DTE president says learn 'soft skills' of business early

Gerry Anderson, president and CEO of DTE Energy, said he was trained on the "hard side" of business (finance, engineering, operations) and it took him a while to discover how to be successful at the "soft side" of business.

Anderson stressed the importance of soft skills during a presentation as part of the Peter F. Secchia Breakfast lecture April 17 in the Eberhard Center on the Pew Grand Rapids Campus.

Anderson said when he became president and chief operating officer of DTE in 2006, he felt as though the company was a reflection of himself.

"When I looked around, I had to admit it wasn't a pretty picture. We were a mediocre company," he said. "Our industrial safety record was poor in the industry, and our customer service was ranked near the bottom in our peer group."

Anderson said the company had been measuring the engagement of its employees for years, and it was very low. He said it was his job to fix the broken culture, and he had to figure out how to build a winning culture of 10,000 people.

"At its core, continuous improvement must have a deep respect for the dignity of people," Anderson said. "If you ask people to bring their best energy and creativity, you have to put the best in their future, or it's not a fair exchange."

During the economic crisis in Michigan in 2008-2009, Anderson said he told employees if they would bring their very best to the job, he would do his very best to avoid layoffs. He was able to make good on that promise and he said that gave people hope.

"In the middle of the economic crisis we had the strongest cash flow year in the company's history," he said. "I learned far more in 2009 than in any other year of my career. Everything I learned was about people and what they are capable of if they really commit themselves to something."

Anderson said he continued to talk with employees about their desires and goals for the company,  and also made it a point to remind employees of their worth to the company and the importance of their work to the community. 

"The first job of any leader is to connect people to purpose and to the importance of what they're doing," Anderson said. "Leaders have to create companies that people are proud of and believe in, and maybe love."

The DTE Energy Foundation Electromagnetic Compatibility Lab, located in Grand Valley's Innovation Design Center for Engineering on the Pew Grand Rapids Campus, helps local businesses design and test electrical devices entering the marketplace.