arc news

February is here! With the year now in motion, it’s a great time to pause, refine priorities, and turn early momentum into meaningful progress. In this edition of ARC Reads, we’re sharing a fresh selection of tech and business articles that are shaping conversations and sparking ideas across our team.

What We're Reading This Month

‍Utilities Under Pressure: 6 Power Sector Trends to Watch in 2026 - 2026 could be a turning point for the power sector. Facing record electricity demand, huge planned utility investments, and fast-evolving policy shifts, utilities are under intense pressure to balance growth, reliability and affordability, all while integrating more renewables, distributed energy and flexible load options. Dive into the six key trends shaping how the grid will adapt this year.

Emerging Project & Change Management Trends - 2026 isn’t just about new tools, it’s about new ways of working. This read highlights the key shifts shaping project success in an increasingly complex, tech-driven world.

‍How Innovation Happens - Innovation isn’t a magic formula, it’s a mindset. This article reframes how breakthrough ideas actually take root and flourish, comparing innovation to a garden that must be intentionally cultivated rather than stumbled upon. It challenges leaders to think beyond products and tool sand focus on the environments and conditions that help creative thinking thrive.

One Company Used Tech as a Tool. Another Gave It a Role. Which Did Better? - Traditionally, leaders and managers often treat technology as a tool or capability that can help get work done more efficiently, but doesn’t drastically change the nature of that work. Email, for instance, allows for faster communication. The supply chain management (SCM) system reduces supply chain costs, shortens delivery cycles, and ensures that products are delivered to customers quickly and accurately. Increasingly, however, this view is out of date. In recent years, the role of technology in shaping organizations has undergone revolutionary changes.

Why Training Employees Pays Off Twice - Companies invest millions in employee training, yet the payoff often seems uncertain. A new study suggests the problem may be what organizations measure: most overlook the impact on managers. Researchers tracked a 16-week upskilling program at a Colombian government agency and found frontline output rose 10%, while help-seeking emails dropped, freeing managers to focus on strategic work. These “spillover effects” accounted for nearly half the program’s total benefits, making training far more cost-effective than traditional ROI models imply. With AI reshaping roles, leaders should view training as a catalyst for organizational agility not just individual performance. Full article.