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Communicating is critically important in today's energy environment.

Article Excerpt
Delivering power is the core business of a distribution cooperative. Yet, ever since joining the cooperative network more than three decades ago, I've considered communication to be the most essential component for developing a successful cooperative business model. Cooperatives have always proclaimed they put a tremendous emphasis on transparency and member education, but unless that's supported through apparent action, it's simply paying lip service to the cooperative difference.

It Starts With an Inside-out Approach

The most effective communications programs I've been involved with have one thing in common--a realization that all employees must be well-versed in the cooperative member education efforts. When United Cooperative Services was created in 2000 through the consolidation of the former Johnson County and Erath County electric cooperatives, the top priority was to ensure that the employees would never lose sight of the fact that United is a member-owned cooperative committed to the communities it serves, and that it is ultimately committed to the principles that truly demonstrate the merits of the cooperative business model.

To accomplish this at a cooperative of our size (70,000 meters), it was clear we needed support from the employee group. We established United's Employee Relations Committee, comprised of eight employees from both pre-consolidation cooperatives, who...

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