilities into the digital age with their customers?
[12:50] Case study from Dedham Westwood Water District about communicating with customers regarding hydrant flushing.
[17:08] The importance of communicating with your Spanish speaking community.
[21:25] How water tech startups can play a role in bringing the next generation to the water industry.
[25:00] Robb’s guiding principles aka core values and Arianne forgetting ours.
[30:00] Robb gives more case studies of communication positively impacting communities in Folsom and Denver.
[34:50] Upcoming research on the impact of different messaging over time.
[38:15] Stephanie’s soapbox on how the private and public sectors can work together to ensure that what’s being created is truly solving a problem that utilities can use to move forward.
[40:23] We quiz Robb on where his water comes from and how his own water provider is doing.
Please consider rating the podcast with 5 stars and leaving a one- or two-sentence review in iTunes or on Stitcher. This helps tremendously in bringing the podcast to the attention of others. We give a shoutout to everyone who rates the podcast with 5 stars in future episodes.
Give us some love on Twitter by tagging us @THE_H2duO or by using the #WaterInRealLifePodcast
If you know someone you think would benefit, please spread the word by using the share buttons on this page.
Thank you for sharing some of your time with us. We know how precious those minutes are. Share your story, you never know who needs to hear it and remember, “Those who tell the stories, rule the world.”
Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
55 min
September 17, 2018021: Podcast piracy–a take over by the seadog, Travis Loop, who interviews the H2duO
Water In Real Life co-hosts, The H2duO, aka Stephanie Zavala and Arianne Shipley, have received many questions from listeners about who they are, their relationship and their business, Rogue Water. During a recording of the Water Nerd’s Guide to Happy Hour episode, their pod was pirated by none other than the scallywag, Travis Loop. Blimey!! As a podcast host himself, the privateer (pirates who are sponsored by the government #fitting) took over as captain and made the duo walk the plank aka answer his questions. Note: this was recorded during a live happy hour–we suggest you listen with your favorite happy hour beverage as well. ARRR!!
Top Takeaways:
We break down ‘who is who’… Rogue Water, a consulting company, and the H2duO is our nicknames “water girls” and “dynamic duo” combined. Plus it’s easier to say (and less Twitter characters) than Stephanie Zavala and Arianne Shipley.
The H2duO is to Rogue Water as Steve Jobs is to Apple. The best of friends lift each other up. Our relationship works because we’re very yin-yang, we learn from each other personally and professionally.
Stephanie reached out to Erin Brockovich about changing the utility communication game. Ms. Brockovich responded…
Embrace the haters. Let the haters fuel you. The greatest revenge is to continue the hustle and be the best we can be.

“Over time, I’ve matured or grown but am I gonna say that they never bother me, and they never upset me? But that’s what Jay-Z and whiskey are for.” –Stephanie Zavala
Resources:
Rogue Water, the H2duO’s public communication consulting company that helps
Open Letter to Erin Brockovich by Rogue Water
Dirt Off Your Shoulder by Jay-Z
Sponsor:
Master Meter Inc delivers game-changing results for you across Finance, Customer Service, and Utility Operations. They offer an array of products to meet your utility’s needs. Check out their free ebook on financing smart water solutions here.
Show notes:
[6:40] Who are the H2duO?
[] The story of how Rogue Water was born on a napkin.
[14:10] Our role. How do we control this two-headed monster?
[23:20] That time we talked for Erin Brockovich for 90 minutes
[25:00] The infamous Rogue Water Open Letter to Erin Brockovich blog
[32:25] Arianne talks raising livestock in Texas and that water connection
[38:15] Travis asks “What the deal with Texas?” and we talk water issues in Texas
[43:40] Haters gonna hate.
Please consider rating the podcast with 5 stars and leaving a one- or two-sentence review in iTunes or on Stitcher. This helps tremendously in bringing the podcast to the attention of others. We give a shoutout to everyone who rates the podcast with 5 stars in future episodes.
Give us some love on Twitter by tagging us @THE_H2duO or by using the #WaterInRealLifePodcast
If you know someone you think would benefit, please spread the word by using the share buttons on this page.
Thank you for sharing some of your time with us. We know how precious those minutes are. Share your story, you never know who needs to hear it and remember, “Those who tell the stories, rule the world.”
Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
54 min
September 10, 2018020: The Value of Water, More than a Metric
Todd Danielson’s social media information states his blood type is H2O positive because water is core to him, which is definitely important in his role as the Chief Utilities Executive for Avon Lake Regional Water. A 20-plus-year veteran of the industry and a professional engineer by training, Todd most enjoys asking, “what if,” and helping to implement better ways to serve the public, improve the environment, and spur the economy.
Top Takeaways:
Avon Lake Regional Water rolled out a residential combined sewer separation program, received feedback, and took action to work together with residents for implementation. In 26 months they’ve signed over 300 loan agreements with customers and committed well over 1 million dollars.
Sometimes it’s one person, such as Samantha Villegas (Episode 14), who help form a deeper understanding for the value of communication. Other times it’s first hand experiences such as a frazil ice event. Either way, the value of proactive and consistent communication is evident.
No matter what, you’re going to spend time and money communicating. An ounce of prevention, is worth a pound of cure. Put in the work up front and build that “relationship bank account” with your customers.
“If you only have a hammer, everything’s a nail.” A utility is like a toolbox and each of the departments are different tools. Some jobs you’ll need a hammer, while other jobs you need many tools. By working together, tools can be complementary. It’s important to knowing what each “tool” of the utility does and how best to use them.
Recognize the importance of what a utility can do for the economy of a community. As George Hawkins, famously states, “water utilities support all jobs”. Many areas are actively promoting development through water availability and the resiliency of their system.
Think business plan versus master plan. Incorporate other challenges utilities face such as fats, oils and grease, biogas, and energy. How does creating solutions for these challenges benefit customers, both residential and commercial?
Whether you’re in the industry or still in school, one thing is certain, we want to make a difference. Providing water and wastewater services has made a HUGE difference, but its the status quo. In order to make a difference, we must do more, such as partnering with schools, or becoming energy neutral, or reducing our carbon footprint. We must communicate what we’re doing to attract the younger workforce.
Utility affordability is a very real issue. What are the intended outcomes for an affordability program? Do customers need a hand out or a hand up? Water use audits, leak repairs, and bill payment counseling are options being implemented in many cities. Never discount the partnerships that can form from these types of programs.
Keep your customers in your community and keep the community thriving.
Metrics aren’t always statistical. Simply seeing customers using reusable water bottles is a success indicator. Being asked to give tours, increased enrollment in the local college’s water-related courses, an increase in applications for open positions, and of course an increase of social media engagement are all indicators for the value of water.
If we don’t fail at times, then we aren’t pushing hard enough.

Resources:
“Leading Change” by John Cotters
“The Man in the Arena” Teddy Roosevelt
Sponsor:
Master Meter Inc delivers game-changing results for you across Finance, Customer Service, and Utility Operations. They offer an array of products to meet your utility’s needs. Check out their free ebook on financing smart water solutions here.
Please consider rating the podcast with 5 stars and leaving a one- or two-sentence review in iTunes or on Stitcher. This helps tremendously in bringing the podcast to the attention of others. We give a shoutout to everyone who rates the podcast with 5 stars in future episodes.
Give us some love on Twitter by tagging us @THE_H2duO or by using the #WaterInRealLifePodcast
If you know someone you think would benefit, please spread the word by using the share buttons on this page.
Thank you for sharing some of your time with us. We know how precious those minutes are. Share your story, you never know who needs to hear it and remember, “Those who tell the stories, rule the world.”
Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
55 min
September 03, 2018019: Part 2- A Case Study in Revolutionizing Community Engagement in Utility Master Planning
Bio: Tom Hickmann is a civil engineer with over 25 years’ experience in wastewater, stormwater, water supply, water rights, system design, hydraulic modeling, utility management, and utility master planning. Mr. Hickmann is the City of Bend Engineering & Infrastructure Planning Department Director focusing on oversight and implementation of all master plans and capital improvement projects.
He has been credited with bringing innovative ideas to the City, solving challenging issues and overseeing record infrastructure growth in one of the country’s fastest growing cities. He is noted for championing a unique approach to big-ticket infrastructure decision making and bringing these concepts to engineering audiences nationwide. He introduced hydraulic modeling techniques and implemented an enhanced modeling analysis which has been used as an example for assessing future infrastructure needs of growing communities.
We met Tom at the Utilities Management Conference in February 2018 and his presentation rocked us to our core. We had an incredible chat with him that we decided to break into two episodes. This is the second half of our conversation where we talk building a team that can implement community engagement, affordability, justifying technology, and the power of coffee (or beer) diplomacy. If you didn’t catch EP018 you’ll want to check that one out first.
Top Takeaways:
[6:00] How they use Strength Finders and the DISC assessment to ensure they have the right people on their team and on each project.
[7:50] “You have the best engineers in the world. Great—I’m glad you do. But I also need the best communicators in the world to get a project done and if I don’t have them I’m going to fail.”
[8:34] Transparency begins by admitting the bias you’re bringing to the table.
[13:40] New technology tools that can help with transparency.
[18:33] Overcoming the fear related to dealing with the negative criticism. It’s ok. Just be like an elephant. Don’t take these things personally. Don’t let them get to your core. Learn to realize that maybe they’re saying that, not to get to you personally. Learn to step back and understand the issue you’re bringing forward is contentious. Not you, personally.
[22:40] So you’ve embraced the need to communicate and engage—now what? How do you move you, your team, and your department forward? Tom explains “creative firing.” “Sometimes you have to help people move along. Sometimes that’s hard to do. Sometimes that takes a while but if you’re going to bring about change, you have to do it.”
[25:22] “Look, you’re driving to a cliff and you don’t even know it. I’m trying to tell you to push on the brakes. You’re not going to do that. I know that. So I’m going to step off the bus.”
[29:21] “Your job as directors is to raise leaders and you can’t raise a leader who isn’t operating in their strength.”
[31:38] The issue of affordability and how they realigned their utility master plan to align with their financial master plan to lessen the impact on rates.
[43:21] Justifying innovation in the water sector.
[50:55] Combining technology, with face to face, and a little coffee (or beer) diplomacy. The incredible story of how Tom turned his biggest opponent into his biggest advocate by investing in some old-fashioned face time.

Resources:
Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration— Ed Catmull
Plain, Honest Men — Richard Beeman
On Thinking Institutionally — Hugh Heclo
Public Process in Utility Master Planning — Thesis by Tom Hickmann, P.E.
Sponsor:
Master Meter Inc delivers game-changing results for you across Finance, Customer Service, and Utility Operations. They offer an array of products to meet your utility’s needs. Check out their free ebook on financing smart water solutions here.
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Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
1 hr 10 min
August 27, 2018018: Part 1- A Case Study in Revolutionizing Community Engagement in Utility Master Planning
Bio: Tom Hickmann is a civil engineer with over 25 years’ experience in wastewater, stormwater, water supply, water rights, system design, hydraulic modeling, utility management, and utility master planning. Mr. Hickmann is the City of Bend Engineering & Infrastructure Planning Department Director focusing on oversight and implementation of all master plans and capital improvement projects.
He has been credited with bringing innovative ideas to the City, solving challenging issues and overseeing record infrastructure growth in one of the country’s fastest growing cities. He is noted for championing a unique approach to big-ticket infrastructure decision making and bringing these concepts to engineering audiences nationwide. He introduced hydraulic modeling techniques and implemented an enhanced modeling analysis which has been used as an example for assessing future infrastructure needs of growing communities.
We met Tom at the Utilities Management Conference in February 2018 and his presentation rocked us to our core. We had an incredible chat with him that we decided to break into two episodes. This is the first half of the conversation when we discuss how Tom set out on a mission to disprove the value of communication and public outreach through his thesis and ended up proving himself wrong. He then became not only a vocal proponent and advocate of public involvement in master planning, but also practiced what he preached and revolutionized the way his department conducts business.
Top Takeaways:
[12:14] Hear Tom tell us about how he set out to debunk the need for communication and public involvement, proved himself wrong, and transformed his career.
[14:40] “I realized at that point in my career that my skill set had run out….The engineering part is fun and easy. The hard part is finding the support, the financial backing that you’re asking these people to make investments in.”
[17:15] “I had an obligation to citizens to engage them and to give them, quite frankly, a voice in democracy and that was a game changer for me. To realize all of these investments are an extension of our democracy. Yes, it’s technical but, fundamentally, citizens have a right to have a say so.”
[22:16] Population growth impacts how cities communicate with the public.
[27:26] Tom explains the value in regularly surveying your constituency. The survey questions can’t be generic, you have to dig deep to get a real sense of public trust and buy-in. Surveys aren’t enough either. It’s best to pair them with focus groups and interviews.
[34:51] Bold leadership and what it takes. “Leadership is situational, it’s not individual. There’s times when our skill sets and our natural abilities align with the moment, align with the point to lead. A good leader realizes they aren’t always the best person to lead on every issue.”
[40:08] A case study on the project that transformed him and everything he understands and believes. Hear how lack of public involvement landed them in district court, and how creating true public involvement, in the beginning, could have saved the city the incredible amount of time and money spent in delays and legal fees.

Resources:
Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration— Ed Catmull
Plain, Honest Men — Richard Beeman
On Thinking Institutionally — Hugh Heclo
Public Process in Utility Master Planning — Thesis by Tom Hickmann
Sponsor:
Master Meter Inc delivers game-changing results for you across Finance, Customer Service, and Utility Operations. They offer an array of products to meet your utility’s needs. Check out their free ebook on financing smart water solutions here.
Please consider rating the podcast with 5 stars and leaving a one- or two-sentence review in iTunes or on Stitcher. This helps tremendously in bringing the podcast to the attention of others. We give a shoutout to everyone who rates the podcast with 5 stars in future episodes.
Give us some love on Twitter by tagging us @THE_H2duO or by using the #WaterInRealLifePodcast
If you know someone you think would benefit, please spread the word by using the share buttons on this page.
Thank you for sharing some of your time with us. We know how precious those minutes are. Share your story, you never know who needs to hear it and remember, “Those who tell the stories, rule the world.”
Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
51 min
August 20, 2018017: The Transformative Power of Education with MSU Dean, Chris Long
Dean Christopher P. Long is a Professor of Philosophy and Dean of the College of Arts & Letters at Michigan State University who is committed to expanding the transformative power of liberal arts research and teaching and creating new opportunities for collaboration among community partners.
He began his tenure as Dean on July 1, 2015. Under his leadership, several advances have been made including the creation of the Center for Interdisciplinarity. He has successfully established the College of Arts & Letters as a catalyst of innovation and collaboration at MSU through signature partnerships, such as the partnership with the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources and the College of Communication Arts and Sciences to advance a holistic approach to food research (Food@MSU).
He is the co-founder of the Public Philosophy Journal, an open forum for the curation and creation of accessible scholarship that deepens our understanding of issues related to public relevance, and editor of The Journal for General Education. He is an expert on both ancient Greek and contemporary continental philosophy and received his MA and Ph.D. from the New School for Social Research in New York and BA from Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio. Dea
Top Takeaways:
[21:27] The value of reverse engineering the metrics you measure by going back to your core values. “How are we living out the core values in a way that’s identifiable as showing that we’re actually making progress towards the vision that we share.”
[36:30] Millennials do not want to learn passively and we need to be raising the bar of our educational programs and institutions to meet their expectation and thirst for knowledge and impact.
[44:02] How using technology and a variety of mediums is the expectation of student learners today.

Resources:
Kindred— By: Octavia Butler
Sponsor:
Master Meter Inc delivers game-changing results for you across Finance, Customer Service, and Utility Operations. They offer an array of products to meet your utility’s needs. Check out their free ebook on financing smart water solutions here.
Show Notes:
[6:30] The value in including the community at the beginning of the research stage, when the questions that are trying to be answered are formulated and what that means for the water industry at [8:06]
[11:04] Reasons why partnering with a higher education institution is valuable when conducting research on your community.
[13:15] The old model of community engagement vs the new model and how the public philosophy journal is creating an open source mindshare community.
[14:19] “Making ideas public is at the heart of publishing.” “Ideas have transformative power. They have the power to both shape and misshape our relationships with one another.”
[14:50] How MSU and the Public Philosophy Journal are making the journal a community feedback mechanism.
[15:45] The four different aspects they look for: relevance, accessibility, intellectual coherence, and scholarly engagement.
[16:50] Accessibility issues—when we’re speaking a “different language” than our customers.
[19:22] How do we do a better job at communicating the transformative power of education?
[19:53] “How are we being authentic with one another and attentive enough to each other in the moment so that we can find the words that need to be heard? What needs to be heard versus what I want to say?”
[21:27] Metrics—how can we be doing a better job at showing the impact of our efforts?
[23:15] “The question then becomes how are we living out the core values in a way that’s identifiable as showing we’re actually making progress towards the vision that we share.”
[23:40] Reverse engineering metrics by going back to your core values.
[24:58] Word of caution—how metrics can pervert the mission we’re trying to accomplish when not aligned with your core values.
[29:45] The importance of integrated education. “We need to provide our students and future citizens with a more holistic and textured understanding of the world we care about.”
[34:02] Two different approaches to education and outcomes.
[36:30] What makes millennials different and what can current generations expect when they hit the workforce?
[39:18] What are ways we can better engage with the millennial generation?
[41:08] Using the way millennials are raising the bar in education to justify raising the bar in our own informal education programs.
[43:28] Real world example of informal educators using different mediums to engage her students.
[44:02 ] Using technology in education.
[46:46] Technology in education also means understanding that with great power (technology in your pocket) comes great responsibility.
[47:52] The Greek roots behind why combining the written and oral forms of knowledge transfer create the most impact.
[54:48] Collaboration and why it’s hard for some entities to get on board.
[57:34] The beauty in the complexity of discussion around issues versus keeping conversations on the surface level with the simple “yes and no” responses or only discussion of the pros and cons.
Please consider rating the podcast with 5 stars and leaving a one- or two-sentence review in iTunes or on Stitcher. This helps tremendously in bringing the podcast to the attention of others. We give a shoutout to everyone who rates the podcast with 5 stars in future episodes.
Give us some love on Twitter by tagging us @THE_H2duO or by using the #WaterInRealLifePodcast
If you know someone you think would benefit, please spread the word by using the share buttons on this page.
Thank you for sharing some of your time with us. We know how precious those minutes are. Share your story, you never know who needs to hear it and remember, “Those who tell the stories, rule the world.”
Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
1 hr 8 min
August 13, 2018016: Combating PR Crisis with PIO Pro Mike McGill, WaterPIO
Mike McGill has spent his entire career as a communicator, having served as a leader in journalism and public relations. Before founding WaterPIO, a communications firm specifically aimed at helping water and sewer operations, he served as a Director of Communications and Customer Service for water utilities for a dozen years including Chief Communications Officer for Cape Fear Public Utility Authority in Wilmington, North Carolina; Director of Customer Relations and Communications for Loudoun Water in Loudoun County, Virginia; and Public Affairs Coordinator for the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC), a utility that serves nearly two million people in the Washington, DC Area. Mike is a graduate of Syracuse University and began his career as a news producer in CNN’s Washington bureau, and as the News Planning Editor for WUSA-TV in Washington, DC.
Top Takeaways:
[57:48] Capture your “gee-whiz” moments. Mike talks about how he turned a main break into a positive front page highlight of employees.
[19:24] The 2018 JD Power Water Utility Residential Customer Survey showed that even a modest commitment of time and resources will get you an exponential benefit.
[52:52] The importance of building relationships doesn’t only reside with the water provider/customer relationship. The most important relationship is between the communicator and the water provider staff so they understand what your ultimate end goal is–to protect the integrity of the invaluable service they provide to the community every day.

Resources:
Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die – By Chip and Dan Heath
Power of Moments – By Chip and Dan Heath
Rogue Water’s open letter to Erin Brockovich
Sponsor:
Master Meter Inc delivers game-changing results for you across Finance, Customer Service, and Utility Operations. They offer an array of products to meet your utility’s needs. Check out their free ebook on financing smart water solutions here.
Show Notes:
[5:30] The story how Erin Brockovich brought Water PIO and Rogue Water together
[11:00] “We’re the defenders of public water.”The good people who work in water, they’re public servants and they don’t do it for the glory. They deserve to have their stories told and their actions defended.”
[18:00] How communication is the key building block to establishing trust.
[19:24] JD Power 2018 Water Utility Residential Customer Satisfaction Survey insights. “It’s not rocket science. It’s about building relationship with your customers through communication.”
[20:36] “A modest commitment of time and resources will get you an exponential benefit.”
[21:25] Using your SWOT to plan your communication strategy.
[24:21] Using communication as a tool to gain support for what needs to be done in the future.
[24:40] “You really do have to explain that water is a product. You don’t just drink what falls from the sky.”
[25:50] Educating your elected officials is vital for them to understand rates.
[28:48] On treating the press like an ally and not the enemy. “It’s basic human nature. If you make my life easier for me, I’m probably going to give you the benefit of the doubt when something comes up down the line.”
[29:07] Even if the press doesn’t use your story, you’re still winning because you’re building a relationship and that you’re there with information and will be responsive.
[29:40] “If you run and hid and go dark, especially during a crisis, you’re only hurting yourself because people will fill in the gaps themselves.”
[31:00] Create the situation where your customers and the press are coming to you first because you have an established presence.
[34:00] If you’re communicating regularly you’re going to be in a much better place when a crisis hits.
[34:35] George Hawkins as a case study on how being available to the press was a key part of the rebrand.
[36:30]Perception vs Reality based on the Corona Environmental Study presented at the 2018 Utilities Management Conference.
[39:20] Tips on how to get more eyeballs on your messaging to be the primary source of information.
[40:05] Bill stuffers–an oldie but goodie.
[41:30] Mixing digital communication with traditional face to face public engagement and outreach.
[45:45] Using mail house targeting technology to get the most bang for your buck with direct mail.
[46:30] Journalists are doing more with less. The bureaus are bare boned. Utilities need to capitalize on this by providing compelling stories journalists may not have previously considered.
[48:10] Annual reports are your opportunity to show what you’ve been doing to your stakeholders which may be very important when the time comes for capital improvement projects.
[50:35] “Communication is an operation just like a water or sewer operation in your shop.”
[52:52] The importance of building relationships doesn’t only reside with the water provider/customer relationship. The most important relationship is between the communicator and the water provider staff so they understand what your ultimate end goal is–to protect the integrity of the invaluable service they provide to the community every day.
[54:35] Combating the “You don’t know anything, you’re just the PR guy.”
[56:18] Train your field staff to be on camera. Secret insider: Sometimes the press will be more lenient with a person that isn’t in the communication field.
[57:48] Capture your “gee-whiz” moments. Mike talks about how he turned a main break into a positive front page highlight of employees in the Washington Post.
[1:02:20] “We’re so immersed in what we do we lose touch with what will be impactful to our audience. You have to put yourself in your customer’s shoes.”
[1:05:00] Your biosolids may be on fleek but your customers won’t care unless you make it about them.
[1:06:40] How to overcome communication fears when you’ve been burned in the past. You would never let other areas of operation stop improving, don’t stop improving in your communication efforts.
[1:09:24] Your customers perceive water quality differently than you do.
Please consider rating the podcast with 5 stars and leaving a one- or two-sentence review in iTunes or on Stitcher. This helps tremendously in bringing the podcast to the attention of others. We give a shoutout to everyone who rates the podcast with 5 stars in future episodes.
Give us some love on Twitter by tagging us @THE_H2duO or by using the #WaterInRealLifePodcast
If you know someone you think would benefit, please spread the word by using the share buttons on this page.
Thank you for sharing some of your time with us. We know how precious those minutes are. Share your story, you never know who needs to hear it and remember, “Those who tell the stories, rule the world.”
Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
1 hr 25 min

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Award-winning communication professionals, Arianne Shipley and Stephanie Corso, aka The H2duO, chat with thought-leaders from both inside and outside of the water industry to serve as a resource for…

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