Georgia Magazine - March 2011 - (Page 5)

www.georgiamagazine.org (800) 544-4362, in Georgia; (770) 270-6950 GEORGIA Magazine, the largest-circulation monthly magazine in the state, is published by Georgia Electric Membership Corp. (GEMC), the trade association for Georgia’s 42 consumerowned electric utilities. On average, more than 500,000 members welcome the magazine into their homes each month. Georgia’s not-forprofit electric cooperatives provide reliable, safe and affordable electric service to more than 73 percent of the state’s land area serving 4.5 million residents. For more information, visit www.georgiaemc.com. EDITOR Ann Orowski, CCC ManagIng EDITOR Jennifer Hewett, CCC assOcIaTE EDITOR Victoria Scharf DeCastro PRODucTIOn cOORDInaTOR Steve Jacobs assIsTanT EDITOR Kevin Braun assIsTanT EDITOR Jim Jess EDITORIaL InTERn Amy Saxon cOnTRIbuTIng WRITERs Katie Conkle, Connie Cottingham, Ren Davis, Jane F. Garvey, Barbara Hall, Jackie Kennedy, Jan Michelle, Heather Teilhet, Sue Waddell cOnTRIbuTIng PhOTOgRaPhERs Anne Almasy, Anna Carson, Connie Cottingham, Ren Davis, Marian Douglas, Jay Gill, JoEllen Holmes, Melissa Libby, Richard Lubrant, Lyle Photos, Christian Messier, Jeff Moore, Joe Moriarty, Jeff Roffman, J.D. Scott, Parker Smith, Jennifer Stalcup, John Zeuli aDvERTIsIng REPREsEnTaTIvEs Bringing ‘Yes, but’ and ‘Yes, and’ together By Paul Wood President/CEO, Georgia Electric Membership Corporation “I Laurel George, (404) 541-0628; Laine Kirby Wood, (770) 289-5700 National Country Market, (800) 626-1181 naTIOnaL aDvERTIsIng REPREsEnTaTIvE DEsIgnERs Trudie Thibodeaux, Kerstin Weis Mary Wellman, (770) 270-6981 subscRIPTIOns 2011 aDvIsORy bOaRD Amanda Busby, Erin Cook, Lynn Coulter, Romanous Dotson, Jeff Ferguson, Chuck Grace, Robert Herman, Jamie Hulsey, Jennie Lacey, Ophelia McCain, Ted McMillan, Lynn Price, Neal Shepard, Heather Teilhet, Jere Thorne, Tony Tucker gEORgIa EMc OffIcERs chaIRMan Neal Talton, Flint Energies vIcE chaIRMan Alice Mallory, Coweta-Fayette EMC sEc.-TREasuRER Randy Crenshaw, Irwin EMC PREsIDEnT/cEO, gEMc A. Paul Wood GEORGIA Magazine (USPS-473120, ISSN 10615822) is published monthly by Georgia Electric Membership Corp., P.O. Box 1707, 2100 East Exchange Place, Tucker, GA 30085. Periodicals postage paid at Thomaston, GA, and additional mailing offices. POsTMasTER: Send address changes to GEORGIA Magazine, P.O. Box 1707, Tucker, GA 30085. Printed in Georgia by Quad/ Graphics. Acceptance of advertising by GEORGIA Magazine does not imply endorsement by the publisher or Georgia’s electric membership corporations of the product or services advertised. GEORGIA Magazine’s LIABILITY FOR ERRORS IN, OR OMISSIONS OF, ADVERTISEMENTS, WHETHER IN CONTRACT OR IN TORT, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO DAMAGES TO THE ADVERTISER’S BUSINESS, SHALL IN NO EVENT EXCEED THE AMOUNT OF CHARGES FOR THE ADVERTISEMENT THAT WAS OMITTED OR IN WHICH THE ERROR OCCURRED. s the glass half empty or half full?” The answer to that philosophical question depends on one’s perception of the glass. Usually, we’re told, a pessimist sees the water glass as half empty; an optimist sees the same glass as half full. But could there be a third way of looking at the glass? At a conference I attended not long ago, the speaker repeated that question, shrugged and declared, “It doesn’t matter to me if the glass is half empty or half full so long as I know where the tap is.” The audience laughed. But he was quite serious. He was suggesting a third and more creative way of examining hard questions that, at first glance, seem to have only two sides. My ears perked up. After all, not every problem in my business has a clear right or wrong answer. We’ve all been in problem-solving meetings where at least one participant responds to a presentation with, “Yes, but we tried that already, and it doesn’t work.” Or, “Yes, but it will cost too much.” “Yes, but” stops the conversation. A more productive comment would begin with, “Yes, and …” because the rest of the sentence would demand a new and original thought. “Yes, and” is a way of acknowledging an objection without dismissing it out of hand. That’s not to say there is no place for the “Yes, but” person. The “Yes, but” comment can play a constructive role if an idea is included in it. For example, when the automoMore online at www.georgiamagazine.org bile was invented, I’m sure there was a “Yes, but” person standing nearby who said, “Yes, but how are you going to stop it?” The inventor probably answered, “Yes, that’s a good question, and we will need to invent good brakes. Thanks for the question.” “Yes, and” and “Yes, but” need each other, but a balance is required. There are plenty of times when I have wanted to challenge members of Congress to take the “Yes, and” approach. Governing 308 million citizens is about as difficult as any challenge can be. What would happen if the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee (tax writing) and the chairman of the Appropriations Committee (spending) told their respective committee members every “Yes, but” objection must be followed by a “Yes, and” solution offered by someone else? I believe the country might discover what true bipartisanship looks like. So, how do you view that glass of water—half empty or half full? Before you answer, let me pose the question this way: If you were in the middle of a desert, had not had a drink of water in three days, and suddenly came across that same glass of water, would you think of it as half full or half empty? Or would it matter to you? Sometimes our differences in perception don’t matter when the problem is so urgent, it requires that we set aside our different points of view and simply find a solution that works. 5 March 2011 http://www.georgiamagazine.org http://www.georgiaemc.com http://www.georgiamagazine.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Georgia Magazine - March 2011

Georgia Magazine - March 2011
Contents
Viewpoint
Mailbox
Picture This?
Georgia News
Calendar
Currents
Georgia’s Energy Outlook
Special Energy Report
A Balancing Act
Right on Key
Around Georgia
Georgia@Home
My Georgia
Gardens
Georgia Cooks
Snapshot

Georgia Magazine - March 2011