In the world of utility management, innovation isn’t always the first word that comes to mind.

Yet, for one Florida-based utility company responsible for managing renewable water, wastewater, and reclaimed water for its county, embracing creativity and innovation became the key to overcoming growing pains and fostering a more collaborative and efficient organization.

This is the story of how a partnership with TrainSMART and a commitment to unconventional training methods transformed not just their processes but their entire organizational culture.

The Challenge: Growing Pains in a Rapidly Expanding Utility

This utility company faced challenges common to rapidly growing organizations:

  • Silo Formation: Departments operated in isolation, limiting collaboration.
  • Turf Protection: Employees became protective of their roles, reducing knowledge sharing.
  • Declining Trust: Cross-departmental relationships weakened.
  • Need for Innovation: Industry pressure demanded new approaches and creative thinking.

The cumulative effect was stagnation and inefficiency. The organization needed to break down barriers, rebuild trust, and ignite innovation across six divisions.

The Solution: The Innovation Program + TrainSMART’s Creative Approach

In response, the utility’s leadership launched the Innovation Program to:

  • Encourage a systems-based organizational view
  • Infuse creativity into everyday work
  • Enhance cross-departmental communication
  • Foster effective collaboration

They partnered with TrainSMART to design and deliver four of the twelve specialized innovation modules, focusing on skill-building, tools, and hands-on learning.

The Participants: High-Potential Change Agents

Fifteen participants were selected based on:

  • High potential within the organization
  • Proven leadership ability
  • Influence across departments

These individuals would act as internal champions of innovation, spreading their learning across the utility.

TrainSMART’s Four Innovation Modules

Module 1: Creating the Ideal High-Performing Team

  • Used LEGO® bricks to model high-performing team traits
  • Teams created 3D visual “super stories” to illustrate success

Outcomes: Tactile thinking, team alignment, and memorable storytelling frameworks

Module 2: Creative and Innovative Thinking

  • Introduced the FourSight innovation framework
  • Participants completed an innovation assessment and tackled real challenges.

Outcomes: Innovation tools, personal insight, and team problem-solving capabilities

Module 3: Innovating with Core Values

  • Applied LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® to explore company values
  • Mapped value-driven actions that fuel innovation

Outcomes: Organizational alignment and stronger value-based decision making

Module 4: The MacGyver Challenge – Improvisational Storytelling

  • Built improvisation skills through the “Story Spine” technique
  • Teams tackled challenges using in-the-moment creativity

Outcomes: Agility in ideation and real-time problem-solving confidence

Implementation: Bringing Creativity to Life

TrainSMART ensured the success of the program through:

  • Interactive, hands-on experiences
  • Real-world application to utility-specific challenges
  • Cross-functional team integration
  • Layered skill-building across sessions
  • Reflection time to promote knowledge transfer

Results: A Utility Transformed

  • Enhanced Problem-Solving: Greater confidence in tackling complex issues
  • Improved Communication: Stronger connections across all departments
  • Real-World Impact: Solutions developed for onboarding, recruitment, and internal processes
  • Culture Shift: Movement toward a more open, innovative workplace
  • Values-Aligned Innovation: Creative thinking is now tied to company’s mission
  • Breaking Down Silos: Increased empathy and understanding across teams

Participant Feedback

“I love the interactive nature of these creative workshops.”

“Very hands-on!”

“These workshops are beneficial for thinking critically—thinking outside the box.”

“I’m committing to bringing back this knowledge to my team.”

“This is a fantastic program. It would be great for leadership to participate in it.”

Client Satisfaction

The utility’s leadership praised TrainSMART for their “professional, world-class facilitation during each of the workshops.”

Lessons for Other Organizations

  • Creativity Belongs in Every Industry: Even regulated or technical fields benefit from creative approaches.
  • Hands-On Works: Tactile activities like LEGO® modeling enhance understanding
  • Cross-Functional Teams Foster Collaboration: Break down silos with shared experiences
  • Value Alignment Matters: Tie innovation to your mission for long-term success
  • Real Application is Crucial: Use relevant problems to anchor learning
  • Improv Builds Agility: Boost resilience with improvisational practice

Conclusion: A New Era of Innovation

This Florida utility company proves that when creative training meets operational challenges, fundamental transformation happens. With TrainSMART’s help, they turned growing pains into growth opportunities—building a more collaborative, innovative, and future-ready organization.

Sometimes, all it takes to unlock a new era of innovation is a pile of LEGO® bricks and the courage to think differently.

Ready to Spark Innovation in Your Team?

Whether you’re managing a utility, government agency, or enterprise team, TrainSMART’s creative training programs can help you break silos, inspire collaboration, and build a culture of innovation.

Let’s talk about how we can tailor a program for your organization.

Schedule a Free Consultation