Lets Take A Ride

Is there a leading indicator for the success or demise of a project?

I think so.

You can usually tell at the kickoff meeting.

Is there an executive presence in the room?

More importantly, does that executive take a time to explain the “why” of the project to all teams involved?

Those executives who take the time to do so provide the necessary fuel needed to survive the inevitable peaks and valleys that nearly every major project encounters.

Those who fail take the time to win hearts and minds at the start are usually the folks asking what happened and pointing fingers when the project inevitably falters.

In 2011, I encountered an unusual start to a three-month consulting gig that impacted me far beyond the conclusion of my involvement.

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We Are Not in Ponte Vedra Beach Anymore?

“Patrick. Let’s take a ride.”

My old company assigned me the job of working with a small municipal utility in Nowheresville, Kentucky. I would be tasked with providing knowledge of MISO market operations in addition to representing the utility in an upcoming arbitration hearing.

As the General Manager of the utility grabbed his car keys just a few minutes after I arrived in his office for our initial meeting, I assumed we were going for a ride to grab coffee somewhere.

Not exactly.

As we drove around town, I began to listen to him explain the context of the dispute.

I also learned tens of millions of potential dollars would be at stake.

Now knowing that I would be described as an “expert” in a room full of lawyers and cameras with much at stake, I felt a tinge of anxiety and self-doubt.

Our car ride continued, and we drifted into different parts of the town. As I looked out the window on that cold, rainy grey February morning, I noticed some elements of poverty that I really had not seen before.

At least not in the United States.

The General Manager let me soak in the scenery for a few minutes and then spoke the words I still remember.

“I want you to know why the money matters and who are some of the folks who get helped when we win the case.”

“Patrick. You are a long way from Ponte Vedra Beach today.”

Yes, I was indeed.

So What?

So many people go through their careers discounting the importance of their job.

How sad.

What’s worse, many simply do not even begin to understand the potential impacts of success or failure to their job.

Many years ago, I led a team through the process of creating Purpose Statements.

During a one-on-one session with a scheduler on our trading desk, I asked her to describe her purpose.

“I scrub deals to correct mistakes.”

“So what?”, I asked.

“So the back office doesn’t waste time correcting them”, she replied.

“So what?, I challenged.

“So our clients get correct settlement statements”, she replied.

“So what?”, I pressed on.

“So our customers can get paid for sales and pay purchases”, she sighed.

“So are you telling me your job is to protect the integrity of settlement data so our customers can manage their cash flows in a current and accurate manner”, I asked.

“Yes. That would be accurate.”, she replied.

After she realized the true purpose of her position, she asked me for a raise.

I told her that I thought she had a potential career in trading!

Project Regional Transmission Organization Explanation

As I worked with the small municipal power company throughout those three months, I knew the final exam was something I dreaded.

The arbitration hearing.

Lights, cameras, lawyers, lots of lawyers, me and three wise and distinguished arbiters.

One chance to tell a story and not put people to sleep about the unit commitment economic dispatch models of RTO/ISO markets.

No Power Point slides and no acronyms.

Not exactly my ideal workday.

However, the memory of the February car ride grounded my anxieties and allowed me to prepare and perform adequately for my small part in the project.

I knew the purpose of my function and I knew the true reason why success mattered.

A few months later, I received a phone call on the trading floor from the attorney representing the municipality.

We won the arbitration case.

I do not believe that any bonus I ever received at work in my career provided me anywhere near the level of satisfaction and pride that I felt when I hung up the phone.

Ralph Waldo Emmerson nailed it perfectly.

“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.”?

Start With Why

Why are certain individuals and institutions more creative, powerful, and influential than others?

Why do some people garner more support from both clients and staff?

How do these individuals and organizations build on their achievements?

They start with WHY.

People won’t truly buy into a product, service or movement, or idea until they understand the WHY behind it.

I still think back to that thirty-minute car ride in Kentucky whenever I reflect upon that project.

The General Manager provided a perspective reset to not only the purpose of the project, but also my mission in serving public power.

And also a deeper appreciation for the blessings in my life.

When you start with why, and you tap into the hearts and minds of people, you can climb any mountain and endure just about any temporary setback.

So much can be accomplished if you start with WHY.

Patrick McGarry

April 20, 2023

Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida