sarah.nicastro@ifs.com, Author at Future of Field Service

Welcome to the new year! As we step into 2025, I find myself reflecting on trends, challenges, and opportunities that lie ahead for service organizations. If you’ve followed my podcast, you know I’ve always hesitated to make bold predictions. After all, none of us can truly predict the future.

Instead, I’ve decided to share some *non-predictions*—observations grounded in conversations with service leaders, insights from our community, and findings from the Stand Out Service Trends report. Let’s explore what might shape 2025 in the world of service.

1. Greater Workforce Flexibility Is No Longer Optional

Organizations will need to offer more flexibility to their frontline workforce. Why? Because it’s what today’s talent demands—and because it’s now entirely possible.

Historically, field service organizations have dismissed flexibility as “impossible.” But times have changed. Technology, creativity, and a willingness to reimagine service delivery have made flexible schedules, remote work, and other work-life balance initiatives feasible.

In our Stand Out Service Trends report, we found:

- 29% of leaders already offer flexibility as part of their employee engagement efforts.

- 52% are expanding self-service capabilities for customers.

- 33% have transitioned a significant portion of service delivery to remote.

Flexibility can take many forms: rotating schedules, work-from-home days, or even customized start and end times. Those who embrace this shift will find themselves ahead in the ongoing war for talent.

2. Customer Expectations Will Expose Service Complacency

Keeping up with customer expectations is no easy feat. But staying stagnant? That’s a recipe for trouble.

For years, we’ve discussed how consumer experiences set the standard for what customers expect in all aspects of their lives. Yet many service organizations have failed to evolve.

Key findings from the Stand Out Service Trends report highlight this divide:

- Peace of mind and guaranteed performance ranked as customers' second-highest priority.

- Yet only 26% of respondents offer outcome-based services, AND another 26% still operate reactively (offering only break-fix service).

The gap between what customers want and what organizations deliver is widening. Companies that prioritize innovation—be it through new service offerings, modernized delivery methods, or advanced technology—will stay competitive. Those that don’t risk being left behind.

3. Addressing Technology Debt Becomes Urgent

Modern service demands modern tools. Yet many organizations are held back by outdated systems.

Our report revealed that:

- Only 15% of respondents have a fully future-ready service management platform.

- 50% have automated less than 10% of their field service tasks.

The good news? Nearly half of respondents plan to increase their technology budgets in 2025. Whether it’s replacing legacy systems or investing in automation, organizations must act now to build scalable, sophisticated digital foundations.

4. AI Will Bring Big Wins—and Big Missteps

AI is no longer a buzzword—it’s a game-changer. From chatbots to optimized scheduling, AI has immense potential to revolutionize service operations.

Here’s what respondents shared in the Stand Out Service Trends report:

- 62% of respondents are using AI in some capacity.

- 76% believe advanced AI is critical to staying competitive in service.

That said, AI isn’t without challenges. Concerns about accuracy, bias, and lack of readiness loom large.

In 2025, we’ll see some major success stories emerge from those who thoughtfully implement advanced AI to positively impact their businesses, their employees, and their customers. But I believe we’ll also the first significant missteps from organizations: everything from failing to see AI as a tool that can augment the work of talented people and instead trying to replace them with technology to the detriment of the customer experience, or rushing into AI use that isn't rooted in real business case or supported by capable technology. To be clear, I'm not concerned about the fail fast type of mistakes that are part of any innovative project, but more so the “what were you thinking”-type missteps that come from believing that there's some sort of loophole to the realities of the hard work that is involved in getting AI right.

5. Storytelling Will Be a Must-Have Skill for Service Leaders

Finally, service leaders must learn to tell compelling stories—both within their organizations and externally.

John Carroll of the Service Council has spoken about the existential threat to service leaders: being excluded from strategic decision-making. To counter this, leaders must articulate how service drives business value, aligns with financial objectives, and fuels innovation.

Storytelling isn’t just about data. It’s about connecting the dots between service and your company’s vision—and doing so in a way that resonates with stakeholders.

What do you think 2025 will bring? I’d love to hear your perspective—reach out via email or LinkedIn.

Episode 298

While host Sarah Nicastro doesn’t believe anyone can truly predict the future, in this episode of the Unscripted Podcast, she shares what she expects 2025 will bring based on interactions with the Future of Field Service community and featuring insights from the Stand Out Service Trends report.

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Also, subscribe to our newsletter right here.

Watch the episode here:

Episode Transcript:

[00:00:00] Sarah: The reason that there are not any excuses not to is that the options for offering flexibility are enabled by today's technologies and just a bit of creativity, a bit of getting willing to move beyond the way that it's always worked and to reimagine a bit what service delivery could look like in a world where you are offering your employees some of that flexibility. So if we consider how the incorporation of more self service change what's possible, we start to see how coming up with different scenarios that can offer more flexibility to our workforce is feasible.

Welcome to the Unscripted podcast. I'm your host, Sara Nicastro. The day has come for my 2025 service predictions, or as I'm going to refer to them today, my non predictions. The reason I say that is every January, all different types of content creators, analysts, journalists, etcetera are asked to share or decide to share predictions for the coming year. I've always found this challenging because the reality is none of us can predict the future. No one knows what is around the corner, and so it's really hard to feel a sense of confidence or conviction in stating with certainty what is to come in the year ahead. That being said, it is something that I'm asked often. And while I don't necessarily feel any of us can predict the future, There are some different themes or trends that, in my opinion, we can expect to see in 2025 based on the conversations that I have on this podcast on a weekly basis, based on the interactions I have the opportunity to have with people within the future of field service community, the interactions that I have with different IFS customers who are on their journey to service transformation and service optimization. And, of course, last year, we had the 1st ever standout fifty leadership award and did a standout service trends report with those leaders in which we gathered some insights that I'll also reference today as I go through my non predictions.

So I have a few to share, and the first that I want to start with here is organizations will begin to offer the frontline workforce greater flexibility. Here's why I think this will happen. It has to. We know that flexibility and better work-life balance is incredibly important to today's talent, And this is an area where for a long time and for a lot of different reasons, service organizations have sort of dismissed it as simply not possible, and that has changed. So in the standout service trends report, 29% of respondents report that they already are allowing flexible schedules, remote work options, or other work-life balance initiatives as part of an employee engagement focus. Now if you didn't read the standout service trends report or haven't heard me talk through some of the findings on the podcast before, I do want to mention that the standout fifty was fifty leaders. They were nominated by peers and colleagues and folks within the industry based on the impact that they're making, but there's no way that we can say that necessarily a sample size of 50 is representative of the whole. Right? So in my mind, if these folks were folks that were nominated for their impact, we could deduce from that that they, as leaders, and possibly the organizations that they're a part of, are on the better side or further alongside of thinking and best practices when it comes to service. That may or may not be true, but my point here is saying that that's 29% of those 50 leaders, not of all of service by any means. But 29% of the standout service leaders who participated in that report are already offering some sort of flexibility, and I think that is tremendous. There really though is no excuse for others not to at this point. And that's why I think in 2025, we're going to see more and more of this. The reason that there are not any excuses not to is that the options for offering excuses not to is that the options for offering flexibility are enabled by today's technologies and just a bit of creativity, a bit of getting willing to move beyond the way that it's always worked and to reimagine a bit what service delivery could look like in a world where you are offering your employees some of that flexibility. So if we consider how the incorporation of more self-service and remote service change what's possible, we start to see how coming up with different scenarios that can offer more flexibility to our workforce is feasible. In the standout service trends report, 15% of respondents said that they have extensive self-service options in place and state that customers are responding well to those, and 52% currently have some self-service capabilities in place and are focused on expanding those. 33% of respondents have transitioned a significant portion of service delivery to be remote, and another 30% are in the midst of transitioning a portion of service delivery to be remote. So these and other changes give companies options for flexibility that would have been nearly impossible to achieve not too very long ago.

I do believe companies that seize this opportunity are on the cutting edge of looking at things differently and leveraging today's tools to reimagine what's possible for the frontline workforce will have a significant advantage in the talent war. Now this should go without saying, but organizations should be offering their workforce a lot more than just flexibility. That's certainly not the only thing that is important to talent. It isn't the only foundational pillar of employee engagement. This is simply an element that is desired by today's workforce that has long been dismissed as impossible in the service industry that is now entirely feasible. So that's why I think in 2025, we're going to see a lot more offering of flexibility, and it will be really interesting to see some of the different shapes that takes. That could be days that they work from home, that could be rotating schedules, it could be allowing them the opportunity to pick their start and end times for the day, etcetera. There's a number of different shapes that this can take and that's where getting creative and understanding what's important to your workforce, understanding the constrictions of how you deliver service to your customers today and what could change in that regard to make new things possible, all of those things come into play, but they deduce down to the ability to offer more flexibility to the workforce.

So that's number 1. Number 2, customer expectations will exploit service organization complacency. So it is incredibly challenging to keep pace with what customers want, but it is the name of the game. For a long time in this space, we've been talking about consumerization and the influence of how the experiences that we can receive in our personal lives bleed over to what we expect from companies that we do business with in all areas of our lives. And so I believe that many service organizations are soon going to face the consequence of sitting pretty or maintaining the status quo when they could have or should have been innovating.

One of the data points from the standout service trends report that drove this home for me is that respondents shared that when asked what's most important to customers, wanting peace of mind or guaranteed uptime slash performance was 2nd on the list. So it's the 2nd most important thing to the respondents' customer base. Yet only 26% of respondents are offering outcomes based services, and, perhaps more importantly, 26% still offer only reactive or transactional break-fix service. So that shows this divide between what's important to customers and where these organizations are in terms of evolving their service offerings to provide that peace of mind that we know is important. So what was once effective at setting service apart has, in many instances, become table stakes. We've talked a lot in the past about soft skills, prompt response, high degree of first-time fix. There are a number of companies who are still struggling to shore up those strengths, and those companies are falling behind the organizations who have shifted to modernizing their service value proposition along with modernizing service delivery itself. So I think that this is the way the pace at which customer expectations are evolving is really going to magnify the gap that exists between service organizations who have taken the initiative to be innovative, to keep on top of trends, to keep pace with change, to understand what's important to their customers, and to continue to evolve their operations and their offerings accordingly and those who have sort of just stayed complacent and maintained the status quo. This evolution in progress or foreshadowing of a reckoning, if you will, is also suggested by the wide range of KPIs that are used to measure service success today. When we asked respondents in the standout service trends report how they measure performance of their service teams. Some mentioned things like CSAT and NPS, but there were quite a few who still solely rely on metrics like productivity, efficiency, and utilization, which, don't get me wrong, are quite important, but when used in a vacuum, can be at odds with evolving an operation beyond that transactional service mentality. So the lesson here is that customer-centered innovation is essential, whether that means the development of new service offerings, an evolution of service delivery, incorporation of more sophisticated technology to allow things like greater personalization or more extensive information to your customers, or more than likely a combination of all of these things. And measuring the performance of your workforce based on the success factors of today's business, not yesteryear's, is a must. So I think this reckoning is something that we'll see quite a bit of in 2025.

Number 3, organizations will be forced to reconcile technology debt and invest in more modern service management. So when we think about what is possible in terms of customer-centric innovation or we think about what's possible in terms of really changing the employee value proposition, both things should contribute to companies' overall performance in a positive way. When we think about what's possible, so many of the areas of opportunity rely on technological innovation. And so the importance of a strong, scalable, sophisticated digital foundation in today's service landscape can't be overstated. However, in the standout service trends report, 20% of respondents said that their core service management platform is not ideal and are currently evaluating or implementing an alternative, and 59% more reported that their service management platform is capable, but not ideal for the future state of their operations. Only 15% reported that they have a fully functioning and future-ready service management system in place, and 50% stated that less than 10% of field service tasks are automated. This shows not only the opportunity, but the directive to modernize core systems in order to remain relevant, both to your customers and to your employees. The good news is, supporting why I think we'll see a lot of this investment in new core systems and replacement of legacy systems in 2025, is that respondents also indicated that for 2025, nearly half of respondents are set to bolster their technology investments. 35% expect a moderate increase in their technology budget, and 12% expect a significant increase. 47% remain expect their technology budget to remain flat, and 6% expect a nominal decrease. So the stage is set here based on the absolute imperative nature of having that capable, scalable solution in place that not only meets the really strong demand of today's business, but sets you up for success in the future.

It's so crucial to businesses to be successful, and it's the time has come to get rid of what's not working, to get rid of what can't meet the needs of where you need to go, and put in place the solutions that can. So building off of that, certainly, over the last few years, everyone's predictions have included AI in some way, shape, or form. And my next non prediction, if you will, is that I believe we will witness some major service-centered AI successes, but also the 1st major missteps. So the AI buzz that has had the industry in a stronghold over the last couple of years is warranted. It is. I've said before, I actually shared in my predictions last year that the buzz started as buzz and companies started taking action, and the intelligence the AI can bring to an organization is the next significant milestone in digital transformation or in the digital journey. There are so many opportunities, sometimes so many that it can be quite overwhelming, but it's something that we have to be very pragmatic about. So all of the buzz is something that the service trends report showed that the standout leaders also believe in.

62% of respondents are currently using AI in their operations, and they shared some examples such as chatbots, triage and tech support, service order summaries, document and data search, guided troubleshooting, optimized scheduling, generating service tickets from emails, and much more. Further, 47% state that AI is their next area of focus in terms of technology investment, and 76% believe advanced AI will be critical for remaining competitive in field service. That being said, the current and future use of AI is not without concern. The top 3 concerns that respondents shared are accuracy and bias with 33%, the need to master the basics first, 23%, and not having the data at the ready to support the use of AI, 19%. So personally, I think it's positive that leaders were very open and upfront about the concerns that they have because we will see more missteps by those who are just racing and rushing into expanding their AI use than we will those who do have some concerns and are doing their due diligence and making sure that they're being pragmatic in their approach. So here's what I think will happen in 2025. I anticipate that we'll see the buzz that has moved to action morph into some really compelling success stories. There are so many ways that AI in different forms can be incredibly useful to service organizations, and again, in a way that can really bring value to not only the business, but the customer experience and the employee experience.

If you want to take a deeper dive into some of the the different ways that AI will unfold in service in 2025, you should check out the predictions blog from my colleague, Mark Brewer, who is the vice president for service industry at IFS. You can find that at blog.ifs.com. But he explores in detail some of the cool ways that he believes AI will evolve in service this year. And, personally, I'm very excited to start to see at conferences and on the podcast, in discussions, some of these real-world success stories. And not just real-world success stories on a small scale, but starting to see real-world success stories from companies that are doing quite sophisticated things and driving real business value by doing so. But while I'm excited to see how companies put AI to work for their businesses, for their customers, for their employees, I also fully expect that we will inevitably really see some major missteps, ones that could be quite significant. If I were to get out my crystal ball, I would anticipate everything from failing to see AI as a tool that can augment the work of talented people and instead trying to replace them with technology to the detriment of the customer experience, or rushing into AI use that isn't rooted in real business case or supported by capable technology. There are some ways here that organizations can go really, really wrong if they aren't keeping in mind the ethical implications, the customer experience implications, and being really smart about how they take this incredibly valuable tool and put it to the best use for their organization. So I'm not concerned, to be clear, about the fail fast type of mistakes that are part of any innovative project, but more so the big kahuna, what were you thinking type missteps that come from believing that there's some sort of loophole away from the realities and limitations of the hard work that is involved in getting AI right. So be smart about tying your investment and evolution and the technology to real business cases, and be smart about the partners that you choose to work with and the way you communicate those changes to your workforce and to your customers.

And my final non prediction is more so a call to action, which is service leaders must get better at storytelling. At the Service Council Symposium last fall and in their own 2025 predictions, John Carroll of the Service Council spoke about the rising existential threat to service leaders. Essentially, the risk that exists for service not to have a spot in strategic decision-making at the company to have a for organizations to miss the full view of what service and the wealth of insights a service function has mean to the business and instead be dismissed or deprioritized. So this existential threat would be massively unfortunate to see unfold, and my hope is we don't see that happen at all. As we know, service is far more than a means to meeting customer needs. It's really a treasure trove of so, so much more. But to avoid this potential reality, service leaders have to become better storytellers. Many service leaders grew up from being technicians themselves, and not all have become comfortable or adept at articulating and influencing, but that is exactly what is needed. Service leaders need to use storytelling to translate the needs of and opportunities within the customer base to terminology that screams business value and shifts the perception of them and their teams from that of a necessary evil to a powerhouse of competitive differentiation and potential innovation. Deep diving into being sure you understand all the ways in which service is interconnected with your company's financial objectives, strategic vision, sustainability initiatives, and technological road map is a great start. But using storytelling to explain this interconnectedness in a language that will resonate with your company's C-level executives is a must. So let's work on that in 2025.

And those, my friends, are my 2025 nonpredictions. I would love to hear your thoughts on anything that I've shared here. I would also love to hear your thoughts on what you think 2025 will bring. So if you have any insight for me, please feel free to reach out through email or on LinkedIn. And next week, I look forward to our 3 hundredth episode. That's crazy and hard to believe. Until then, you can find more by visiting us at futureoffieldservice.com. The unscripted podcast is published in partnership with IFS. You can find more at IFS.com.

Deloitte published its annual Tech Trends report earlier this year, and as you might have expected, it focuses heavily on how artificial intelligence seems to be affecting nearly every sector. In fact, they position AI as potentially being as “foundational as electricity to daily business and personal lives.”

While the vast majority of service organizations are still working to determine exactly how the full potential of AI fits their businesses, it’s already having an effect on the need for additional computing power; how organizations manage their data (which will be used to fuel AI solutions); and how the technology could potentially help address the shortage of tech talent that has been plaguing several markets (including field service).

It’s certainly worth having a read through what Deloitte had to say about AI in the Tech Trends report, but what sparked my interest that I want to discuss here is the final section of this year’s report, which focuses on "intentional intersections.” This is really about convergence – where new technologies and existing applications/use cases cross paths and affect each other in interesting ways.

According to Deloitte, convergence can illuminate two key perspectives: Insight into adjacent industries whose current research and development efforts could point to an organization’s future; and clarity on how different technologies can be combined in a way where the sum is greater than the component parts.

In the case of the former, Deloitte quotes author William Gibson: “The future is already here; it’s just not evenly distributed.” In other words, the next big innovation in field service might already exist in an adjacent industry/geography/competitor. The report uses examples like the space and biopharma sectors working together, Uber delivering food, or Amazon establishing a successful pharmaceutical business.

Over the last handful of years in field service, I’ve heard many times at conferences and in conversation the need to think about the “Uberization” of the industry or to pay attention to what’s making companies like Amazon so successful. But exactly how much have companies taken the understanding of the need for outside-their-industry influence and turned it into action?

The Value of Looking Outside Your Own Industry

Deloitte’s point about looking outside the boundary of your own industry emphasizes the opportunity that exists for more field service organizations to exercise this much talked-about concept and to reap the benefits of the innovation that cold come from doing so. There’s significant potential for field service organizations to take inspiration from how companies in other industries are getting creative about how to meet customer demands (and create new demand) as well as how they are using technology to solve business challenges – which brings us to the second major point of Deloitte’s report.

This point is examining where technologies intersect in interesting ways. Deloitte points out that while new technologies are often deployed to solve specific problems, they can provide even greater benefits when they are combined with other technologies or directed at new applications. A good historical example in field service was the advent of mobile computers – companies were rapidly able to combine work order management, dispatch, location tracking, fleet management, and other activities on a single platform, while eventually enabling things like digital repair manuals or remote diagnostics.

Within the silos that commonly exist within organizations, it can be tremendously valuable to take a broader look at what technologies are in place across those different silos – service, sales, manufacturing, marketing – to determine if there are areas where existing (or commonly agreed upon) technologies have a farther-reaching impact and therefore greater ROI. Depending on the sophistication and degree of silos in your organization, you may start by asking questions such as: The service team likely has data that the sales team and design/manufacturing groups would find valuable – do/can they share it? Are processes automated in one group but not in another? Are there redundant platforms in place?

As Deloitte puts it: “For leaders, this serves as a nudge to see odd-combination dual degrees, bridges between disparate teams, and interest in adjacent industries as necessary features, not bugs. If organizations can see beyond the silos of specialization and embrace these intentional intersections, we might very well find ourselves on the cusp of a reimagined renaissance. What convergence will your organization discover next?”

You can read more about Deloitte’s thoughts on convergence here, and download the entire report here. If you’ve spotted areas where field service could benefit from lessons learned in other industries, or found ways to leverage technology in new ways, I would love to hear your thoughts.

Episode 297

In the second half of this episode of the Unscripted Podcast, host Sarah Nicastro reflects on the top Unscripted podcast episodes of 2024, celebrating the inspiring guests, diverse topics, and invaluable insights shared throughout the year. Sarah delves into conversations on neurodiversity, authenticity in leadership, mental health awareness, and more with Tristan Lavender, Roy Dockery, Tim Spencer, Marco Hugo Guiterrez, and Rob Stephenson.

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Also, subscribe to our newsletter right here.

Episode Highlights:

[00:55] - Episode 292: Are You Overlooking the Importance and Impact of Neurodiversity at Work?: In this episode, Tristan Lavender dives into why neurodivergent individuals are vital to innovation and how companies can create environments where they thrive.
[03:36] - Episode 252: The Art of Leading: This episode is packed with insights on authentic leadership from Roy Dockery. Roy's perspective on authenticity stood out as he believes it's more than being genuine; it's about embracing your unique qualities, sharing your passions and vulnerabilities, and creating a ripple effect of respect and empowerment in your team.
[05:07] - Episode 282: Reflecting on a 35+ Year Career in Field Service: What’s Changed, What Hasn’t, and Where Are We Headed Next?: Drawing from his experience, Tim Spencer shares a powerful guiding principle: always look for the next problem to solve, not for innovation's sake, but to truly make things better.
[07:07] - Episode 265: Smashing Stigma Around Mental Health & Prioritizing Well-Being at Work: Inspired by his own journey, Rob Stephenson shared powerful insights on fostering psychological safety, reducing stigma, and truly listening to employees to understand their needs.

[09:37] - Episode 247: Tetra Pak’s Proven Ways of Supporting Field Force: Marco Hugo Guiterrez shared proven strategies for supporting field force well-being, highlighting the importance of flexibility in work modalities, such as offering remote support roles or back-office rotations to accommodate personal needs.

As 2024 comes to a close, I (like many) want to take a moment to reflect back on a year full of ups and downs, ebbs and flows, laughs and tears, and so much more. I’ve shared before that I am working on my ability to slow down and reflect – I am one to move quickly, propelling myself on to the next thing, next year without reaping the benefit that comes from this practice of reflection. As a work in progress, this exercise in and of itself is a bit of self-prescribed homework and I appreciate you coming along for the ride.

As I share below my five favorite professional moments and my five favorite personal moments, it’s impossible not to acknowledge how interconnected the two lists are. This is because, for me, I have found that the idea of work/life balance is very hard to achieve – creating a flexible work/life blend is more realistic. Here’s a couple examples to help you visualize what I mean: On my anniversary trip to Iceland, I was working hard on and off on the upcoming Stand Out 50 announcement. While at IFS Unleashed, I was up extra late putting the finishing touches on plans for my son’s 8^th birthday the following week.

This blend is also reflected in the wonderful friendships developed with people I’ve met in my professional life – the moments shared with those individuals are most definitely a highlight of the year and the reason I gladly pour so much of myself into my work. So, here goes – my favorite moments of 2024!

5 Professional Highlights

Connecting with the Future of Field Service community IRL. There’s something special about the community that’s been created with Future of Field Service, and one of my very favorite things is spending time with that community in person. This year that happened at our Stockholm and Cologne events, at IFS Unleashed, and at a variety of other industry events. At an event this fall, someone who had attended one of our Paris events last year said, “I’m not sure you remember me…” Of course I do! The individuals who engage with Future of Field Service are who make it what it is – and I’m so thankful for each of you. The moments of human connection, the thoughtful dialogue, the knowledge sharing that pushes us as individuals but also our

respective industries forward – it’s the best part of what I do.

Spending time with Joern Lindstaedt, SVP Global Customer Service at Rolls-Royce Power Systems, who spoke at our Future of Field Service Live event in Cologne in June.

Speaking at/engaging in industry events. Beyond our own community, I appreciate all that comes from taking part in other industry events. This year that included giving keynote presentations at Lely’s annual leadership conference, Field Service Palm Springs, and Field Service East, speaking to a class at The American University in Cairo about service transformation and innovation, being a guest on Aquant’s podcast, taking part in the Advanced Service Group’s Service Innovation workshop at Tetra Pak, presenting alongside IFS customer Alfa Laval at Field Service Europe, and taking part in the Service Council’s Sustainability Service Journey Day at Tetra Pak. Phew!

Rehearsal for my keynote presentation at Lely’s Care Conference in Texas in February.

The first-ever Future of Field Service Stand Out 50 Leadership awards. I spoke at length about why we decided to create the Stand Out 50 and why it was such an important initiative – not only to recognize 50 leaders creating significant impact, but to continue to emphasize the value these leaders – and the service function itself – bring to their respective businesses. What will stand out in my mind (no pun intended ?) from launching the awards this year is the heartfelt thank you’s I’ve received from the recipients. To see their organizations acknowledge the award with press releases and their own social campaigns, and then to hear from many of them 1-1 what that meant to them and their teams made the hard work of bringing this to life more than worth it.

Promotion of the Stand Out 50 in Times Square, NYC.

IFS Unleashed. Not only did the official Stand Out 50 announcement take place at IFS Unleashed in October, but so did much more! From witnessing sessions from the likes of Usain Bolt and Gary Player that quite literally brought me to tears, to all the energy created as IFS shared its vision for the future, it was a week for the books. More than anything else, though, what meant the most to me was the ability to spend time in person with our amazing customers. I shared on LinkedIn after, “For me, it's never first about the business or the deals or the next big thing; it's always first about the people, the relationships, the community (and I do genuinely believe that's what drives the best outcomes). There's simply no substitute for having the opportunity to see customers in person and give them a hug, or ride a crazy rollercoaster, or sit and talk about what this journey all means. Those face-to-face moments - that human connection - is what makes all the innovation happen, and it's also what makes this work matter.”

The incredible Usain Bolt at IFS Unleashed in Orlando in October.

The UNSCRIPTED podcast. This year we changed the name of the Future of Field Service podcast to UNSCRIPTED, to ensure it’s clear we are talking about more than just “field service.” We’re at 296 episodes to end the year and it remains one of my favorite aspects of my work – the conversations are a great way to share among service leaders what’s top of mind, to feature voices championing important issues beyond service, and to have discussions that not only inform but inspire. You can find the first half of the Top 10 Podcasts of 2024 here and stay tuned for Part Two on January 1^st.

Recording a live podcast with Steven Van Eyck, Center for Excellence Lead, Field Service at Proximus.

5 Personal Highlights

My sons’ first trip out of the country. I didn’t step foot on an airplane until I was a junior in college and, coincidentally, my first destination flying was also my sons’ first destination out of the country: Cancun, Mexico. It may not be the most adventurous, and spending five days at an all-inclusive resort most certainly isn’t the best way to immerse them in culture, but it’s still a highlight. It was exciting to get their passports, this first adventure needed to be one I could handle solo as my husband had to stay home to work, and the experiment went swimmingly which means further adventures await.

Ellis, 7 and Evan, 8 making good use of their brand-new passports in April in Cancun.

Celebrating our 11^th anniversary in Iceland. My husband supports all my work travels from home base in Erie, PA, and while we do try to take one trip together a year, it’s usually nothing too far since we have a son with significant medical needs. But this September, we visited Iceland for the first time and had a wonderful time exploring the beautiful country, remembering what it’s like to be “just us,” and laughing until our bellies hurt on more than one occasion.

My husband and I at the Jokulsarlon lagoon in Vatnajokull National Park in Iceland in September.

My first-ever personal retreat. Taking the time and spending the money to attend a retreat by myself in Italy in August was a huge decision and a major indulgence and privilege. It was also a life-changing experience for me that I am so incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to take. I didn’t realize just how close to burnout I had become and how much I needed to slow down, and I learned so much about myself in just four short days. It’s no coincidence that three of my five personal moments involve travel, because it’s very important to me – I feel the way you learn about the world, about people, and about yourself while traveling is so special.

Beautiful Lago di Orta in northern Italy in August.

Reading 25+ books. When I was young, I loved reading – I kept a light and a book under my mattress and would stay up late reading each night (my older son does the same thing and I absolutely love it). Between graduate school and later motherhood, I’d largely fallen out of the habit – I’d read from time to time, but it hasn’t been a daily practice for me in a long time. In 2024, I aimed to change that and as I’m writing this, I believe I’ve finished 27 books. I prefer to read hard copy books (I’ve tried audiobooks but have never been able to get into them) and have made time for reading this year by eliminating TV and really minimizing time on social media.

One of my favorite books I read in 2024.

Pushing myself on personal growth. This is a result of a collection of things, including trauma therapy, incorporation of meditation, deciding to give yoga “another” try, prioritizing movement knowing how much it helps my mental health, being very intentional about social media and its influence, being honest with myself about where I need to push outside of my comfort zone, and more. While this is a journey that will be forever ongoing, I’m proud of the work I’ve done in 2024.

The beaches of Lake Erie on Presque Isle in Erie, PA – about 15 minutes from my home and where I like to spend time thinking and relaxing.

I hope you, too, take the time to look back on 2024 and reflect on all that you’ve achieved, what you’ve learned from the moments that have pushed you, and be proud of yourself for what you’ve done and what you’ve weathered. If this list reads like a lot of sunshine and rainbows, I promise you there were also thunderstorms and plenty of snow! But it does us all good to focus on what we have to be grateful for. Wishing you a restful, peaceful end to 2024 and a wonderful 2025 to come.

Episode 296

In this episode of the Unscripted Podcast, host Sarah Nicastro reflects on the top Unscripted podcast episodes of 2024, celebrating the inspiring guests, diverse topics, and invaluable insights shared throughout the year. From the challenges of servitization and the power of diversity in field service to leveraging AR and AI for modernization, Sarah highlights key lessons and favorite quotes from thought leaders like Dr. Kawal Kapoor, Daniel Trabel, Stuart Thompson, Dot Mynahan, and Teresa Carneiro.

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Episode Highlights:

Sarah: I just wanna start by saying a huge thank you to each and every one of the guests that we have had join us for an episode of the podcast in 2024. We've had a wide range of topics, different parts of the world represented, a lot of different perspectives, and we're really proud of that. So we will work hard to continue to provide that, but it isn't possible without the willingness of our guests to come and share not only their time, but their opinions and their journeys and their lessons learned and so forth. So big thank you to everyone that has joined for an episode this year, not only the 10 that I'm going to go through. We are quickly coming up on our 100th episode of this podcast, which blows my mind.

Welcome to the Unscripted podcast. I'm your host, Sarah Nicastro. We have somehow found ourselves yet again at the end of another year and it is time for the top 10 podcasts of 2024. I'm gonna do this in 2 parts because I wanna talk a little bit about each of these episodes and share some other things as we go along. So part 1 is what you're hearing today. Part 2 will run on January 1st. So I just want to start by saying a huge thank you to each and every one of the guests that we have had join us for an episode of the podcast in 2024. We've had a wide range of topics, different parts of the world represented, a lot of different perspectives, and we're really proud of that. So we will work hard to continue to provide that, but it isn't possible without the willingness of our guests to come and share not only their time, but their opinions and their journeys and their lessons learned and so forth. So big thank you to everyone that has joined for an episode this year, not only the 10 that I'm going to go through. We are quickly coming up on our 3 100th episode of this podcast, which blows my mind, but is very exciting, and have some fun plans for that. That'll happen in January. Stay tuned for that. And thank you for being here and taking part in this journey.

As you can imagine, coming up on 300 episodes in a lot of aspects, the podcast is a well-oiled machine at this point. I always appreciate when I do interviews, guests often say, this was really easy. This was really enjoyable. This was a lot of fun. So I work hard to minimize the ask of their time and to make it an enjoyable process. But that being said, even though we've been doing this for a while, we are always open to feedback from our community. So if you have feedback on what we could be doing better, what you would like to see, please reach out anytime. And along that line, if you have a story or views, opinions that you would like to share, please reach out as well, and we can see if we can make that happen.

So with that said, I'm gonna go ahead and dive into the first half of our top ten of 2024. I also wanna point out that I randomized the order of these. So we're not necessarily doing a countdown. These are just the top 10, not in any particular order. But the first one I'm going to speak about is episode 266, which is innovating advanced services and delivering on servitization. This episode was with doctor Kawall Kapoor, who is the research manager at the Advanced Services Group out of Aston Business School. Also, the coauthor of a book released this year and a a playbook that came alongside with it titled Servatization Strategy, Delivering Customer Centric Outcomes Through Business Model Innovation. So, Kawal, being part of the Advanced Services Group, some of you who are longtime listeners are probably familiar with that organization. We've had a number of their team on the podcast to talk about different themes and trends related to servertization, professor Tim Baines and plenty of others. And I really appreciate the work that they do around advanced services because Powell's piece of that is managing the research that they do. But they also have a very hands on component of what they do with businesses who are incubating and working through their advanced services ideas and journeys. So they have a good balance of understanding the trends via research, but also understanding the real-world implications of trying to advance services in today's landscape. I'm gonna share for each of these episodes my favorite quote, why that was my favorite quote, and then if there's any other things that come to mind. So my favorite quote from this episode, Kawall says, "what tends to happen is you'll see a disconnect between how a firm is describing its servitized offerings and how it would truly resonate with a customer. The key is customers are more interested in why a service matters, not just how it works. So if you hear firms saying, we offer condition monitoring or we offer digital services, it's technical to a customer. That's not to say they don't understand. They obviously do understand their function, their business, but it's not really clear what it is from that conditioning monitoring or from those digital service that will provide them benefit. And we've always said that that servitization is about putting customers first. So if you think of it this way, you wouldn't buy a product unless it made your life easier." So Kawall point here is that one of the barriers to success when we think about advanced services, outcomes-based services, servitization is companies struggling to articulate the value proposition in a way that resonates with the customers. So for companies to really recognize the value of the full potential of advanced services, we have to not only be able to take that customer-centric view, but to adopt a more customer-centric language. And this is something that talking it through, it sounds very simple, but in reality, it's a sticking point that a lot of companies struggle with. So this was a good conversation about that and other things. You can check out that episode. Again, it is episode 266. And, uh, if you wanna check out the work that Kawall and the rest of the Advanced Services Group team do on Advanced Services, their website is advanced services group dotco.uk.

Alright. Next episode on today's list is episode 257. The title of that is Equity is Everyone's Responsibility. This episode is with Daniel Trebel, who is the director of field service EMEA at Thermo Fisher Scientific. So in this episode, Daniel shares the success that Thermo has had in bringing specifically more women into field service roles and why he feels that organizations ignoring the need to improve diversity overall of field teams are set up to fail. So my favorite quote from Daniel from this episode is, I think it's important to really take a step back from the problem and start asking how the solution should look and how to get to that point. It's important that you really map the situation and try things out. Maybe you're disruptive and you take a risk, but when you don't change it, you will fail from the very beginning. Companies who don't do this will fail because they can't unleash the power of people and they can't unleash the power of diversity, which is necessary to be successful. We are dealing in a situation where when we talk about STEM, there's only a handful of people who can cover open positions and everyone is keen to get someone from somewhere. But if there is no someone, then there is no somewhere. We need to open up the talent pool. And if you don't do that and you're not thinking of changing your plans and your strategy in the long run, I think those companies will fail. That's my clear statement here. So Daniel has a very good point, which is, historically, many field service organizations have hired based on, uh, previous experience. And there's a couple of layers to what we discuss in this episode. The first is that experience is becoming extinct, ultimately. We can't keep relying on previous experience to find the talent that we need in our businesses. That challenge is actually what prompted Thermo to do what they did that Daniel shares in this episode. However, they also realized that not only is there an opportunity to expand the talent pool if you start opening up yourself to more diverse candidates, but there's also value itself in having diverse teams, diversity of thought. So in this episode, Daniel talks about not just the premise of why this is important. It's a premise that I think just about every service organization today understands. Everyone will talk about the challenges to find higher and routine good talent. What is less common is a example with as much detail as Daniel shares of exactly how a company has overcome this challenge. So he talks through many specifics of how Thermo really got more creative than ever before in reflecting on job descriptions, changing hiring criteria, creating new roles, managing change around doing all of this, and also ensuring that diversity was represented at all levels of the business, not just these entry-level field service roles. So there's a lot of great specifics in this episode if you find yourself within an organization that recognizes this problem, but isn't necessarily getting creative about finding solutions. So again, that one is episode 257.

Next on the list is episode 264. This one is ABB's use of augmented reality and artificial intelligence to modernize field service and transform the customer experience. This is with Stuart Thompson, who is the president of the electrification service division at ABB. So what we're really looking at here is how does an organization with nearly 3,000 field engineers across 50 countries respond to customers that are demanding more in an industry with less and less workforce capability to go and serve. So when we think about the premise of the last podcast, Daniel's podcast, we're talking about the need to evolve our talent strategies. In this episode with Stuart from ABB, we're talking about the role technology also plays in minimizing that need and helping the workforce that you do have work smarter. So my favorite quote from Stewart says, if you think about your field engineering work, it's hard work. There's a lot of travel. There's a lot of heavy equipment that you're lifting out in the field. Some of the best field engineers we have are nearing retirement, and so travel becomes more difficult. But the knowledge is there, and for them to be able to impart and share that knowledge with 20 people in a day instead of 1 when they're traveling to a site is far more attractive. As the tools have become more intuitive, you can talk instead of type. If I look at a 64 year old field engineer, being able to just have a conversation and talk like we do, and the computer or device in the background takes care of everything else, it becomes a lot more natural for them. From a customer's viewpoint as well, we can offer different levels of service support. I can have a level 4 technician expert from the factory online with you in minutes, or you can wait a week, I can have them at your site so that customers are taking on that decision. Depending on their sense of urgency, yes, they would love to have a person at the site, but if they're losing $1,000,000 an hour with oil barrels not rolling off the production line, they're very happy to have someone online guiding them as well. Stewart's really talking about 2 different aspects of these types of tools here. One is the way that these tools can help change how your teams work in really significant ways. And he speaks specifically in this example of how that can help organizations take some of their very experienced, very knowledgeable talent that may not want to be out in the field on a day-to-day basis any longer and make really good use of that talent in a way that is comfortable for them. He also, on the other hand, is talking about how to create acceptance from a customer perspective in making changes to your service delivery model. So he talks about really putting the decision in their hands in the sense of stating what the options are and allowing them to choose, and doing so in a way that allows them to determine what the level of urgency is and, therefore, what the appropriate service is. Within this quote, he's talking about these 2 different things. Across this entire episode, he's sharing a very pragmatic approach to adopting modern technologies that I see a lot of companies struggling with. There, we talk through not only what's worked, but some of the challenges that ABB has overcome in bringing these technologies more prominently to its workforce and to its customer base. So the other point that Stuart makes that I think is really important is he talks about how with the introduction of AI supporting field engineers to help them with reporting and admin work, ABB has saved between 2 to 3 hours a week of reporting and admin time. So I believe that's yeah. It's 2 to 3 hours a week per technician, which he says in the episode equates to $30,000,000 a year. But he also points out that they took the opportunity to look at this from the perspective of work, life balance as well as company benefit and to take a balanced approach of monetizing those savings, but also giving some of that time back to the engineer to have an extra hour off, to have an hour for training, etcetera. And I think that mindset is so important in this overall conversation. This episode, in my opinion, is a must listen for anyone who is working through how to incorporate, better incorporate, further incorporate AR, AI, or any other sophisticated tools and automation processes because Stewart shares a lot of tactics for how they've overcome some of the challenges to get to the point they have that I think could be really helpful for others to hear. Again, that one is episode 264.

Next up, episode 256, a look back at 32 years as a woman in service. This episode is with Dot Minahan. When we recorded this, she had recently retired from Otis Elevator after more than 32 years and is now the senior director of safety and workforce development for the National Elevator Industry Incorporated. So Dot talks about how more than 33 years ago, she answered a newspaper ad to be a temporary service clerk at Otis Elevator and ultimately worked her way to being the executive director of field operations for the Americas. So she talks through some of what that journey looked like for her and a lot of the lessons she learned along the way. I think there's so much power in storytelling and and hearing about people's experiences, and there's different aspects to this. There's spending more than 32 years with 1 company and and kind of working through the ranks. And Dot also talks in this episode about some of the value of thinking of career progression as not only a ladder, but a lattice. So she talks about how sometimes making more of a lateral move can bring a lot of value. Obviously, being a woman in a very male-dominated space from 33 years ago to today is really interesting. And quite frankly, she accomplished a lot of really cool things in her time with the company. My favorite quote from Dot in this episode was when I asked her what accomplishment she was proudest of in her time with Otis. And she says, the biggest achievement I have was starting forward, which was the employee resource group for women in field operations. We started that in North America with a group of 12 women. It expanded to over 500 women internationally and really has made a difference in the careers and career ladders, not only for women in field operations and the offices, but even in the field. Because we talked a lot about career ladders and there are career ladders even within the field organization, I'm proud to see a lot of women getting the opportunities that they deserve. It's been an incredible organizational structure to have that employee resource group that Otis supported as well as they did. That's probably my number one achievement. I like this because it underpins a couple of important points. One is the impact that 1 person with a strong passion for something can ignite. So Dot had this idea to start forward, and it started with 12 people in North America and has grown to over 500 people globally. And as she points out, it's impacted the careers of many of those hundreds of women, and that's amazing. It also underpins the power of women supporting women. And don't get me wrong, men need to support women as well as allies, but when you take the time, as Dot did, within her own career to pour back into some of the younger talent around you, to do mentoring, to create something like she did with Forward, it is a really powerful thing. Also underpins, as I mentioned, the importance of storytelling and also community and the tangible effect that groups like this have within and beyond their companies. Really great accomplishment and really cool conversation with Dot to hear about some of her experiences over her career at Otis. Dot also, later in the year, took part as a judge in our standout 50 leadership awards and is featured discussing that a bit in episode 293, which is also worth a listen. Again, Dott's episode on her journey is episode 256.

Last, but certainly not least for today, is episode 274, inside the mind of the new talent you're seeking. This is with Teresa Carneiro, who is a field service engineer at Stem Cell Technologies. Teresa is based in Germany, and I had the great fortune to meet her this June, I believe it was, at our Future of Field Service live event in Cologne. So coincidentally, Daniel Trebel from Thermo Fisher, who we talked about earlier in our conversation, was speaking at this event about some of the work that Thermo has done to attract more women into its field service operations. And so, coincidentally, Teresa was in the audience, which was just wonderful because she was able to bring, uh, first hand perspective to the topic, and it was interesting to see the reaction to her. So once she spoke up and said who she was and what her role was, every break we had, the service leaders in the room were trying to pick her brain, I think probably also giving her job offers and all sorts of things. So it was really serendipitous that she joined us, and I asked her to come on the podcast and share some of her insights about what drew her to field service, what does she enjoy about the field service engineer role, how does she feel about being a woman in field service, how does she envision her career evolving, all sorts of different things like that. And so in sharing some of her journey, she really gives invaluable insight for the service organizations that are looking to improve and evolve their hiring practices. So there's actually 2 quotes from Teresa that I want to share. I could not pick between the 2, so I'm gonna read them both. The first is, I think it's very curious because ever since I joined the industry, I have heard all sorts of companies saying how hard it is to get young talent on their teams. I must say that having very recently searched for a job, I felt exactly the opposite. I felt that I was always behind because I didn't have any previous experience in the industry. And even when you come across some entry-level jobs, they often ask for years of experience. It can be a bit discouraging to find that most job ads require some years of experience, and especially for this type of role because I feel that this type of job, you need a lot of training regardless of your previous experience because of how specific it is. I truly believe that recently graduated students can bring a lot to the table. We are used to learning so many different things in such a short time frame. So she's really giving that firsthand perspective of, at least in the region that she was job seeking, which is in Germany, that most organizations are still requiring experience even for entry level positions, which, again, is really going to limit the talent pool that you can address. The other quote I wanted to share says, I would just like to quickly point out that these questions and the question was around, how does she see her career evolving and changing over time, particularly with the amount of travel and and things of that nature. So she says, I would just like to quickly point out that these questions about balancing this type of job with parenthood are often framed as exclusively a woman's problem, such as how do you see yourself managing this lifestyle when you become a mom. And, of course, you did not frame it that way nor did you assume that I do want to have children, which is also not an assumption that should be made for every woman. But this balance is not just a woman's problem. This might be a concern for anyone who wants to start a family and knows how much time we spend away from home in this type of job. So companies should tackle this problem and get creative having everyone in mind and not just women. I really respect this point, and I think it's refreshing to hear her perspective. And she also shared with me a bit her partner's perspective on this, and to think about how we're framing things, what some of our unconscious bias may be, what the value of flexibility and getting creative about these roles can mean for everyone. And for families, regardless of which parent is benefiting from looking at things differently. So I think that some of the points Teresa makes in this episode really make me wonder how many organizations are still missing the boat on great talent because they're not willing to do things differently. They are acknowledging the problem, but they're not changing. They're not getting creative about the solutions. And I think that seeing the potential in someone like Teresa and knowing that so many organizations are missing out on that because they're trying to just do what they've always done even though it's not working any longer, it really makes you think. And I think her perspective on what that journey was like, what young talent wants, what their viewpoints are on some of the things that, uh, us who are generations older are making assumptions on, etcetera, is just so, so helpful to listen to and understand. So I would say for anyone listening who really wants a peek inside the mind of an intelligent, young, driven field technician that, in my opinion, any organization would want to hire, definitely go back and listen to what Teresa had to say. And again, that is episode 274.

So those are the first 5 of the top 10 podcasts of 2024. As I mentioned, we will be sharing, uh, part 2 on January 1st, so please come back and have a listen to that. In the meantime, you can find more content by visiting the home of unscripted at future of field service .com. As always, the podcast is published in partnership with IFS. You can learn more at ifs.com. Thank you for listening.

Last week, I welcomed Ryan Snellings to the UNSCRIPTED podcast. After more than 25 years in service and operations leadership roles at companies like Fresenius Kabi, Luminex Corporation, and Agena, Ryan recently founded The Jobless Leader to provide career development and executive coaching.

I first met Ryan more than ten years ago during his tenure at Fresenius Kabi and even back then his honesty and quick wit stood out, which you see reflected today in his thought-provoking LinkedIn posts. During our podcast discussion, we talked about three areas of leadership Ryan believes are crucial for service leaders: self-awareness and personal development; building effective leadership processes; and learning how to navigate corporate complexity.

As we talked through these three areas, Ryan shared not only his reflections on why each are important, but also provided some examples of what he’s learned – sometimes the hard way – works best. If you’re an aspiring leader, early in your leadership tenure, or a long-time leader who is always looking for fresh perspective, be sure to check out the full conversation. But here are seven specifics Ryan shared that I feel any leader would benefit from adding to their repertoire:

Spend 10 minutes daily on self-reflection. As Ryan and I discussed the importance of self-reflection as a leader, I asked him exactly how service leaders who are stretched thin should make time for this. “Best way to do it is 10 minutes at the end of every single day,” he says. “That's when you are going to remember the emotion you were feeling at the time, the specific incidents, what came up in 1-1s, what goals you met (or didn’t) and why, etc. Writing it down, too – that helps. It’s relatively simple, but it can be eye opening.”
Take responsibility for managing your career. Ryan touted the importance of managing your own career, which to him means understanding that hard work doesn’t always speak for itself – you will get further if you learn to articulate your accomplishments in language your boss cares most about (i.e. their goals). “No one is going to manage your career for you, not because they don’t care about how things turn out for you, but because they’re busy,” explains Ryan. “How are you highlighting what you’re doing? If you can talk about or demonstrate the things that you are doing well, and how they align to what your manager's objectives are, it isn’t bragging it’s clarifying your value. Don’t wait until your annual review to bring in a list of what you’ve done, talk about it in every 1-1.”
Ignore the “rule” that you can’t be friends with people you work with. “You hear all the time that you ‘can't be friends with people you work with,’ and to me, that's some of the biggest BS there is out there,” says Ryan. “We spend half our lives at work. If you don't like the people you work with, then what are you doing? That sounds miserable. Now it doesn't mean you're going to spend the holidays with them, but you can have a real relationship where you truly care about them and what they have going on in their lives.” We also talked about how a genuine care leads to a natural curiosity about how people are doing, making empathy more sincere. Not that you have to be friends with your team to practice empathy, but the point being that employees can sense when you are “practicing empathy” versus living it intentionally. Ryan highlights this example: “How many times has someone asked you how you're doing, only to look down at their phone and check email or something? To me, they're showing you that they don't really care what you have to say.”
Prioritize regular, real-time, personal recognition. “There are a lot of wins throughout the week we just kind of blow by. Seek out a specific thing to recognize – it’s superficial when it’s just ‘good job this year,’ says Ryan. “When someone does something good, you need to acknowledge it right then and there; it's more genuine. I’ve always gotten great feedback when I pay for top performers to take their family out to dinner. It's not about the fact that you're paying for the dinner; it's their family seeing the company recognizing them as a top performer. It makes them proud. As leaders, we get very lazy when it when comes to recognition – not because we’re bad or forgetful, but because we’re busy. We can’t forget to make time for the impact that just a simple handwritten note has.”
Ask your employees for advice. As Ryan and I were talking about the value of even something as simple as saying ‘thank you’ more, he brought up the multidimensional power of asking your employees for advice. “Saying thank you is great, but if you want to blow an employee away – ask them for advice,” says Ryan. “Ask them to weigh in on something, not even necessarily related to their role, but something you’re working on. To be honest, their advice is almost always better than what I was thinking.” As Ryan points out, the payback here is two-fold – the employee feels valued because you are interested in their thoughts and opinion, and you often come away with great ideas you wouldn’t have arrived at otherwise.
Recognize how clearly employees see through the BS. Ryan is disheartened by the volume of examples you see in the media today of senior leaders of companies acting in ways that are nothing less than questionable. He gives a few examples – a CEO on a Zoom call demanding all employees return to full-time work in the office, with a row of leadership books on the shelf behind them. A company announcing record-breaking profits, then two weeks later do layoffs because they want that much more (only to announce hiring again soon thereafter). “Or organizations announcing a ‘flat structure’ or lack of hierarchy, which is really just a way to imply employees are supposed to take on more responsibility without the pay,” Ryan adds. “There’s a lack of transparency, and people see through that – all the jargon and corporate slang to make things that aren’t sound ‘nice.’ People see right through it.” Ryan fully acknowledges the hard decisions that leaders sometimes have to make, and the hard conversations those decisions result in – he isn’t suggesting they can be avoided, but rather emphasizing the importance of being honest with employees to build rather than erode trust
Don’t tolerate toxic people (no matter how high performing they are). You know the story: someone at work is horrible to be around and you can’t for the life of you understand why they’re still there. Oh yes, they hit the big numbers – so anything is tolerated (insert eyeroll). In Ryan’s view, a good leader will eliminate the toxic behavior, no matter what the (short-term) cost. “Toxicity in any form erodes culture. Sometimes these people don’t realize they have destructive habits, and that’s an issue that falls on their manager’s shoulders. If they’ve been given the feedback and refuse to improve, they need to be removed,” he says. “Refusing to tolerate toxicity is the only way to build a strong culture. With the job market being tough currently, you see people staying still – but it’ll be interesting to see what happens to the companies that are refusing to address toxicity when things get better.”

Episode 295

In this episode of the Unscripted podcast, host Sarah Nicastro welcomes Ryan Snellings, Founder and Coach at The Jobless Leader, who formerly held a variety of service and operations leadership roles at companies like Fresenius Kabi, Luminex Corporation, and Agena, to discuss three areas of focus for leaders who want to excel in service today.

Ryan brings over 25 years of experience in service and operations leadership within the medical device industry. Having held significant roles at companies such as Fresenius Kabi, Luminex Corporation, and Agena, he has cultivated a deep understanding of the intricacies of service leadership. Ryan's recent transition to coaching reflects his commitment to empowering others to lead without formal titles, emphasizing the importance of self-awareness, personal development, and empathy in leadership.

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Episode Highlights:

[03:51] - Growth, Ownership, and Empathy: Self-awareness, career ownership, and empathy form the trifecta of effective leadership. Start with daily self-reflection, just 10 minutes at the end of each day, to evaluate your conversations, decisions, and productivity. Manage your career proactively, as no one else will advocate for your growth like you can. Lastly, lead with empathy. Consistent one-on-ones and open feedback build trust and understanding, reminding us that despite all the goals and technology, success is ultimately about people.
[16:00] - Turning Wins Into Opportunities: Feeling uncomfortable about showcasing your achievements is natural, but managing up is crucial for career growth. Regularly share wins during one-on-ones, connecting them to team and organizational success. This not only builds trust but also ensures your efforts don't get overlooked. Remember, celebrating wins as they happen creates a culture of recognition and momentum.
[24:41] - Lead Smarter: To lead effectively, focus on three key practices: First, ensure alignment by clearly communicating your priorities and the team's goals across all levels, so everyone knows their role in achieving them. Second, prioritize genuine and timely recognition. Acknowledge individual contributions when they happen, and go beyond generic gestures by creating meaningful moments, like celebrating top performers in ways that involve their families. Finally, time-block everything, from strategic tasks to personal self-reflection, to make sure what matters most gets done and becomes a habit.
[39:59] - Building Trust Through Authentic Leadership: Corporate leaders face an uphill battle in building trust when actions contradict words, like proclaiming "we're a family" while executing mass layoffs or demanding more from employees without fair compensation. Authenticity and transparency are the real game-changers. Employees can handle tough decisions if they're communicated honestly and without corporate jargon. Cut the fluff and be real. That's how you keep people on your side.

Quotes:

“Self-reflection was a big part of me and I wish I would have learned it at the very beginning of my career.”
“You really have to lean on the side of empathy because when you have that many people, someone's gonna have something going on in their personal life or professional life, and you need to be able to identify those things.”
“To me, there's just nothing better than to lead people and help them get where they want to go.”

Vehicles are a big-ticket capital expense for most field service organizations and come with a lot of additional costs for maintenance, insurance, fuel, and in some cases anxiety. Company trucks and vans are a big rolling advertisement for your business, but if they are involved in an accident or your technicians are not driving courteously or safely, it can be a hit to your company’s reputation.

Many service vehicles have been equipped for some time with telematics equipment to monitor vehicle behavior and location. This gives owners more of a bird’s eye view of where the trucks are at (for routing, scheduling and safety purposes), as well as a clue as to whether technicians are speeding, driving erratically, or needlessly idling and wasting fuel.

But other innovations are on the way that could give fleet owners more peace of mind and increase technician surveillance. ABI Research released a report, The Future of Fleet Management: Expanding Use Cases and Connectivity Requirements, that outlines some of these emerging technologies and what changes they may mean for fleet management.

While traditional fleet management solutions have focused on asset tracking, location, and compliance reporting, new use cases are on the rise that include vehicle theft prevention solutions, driver safety systems, yard management, and video surveillance.

Increased Focus on Driver Safety and Vehicle Theft

Vehicle theft and driver safety are an outgrowth of location tracking. New systems can generate automatic alerts if a vehicle is broken into or on the move when it shouldn’t be, and fleet management systems can use sensors and telematics to monitor driver behavior and create scorecards. The report notes that advanced use cases, including video monitoring for driver safety, are becoming more common in the industry, and will soon be integrated with electric vehicle technology and autonomous vehicle systems.

According to the ABI Research report: “These future use cases will drive even greater demand for advanced Internet of Things (IoT) devices, data management platforms, and, perhaps most importantly, an unprecedented level of localized global connectivity … Given these developments, fleet managers in the future will require a completely different type of network and connectivity service provider, one that can offer a range of highly available networks and a connectivity management platform designed for advanced IoT applications.” That will likely include a mix of traditional cellular networks, Wi-Fi, 4G and 5G.

Many service fleets operate in a limited geographic space, so some of the long-range connectivity issues in the report aren’t all that applicable. But issues around driver surveillance and the potential for technology to reduce maintenance costs are interesting for service organizations. Newer fleet management solutions can make better use of sensor data from tires, engines, and fuel monitoring systems on the vehicle, and apply predictive analytics to reduce or anticipate maintenance.

The video monitoring piece would involve using dash cams to monitor loading and unloading of a vehicle, as well as driver behavior. For example, you could tell if a driver is starting to nod off behind the wheel. The ABI Research report cites data from ASIS International that showed “businesses with connected telematics solutions like in-cab dash cams can reduce insurance claims by at least 25% and crashes by around 50%.”

Those types of savings are probably more relevant for long-haul trucking, but there may be service organizations that could see some benefit from dash cams for remote technicians that could help monitor clock-in times, unauthorized vehicle use, or providing an extra safety check for technicians that work in remote areas or in hazardous conditions. They could also provide evidence in case of an accident.

Technicians have generally gotten used to GPS/location tracking solutions after objections about monitoring early on. When it comes to the incorporation of more video monitoring, it poses the question of whether dash cams would be a bridge too far, or be seen as just an extension of existing systems?

That depends on whether or not organizations can afford to install them, of course. I’ve written before about adoption of EV service vehicles and autonomous driving technology, which has been slowed by availability of reliable, purpose-built trucks and the high cost of adoption. (ABI also has a blog about commercial EV adoption that looks at some of these trends.)

The ABI report cites cost as the top barrier to adoption of new fleet management technology (by 45% of respondents). Companies also cited the lack of internal infrastructure for managing telematics data, and vendor confusion related to implementing these systems. Fleet operators will also need access to robust and reliable wireless networks to make sure the data is delivered in a timely fashion.

If you’ve investigated some of these new fleet management technologies like dash cams and/or advanced telematics, I’d love to hear about your experiences.

Episode 294

In this episode of Unscripted, Sarah Nicastro, the creator of Future of Field Service and VP of Customer Engagement at IFS, reflects on the Stand Out Service Trends Report, sharing actionable insights from some of the most innovative leaders in the service industry. Drawing on her extensive expertise and years of observing the evolution of field service, Sarah explores best practices in hiring, employee engagement, change management, and technology prioritization.

Sarah's career began unexpectedly in the world of field service after earning her bachelor’s degree in psychology and an MBA, with plans to enter the nonprofit sector. Her fascination with the innovation and complexity of field service sparked a passion that has driven her work ever since. Based in Erie, PA, Sarah balances her professional life with time spent at Lake Erie hunting for beach glass, Peloton workouts, and indulging in her love of hip-hop and ice cream.

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Episode Highlights:

[06:20] - Hiring for Success: Nearly 50% of standout leaders have updated job descriptions in the last six months, signaling a shift in how they approach talent acquisition. Thirty-three percent now prioritize hiring for skills and capacity to learn rather than requiring prior experience, while 19% have implemented apprenticeship programs to nurture new talent. These modern practices reflect a commitment to building diverse, future-ready teams that adapt to evolving industry needs.
[08:44] - Enhancing Employee Engagement: Leaders know that engaged employees drive retention and customer satisfaction. Sixty-seven percent conduct frequent one-on-one reviews and 61% have formal recognition programs to reward excellence. Continuous training programs (59%) and flexible work arrangements (29%) further boost morale. These efforts foster a culture where employees feel valued and empowered, fueling overall performance.
[14:05] - Embracing Change Management: 42% of leaders surveyed have embedded change management into their company culture, focusing on continuous improvement. They engage employees in developing solutions and see change as a competitive strength. Open communication, leadership buy-in, and a relentless focus on execution help these organizations thrive in a constantly shifting landscape.
[16:33] - Technology with Purpose: Technology adoption is a priority, with 47% planning AI investments in areas like predictive maintenance and troubleshooting by 2025. Leaders emphasize matching tech to business challenges while addressing concerns like accuracy, data security, and readiness. By balancing opportunity with caution, they ensure technology enhances, not disrupts, operations and customer experiences.

Quotes:

“We know that if we continue to look for talent based on previous experience, it just simply doesn't exist. We need to modernize the approach, which often means that the organizations hiring have more work to do to get people ready to go out into the field on their own and be comfortable and successful performing those duties.” - Sarah Nicastro
“Performance reviews, recognition programs, and professional development are key areas that drive employee engagement and retention.” - Sarah Nicastro
“The goal isn’t just introducing new technology; it’s understanding what your business challenges are and how technology can address them.” - Sarah Nicastro

5 Themes I Believe Will Shape the World of Service in 2025

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