Much of the conversation about the energy transition focuses on technology, infrastructure, investment and government policy.
These issues matter. But every new technology must be operated by people, every strategy must be implemented by people, and every organisational change must be understood and accepted by people.
The energy transition is therefore not only a technological or economic transition. It is also a human transition.
For Aberdeen and the North-east, this is particularly important. The region has spent more than five decades developing world-class energy expertise, businesses, supply chains and communities. The challenge is not simply to move from one energy source to another. It is to protect, transfer and develop the human capability that made this region an international energy leader.
People resist what change may mean for them
We often hear that people resist change. I do not believe that is entirely accurate.
People change throughout their lives. They move home, accept promotions, learn new technology and take on new responsibilities. What they often resist is uncertainty, particularly when they do not trust their own ability to succeed or their leaders’ ability to guide them.
When senior leaders hear “energy transition”, they may think about investment, strategy and opportunity.
Employees may hear something different:
Will my job still exist?
Will my experience remain valuable?
Can I learn the skills required?
Will new opportunities arrive before existing jobs disappear?
These are not signs of negativity. They are legitimate human concerns. When leaders fail to address them, uncertainty is quickly filled by assumptions, rumours and fear.
Create clarity when certainty is impossible
Employees often look to leaders for certainty during change. The difficulty is that leaders may not have it.
They may not know which technologies will dominate, how quickly markets will develop or exactly what the organisation will look like in five years.
Good leadership is not about pretending to have answers that do not yet exist. It is about creating clarity within uncertainty.
Leaders should be honest about what is known, what remains unknown and what decisions are being made now. They should explain why change is necessary, where the organisation is going and how employees will be supported.
Silence is rarely interpreted as leaders carefully considering the options. It is more likely to be interpreted as decisions being made behind closed doors.
Communication during transition cannot be an occasional announcement. It must be an ongoing conversation.
Build the future on existing capability
The language used during transition also matters.
When we talk about replacing “old” industries with “new” industries, we risk suggesting that the people who built our current energy system belong to the past.
They do not.
The North-east’s engineers, technicians, project managers, safety professionals and supply-chain leaders have decades of experience operating in some of the world’s most complex environments. Many of these capabilities are transferable across oil and gas, offshore wind, hydrogen, carbon capture and other emerging areas.
The transition should not be framed as discarding one workforce and creating another. It should focus on developing an integrated energy workforce capable of contributing across the energy mix.
People must see that their experience is not becoming irrelevant. It is the foundation on which the future can be built.
Reskilling also requires confidence
Training is essential, but training alone is not enough.
A professional who has spent 20 years mastering their field may suddenly feel like a beginner again. This can affect confidence, identity and motivation.
Leaders must recognise the emotional experience of reskilling, not only the technical requirements.
People need clear career pathways, opportunities to practise new skills, constructive feedback and reassurance that not knowing everything immediately is part of learning.
Employers must also create environments where people feel safe to ask questions, admit knowledge gaps and seek support. A workforce cannot adapt effectively when employees fear looking inexperienced or incapable.
Involve people in the transition
One of the fastest ways to create resistance is to make people feel that change is being done to them rather than shaped with them.
Frontline employees often understand operational challenges, customer needs and implementation risks that are less visible at senior level. Their knowledge should be treated as an asset.
Involving people does not mean every decision must be made by consensus. Leaders will still need to make difficult choices. However, employees are more likely to support a decision when they understand how it was reached and feel their concerns were genuinely considered.
The transition will be experienced through managers
For most employees, the organisation is represented not by its strategy document, but by their immediate manager.
Managers will answer questions, respond to concerns, explain decisions and help people make sense of change. Yet many have never been taught how to lead through uncertainty.
They need the emotional intelligence to recognise how people are responding, the communication skills to create clarity and the courage to discuss difficult realities honestly.
The energy transition presents an extraordinary opportunity for Aberdeen and the North-east. But success will depend on more than the infrastructure we build or the technology we deploy.
It will depend on whether the people who powered our past are given the clarity, confidence and support to power our future.
These important human and leadership challenges will be explored further at the Leadership in Energy Conference, bringing together leaders from across the sector to share ideas, challenge established thinking and consider how we can build the leadership capability needed for the future of energy.
Book your place at the Leadership in Energy Conference:https://www.amhwal.com/leadership_in_energy_conference