MCE Special Executive Committee Meeting Workshop
Thursday, November 21, 2024
9:00 a.m.
Public comments may be made in person via the details below. 2300 Clayton Road, Suite 1150, Concord, CA, 94920 (MCE) Materials related to this agenda are available for physical inspection at MCE’s offices in San Rafael at 1125 Tamalpais Ave., San Rafael, CA 94901, and in Concord at 2300 Clayton Road, Suite 1150, Concord, CA 94920.
DISABLED ACCOMMODATION: If you are a person with a disability who requires an accommodation or an alternative format, please contact MCE at (888) 632-3672 or [email protected] at least 72 hours before the meeting start time to ensure arrangements are made.
Agenda Page 1 of 2
1. Public Open Time (Discussion)
2. Review Agenda, Establish Ground Rules and Identify Desired Outcomes from this Session, 9:00 - 9:20 AM (Discussion)
3. It’s a RELAY Race - Roles, Expectation, Lanes, Approaches and You, 9:20 – 9:50 AM (Discussion)
4. Discussion on Suggested Next Steps for Streamlined Board Meetings and Coordination, 9:50 – 11:00 AM (Discussion)
5. Characteristics of Effective Groups, 11:00 – 11:50 AM (Discussion) Empowering Our Clean Energy Future
MARIN COUNTY I NAPA COUNTY I UNINCORPORATED CONTRA COSTA COUNTY
UNINCORPORATED SOLANO COUNTY I BENICIA I CONCORD I DANVILLE I EL CERRITO
FAIRFIELD I HERCULES I LAFAYETTE I MARTINEZ I MORAGA I OAKLEY I PINOLE I PITTSBURG
PLEASANT HILL I RICHMOND I SAN PABLO I SAN RAMON I VALLEJO I WALNUT CREEK Agenda Page 2 of 2
Lunch 11:50 AM -12:45 PM
6. Stages of Group/Team Development, 12:50 – 1:45 PM (Discussion) The Executive Committee is a formal group/team, and as such will experience five stages of development: 1) Exploring; 2) Testing; 3) Harmonizing; 4) Individuating; and 5) Performing. In this segment, each of these stages will be described accompanied by a group discussion.
Refer to handout.
7. Strategies for Creating a More Effective Executive Committee, 1:45 – 2:20 PM (Discussion)
8. Practical Advice from other Elected Officials, 2:20 – 2:45 PM (Discussion)
9. Wrap up and Next Steps, 2:45 – 3:00 PM (Discussion)
10. Adjourn
The Executive Committee may discuss and/or take action on any or all of the items listed on the agenda irrespective of how the items are described.
RELAY RACE –
ROLES, EXPECTATIONS, LANES,
APPROACHES AND YOU
• Role of Board of Directors
Share: Spread the word about MCE programs, rebates, successes and community-based work.
Inform: Notify MCE about key initiatives and events happening in your community with an energy nexus.
Advise: Offer your perspective on community-based policy decisions. Advocate: Be a spokesperson and advocate for MCE with external parties and key stakeholders.
• Role of Executive Committee
o Explore, discuss, and provide direction or approval on general issues related to MCE including:
Legislation
Regulatory Compliance
Strategic Planning
Outreach and marketing
Contracts with vendors
Human Resources
Finance, debt, and budgeting
Rate setting
Agenda setting for regular MCE Board meetings
o Executive Committee is authorized to make decisions regarding:
Legislative positions outside of the Board-approved legislative plan
Procurement pursuant to Resolution 2018-04 or its successor Compensation and evaluation of the CEO
• Role of Staff
o Provide specialized subject matter expertise, skilled guidance and consistent oversite via dedicated full-time attention to all operational and day-to-day functions of the agency.
o Collectively, MCE's nearly 100 staff are selected to work for MCE based on specific requirements for training, education and experience along with dedication to fostering an equitable, clean, affordable, and reliable energy economy, guided by commitment to the communities they serve.
o The staff are organized into departments, each contributing to a key area of MCE's objectives, and with cross-department collaboration for checks and balances, cross-pollination and efficiency. o Succession planning, redundancy, cross-training, paid external training and internal growth opportunities are a fundamental part of MCE’s operations to foster continuity, historical knowledge and reliance on industry best-practices.
Ad hoc committees
Honorary awards
o The Executive Committee also serves to make recommendations to the Board regarding:
The annual budget and budget adjustments
Rate setting
Entering into debt
MCE Policies (such as Policy 013: Reserve Policy and Policy 014: Investment Policy)
DISCUSSION ON THE SUGGESTED NEXT
STEPS FOR STREAMLINED
BOARD MEETINGS AND COORDINATION
1) Streamline Board member reimbursements for travel and other expenses. 2) Streamline to a one-click RSVP process for Board members. 3) Remind Board members to review the meeting packet in advance, try to submit questions to staff 72 hours in advance. Q&A, when possible, will be shared with a full Board and interested parties.
4) Non-policy placed on the consent calendar.
5) Formalize onboarding process and packet for new Board members. 6) Hold 3 of MCE’s regular monthly Board meetings in-person at the same location per year, starting in 2025, while continuing to host the other meetings in San Rafael and Concord with only two standing remote locations (Napa County and Solano County).
7) Inform Board members that each member community may delegate their vote to another community within their County.
8) Consider requiring one year of Board membership prior to joining an MCE Committee.
9) Consider requiring one year of membership in a Standing Committee prior to becoming Chair of that Committee.
CHARACTERISTICS OF
EFFECTIVE GROUPS
Characteristic Evidence
The group has clear goals and
understands its purpose.
• People know what they are striving toward and
share the group’s goals.
• People feel they are part of an interdependent
group rather being isolated individuals.
• People have an explicit understanding of how
things will be accomplished.
The group engages in collective
decision-making when appropriate.
• People share assumptions as a means to
understand others’ viewpoints.
• People maximize relationships: consensus is used
whenever possible to reach decisions.
• Decisions are supported and enacted by the
group as a whole.
• Everyone shows commitment to creating results.
The group uses a shared problem-solving process.
• There is an agreed-upon problem-solving process
and the group adheres to it.
All members participate actively. • Everyone takes responsibility for achieving the group’s goals.
• Members feel safe to participate and are not afraid
of being dismissed.
• The group makes full use of available resources.
Open, honest, and respectful
communication is a basis for
working together.
• People share ideas and information freely and
listen actively to one another.
Team members have high trust
amongst themselves and aren’t
afraid to take risks.
• The group is innovative and takes smart risks.
• Group members tolerate and learn from mistakes.
Contention is used to surface
differences in perspective.
• Differences in opinions are encouraged.
• Conflict is dealt with openly and in a respectful
way.
The group uses periodic self-assessment.
• The group periodically examines how well it is
doing and what progress has been made toward
stated goals.
• Adjustments are made based on group
assessment.
Stages of Group and Team Development
Major issues Typical Behaviors Typical Feelings Resolution Stage 1:
Exploring
During this stage, the issue is
identity. Group members may
question their identity within the
group, as well as the identity of
the group. They may be
wondering:
• What will this group be like?
• How will I fit in?
• What are we really going to
be doing?
• What are my goals?
• What are the group’s goals?
In new group situations,
members react in a
variety of ways. They
may:
• Sit back and take a
“wait and see” attitude.
• Seek information and
clarification to get their
questions answered.
• Seek support from the
leader or other
members.
• Try to make light of the
situation by joking
about it.
Members also respond
emotionally to this new
situation. They may feel:
• Tense or anxious
• Insecure or skeptical
• Curious or anticipatory
As the group continues to
work together, answers to
its initial questions begin
to emerge. A sense of
group begins to develop,
and its goals and
directions should become
clearer to its members.
The unfamiliar becomes
familiar, and members
should begin to feel more
comfortable with each
other, and less anxious.
Stage 2:
Testing
As the group starts to feel more
“at home” members may begin
to flex their muscles a bit, to
see how far they can go in this
atmosphere. Frequently this
involves some sort of challenge
to authority, usually toward the
leader, but it may also be
directed at other members.
Members try on new
behaviors including:
• Challenging group
process, goals, and
objectives.
• Giving information and
opinions more than
seeking them.
• Participating more
than before.
• Acting rebellious.
While security usually
increases, the increased
challenge and conflict can
result in feelings of:
• Frustration
• Resistance
• Hostility
Over time, the group
establishes limits and
boundaries for its
members. The role of
leaders in the group is
more widely shared as
members practice new
skills and behaviors and
take on a variety of roles.
Stage 3:
Harmonizing
Once the group has established
limits and begins to share the
leadership role, members
typically seek to put conflict and
rebellion behind them and enter
into a stage of harmony.
However, they are often so
intent on avoiding any conflicts
in this stage they tend to deny
or ignore differences within the
group or important issues.
At this point, you may
see:
• Eagerness to agree
• Strong mutual support
of the group
• Striving toward quick
connection on issues
• Burying of negative
feelings
Feelings during this stage
include:
• Euphoria
• Warmth
• Security
• Acceptance
The harmonizing process
often passes quickly as
group members come to
realize that glossed-over
differences are important
and need to be dealt with.
Major issues Typical Behaviors Typical Feelings Resolution Stage 4:
Individuating
After a period of very close
“groupiness” and submerged
differences, many group
members naturally react by re-asserting themselves and their individual opinions. This often
leads to strong conflict within
the group.
You may see members:
• Entering into
personality clashes
that interfere with the
group’s direction.
• Forming subgroups
that seek to take over
the leadership role
and/or fight over the
group’s direction.
• Rejecting the group
or some of its
members.
• Giving personalized
or destructive
feedback.
It can be an uncomfortable
period in the group, and
members may feel
alienated, negative,
hopeless, and impatient.
Despite the discomfort,
group members usually
learn to handle their
conflicts constructively
while this process is
going on. They come to
accept differences within
the group and to value
the results of working out
these differences in a
positive way. Group
members arrive at
realistic procedures for
working together.
Stage 5:
Performing
This last stage represents the
group at its most effective level.
There is a balance of task
functions and maintenance
functions to achieve goals.
Members will:
• Achieve and maintain
momentum.
• Give constructive and
appropriate feedback.
• Accept responsibility
for the success of
their group.
Members also feel a sense
of well-being and
accomplishment and
comfortable, secure, and
proud of their group.
The group continues in
this stage until changes
such as new members,
change in leadership,
reorganization, or new
concerns move the group
to an earlier stage of
development.
STRATEGIES FOR CREATING A MORE
EFFECTIVE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
1) Understand and Demonstrate the Elements of Teams and Teamwork. 2) Civility and EC member Behavior.
3) Prepare by reading the pre-meeting packet and sending questions in advance to staff. 4) Summarize feedback to keep in-meeting comments succinct and on-topic, ensuring efficient and productive discussions.
5) Allow space for others to ask questions and be part of discussions. 6) Listen to understand instead of to reply.
7) Show respect for other points of view.
8) Use the lens of MCE values in discussions and decision-making:
• Inclusivity & Accessibility
• Equity
• Innovation
• Fiscal Responsibility
• Sustainability
9) Respect “shared constituency”
10) Have Clearly Defined Roles and Relationships
11) Honor the EC-Staff Partnership
12) Have Clear Rules and Procedures for Meetings
13) Practice Continuous Personal Learning and Development as a Leader 14) Communication and Problem Solving
a. Separate the people from the problem.
b. Focus on interests.
c. Inventing options for mutual gain.
15) Distinctions between Values, Interests and Positions a. Insist on using objective criteria.
b. Be attentive.
c. Ask clarifying questions.
PRACTICAL ADVICE FROM
ELECTED OFFICIALS
1) Lead by example. Be honest, consistent, and flexible. Don’t play games. 2) Don’t be stampeded. You may receive strong demands from special interest groups. Your role is to find the long-term public interest of the entire community.
3) Be clear on what you stand for. List 10 things you believe in. 4) A new member should have goals. These are things you want to accomplish. But don’t act rashly and assume that only you know the best way to accomplish things. Every issue will benefit from additional listening.
Your perceptions may change.
5) Use your role as a leader. The dignity of your office can help the community get past contentious issues.
6) It can be uncomfortable to make very public decisions. Sometimes the decisions feel like the end of the earth. It’s easy to fear the political consequences. But it is important to look a little longer term in perspective, weigh everything and reach good decisions.
7) Know that you can’t satisfy everyone. Listen fairly and thoughtfully, and then do what you believe is right.