What a Community Relations Director at Sacramento Municipal Utility District wishes they had known before entering the Utilities industry
Rhonda, with a background in nonprofits, wishes someone had prepared her for the "slow decision making" process inherent in a government agency like Sacramento Municipal Utility District; coming from environments where speed was crucial for survival, navigating the more deliberate pace has been a learning curve, even six years into the role. Rhonda emphasizes the need to be able to "make decisions a little bit faster" despite potential imperfections, highlighting a key difference between the urgency of nonprofits and the more measured approach of government.
Industry Realities, Workplace Challenges, Decision-Making, Patience, Adaptability
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Rhonda Staley-Brooks
Director, Community Relations, Outreach & Support
Sacramento Municipal Utility District
California State University Sacramento
Executive Masters Business Administration
Psychology
Energy & Utilities
Communication and Marketing
Took Out Loans, Worked 20+ Hours in School, Greek Life Member, Transfer Student
Video Highlights
1. Government agencies can have slower decision-making processes compared to nonprofits, which can be an adjustment.
2. Navigating the bureaucratic processes and finding ways to expedite decisions is a key skill in this role.
3. Being comfortable making decisions even when all the details are not fully flushed out is important.
Transcript
What have you learned about this role that you wish someone would have told you before you entered the industry?
We're a government agency, and I know government can have slow decision-making. I wish someone had said that sometimes there's slow decision-making within our building and our industry. I get it; sometimes you have to think things through.
I come from nonprofits where we couldn't be slow. If you're slow, your doors close. Slow decision-making isn't necessarily a bad thing, but I'm just not used to it.
So, the number one thing for me is being able to make decisions a little bit faster, even when it's not all flushed out. Even though it's not perfect, we can make a decision and get it done.
I wish somebody would have told me that before I came over here. It's okay; I'm finding ways to navigate around it, but I was not ready for it when I came over six years ago.
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