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An example of planning for the future is developing a strategic plan. Having a strategic plan is not just setting goals and writing them down. It is the framework that will help leadership and the trustees make sound decisions, stay aligned with our purpose and position FreeState for sustainable growth and success. Industry changes are broad and include the expectations members have when it comes to service and programs to help save money, changes in the regulatory space and even how power is generated. We also recognize the economic climate can be challenging and how we conduct day-to-day business has evolved.
Leadership cannot afford to be reactive. We need a clear direction that reflects both who we are and where we want to go.
This is especially true in a cooperative. Our mission is more than just providing power, although at the core, that’s what we do. As a cooperative we are here to serve our members, strengthen communities and build an organization that remains resilient and relevant over time. That kind of stewardship demands leadership that thinks beyond the immediate pressures and looks forward to determining how we can sustain the cooperative.
Trust and transparency are a big part of sustaining the co-op. We believe in being transparent and providing avenues for members to be heard. We also want our employees to thrive, because when our employees are happy our members are taken care of.
Each year the leadership team and trustees meet to create a strategic plan. This helps us align our priorities, guides our decisions and makes certain that the choices we make today will contribute to the future we want to build, long after we are all gone. The strategic plan helps leadership determine what is urgent and what is important to our mission, vision and values. It helps us prioritize and gives the entire co-op a direction so that decisions across teams reinforce one another.
A strategic plan includes goals and initiatives that are based around safety, employees, members, financial stewardship, resilience, technology and innovation, and cooperative governance. These are all areas of focus where goals are developed, and decisions are made that ultimately come back to the number one question. How will it impact our members?
A major decision, one that was six years in the making, is our facilities project.
Long-term decisions are not easy to make without a crystal ball.
We have to look forward with the information we have today and that means taking careful consideration of risk and reward. Trustees and leaders took time to consider the future goals for the cooperative.
Change is hard. It brought a mix of emotions, but it was a decision that had to be made so we could do what was best for the cooperative and the future of powering our members.
At the end of the day, a strategic plan is more than preparing for growth. It’s about stewardship. Leadership has a responsibility to guide the cooperative with clarity, discipline and purpose and when planning is done well, it becomes one of the most important tools we have to protect our mission, serve our members and ensure FreeState’s long-term success.
As always, if you have any questions about the content in our pages, we encourage you reach out. You can contact the office at 800-794-1989 or 785-478-3444 or email customerservice@freestate.coop.
This content was featured in the August 2026 issue of Kansas Country Living magazine.