EnerStar powers the lives of about 5,300 homes and businesses over 1,500 miles of line. Co-op employees run the co-op on a day-to-day basis. Leading and focusing these employees while focusing on the co-op's long-term goals is the Strategic Management Team (SMT).
The term "Strategic" is attached to this group's name because more is expected of them than in ordinary management teams. In ordinary management teams, managers are assigned areas of responsibility and held accountable for handling the duties and responsibilities for that area. Over time, areas of responsibility become "siloed," and communication can break down between departments. Eventually, this can lead to breakdowns in service quality and member responsiveness.
At our electric cooperative, the SMT works together to serve the collective needs of our member-owners. They do this without being "assigned" tasks from above but by working together. Over time, the SMT and the organization become stronger and stronger. Creativity flourishes, and needed changes become more effortless. Employee trust and morale improve. To become a member of the SMT, employees must process specific characteristics outlined in the accompanying graphic.
It is our desire that our membership agrees that these are the qualities you want in those you want managing EnerStar. If we oversimplified the description of the SMT management style, it would be "servant-leadership," which means leading by serving and building up others so the whole group becomes stronger.