Much has been said and written about the death of the third place—spaces where we meet people and socialize that are not work or home. While my work driving electrification forward means I’m all for tech advancements, the race to automation has indeed slashed the human aspect of what used to be more personal services. Third places to mingle outside of work and home have grown obsolete, sparking a startling loneliness epidemic amid a lack of in-person connection. Gen Zers, the top victims of this crisis wielding an ever-increasing buying power, are now calling out companies to turn back the clock and begin taking the third place’s demise seriously.
Community is a key cultural value that I challenge my team to embrace in their day-to-day work. It’s not an obvious position for an infrastructure company. Yes, we want to put steel in the ground, pull conduit, and energize locations. But how do we build purposefully to make someone’s life just a little bit easier, more seamless, and delightful?
