Week 2- PSEG Leader/ Follower Relationships

My second week at PSEG allowed me to experience what a normal week would look like for the rest of the summer. The first week was mainly training and orientation, and this week we got assigned to our specific teams and the projects that we will be working on throughout the summer. Work in the State and Government Affairs Department at PSEG is structured with the senior vice president and the senior director at the top, followed by various specialists and their own teams, including my direct boss, the external affairs specialist. Through attending department and smaller team meetings, I have been able to see the leader-follower dynamic at various levels in the department. There are teams focused on federal policy, state policy, outreach, and experts in solar, wind, nuclear, fossil, and renewable energy, which all come together to further PSEG’s goals as a company. Experts in the different forms of energy are essential to energy policy and to the department as a whole, and all come together to share the new innovations and regulations that the company needs to be aware of. It is clear that there needs to be n extreme care for detail regarding different energy sources, so having experts allows the external and internal teams to manage accordingly.

Although everything is virtual, it is clear that there is an extreme level of trust and respect for everyone on the team, regardless of position. I was lucky enough to have a meeting with two other interns, my boss, and the senior director, and all of the experts and their teams and it is clear that anything anybody would say was taken with the highest of value. Most of the people in the SGA department have been working at PSEG for 20+ years and have great team chemistry. Trust is one of the most important parts of PSEG and the State and Government Affairs department, and it is obvious in every interaction that I have witnessed. Every expert that I was introduced to treated the other interns and I, like we were true members of the team with knowledge to add to the discussion. Most of my assignments come from my direct boss, however, the head of Corporate Citizenship asked for some help from the interns, and I was assigned to his team as well. It is clear that although I am assigned to one team, the entire department wants the interns to grow and experience all aspects of the company as possible, which I greatly appreciate.