* Not all Xcel work environments are created equal. The downtown Minneapolis headquarters is somnolent and stifling. You never know when you might share the elevator with a CEO, and you know he'll never speak to you. The service centers, however, have a much more laid back, democratic air about them.
* All of IT should be destroyed and rebuilt from the ground up. There has been more than a decade of neglect therein, and nothing would be better for it than a good torch.
* Like so many enterprises, the relationship between IT and the Business must be rebuilt anew. There are so few formal ties between those two entities, it is no wonder they seldom complement each other these days.
* Xcel Energy is beholden to jurisdictions that include cities, towns, eight states, and the federal government. It's hard to turn around in that environment without bumping into some government geek or other that wants to tell you what to do. Not all geeks are created equal either. Some folks in the government can be really annoying. On the other hand, as we discovered (Mpls 2013 Summer), some folks in your local utility can really get you out of a jam in a hurry.
* If you throw yourself into this mix, make sure you have a champion: someone who knows what you do, values it, and can explain to others what you are worth. Without that you will go nowhere!
