DTE Energy – “I should have taken the buyout when I had the chance!”

Pros

Everyone needs gas and electricity period.
The company has a very strong and well-funded lobby, which means they always get what they want right or wrong. Thanks to the lobby effort DTE is back to a regulated monopoly which means there is no more competition in the energy industry in Michigan.
The State of Michigan will not let them fail no matter how bad the uncollectables become because the State of Michigan needs DTE’s tax revenue.

Cons

Spreadsheet management, they have no idea who does the work or who knows what they are doing. They only look at the numbers and the numbers haven’t been good for a long time. Top heavy, mismanaged, management is disconnected with employees and they are always looking for the golden key or program to solve their problems. Stodgy, hide bound, exceptionally bureaucratic. They promote “yes men” into management who are incompetent and part of the good ole boys network. Since a large number of the employees that knew what they were doing took buyouts or were fired in the last few years there isn’t much of a knowledge base left at the company to make a young person want to learn and grow in the organization. Talent recruiting consists of finding friends or relatives and pushing them through the hiring process.

Advice to Senior Management

Quit trying to push another nuclear plant onto the customers. Many of them are now unemployed or working for much less than they were previously making. Many customers have left Southeast Michigan altogether, not to mention the auto companies further reducing load. Maybe you should concentrate on the wind / solar power because that is all that you are going to need in Michigan when everything is gone.