Meet Fred Jensen

Regional Forestry Maintainer, UTS2

Fred leads our Forestry team in Sault Ste. Marie in their role to maintain vegetation on our transmission corridors in northern Ontario.

What are the main foundations to build a strong and effective team?

Communication, recognition, accountability and compassion. By communicating openly and ensuring the entire crew is on the same page, it allows us to move in the same direction as a group. Accountability ties into this too and it goes both ways. If you tell the crew you’re going to do something, then follow through and create that trust. I also give the crew members a sense of accountability and purpose, which shows I have trust in them and motivates them to do more.

One of the most important foundations for me is compassion. Our Forestry team in Sault Ste. Marie covers territory from Marathon to Manitoulin Island, which means we spend a lot of time on the road. When an employee has a situation at home, I always approach it with compassion and understand that they need to put family first.

Have you encountered any challenges trying to build an effective team? How did you overcome them?

When I joined Sault Ste. Marie as the UTS2 in 2018, I had two new team members who had just come over from Great Lakes Power, which is a transmission company that we acquired in 2016. They worked at that shop for about 16 years, so having a new supervisor from another company was a big change. I wanted them to feel comfortable, so the first day I came in with the attitude that this was their house and I was the guest. This helped them get used to the change and we ended up building a great relationship.

How do you encourage your teams to overcome differences in order to be their best?

By realizing that every individual is unique. We will not always agree on everything, but we don’t shy away from awkward conversations and situations where we have differences. It’s also important to have the courage to call something out if needed, but in a way that’s positive.

As a leader, how do you instill the most important team foundations in your employees in order for them to be effective?

I lead by example, which means being out in the field as much as possible and doing every part of the job that my team does. This is especially important to create a safe work culture. When they see me following the rules and wearing all of my personal protective equipment (PPE), it sets the standard.

Any final thoughts?

Working at Hydro One is a privilege, and I’m grateful for the opportunities that I’ve had to develop my skills as a leader. I pride myself in being a supervisor who leads by example, encourages open communication and maintains a positive work environment. We’re on the road more than we’re with our families, and part of my role as their leader is to make the best of it. As much as it’s about getting the job done, we also have fun and enjoy the time that we spend together outside of work.

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