American Gas - December 2012/January 2013 - (Page 20)

g r e aT i d e a s soluTions to be the best Keeping Our Edge ONEOK’s companywide initiative focuses on competitive advantage L Megan lewis is a communications consultant at oneoK. and-line telephones. Fax machines. Film cameras. What do these products have in common? They have either already become, or are quickly becoming, obsolete. What if the product or service you provide were next? Do you have a plan to prevent this? In early 2009, leaders in ONEOK’s natural gas distribution business faced a challenge. Our consumption per household was declining, and we were losing market share in new construction to all-electric homes. With this in mind, these leaders began to research why some companies can sustain success for centuries and others can’t. What they found led to the creation of a companywide initiative and the beginning of a culture shift at ONEOK’s natural gas distribution business, which consists of Oklahoma Natural Gas, Kansas Gas Service, and Texas Gas Service. It turned out, regardless of the industry, that successful companies have one thing in common—they all clearly understand their competitive advantage and focus intently on how to sustain it. Two years ago, ONEOK made the decision to do the same—to focus on our competitive advantage in our natural gas distribution companies—by launching the Becoming ONE initiative. The initiative, which has now spread companywide, is embraced by employees and continues to positively impact our businesses. “During the last decade, through the collective efforts of our 4,800 employees, ONEOK has made great strides growing and creating value for our stakeholders—employees, customers, investors, and communities,” says John W. Gibson, ONEOK chairman and chief executive officer. “But I think we can do even more, and I believe Becoming ONE can help us all continue to strengthen our company and improve our competitive advantage.” blueprint for change More than a slogan, Becoming ONE asks employees to test their thinking, decisions, and actions against the high bar of doing what is most responsible and best—for employees, customers, shareholders, and communities— and challenges the organization to be the best in the industry. “To fully understand what Becoming ONE is, it is important to know what it isn’t,” says Pierce Norton, ONEOK executive vice president and chief operating officer, and leader of the natural gas distribution business when the initiative began. “Becoming ONE is not a standardization initiative aimed at making our processes exactly the same across all business segments, and it’s not about starting completely over either. It’s about changing our way of thinking, being able to adapt to our business environment, and building a culture where we are constantly evaluating ourselves and our competitive advantage.” To inspire the kind of companywide culture change needed for Becoming ONE, employee buy-in was essential from the beginning. Early planning of the initiative was led by Norton and his leadership team, and included employees from across ONEOK’s three natural gas distribution companies. The group identified three key focus areas to guide the initiative and drive companywide change: • Acknowledge and honor the past. • Understand the present business environment. • Create a vision for how to compete in the future. 20 AmericAn GAs december 2012/january 2013

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Gas - December 2012/January 2013

American Gas - December 2012/January 2013
Contents
President’s Message
Industry News
Election 2012
Safety First
To Be the Best
Ron Jibson: The Trust Factor
Home on the Range
Places to Be
Jobline
Advertisers Index
Noteworthies
Marketplace
Facts on Gas

American Gas - December 2012/January 2013