Texas811 recently employed a new Director of Operations. Mark Johnson joins Texas811 with extensive experience in the call center industry. John Sparks, Texas811’s Director of Damage Prevention and Communications, sat down with Mark to get his impression of being a new employee at Texas811 and to do a deep dive into Mark’s experience in other industries throughout his career.
John: What was your first impression of this organization and its people?
Mark: I have never been part of a more friendly onboarding than at Texas811. It was also one of the more structured ones I’ve ever participated in. Terrence greeted me with open arms and had my agenda ready. Scott came in immediately after, and every interaction has been positive.
John: During the onboarding process, was there anything that stood out to you, other than the interactions with employees here?
Mark: Besides the positive interactions, the structure and knowing what I will do daily have been a huge weight off my shoulders. In past organizations, it was always a matter of guesswork - we would assign you to one area, maybe another, and it was more ad hoc, which I didn’t appreciate. Having things more structured and involving me immediately was a huge benefit.
John: What were some of your previous roles before joining Texas 811, and how have they shaped your leadership style?
Mark: My most recent role was as the director of operations for a company that manufactured security trailers. Not a far stretch from what we do here. It’s all about the safety of individuals out on job sites. It was primarily about preventing theft and property damage in that way. From the point of actually designing the most recent trailer they’re using to the manufacturing, working with the metal fabricators and getting all that arranged, as well as cost projections of the raw steel to production sourcing solar panels, cameras, the whole shebang and putting that into post production with their team over in Richardson, just down the way. I also oversaw the team’s configuration of the camera equipment. I also wrote standard operating procedures and white sheets with updates from the IT department. I was also responsible for call center operations, and deployments had to involve our call center, from scheduling to completion. This position also oversaw the retrieval of equipment and the deployment of our technicians to go out on site on a routine basis to clean the solar panels or replace cameras. Whenever the equipment came back to the facility, I oversaw the repair management team. I ensured that the customer understood what they were being charged for, when, why, and how, as well as the interactions with our accounting and sales departments from that point. Additionally, I traveled extensively throughout the US, sourcing various locations to open warehouses. I opened one in San Marcos, one in Houston, and one in California, and was scouting out one in New York.
Previously, I worked at a deployment center for several well-known companies. We have configured mobile devices for worldwide distribution to organizations such as Amazon, Google, DoorDash, and Uber. So, with that company, I traveled worldwide regularly, setting up facilities in Australia, Japan, France, the United Kingdom, Mexico, and Canada. You name it, I’ve probably been there at this point, and that was a routine thing with our call center operations globally. The last facility I set up was actually in Manila, so having that global aspect and my focus fragmented across the entire business, coming here is a breath of fresh air, where operations means call center operations only. It allows me to focus more on the team here and implementing technology solutions that I know work.
John: What’s one experience from your past, within those roles, that you think prepared you especially well for this one?
Mark: Every place I’ve worked for the past couple of decades has been about damage prevention. Ultimately, it’s damage to assets on a work site or to personnel. I understand how to ensure the safety of my employees and the job site, including the security equipment and equipment we’re installing, from a network perspective. We worked on the core infrastructure of Amazon centers. At that point, I found out what goes into their disaster planning. If a hurricane hits South Central Florida at its main hub, thousands of people could be without jobs for a while or trapped in the facility, and that would be a significant issue without the disaster planning that my company has implemented in that facility. The same is true for tornadoes in Oklahoma. We built out those facilities to ensure that they could withstand them and keep people safe. And then, most recently, the security equipment. If there is a bad actor on site, like at a school, we know before anyone gets hurt. Up in New York, right before I left, one of our cameras caught someone who had a knife walking down the street, and we were able to get police dispatched before that person did something.
John: Within your time at Texas811, what is the most exciting or challenging part of stepping into this position?
Mark: The most challenging part is just learning people’s names. The job at the end of the day is the same anywhere you go. Can they do their jobs in the most functional way possible, and are any static or roadblocks removed? Identifying those roadblocks is my specialty. I love doing that and making people’s lives easier in any environment. If I forget anyone’s name, I apologize in advance. Still learning that, and I’ve got little mental name tags on everyone at this point.
John: You know, five weeks is a short turnaround time for that. Let’s talk about the purpose and culture. When it comes to call center operational work, culture is a critical component. How do you see your role helping to fulfill the mission and or enhance the culture in tangible ways?
Mark: Sure. Through connections, ensure you establish a connection with the individual, rather than just the group. I like to know everyone’s name, and I’m the kind of person who wants to learn something special about each individual. And of course, I share that with everyone about myself. It feels more like talking to an old friend. Most of y’all have been here for 20-plus years, which is like the average tenure here—getting to know everyone on that level, pushing that forward, getting people out of their comfort zones behind a computer screen, and interacting with people more outside of the work setting. I really would like to bring that here, and I’ve heard that there was once a softball team. I’d love to get that up and running again.
John: You touched on it a little bit, discussing engagement and how it fosters a strong culture and cultivates those relationships. How do you approach that in a remote or hybrid environment?
Mark: Initially, it’s a one-on-one process, where we randomly call people to see if they answer. I understand that schedules can be hectic at times, but simply getting people on the line and introducing myself has been a significant challenge. And then, if we can get people in the office, that’s the preference. You can’t have real personal interactions with people virtually. It has been proven that body language is a significant indicator of a person’s emotional state. If I can’t see someone’s body language, I’m unsure whether they might not be available for conversation at that time or if they’ve something else to attend to. Maybe, they’re uncomfortable talking that way, and that’s fine. We can opt for a text on a screen if that’s how they feel, but in-person interaction is the pivotal piece that’s missing in many people’s lives right now, and overall, we need to get back to that.
John: Let’s switch gears to a fun question here. What’s something your coworkers might be surprised to learn about you?
Mark: We have a small Juliana pig that lives in our backyard. It’s my wife’s pig, but we have a pig.
John: A pig? That is interesting. Looking ahead, what are you most excited about in the next year here with Texas811?
Mark: Texas811 is doing a lot of really cool stuff with technology, things that I wasn’t expecting. It’s also exciting to hear what employees are thinking about in the future. Whenever you have individuals willing to put their brainpower towards something that makes a company better, outside of what the company mandates, that’s huge. I’m excited about coming in and being an agent of positive change, leveraging my experience to validate some of those ideas. I’m excited to help people bring their ideas to life, whether they’re good, bad, or indifferent. At least it’s something we’re trying; if you’re not trying, you’re not growing.
John: Mark, I appreciate you taking the time with me today. Do you have any final thoughts for the readers?
Mark: I’d love to see more people attend the company-sponsored events so I can get to know them in person, rather than just seeing them on a screen.
In closing, the conversation with Mark Johnson makes it evident that he has a passion for safety. His insights underscore the vital importance of communication in preventing damage to underground utilities and ensuring the safety of our communities. Mark’s experience lends itself to him taking proactive measures to protect lives and infrastructure across the state and makes him a true advocate for safety.