CEO, Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association
As human beings, we all want to be good at something. But one of the truths that stands in the way of just wanting versus actually performing is this: The order in which you do things makes an enormous difference in the success of the outcome. Try as we might, it is really difficult to master a skill or understand a complex idea without first understanding the basics. As a child, you crawl before you walk. In school, you learn to add and subtract before you can multiply and divide.
Sports and other hobbies provide excellent examples of this truth. Except for the miraculous experience of my former boss’ son, it is not very likely you will hit a hole in one the first time you play golf. It takes years of practice to master the fundamentals before you can perform at an elevated level and achieve the rare accomplishment of an ace. I was there, though, and it was a really lucky shot!
Each year, sometime around New Year’s Eve, I go bowling with my in-laws and all my wife’s siblings and their families. It is a fun time. Inevitably, somewhere about halfway through the game, I start to get frustrated that I have only closed one or two frames with a strike or spare. Then I remember that I have not rolled a ball since the previous year, and I should not be surprised that my score is worse than it was when I used to bowl more regularly.
Tennessee’s electric cooperatives understand the principle that the basics come first and also care a lot about the future of our state. It is a big part of what makes a co-op different. The seventh and last written principle that unites cooperatives of all kinds says it plainly: “Concern for Community.” So your cooperative works with others to act and advocate for a brighter future for our communities.
For example, on Oct. 16, hundreds of electric co-op employees across the state took part in the annual Electric Co-op Day of Service. These men and women put their time, sweat and effort into acts of charity and community service. Whether it was food drives, litter pickups, building a home through Habitat for Humanity or time and care spent with local people in need, thousands of hours of volunteer time were put to use to make lives better.
For the same reasons, electric cooperatives also advocate with elected officials and policymakers. The order of events is important here too. It is essential that candidates for office learn about important issues before they are elected. So the Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association co-hosted a bipartisan Congressional District Forum on Sept. 8 with the Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation, the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce & Industry and the Tennessee Soil and Water Conservation Districts. The event allowed constituents from Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District to meet and hear from 10 of the candidates running in a special election to replace their recently retired representative.
Co-ops are proud to live by these principles, and hopefully you can see for yourself that taking care of the basics ultimately leads to better outcomes and greater successes for the issues that affect you and your neighbors.
