Reducing Frustration Through Process Improvement with Jennifer Peterson of Muscatine Power & Water

Jennifer Peterson, Manager of Continuous Improvement at Muscatine Power and Water (MPW) in Muscatine, Iowa, joined Jamie Flinchbaugh on the People Solve Problems podcast to share insights about her approach to problem solving. Jennifer's mission at MPW is to reduce frustration for coworkers through process improvement and problem solving.

Working in a utility that provides critical services and never shuts down, Jennifer explains that prioritization is essential. At MPW, safety concerns come first, followed by reliability issues. Jennifer shares a practical example of how they tackled the recurring problem of squirrels chewing through utility lines by installing special pole wraps that prevent squirrels from climbing, significantly reducing outages. Rather than accepting this as an inevitable issue, her team actively sought solutions.

When it comes to collaboration, Jennifer believes in inclusivity. She prefers having more stakeholders in the room rather than too few, aligning with Jamie's philosophy that problems can't be solved in isolation. Jennifer employs several facilitation strategies to ensure all voices are heard, especially from quieter team members. Her preparation includes learning about participants beforehand, sometimes through conversations with their supervisors, and creating a comfortable environment for contribution during sessions.

Jennifer connects problem-solving effectiveness to the organization's mission. MPW revised their mission statement in 2023 to empower Muscatine residents and businesses to thrive, which has helped employees see the direct impact of their work. This connection to community creates natural motivation, as employees often serve their family members, friends, and neighbors.

For tackling complex problems like safety and reliability, Jennifer recommends breaking them down into smaller, less intimidating parts. She draws a powerful connection between this approach and psychological safety, noting that when problems seem less overwhelming, people are more likely to embrace solutions and understand different perspectives.

After 17 years at MPW, Jennifer recognizes the challenge of blind spots that come with long tenure. Her team documents processes for potential single points of failure and questions long-standing practices. They also use benchmarking and comparative data to challenge themselves, recently shifting from measuring against industry averages to top quartile performance. She notes that MPW's culture embraces holding themselves to high standards, with leadership promoting a standard of excellence throughout the organization.

Jennifer combines her MBA from Western Illinois University, Bachelor's in English from St. Martin's University, and certifications as a PMP and Lean Black Belt to bring both analytical rigor and clear communication to her continuous improvement work. Learn more about Jennifer and Muscatine Power and Water at www.mpw.org or connect with her on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-peterson-muscatine/.