PM Magazine, April 2019

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Future Relevancy 12 Developing Talent 28 Military Vets Serving Twice 38 Modernizing Meetings 46

Rebecca Ryan Imagines Our Future Vast changes and the familiar is the paradox 100 years on

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APRIL 2019

VOL. 101 NO. 3

CONTENTS

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19-157 Executive

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12 Future Relevancy Elite futurist Rebecca Ryan downloads a future of paradox.

Keyword? #Agility.

Rebecca Ryan, Madison, Wisconsin

16 Your Local Government Career There is never a dull moment working in local government management.

Gloria Hurtado, Santa Rosa, California

20 Recipe for DeliveryDriven Government A manager describes how the Peace Corps helped develop his administrative skills.

Jim Schutz, San Rafael, California

24 Staying Put Four managers and assistants discuss how they have managed to work together for years.

Amy Resseguie, Fort Collins, Colorado

28 Transforming Talent Development A Cal-ICMA initiative is developing tomorrow’s leaders.

Nat Rojanasathira, Danville, California, and Dominic Lazzaretto, Arcadia, California

32 After You Land Your Dream Job Five tips to help you thrive in your new role.

Adriana Trujillo-Villa, Haines City, Florida

The International City/County Management Association

12 34

D E PA RT M E N T S

Career Mapping from the Get-Go

2 Ethics

Why having a mentor team is important for helping with career management.

Shanalee Gallagher, Evanston, Illinois

5 Insights

38 Military Vets Serving Twice This untapped pool of highly skilled professionals may be the answer to the boomer retirement wave.

Scott Trainor, Fountain, Colorado, and Darrin Tangeman, Woodland Park, Colorado

Make Ethics Your Career Sidekick

10

What do you wish someone would have told you about the management profession as a young professional?

6 Celebrating 100 Years 7 Inside ICMA

A tribute to retiring PM editor Beth Payne.

8 Career Track

Drivers of High Performance

16

10 Work & Life Balance

Free Yourself from Personal Debt

41 Commentary

Looking for a job? Being a “seasoned” professional may signal overt – and illegal – ageism, argues our contributor.

43 Management

Promoting Volunteerism to Your Community’s Retirees … 43 Four Tips for Modernizing Meetings … 46

47 Professional Services Directory

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APRIL 2019 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | 1

ETHICS

Make Ethics Your Career Sidekick Advance Your Goals with Ethical Issues in Mind

Kevin Duggan, ICMA-CM, is director, ICMA West Coast Region, Mountain View, California (kduggan@ icma.org) and a former manager of Mountain View.

By Kevin Duggan, ICMA-CM

A popular topic is how to advance your career in

an ever-evolving employment environment. Among the strategies frequently recommended to help individuals advance in their chosen field are: • Obtaining the necessary educational and training credentials.

• Gaining in-depth and varied experiences in your desired field.

• Developing networks of individuals and organizations that can help you identify and capitalize on opportunities.

• Preparing a professional resume.

• Developing effective interviewing skills.

• Compiling a record of proven success and accomplishment.

• Creating an online professional presence.

Unfortunately, there are frequent and recurring instances of an individual’s drive for professional success running contrary to reasonable ethical standards.

An extreme example is the story of Elizabeth Holmes, the former chief executive officer of Theranos. As documented in John Carreyrou’s book Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup, Holmes appeared to know no bounds in her attempt to promote herself and her company.

In contrast to her conduct, some of her employees put their own jobs and careers in jeopardy by exposing the fraudulent conduct of the company.

A less extreme, but ironic example, is the case of an admissions director at a major university losing his job after it was determined he had falsified his credentials when his primary task was to review and evaluate the credentials of others.

Ethical Implications

Be Aware of Potential Missteps

All these, and more, are important ways to advance your career and achieve professional success; however, have you also considered the potential ethical implications that may be part of these efforts?

The first step to making sure your quest for professional advancement does not put you at risk of an ethical lapse is to be sensitive to the potential areas in which you could become vulnerable.

International City/County

Public Management (PM) (USPS: 449-300; ISSN 0033-3611) is published monthly except February by ICMA (The International City/County Management Association) at 777 North Capitol Street. N.E., Washington, D.C. 20002-4201. Periodicals postage paid at Washington, D.C., and at additional mailing offices. The opinions expressed in the magazine are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of ICMA.

icma.org

COPYRIGHT 2019 by the International City/County Management Association. All rights reserved. Material may not be reproduced or translated without written permission.

April 2019

REPRINTS: To order article reprints or request reprint permission, contact pm@icma.org.

Management Association

SUBSCRIPTIONS: U.S. subscription rate, $46 per year; other countries subscription rate, $155 per year.

Printed in the United States.

Contact: 202/289-4262; subscriptions@icma.org.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Public Management, ICMA, 777 N. Capitol Street, N.E., Suite 500, Washington, D.C. 20002-4201.

ARTICLE PROPOSALS: Visit icma.org/pm to see “Editorial Guidelines” for contributors.

For more information on local government leadership and management topics, visit icma.org.

2 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | APRIL 2019

Public Management (PM) icma.org/pm ICMA 777 North Capitol Street, NE Washington, DC 20002-4201 EDITORIAL OFFICE: pm@icma.org ADVERTISING SALES: 202-367-2497 Tilman Gerald The Townsend Group, Inc. tgerald@townsend-group.com ICMA MEMBER SERVICES: 800.745.8780 | 202.962.3680 membership@icma.org

ICMA

Creating and Supporting Thriving Communities ICMA’s vision is to be the leading association of local government professionals dedicated to creating and supporting thriving communities throughout the world. It does this by working with its more than 12,000 members to identify and speed the adoption of leading local government practices and improve the lives of residents. ICMA offers membership, professional development programs, research, publications, data and information, technical assistance, and training to thousands of city, town, and county chief administrative officers, their staffs, and other organizations throughout the world.

Public Management (PM) aims to inspire innovation, inform decision making, connect leading-edge thinking to everyday challenges, and serve ICMA members and local governments in creating and sustaining thriving communities throughout the world.

The most obvious risk is becoming so focused on our next career move and employment opportunity that we succumb to the temptation to cut corners in our quest for career advancement. Here are examples of these challenges: Exaggerating/falsifying credentials. There

are many possible pitfalls to avoid: • Falsely claiming to have received degrees or certifications. Sometimes this can include listing a degree as having been issued even though all the requirements are “not quite completed.” This can include completing the coursework but not a capstone project or dissertation.

• Claiming that you are working on a degree or professional certification when in fact no real effort is currently under way.

• Exaggerating your duties and responsibilities with your current or past employers.

• Taking undue credit for organizational accomplishments including appearing to take sole responsibility for a group effort or otherwise underplaying the contributions of others.

Not reporting organizational misconduct.

Another area of risk is not doing the right thing when you become aware of misconduct in the workplace. This can result from fear of negative job impacts by disclosing your concerns.

This can be particularly challenging when the person you suspect of misconduct is your supervisor (or is even higher in the organization).

Succumbing to this fear, however, can result in even greater long-term negative consequences to your career. A difficult truth is that “sometimes you may have to lose your job in order to save your career.”

Lack of candor/full disclosure. There are

often instances when candidates are aware of information regarding their personal or professional backgrounds that would be relevant to the hiring decision, but may not be obvious to the prospective employer.

Failing to fully disclose all relevant information is not only a disservice to the potential employer but also puts the candidate at risk of losing the organization’s trust.

Reasonable notice to your current employer.

Be thoughtful as to when it is the appropriate time to notify your current employer of your involvement in the hiring process for another position. The answer to that question will vary but be thoughtful in considering what is appropriate in your situation.

When accepting a new job, consider what is a reasonable and appropriate notice period for your current employer—whether or not a specific time frame is required.

2018–2019 ICMA Executive Board

Midwest Region

Southeast Region

Patrick Klein Director Of Aviation, Kansas City, Missouri

PRESIDENT

Wally Bobkiewicz* City Manager, Evanston, Illinois

Edward Driggers* City Administrator, Greer, South Carolina

Karen Pinkos* City Manager, El Cerrito, California PRESIDENT-ELECT

Jane Brautigam* City Manager, Boulder, Colorado PAST PRESIDENT

David Johnstone City Manager-Retired, Candiac, Quebec, Canada VICE PRESIDENTS

International Region

Frans Mencke City Manager, Hoom, Netherlands Tim Anderson Chief Administrative Officer, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada Sue Bidrose Chief Executive Officer, Dunedin City Council, New Zealand

Clint Gridley* City Administrator, Woodbury, Minnesota Mountain Plains Region

James Jayne County Manager, Coconino County, Arizona Heather Geyer City Manager, Northglenn, Colorado Michael Land* City Manager, Coppell, Texas Northeast Region

Stephanie Mason* Township Manager, Doylestown, Pennsylvania Matthew Hart* Town Manager, West Hartford, Connecticut Christopher Coleman Assistant Town Manager, Needham, Massachusetts

W. Lane Bailey* City Manager, Salisbury, North Carolina Laura Fitzpatrick* Deputy City Manager, Chesapeake, Virginia West Coast Region

Martha Bennett* Chief Operating Officer, Metro Council, Portland, Oregon Maria Hurtado Assistant City Manager, Hayward, California

Not being mindful of ICMA Code of Ethics requirements. You can specifically

run afoul of the ICMA Code of Ethics by the issues noted above but also in the following areas: • Changing your mind about accepting a new job after having formally committed to it. There can be occasions when “an even better opportunity” presents itself after having already accepted, but not yet started a new job.

Once you formally commit to accept a new position, the Code requires you to fulfill that commitment regardless of what better offers may come along as long as your prospective employer does not change the terms of the agreement.

• Leaving the job in less than is what considered a reasonable period of service. For ICMA members working for a governing board, a minimum of two years is the standard.

For other members there is no hardand-fast term, though members should understand when accepting a job what is considered by your employer as a reasonable minimum period of service.

Wanting to advance our professional careers is an understandable goal. Doing so at the cost of reasonable ethical conduct is not only wrong, it also can irreparably damage your long-term professional opportunities.

ICMA Executive Director Marc Ott Director, Member Publications

Lynne Scott lscott@icma.org

Digital Managing Editor

Catherine Maddux cmaddux@icma.org

Newsletter Editor

Kathleen Karas kkaras@icma.org

Art Director

Erika White ewhite@icma.org

Design & Production

picantecreative.com

Edward Shikada* City Manager/General Manager of Utilities, Palo Alto, California *ICMA Credentialed Manager (ICMA-CM)

APRIL 2019 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | 3

All NEW

ICMA CoachConnect

Find a volunteer coach through the ICMA network of coaches who are helping prepare our nation’s local government professionals.

WHY GET COACHING?

SIGN UP TO MEET A COACH

Whether you are an emerging professional or seasoned manager, everyone at any stage of their career might want coaching. Seek career guidance and gain new perspectives by reaching out to ICMA coaches ready and eager to help you.

If you are interested in finding a coach, sign up today at icma.org/coachconnect.

Find coaches by department, subject expertise, scope of general workplace navigation, or demographics.

Registering takes five minutes and uses the same sign-on credentials as ICMA’s main login.

CoachConnect brings the power of data and search to help players find coaches that match their needs.

New ways to connect • New app • Tips and tools to improve your coaching relationships • Calendar and LinkedIn Sync

icma.org/coachconnect

INSIGHTS

We Asked Our Readers »

What do you wish someone would have told you about the management profession as a young professional?

Scott Simpson

Wendell Davis

City Administrator River Falls, Wisconsin ssimpson@rfcity.org

Durham County Manager Durham, North Carolina wdavis@dconc.gov

As a young professional, I was fortunate to have a lot of people willing to provide good advice.

As a I reflect on that advice, I found 90 percent to be great advice. I think I listened to and acted on only about 50 percent.

I wish more people early on would have physically sat me down, looked me in the eye, and reminded me to soak in the life around me as I was pushing hard toward my idea of success.

There is plenty of time in a person’s career to achieve professional goals. It doesn’t have to be done in your first five years.

Management can be a grind and finding the right pace of life to achieve success at work and home requires ongoing vigilance.

Twenty-two of my 28 years in local government and higher education have been in the C-suite. Navigating the C-suite and being chief executive are quite dissimilar creatures.

Climbing the ranks from fledgling entry-level analyst, to deputy county manager, and ultimately, university chief financial officer, I was always enamored with the people in charge. I was often convinced that the “big chair” was occupied by the smartest person in the room.

I wish someone had advised me early on not to fear the unknown. I have learned that great leaders are confidently aware that they don’t have to know everything. The best talent is hired and not perceived as perilous.

To quote Harry S. Truman, “It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.”

APRIL 2019 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | 5

AN 10 N 0 19 IVE th 1 9 RS -20 AR 19 Y

PM

1919 – 2019 It’s the 1920s.

Here is what was being published:

H It was reported that the “January Bulletin was drafted by stub pencil on scratch paper aboard a train. The idiosyncrasy chirography is more to be blamed than our mimeographer for the frequent errors noted.”

H A position appointment was noted as a “managership.”

H In January 1923, City Manager Magazine, the successor of the City Manager Bulletin and labeled the official organ of the City Managers’ Association, is published from Lawrence, Kansas. Advertising is accepted for sewer flushing siphons, chloride of lime, and vitrified paving brick.

City Manager Bulletin-1922

H Articles focused on such topics as paving widths, useless City Managers Newsletter portfolio

expenditures, creamery wastes disposal, public welfare department organization, and local government management in New Zealand.

H Concerns also focused on ice plants (1923), standardized fire hose couplings and a municipally owned autobus (1924), and truant gangs (1925). At the end of 1920s, articles were published on airports as a city problem, street assessment collection, administrative organization, and cost accounting.

years 1007

Celebrating 6 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | APRIL 2019

Inside ICMA A Tribute to PM Magazine Editor Beth Payne

O

n March 1, ICMA staff said goodbye to one

Beth officially

of our longest tenured and most beloved

became editor of PM

employees.

in 1983. In addition

For 45-plus years, Beth Payne served as managing

to managing the

editor of ICMA’s award-winning flagship publication,

magazine, she initially

Public Management (PM) magazine. Beth used every

also produced the

resource available to her—from the ideas generated by

biweekly ICMA

the members of ICMA’s Conference Planning Committee;

Newsletter and

to information gleaned from conversations with colleagues,

even spent several years selling ad space in the

strategic partners, consultants, academics, and other local

former. Before the “green” movement and cost

government experts; to tapping into current affairs—to

constraints rendered a daily conference newsletter

identify interesting stories that would help ICMA members

unsustainable, Beth also directed the production

develop their careers and personal lives, improve their on-

of four issues of articles and updates on location

the-job performance, and enhance the quality of life in the

at each ICMA Annual Conference. Because of her

cities, towns, and counties that they serve.

numerous and varied assignments at ICMA, many

Overseeing the development of a periodical requires a

members know her or know of her, and many have

level of commitment that many of us fail to comprehend

thanked Beth for improving the readability of their

or appreciate. It calls for discipline, outstanding time

ideas and stories. Countless individuals with an

management skills, and an enduring sense of dedication,

interest in the profession view her as an invaluable

both to the organization and to the mission it pursues—and

information resource.

Beth tirelessly embodied all of these qualities.

Periodicals are relentless masters. Every month, Beth

Times have changed, and so have the ways in which ICMA develops and disseminates PM. For

would think about what her readers cared most about and

many years, in addition to the print edition, Beth also

why and how to share a range of information on everything

produced a digital blog, a monthly e-newsletter, and a

from the most mundane local government operations to

series of social media posts to highlight the contents

innovative technologies, approaches, and collaborations.

of the magazine’s monthly issues. Yet despite

Her pursuit of leading local government practices and

being solely responsible for feeding an insatiable

the experts who could help members understand them

information beast, Beth maintained her Midwestern

improved the lives of the women and men who make our

charm, curiosity, kindness to colleagues and members

communities great.

alike, and commitment to a job well done.

Beth wasn’t always editor of PM magazine. She

Beth Payne was truly one of ICMA’s greatest

joined ICMA’s Membership & Communications Center

assets, and she will be greatly missed. We wish her

in November 1971, and during her early years with

all the best as she embarks upon retirement and the

the organization, she served in several positions that

next phase of her life.

ultimately informed and enhanced her knowledge of

Sincerely,

local government.

The ICMA Staff

APRIL 2019 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | 7

CAREER TRACK

Drivers of High Performance Pay Attention to Your Rock Stars

By Patrick Ibarra

“As a rock star, I have two instincts, I want to have fun, and I want to change the world. I have a chance to do both.” —Bono of the band, U2 My 13-year-old son Maximiliano is a

Patrick Ibarra is a former city manager and partner, The Mejorando Group, Glendale, Arizona (patrick@ gettingbetterallthetime. com).

huge fan of Jack White, a modern-day rock star, whereas I’m more partial to Bono of the music group, U2. Where Maximiliano and I agree is that each of these artists possess an insatiable appetite to work at their craft and create incredible music that endures.

Recognizing that every day is a starting line instead of a finish line, like other rock stars, they have adapted to changing trends among the listening public without losing their taste compass.

Actually, rock stars exist in every organization and in every industry, including local government. These employees push every day to move the bell curve to the right for higher performance.

Unfortunately, most organizations reward these rock stars with more work. The unintended consequence is that your organization’s stars can feel overworked and neglected.

Make no mistake about it, your stars are self-starters, highly motivated, and serve as the primary drivers of your organization’s success and will definitely benefit from more positive attention and support.

In fact, I suggest these are the employees you want to immediately conduct stay/retention interviews with and ask them one simple question: What can we do to help you achieve your potential? High performers want and expect more than to simply complete the tasks that make up their job descriptions.

They see their work responsibilities not merely as a job but as a role. When they perceive that they don’t have the opportunities to do what they do best, they start to consider their next career stop.

Figure 1 identifies eight factors that influence employee performance. Of these, far and away the most influential is an employee’s attitude. Every employee owns his or her own attitude and own morale.

Rock-Solid Employees and ROCKS

Two other types of employees are rock solid and ROCKS. The rock solid are those individuals who arrive at work every day committed to doing their best and are often the backbone of the organization.

8 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | APRIL 2019

They also can be the cautious optimists about any changes coming down the pike. You know, those changes launched in the name of improving organizational effectiveness. Not always overly ambitious but rock-solid performers.

Then, there are those employees who I refer to as ROCKS, an acronym I’ve coined, which means Resisting the Opportunity to Change a person’s Knowledge and Skills.

Some employees quit and leave, whereas ROCKS quit and stay. Bad morale is contagious and low-morale people are always seeking new recruits. These employees seek to move the bell curve to the left, dragging down performance and effectiveness.

A question for readers is: Which group, rock stars or ROCKS, has more influence over the rock-solid employees? I recommend you reject conventional wisdom that asserts by spending time with ROCKS, communicating with them, and even involving them in the organization’s journey, they’ll convert and adopt a healthier attitude.

Often, they don’t change and can even become intractable. Whatever you do, do not appoint ROCKS to serve on an internal cross-functional task force or team thinking they’ll change their minds. They won’t, and you’ve just legitimized their platform and given them a bullhorn to push their points.

What frustrates rock stars is how leaders will accept ROCKS as members of the workforce. Remember, whatever you tolerate you advocate. Rock star employees often need to compensate for the work ROCKS aren’t accomplishing.

How to Attract More Rock Stars

Here are five ways to hire, develop, and retain more stars: 1. Recognize that rock stars represent all demographics of a workforce, from the newbie to the most seasoned veteran. Credentials aren’t a predictor as it relates to

These employees push every day to move the bell curve to the right for higher performance.

rock-star status. Also, sorry, but you can’t train or teach initiative. People either have it or they don’t.

2. Modernize Pareto’s Rule so you spend 80 percent of your time with the top 20 percent of your employees, the stars. While they may not always ask or seek your

attention, they’ll appreciate your time and presence with them.

3. Upgrade your hiring and promotional processes.

Figure 1. Factors Influencing Employee Performance.

Attitude

Individual Skills

Performance Management

Mission, Vision & Values

Reward System

Job Design & Work Processes

4. Improve the performance appraisal process. First and foremost, fix it. Ensure the

appraisal instrument is aligned with the job description and the work that employees actually complete. Remarkably those three factors—job description, performance appraisal, and the daily work—often aren’t aligned, which undermines the prioritization of mission-critical work.

Beyond the instrument, equip supervisors, managers, and leaders with the requisite skills and capabilities of providing timely, accurate, and meaningful feedback to their employees. Require self-assessments from each employee as part of the process.

5. Reinforce that rock stars are the visible, vocal advocates of the preferred workplace culture. Indeed, these employees

Deeply explore the intangibles that influence performance. If you’ve ever made a bad hire, you know what I

Workplace Culture

mean. Refresh your job announcements so you emphasize possessing a healthy attitude as a difference maker.

Revise your interview questions with a stronger focus on candidates’ and employees’ desire to learn. Ask, “What did you learn last year?” Rock stars are curious, always dreaming up new ways of doing things, and fashion themselves possessing a mind like wet clay instead of clay pots.

Leadership & Supervision

are the champions of change operationalizing the mission, vision, and values to enable your organization and community’s potential.

Professional, collegial employees who traffic in trust and building healthy relationships, rock stars value individual accountability and expect their organization’s leaders to be vigilant to ensure that it exists.

The best days for your organization and community are in front of it. Rock stars are symbols of this mindset and commit themselves daily to building a stronger community. They’re energized by the mission and purpose of local government. Today, people aren’t looking for jobs, they’re looking for meaning and local government is in the meaning business.

Don’t hesitate to e-mail your questions and comments to me at patrick@gettingbetterallthetime.com.

APRIL 2019 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | 9

WORK & LIFE BALANCE

Free Yourself from Personal Debt

Responsibly Managing Your Money Helps Manage Your Time By Jeff Davidson Do you remember your high school and

Jeff Davidson is Principal of Breathing Space® Institute, Raleigh, North Carolina (www.

BreathingSpace.com or Jeff@Breathingspace. com). An author and presenter on work life balance, he holds the world’s only registered trademark from the United States Patent and Trademark Office as “The Work-Life Balance Expert.”®

Guess what? It shows that I have a huge credit and that nothing college history classes? Can you recall any nation that is due. I smile when I see these accumulated huge deficits over a prolonged period of kinds of bills, and so will you. time, lacked a concerted effort towards reducing these deficits, yet was able to sustain economic prosperity for Put the Breaks on Spending its residents? Can a nation (or a person, you in particuTo reduce your personal financial lar) run up huge deficits and expect no consequences? debts, I suggest placing a moratoIt’s likely that you have some financial debts. For rium on spending, regardless of decades, millions of people have accumulated personal what items entice you, until your debt with credit cards, loans, and other forms of financcredit cards have zero balances. ing. Such sustained deficit spending eventually erodes a Concurrently, there is value in person’s ability to prepare for the future, and worse, to paying others to do that which capitalize on current opportunities. you don’t like to do. These are separate issues. Paying for What’s all this have to do with experiencing what I call something that frees up your time is a life benefit. Paying “breathing space”? The more you owe, the more enslaved for material things that you don’t need, and certainly you are! In The New Politics of Consumption, Dr. Juliet don’t save you time, might be satisfying but Schor said that chances are, you’ve ultimately can be draining. been taught to consume much more Here are some exercises for controlling than you need.

AS TIME PASSES, your checkbook and winning back your time: As time passes, I find—and you I FIND—AND YOU might share this insight—that the 1. If you pay bills by check, write out more material possessions I own, the MIGHT SHARE THIS checks to pay bills in advance of their due less I feel in control of my time. DurINSIGHT—THAT THE dates. Then, keep an advance file with a ing my college days, and early 20s, MORE MATERIAL folder for each day of the month. Place the when I had little, I felt the most free. check in a sealed, addressed, and stamped POSSESSIONS I envelope. Then put the envelope in the Feeling in Control OWN, THE LESS I folder of the day it’s to be mailed.

Right now, how would it feel if all FEEL IN CONTROL This way, the money is allocated in adyour credit cards were paid off? How vance in your checkbook, and your bills are would it feel if you paid your monthly OF MY TIME. paid on time. If your checking account pays rent or mortgage several months in interest, you don’t lose interest. advance? How would it feel if your If you pay bills online, pay a month in advance or a car loan was paid off? larger sum than is currently due. The feeling of being How would it feel if you were actually able to pay some even a little ahead will be worth it. of your utility bills for months in advance? For most people it would feel great. You’d feel in control of your time.

2. Once in a while, overpay the balance on your credit I know the arguments about losing the interest I could cards or pay early. This gives you the aforementioned earn if I let my money sit in the bank instead of paying psychological boost when you see a credit on your next the electric bill three months in advance. Ah, but wait. statement, and gives you a good reputation with your A month after I’ve paid my electric bill for three creditors, which comes in handy. months in advance, I receive the next month’s bill.

10 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | APRIL 2019

3. Keep a stick-on note in your checkbook or a digital reminder for your online accounts as an immediate reference that lists what’s coming in this month and what needs to go out. This provides you with a run-

ning mini-cash flow list you can refer to at any time.

Update it regularly.

If you pay online, develop the habit of reviewing your account a little more often to detect opportune times to pay in advance. Note: If you pay via automatic bank withdraw, then you don’t really have this option.

4. Review your old checks and see what you paid to whom for what. Do the same thing with your

monthly credit card statements. Put a red mark next to all those expenditures that you didn’t need to make, or that you could have done without.

5. Now, considering expenditures on the horizon, which ones can you do without?

As Roger Dawson, author of The Confident Decision Maker, says, “It doesn’t matter how much money you’re making; if you’re spending more than you take in each month, you’re headed for trouble.”

APRIL 2019 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | 11

Future Rele What’s at Stake for Local Government in the Next 100 Years

12 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | APRIL 2019

BY REBECCA RYAN

vancy: 1

The phone rang. It was Gary Becker, executive director of the Local Government Institute of Wisconsin. His members were being battered: state funding cuts, do-more-with-less, aging populations, crumbling roads, declining voter interest, more diversity in schools, and social media temper tantrums.

“What is the future of local government?” he asked. » A A PP RR II LL 22 00 11 99 | P U B L I C M A N A G E M E N T | 1 3

2

The future is a paradox.

It will be extremely different. It will be mostly the same.

Manmade meat. Deliveries in 30 minutes by drone.

Thought-to-text. Rooms that read your moods and adjust their lights, images, and scent.

Airport walls that smell bombs.

Detection of Parkinson’s disease from voice recordings.

Autonomous cars. Predictive networks that anticipate severe weather, holiday retail volume, and voter sentiment.1 In 2000, no one could imagine putting 10,000 songs in their pocket. By 2100, no one will remember what it was like to sit in traffic.

Tomorrow’s local government will be much different. It will be mostly the same.

Mark Funkhauser, publisher of Governing magazine, remarks on the unchanging nature of local government, “There has always been sewage, transportation, and public safety issues and there always will be.”

People 100 years from now will still eat, defecate, have children, and need housing.

Humans will be the same collection of blood and bones, a jambalaya of opinions, emotions, intellect, and experiences. Humans will be optimized; bionic knees, eyes, and ears, and nutrition will help us live longer than ever.

Governing residents will have the same broad curves of triumph and peril. On a dayto-day basis, local government will be similar to what it is today. In the words of Parks and Recreation’s Leslie Knope, “What I hear when I’m being yelled at is people caring really loudly at me.”

In 2100, the tools residents will use to “care loudly” will be

different, but the caring—and residents themselves—will be mostly the same.

3

There are four forces or categories2 of change that will have a 100-year impact on residents and communities. In rank order, these are: 1. Resources: The access to air, water, land, and energy.

2. Technology: The inventions that make life more convenient.

3. Demographics: The “who” of our communities (i.e., are we getting older or younger, healthier or sicker, richer or poorer, etc.?).

4. Governance: The rule of law and the rule of markets.

Governance is generally the slowest to change. And right now, many local governments are decades behind. They’ve already lost relevance for large segments of our communities.

As American politician and diplomat Madeleine Albright said, “Citizens are speaking to their governments using 21st century technologies.

Governments are listening on 20th century technology and providing 19th century solutions.”3

4

Gary Becker got an answer to his question about the future of local government. His board invited 150 diverse thinkers from across the state—artists, entrepreneurs, journalists, hackers, elected officials, bureaucrats, executives, and others—to

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TOP TRENDS The top trends facing communities in the United States and Canada are:4

RESOURCES:

Climate change Water access

TECHNOLOGY:

Sharing economy Digital citizens Failing infrastructure Automation

DEMOGRAPHICS:

Elder expense

GOVERNANCE:

Trust in government Fiscal uncertainty

imagine the future of local government in Wisconsin.

They concluded that local government was on a path to extinction if present trends and standard operating procedures continue; however, they also concluded that local government can adapt and recommended these three first steps: 1. Jurisdictions must collaborate, not compete. Unfunded

mandates and jurisdictional boundaries are real. But the systemic, major forces of change or trends (see list on left) facing communities require coordinated regional responses.4 When sea levels rise or water becomes scarce, when the local manufacturing plant closes or someone’s grandmother can’t get someone to answer her 911 call, voters want answers. They will expect coordinated responses from the grown-ups in the room.

Meredith Roark, a budget analyst in Decatur, Georgia, says, “I am hopeful that [in the next 100 years] the lack of attainable housing and homelessness will be solved.

Both issues will be solved by local governments working together on a regional level since it will take partnerships across jurisdictional boundaries to solve the issues for good.”

2. Policymakers must reach beyond “the usual suspects” and engage voters where they are. Local governments

complain that they always hear from the same people, but local governments don’t change the way they listen.

Public officials must stop asking people to come to the town square and bring the town square to the people.

GOVERNANCE IS GENERALLY THE SLOWEST TO CHANGE. AND RIGHT NOW, This requires an intentional effort to build relationships » with new residents, nonEnglish speakers, renters, and those who don’t trust government or are normally marginalized by public processes. Done well, the results are astounding.

Minnetonka, Minnesota, wanted to engage working parents, but knew they didn’t have time to attend traditional public meetings. So the city ran an experiment: it hosted a fun, interactive, and brief Facebook Live event and asked residents to participate from the comfort of their own homes.

No travel, no parking, no babysitter, no fuss. Dozens of people participated in the live evening session, and more than 1,200 watched the recording online. It was a win-win.

The city gained valuable insight and new advocates.

Minnetonka signaled to working parents, “We get it.

Life’s busy. Civic participation doesn’t have to be painful.”

To remain relevant, local governments must remain visible. And that means meeting people where they are.

MANY LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ARE DECADES BEHIND. THEY’VE ALREADY LOST RELEVANCE FOR LARGE SEGMENTS OF OUR COMMUNITIES. 3. Local governments must demonstrate accountability.

For most residents, local government is a black box. Taxes go in, services come out, and results aren’t clear. This makes it an easy target for charges of cronyism or corruption.

Shannon Flanagan-Watson, deputy county manager, Arlington County, Virginia, zeroes in on two areas where government is losing relevance: Outdated policies, ordinances, and procedures; and financial/tax structures designed for yesterday’s economy.

Relevance is key. Local governments can spend their time and energy defending outdated systems and protocols or invest in bringing their systems and policies up-to-date and measuring their results.

Kodak didn’t fail because digital film took it by surprise.

Digital film was invented at Kodak in 1975. Kodak failed

because it was so afraid of hurting its lucrative film business that it refused to shift any marketing toward its digital product line. It sacrificed its future trying to save its past.

Local governments face a similar choice. Residents are changing. Families are changing. Technology is changing.

Transportation is changing.

The economy is changing.

Communication is changing.

Will local government make the changes required to keep pace, or spend time defending what once worked?

The future of local government depends on its ability to remain relevant. And the future starts today.

Endnotes and Resources These technologies are in use or development today.

1

Cecily Sommers, Think Like a Futurist: Know What Changes, What Doesn’t; and What’s Next (2012, Jossey-Bass).

2

Speech delivered to the Atlantic Council and the Digital Forensic Research Lab at the Disinformation 3

Forum, June 2017: https://medium. com/dfrlab/we-need-21st-centuryresponses-6b7eed6750a4.

How were these trends identified?

Hundreds of cities, counties, states, and provinces in the U.S. and Canada have used The Next Big Thing: the Future of Local Government to sort 44 trends according to their certainty and impact. These nine trends are consistently identified as very important and very certain. Alliance for Innovation, 2014, https:// documentcloud.adobe.com/link/tr ack?uri=urn%3Aaaid%3Ascds%3A US%3A5b0dfea8-f009-4af9-a7da6505a637b027.

4

Rebecca Ryan is an economist, futurist, and author, and she currently serves as resident futurist at the Local Government Institute of Wisconsin, Madison (RebeccaRyan. com). She was the first to use Facebook Live to conduct virtual town hall meetings and is the founder of Futurist Camp, which trains people how to apply foresight to their organizations and communities.

APRIL 2019 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | 15

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YOUR

LOCAL

GOVERNMENT CAREER BY GLORIA HURTADO

Tips on Getting the Most Out of It October 8, 2017, in the middle of the night, when I was working in Santa Rosa, California, I received a call from the city’s fire chief requesting the activation of the city’s emergency operations center. What was then the largest wildfire in California history was rapidly advancing toward the city, and several areas were being evacuated. »

APRIL 2019 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | 17

This not only meant the immediate deployment of police and fire; employees from all departments became first responders. Public transit assisted with the evacuation of seniors, driving through the fires as flames encircled their assisted living facilities.

Public works ensured evacuation routes were clear. Recreation and parks staff set up an emergency

diversity of disciplines and experiences in public service.

My career has included working in a community organization, the private sector, and more than 25 years in local government in three different cities and states. I have found my career in public service the most rewarding because my contributions have made a difference for many.

I, like others, however, had to

I ENCOURAGE ANYONE CONSIDERING A CAREER IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT TO TAKE THE PLUNGE. YOU WILL NEVER BE BORED. shelter to house evacuees.

Communications staff coordinated with Sonoma County to provide updates to the community. For more than a week, every city worker’s job was responding to the immediate disaster, providing for public safety and communicating to the public.

While experiencing a disaster is not the normal course of business, this experience highlights the

prepare for the responsibilities that came my way. Here is my guidance for a career in public service:

Research is a key component of your preparation. Learn about the local government organization, how government works, and who the people are in leadership positions. Attend a council meeting or locally sponsored meeting. Know who is serving in elected positions.

1. Invest in Preparation.

Preparing for a career in local government begins with ensuring you have the educational background to succeed. If your goal is to advance into a leadership position, a graduate degree is essential.

2. Be Open to Opportunities. Local government provides opportunities for many career tracks, so take advantage of the opportunities that present themselves. Don’t be afraid to work in a different department or an area that is new to you.

Approach every experience as a learning opportunity. Even if you decide it is not the area for you, it is a learning experience.

3. Make Volunteer Commitments. Volunteer both inside and outside the organization. There will be opportunities to work on projects, teams, planning retreats, and more. Don’t be afraid to ask for those opportunities and participate fully.

Volunteer in the community in an area you feel passionate about, whether it is working with young people, the elderly, the homeless, or animals. Be committed and genuine when you volunteer, and you will get more than you give.

As an added benefit, through volunteering you will make many connections, gain experience, and acquire leadership skills.

4. Seek Mentoring and Be a Mentor. Participate in formal mentoring programs, if available, or ask someone you respect to serve as your mentor—then follow up. Any effective mentoring relationship requires regular and ongoing communication.

Some mentoring relationships occur naturally; for example, a supervisor

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who provides opportunities and guidance is serving in a mentoring role. It’s not unusual to have many mentors throughout your career.

One of the best ways to develop leadership skills is to mentor others, whether it’s within your organization or in a different arena. You will grow from your mentoring experience and be able to apply those skills in your career.

5. Challenge Yourself.

Continually challenge yourself to grow. Become the expert in the position you hold.

Prepare and compete for new positions. Even when you’re not successful, you are letting others know you are motivated.

Take advantage of training and educational opportunities both inside and outside the organization.

6. Engage in Teamwork.

You will have the opportunity to be a part of many teams so be a good team member! Understand the goals, contribute positively, communicate, and be supportive of your team members.

High-performing teams move towards the same goal, are highly productive, and complement and support each other.

7. Prepare for the Curves.

Career success is not always a straight line. We each travel our own path to professional success and fulfillment.

Sometimes you take a lateral

position or a step down for new opportunities.

Sometimes you move to a different organization which requires re-establishing your credibility. You may experience setbacks in your career.

Don’t be discouraged!

Regroup and consider what you learned from the experience and whether you would do anything differently in the future. Focus on your strengths, seek guidance from a mentor, and move forward.

I encourage anyone considering a career in local government to take the plunge. You will never be bored. Local government offers many different challenges, experiences, disciplines, and opportunities to grow and give back. I know, because it has for me.

Gloria Hurtado is deputy city manager, Santa Rosa, California (ghurtado@srcity.org).

APRIL 2019 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | 19

Recipe for

Delivery-Driven

GOVERNMENT Peace Corps Values + Code for America Innovation

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eace Corps volunteers can be found in some of the world’s most far-flung locations—the highland jungles of Peru, the mud huts of Malawi, and the staid office cubicles of Marin County, California. What would Peace Corps founder John F. Kennedy have thought of the organization being in Marin County, one of the wealthiest counties in the United States?

Well, JFK doesn’t have to roll over in his grave after all, because it is the spirit, values, and approach of the Peace Corps and not the organization itself that are taking root in Marin’s largest city, San Rafael.

As city manager, my secret sauce recipe for governance has been one heaping teaspoon of the lessons I learned as a Peace Corps trainee in a tiny village in Guinea Bissau, West Africa. I combine this with a heathy sprinkling of the latest thinking from the government innovators at Code for America, which is a nonpartisan organization that uses digital age methods to improve how government serves the public and how the public improves government.

These seemingly different ingredients actually smell and taste quite similar and complement each other perfectly.

Trust and Expectations

BY JIM SCHUTZ

Why do we need such a recipe? Because local government is in transition, which is a nice way of saying in trouble. Public trust in government is down, way down.

The public now trusts government about as much as they trust they are going to strike it rich by wiring money to a Nigerian prince.

At the same time, there is no shortage of high expectations. According to a 2016 Accenture survey, 85 percent of Americans expect the same or higher quality from government digital services as they would get from a private company.

In other words, residents want to order up government services the same way they buy a birthday present on Amazon. Would you like two-day shipping or drone delivery of your building permit?

The problem is, local governments weren’t designed to be as nimble and flexible as today’s changing technologies and community expectations demand.

To the government staffer, it is starting to feel like we need to reinvent ourselves every time a new iPhone is released. The old government ways of bureaucratic silos filled with experts now seem archaic and irrelevant.

The Peace Corps Way

The more I think about local government trying to stay relevant in the digital age, the more I think of my Peace Corps experience. In the broadest sense, my view of what the Peace Corps does is: Find out what the community wants and help it succeed. To me, that should be the mission for all local governments.

This doesn’t mean staff is taking direction or getting assignments directly from the community, nor does it mean everything is up for a vote. It is designing services so they are effective for the users. To do that, you must know what the community wants and needs.

Peace Corps recruiter Barbara Smith says volunteers need “a willingness to integrate in a community. We recognize that cultural integration is not easy, and it takes time to develop relationships and build mutual trust and respect.”

All Peace Corps volunteers, at some point during their service, hear some variation of a story that illustrates the opposite philosophy of the Peace »

APRIL 2019 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | 21

Corps. It goes like this: A group of paid international workers come over from [insert smug European country name here] and attempt to solve the village’s problem with some technology-driven solution.

They install the equipment, drink all night celebrating themselves, and leave. The equipment is not embraced by the village, residents were not trained how to repair it, and it inevitably breaks and becomes a symbol of failed international assistance.

In contrast, the Peace Corps volunteer works side by side with the villagers over a long period of time learning their culture, abilities, and insights. They learn from each other and find solutions to the village’s problems that actually work, are repairable with local resources, and stand the test of time.

The moral of the story is that Peace Corps is not about some new technology as savior, it is about the unique needs of the community and

working in partnership to find lasting solutions appropriate for the culture.

Delivery-Driven Government

Code for America devotees tend to see technology not as a savior, but as an enabler.

It is absolutely crucial for local governments to take advantage of powerful new technology tools in the digital age, but the culture and process of co-creating solutions to community challenges needs to be in place for technology to be effective.

In other words, technology does not equal innovation.

Adding new technology when we don’t have a deep understanding of the problem we are trying to solve or we have a poor process in place, just makes for a more expensive poor process.

Code for America Executive Director Jennifer Pahlka suggests the term “deliverydriven government.” The three main principles are: 1) understand and meet user

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needs; 2) get real-time user data, not years-old estimates; and 3) iterate every step of the way from intention through implementation.

If we truly care about outcomes, it is not enough to just provide a service. We must design the delivery of services so they work from the community’s perspective and thus, that government works for everyone.

Pahlka notes, “You don’t have to be a Steve Jobs figure in a black turtleneck to do innovation in government, you just have to have the guts to apply a different playbook.”

San Rafael, California

Evolving a New Local Government

In San Rafael, we talk about how the pervasive government structure we see today was largely designed in the nineteenth century and uses twentieth century technology to try to solve twenty-first century problems. As a local government employee, those words sting.

We got into this business to help make the world a better place by doing meaningful work for and with our communities. Yet, the structure we find ourselves in was built for another time and for purposes

that are no longer relevant.

In response, we have been inspired by values taught by the Peace Corps and Code for America to form “Together San Rafael,” which is our name for how we are evolving a new local government in the twenty-first century that uses twenty-first century tools to solve twentyfirst century problems.

It has been freeing to see how easily we can wipe away the spider webs of bureaucracy and build something that matches our passion for innovation, mutual learning, and community focus.

We began by forming a cross-departmental advisory committee representing all levels of the organization. It provides guidance to these subgroups: communications and storytelling, employee events, employee recognition and engagement, and innovation education and learning.

One of the first tasks was to create guiding principles. A diverse employee subgroup burned through many ideas and landed on six. One was to start with community needs, which includes cultivating trust and co-creating services with customers.

Another is to reimagine the status quo, which includes finding the root problem, asking why we do it this way, trying new approaches, learning, and trying again.

The principles are the threads woven into recruitment, performance evaluation, recognition, appreciation, and employee life.

With the innovation and engagement firm CivicMakers, we created learning labs for

cross-departmental cohorts of employees to learn humancentered design, how to prototype and iterate based on community input, and how to solve real-time city problems collaboratively.

We celebrate each cohort with a demo day at San Rafael’s downtown theater so teams can show off their new skills and solutions. Problems tackled include: permitting process, illegal dumping, new employee on-boarding, obsolete and onerous regulations, fire threats from homeless encampments, and more.

Some learning lab solutions have incorporated new technologies while others have not. One group had a goal of improving civic engagement in a neighborhood that is largely under-

make more, strategic changes to our organizational structure. We ask, “How would you design your department if you could create it today rather than when it was created decades ago?”

In this vein, we are elevating and expanding our former division of information technology into a new department called digital service and open government. Technology will leave its functional silo and become an enabler of solutions.

The new group will help departments design better services, informed by data and with a focus on the user experience.

Looking at the changing role of libraries in the digital age, we are in the process of uniting our community services (parks and recreation)

Walker and Sarah Soule write in their Harvard Business Review article, “Changing Company Culture Requires a Movement, Not a Mandate.”

We think of every San Rafael employee as having the word “innovation” in his or her title.

Ours is a whole-organization effort to be a twenty-first century government that is unique to our community.

There are other models out there, including creating an innovation team or putting a focus on data and technology and becoming a smart city. No matter what the right fit is for your community, at the very core should be the Peace Corpsinspired approach of finding out what the community wants and then helping them achieve it.

Your role as the chief executive is to give permission to operate

RESIDENTS WANT TO ORDER UP GOVERNMENT SERVICES THE SAME WAY THEY BUY A BIRTHDAY PRESENT ON AMAZON. WOULD YOU LIKE TWO-DAY SHIPPING OR DRONE DELIVERY OF YOUR BUILDING PERMIT?

represented and lower income, and functions as a gateway for immigrants. Coming to city hall for lengthy government meetings was not high on the priority list for most.

The team started collecting data. While use of the social network Nextdoor was quite low, Facebook Live events the city did in Spanish with a nonprofit partner were highly viewed. A multimodal strategy was necessary.

The team investigated what the community most wanted to hear about and how. One simple idea was a multilanguage informational kiosk to “meet people where they are” at a public park next to the community center.

We have also made, and will

department with our library department into a new department focused on community enrichment and lifelong learning. These few Together San Rafael examples show a path to delivery-driven government.

Bring the Peace Corps to Your Community

Most of us have seen a leader bring a new initiative to an organization only to see it fade away right after that leader moves on. That is why Together San Rafael is not about the city manager, or an elected official, or any one individual.

It is a ground-up, employeedriven effort to evolve and meet the changing needs of the community, as Bryan

differently. Code for America has found that permission is the main driver of success and not the specific team structure that you use. Patience is also important.

It took many decades to create the current situation of bureaucratic silos and low public trust in government. Dramatically changing how we do local government isn’t going to happen overnight. But if you give the permission for change, and channel your inner Peace Corps volunteer, you’ll be amazed at the results.

Jim Schutz is city manager, San Rafael, California (Jim. Schutz@cityofsanrafael. org). Author retains copyright to this article.

APRIL 2019 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | 23

Staying Put

BY AMY RESSEGUIE

FOUR EXECUTIVES SHARE THE REWARDS OF LONG-TERM MANAGEMENT POSITIONS

C

ommon knowledge says that a career in local government

management is a career on the move. A common refrain is, if

you want to make this your life’s work, don’t get too attached to a particular place or colleague

because you’ll be moving on to another community every few years.

That’s just the nature of the beast.

Right? It doesn’t have to be.

24 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | APRIL 2019

I talked with four executives who have worked in their organizations—and with each other—for more than 20 years about how they’ve carved a different path in the management profession. First, here is a brief overview of these executives’ careers: Darin Atteberry (DA) has been with Fort Collins, Colorado, for 22 years, serving as the city manager for the past 14. He began his career in city planning, and prior to coming to Fort Collins, he worked with cities in California, Washington, and Georgia.

Kelly DiMartino (KD) is Fort Collins’ senior assistant city manager, currently overseeing the performance excellence program, information and employee services, and community services. She has been with Fort Collins for nearly 22 years, beginning as the city’s first communications and public involvement coordinator.

Michael Wilkes (MW) has served as the Olathe, Kansas, city manager for 20 years and is the longesttenured city manager in its history. Prior to coming to Olathe, he served in cities and counties in Oregon and Georgia.

Susan Sherman (SS) started working for the city of Olathe 30 years ago, serving as the assistant city manager for the past 25. She currently is responsible for the day-to-day operations of police, fire, parks and recreation, municipal court, and information technology services.

RESSEGUIE: The stereotype about working in city and county

management is that you’ll always be moving from place to place. Yet for the four of you, that has not been your path.

Why not?

DA: Early in my career, I did move between a few cities, and it was a really valuable learning experience. Fort Collins, however, became home for my wife and me. We raised our kids here, and we hope to retire here.

This is an incredible community, full of people who are committed to working together to create the future we desire.

You don’t have to be on the move all the time to have a successful career.

The long-term work we do to shape and grow with a community can bring a lot of joy.

MW: There are many ways to be fulfilled and rewarded in this career beyond just advancing to the next city. I had done the “climb the career ladder” thing. Taking the job in Olathe allowed me to achieve many of my goals. I honestly never imagined that I would spend the rest of my career here.

It happened because the job has never been boring or routine, the council has given me freedom to innovate and

try new things, and the people I work with are family to me.

KD: When I started, I never expected to be here 20-plus years. I stayed because this is a great community and organization. I’ve had opportunities to learn and grow, working for a visionary city manager who challenges me and values my opinion, and with colleagues who care deeply about this place.

SS: Olathe has given me such great growth opportunities.

As my colleagues have moved around, I have had the opportunity to stay in one place, while learning from three different city managers and how they approach issues and opportunities.

My husband is also in city management, and we’re in an area where we can both do what we love.

There is no shame in moving around for your career, and there is no shame in staying in one area for 20 or 30 years, either.

The management profession can give you all the options. Choose a path that works best for you based on your goals, your family, and your life.

RESSEGUIE: You’ve all worked with each other in your

respective cities for more than 20 years. What is unique to these long-term working relationships?

SS: Working with someone for 20 years gives you real insight into who they are and what is important to them.

You learn to anticipate how they will react—their questions, pitfalls, and general approach to issues.

The best part is that you learn to play on each other’s strengths and talents.

KD: That shared history creates deep trust and loyalty and the ability to read minds—really the characteristics of any long-term relationship. When you stay in a community, you also get to see projects decades in the making come to fruition. »

APRIL 2019 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | 25

Things like receiving the Malcolm Baldrige Award in 2017, launching a rapid-transit bus system, witnessing infrastructure improvements after natural disasters, and attending more groundbreakings and ribboncuttings than we can count.

MW: Over the years we’ve built a high-performance, award-winning culture; passed designated taxes; implemented strategic planning and performance management systems; improved our downtown; built new city facilities, parks and trails, and much more.

This kind of long-term work requires that we have a shared vision and are working in alignment for the good of the organization.

RESSEGUIE: How have these

partnerships benefited your individual careers?

SS: You know and find opportunities to showcase each other’s strengths. Michael has always been great at asking if I want to go to conferences, for example, or present on behalf of Olathe. I take that as a high compliment.

MW: Susan could work anywhere, and she has chosen Olathe. I will never stand in the way of her career; however, as long as she is comfortable staying here, I want to make sure it is rewarding.

I give her a lot of authority within the organization and as many opportunities as possible to continue to grow and develop.

SS: It’s true. I have the greatest latitude and can honestly

26 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | APRIL 2019

say I absolutely love my job and wouldn’t have it any other way.

KD: Darin makes it a point to know what is important to me and support those opportunities. He advocated for me to get my master’s degree a few years ago; when I was a single mom with a young son, I was able to have more flexibility.

Modeling these things at the top sets the tone for the entire organization.

SS: When you’ve been there doing it—building your career, raising your family— for 20 years, people believe it. They know we’re not just saying the right words about development or work-life balance, but we’ve actually made it part of our culture.

When we eventually leave this organization, we want that core belief system to still be true.

RESSEGUIE: And how have the

partnerships influenced your cities’ organizational cultures?

MW: Susan and I are both committed to our families, and I think that shows in our culture. We are a familyfriendly organization. We are also extremely competitive individuals.

Excellence in what we do is our personal standard and the standard by which we measure the success of our organization.

DA: I talk about “The It, the We, and the I.” It: Does your work give you goosebumps?

Is it meaningful, challenging, a fit for your skills? We: Do you genuinely enjoy and respect the people you work with? I: Does the job meet your personal needs in terms of compensation, benefits, and schedule?

SUSAN SHERMAN: WE’RE NOT POTTED PLANTS. WE’RE NOT JUST PLUGGING ALONG DOING THE SAME THINGS IN THE SAME WAYS. WE VERY INTENTIONALLY KEEP OUR MINDS OPEN TO OTHER IDEAS.

I believe that if those are true for you, odds are good that this is the best place you have ever worked. The work we do matters, and so do the people we do it with.

SS: One thing that both Michael and I bring to the job every day is passion.

We are different people and sometimes approach issues in different ways, but I think the organization sees us both as highly committed.

We bring the best out in one another to build an organization that will continue to thrive, because of the strong foundation that has been built by many over time.

KD: I think there’s also value in the organization knowing that Darin and I have each chosen Fort Collins for our home and our career. That means that we care deeply about the long-term good of the organization and the larger community.

We’ve chosen to invest here, and we’re in it for the long haul.

RESSEGUIE: Surely you don’t

always see eye to eye. What happens when you disagree?

MW: No one will ever be totally effective as a leader without a right-hand person whom they completely, implicitly trust. I have never, ever had to worry about Susan having my back, and I rely on her strengths to complement my weaknesses.

SS: It’s not always a walk in the park. We disagree, we have hard conversations, and we push each other to be the best we can be. After 20 years, I’m not going to offend Michael with anything I say, but I’ll push him. And I expect the same from him.

KD: I don’t know, I might offend Darin sometimes.

DA: (laughing) She offends me often!

KD: But he rebounds right away.

MW: It’s about speaking truth to power. Every leader needs somebody who will tell the truth, and it can be an incredibly hard thing for the average person to tell the boss he or she might be wrong.

KD: Part of knowing we’re always going to have each other’s back is that sometimes we’re going to tell each other things we don’t want to hear.

Often, I’m at forefront of implementing organizational priorities and initiative, and can sometimes hear a lot of pushback or concern.

It’s my job to know when I need to be Darin’s representative and cut through that resistance, and when this might be something he needs to hear.

DA: That’s when we rely on the history and trust in the relationship. I know when Kelly’s really being serious; when it’s something big on which I need to focus. I am

absolutely convinced that she’s batting a thousand with telling me when I need to reconsider something.

RESSEGUIE: Are there any

inherent risks to having long-term leaders?

MW: I think the biggest risk would be if we ceased to grow, develop, and push ourselves. If that were to happen, group-think could set in and effectively create a leadership void.

KD: We all share an underlying value of doing what’s best for our organizations to keep them healthy, sustainable, and successful.

Fort Collins’ executive team is a healthy mix of people who were promoted from within and hired from outside.

Each of them brings new ideas and perspectives and has helped us create a truly collaborative team dynamic.

DA: We have elections every two years. By design, our elected leadership is transient, and today’s workforce can also be transient. There’s tremendous value in bringing in new colleagues and elected leaders who can see Fort Collins with fresh eyes.

And to balance that, it’s been extremely helpful to have some long-term colleagues with a deep understanding of the organization and community.

SS: We’re not potted plants.

We’re not just plugging along doing the same things in the same ways. We very intentionally keep our minds open to other ideas.

Neither of us will be here forever, and we owe it to the long-term viability of the organization to bring in another assistant manager at some future point. It will be hard to fold

someone else in, but it’s so important that we do.

RESSEGUIE: What have you

valued most in developing long-lasting working relationships?

DA: There is a lonely side of leadership. It is so important to have someone in your corner and know that you don’t always have to do all the pushups yourself.

You don’t necessarily have to work with someone for 20 years for that person to have your back; however, you do need to find those people in your own life and career.

MW: Susan and I have been through the good, bad, and indifferent. We can finish each other’s sentences.

We’ve seen each other’s kids grow up.

It’s been a partnership, and I know I would not have been able to accomplish what I have in Olathe without her.

KD: Darin and his family have become like my own.

We’ve been to each other’s graduation parties and weddings and baby showers.

When you consider the amount of time you spend with your colleagues, I am incredibly thankful to work with many people whom I consider to be true friends.

SS: There are a lot of ways to have a local government management career. You can hop across the country if you want to. You can stay in one place if you want to.

This career path doesn’t have to dictate your life path—you can choose.

Amy Resseguie is senior communications coordinator, Fort Collins, Colorado (AResseguie@ fcgov.com).

APRIL 2019 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | 27

Transforming

BY NAT ROJANASATHIRA AND DOMINIC LAZZARETTO

TALENT Development

INSIGHTS FROM CAL-ICMA’S TALENT INITIATIVE

28 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | APRIL 2019

Finding and acquiring talented team members— let alone hanging onto them—is one of the major responsibilities of managers and department heads.

In recent years, we have noted that California agencies are experiencing many vacancies in key positions, with fewer seasoned department heads and other senior managers to recruit from other local governments.

Cal-ICMA launched the Talent Initiative in late 2016 with the goal of engaging chief executives, human resources (HR) professionals, and emerging leaders in a conversation about effective local government talent strategies. We started with these three questions: 1. What are the talent challenges that confront cities, counties, and special districts in California?

Employees of all ages seek meaning and purpose in their work. This is one area where local government has a major advantage over the private sector.

• Successfully attracting and retaining talent is more about culture than money. Traditionally stodgy governmental culture inhibits innovation, discourages experimentation, and turns away the best talent.

• Recruitment efforts are often outdated and involve a lengthy hiring process that can inhibit applicants.

• Longer commutes, housing costs, and child care needs mean that employees have a desire for flexible work schedules; local governments have an opportunity to meet those needs without compromising service delivery expectations.

Six Steps to Get Started The Cal-ICMA Talent Development Team judged the following as the most important development steps: 1. Commit the time to making talent efforts a priority. Your plate is full. You’re trying to manage council relationships, budget challenges, special projects, and much more. Make the time. It’s imperative to your organization’s future survival and long-term health. »

2. What obstacles hinder our efforts to address talent challenges?

3. What are strong examples from public and private sectors, culture-building strategies, and other resources we can use to better attract, retain, and grow talent?

Following a year of research, focus groups, and surveys of California’s local government executives, the Cal-ICMA Talent Development Team released Talent 2.0 (www.icma.org/cal-icma/talentinitiative), a report to help managers and their organizations better attract, retain, and grow talent in today’s environment and into the future.

Here are key findings from the report: • Employees of all ages seek meaning and purpose in their work. This is one area where local government has a major advantage over the private sector.

• Public agencies can no longer rely on “stealing” talent from other agencies; we need to grow our own talent.

APRIL 2019 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | 29

Employee expectations are constantly changing, and organizations must adapt.

Take the first step by working with your HR team to assess your agency’s current efforts and develop a list of changes to implement over time. Recognize that transformative change may take a few years, not months.

2. Form an employee engagement team. Many agencies have had success with having a team, representing a cross section of employees across departments, play a role in shaping employee engagement efforts.

These engagement initiatives often result in employee retention and development efforts that are unique and personalized to the organization, not just cookie-cutter approaches.

3. Reinvent recruitment efforts.

Posting job descriptions on your organization’s website is insufficient. Hunt for talent by updating job descriptions and employment opportunities Web pages so that they highlight the community, the organizational culture, and the benefits of working for your agency.

Then take advantage of all available communication channels, including

30 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | APRIL 2019

your agency’s Twitter, Nextdoor, and Facebook feeds, to promote employment opportunities in your community.

4. Foster a culture of coaching.

Consider retooling the employee evaluation system (or eliminate it altogether) so that it emphasizes employee growth, development, and a culture of coaching, not just discipline and ratings. Train managers how to effectively coach and grow staff members.

5. Develop a workplace flexibility plan. It’s understood that employees in front counter, public safety, and other positions must have a set work schedule.

With the right tools—laptops, webcams, cloud-based services—and expectations on how employees can stay connected by phone or virtually, employees in many positions can be just as productive working from home as working in the office.

Other examples of workplace flexibility include adaptable and varying arrival and departure times, along with compressed work schedules, flextime, and even job splitting. It’s not about working less; it’s about working differently to adapt to the changing needs of your workforce.

6. Follow-up with team members, stress the importance of talent efforts, and keep it up. Sometimes, we hear about chief executives and HR managers who stress the importance of modern Talent 2.0 practices but find out that their managers and employees have reverted back to business as usual. Model the change and follow-up with team members.

Transforming how local governments attract, retain, and grow talent is like maintaining a garden; these efforts can’t just be set up and left alone. While outcomes of these efforts take time, the results are incredibly rewarding.

You’ll likely find employees more engaged, happy, productive, and inspired to serve their organization and community.

For resources on the Cal-ICMA Talent Initiative, including the Talent 2.0 Report and a compendium of best practices from local governments, visit www.icma.org/cal-icma/ talentinitiative.

Nat Rojanasathira is administrative services director, Danville, California, (nat@danville.ca.gov).

Dominic Lazzaretto is city manager, Arcadia, California (domlazz@ Arcadiaca.gov). Both are CalICMA Talent Initiative co-chairs.

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ADRIANA TRUJILLO-VILLA

AFTER

You Land Your

DREAM JOB Make It Your Time to Shine You have worked hard to get that dream job, and now it is your time to shine.

Still, being in a new position and sometimes even a new organization can be overwhelming at first. Just keep reminding yourself how capable you are and that you are there for a reason.

In my professional journey, I have been fortunate to count on mentors and a strong support group, who often reminded me to keep in mind these steps when I began a new job.

Invest in preparation. Remember to do your homework about the organization and the community you are becoming a part of before your first day at your new job.

It may be a little stressful to be the new kid on the block, and it is highly recommended to give yourself a break as it takes a few weeks until you know your way around your community and until you remember the names of all the new people you meet at work.

Also, read your organization’s strategic plan and become familiar with priorities and key projects. Take a deep breath, you got this, and as the adage goes, “Rome was not built in a day.”

Continue to ask questions.

If your new job is to be a supervisor, a manager, or even a director, the expectation may be that you know everything about the job and that you need to hit the ground running.

It is beneficial, however, to take the time to meet with key players in your

IT IS BENEFICIAL TO TAKE THE TIME TO MEET WITH KEY PLAYERS IN YOUR ORGANIZATION AND BEGIN ESTABLISHING RELATIONSHIPS. organization and begin establishing relationships. Your direct reports will appreciate it when you show interest in their jobs, show that you care about the regular operations, and show your willingness in having a smooth transition.

Seek the support of your mentors and support group.

Transitioning into a new job can be seriously demanding.

Remember your support group and your mentors will be there for you as you write a new chapter in your professional life.

As I grew personally and professionally, my mentors and support group became my biggest supporters and oftentimes my cheerleaders.

Rely on your mentors and support group; lean on them as they are happy to help and act as a sounding board in times of need.

Give back: Be a mentor and a coach.

As you ease into your new position, you could consider becoming a mentor and a coach. Young professionals are usually looking for mentors and you could be one of them and also help shape the leaders of tomorrow.

Likewise, you could be a coach within your own organization and support your employees so they can achieve their full potential. Be open and willing to take on the challenge to be a mentor and a coach as the opportunities to encourage other

professionals could be within your organization.

Stay current. Most

professionals seek ways to stay current with what is new in their profession. Be one of them and seek training opportunities that will enable you to keep abreast of best management practices and new technologies within your profession.

By staying current you can give back to your organization and your community. If you have areas that need improvement, look for opportunities to develop new skills and advance professionally.

Take care of yourself. You also need to take

the time to take care of the greatest asset you have—you. Make time for yourself and

also evaluate four areas of your life: physical, social and emotional, mental, and spiritual.

Strive every day to find the balance between your work life and your personal life.

By achieving balance in your life, you become more productive and more in tune to the capabilities and needs of those around you.

And for those professionals who have not yet landed their dream job, take heart. Treat the job you do have as preparation for that future.

Don’t be discouraged, keep investing in the areas you want to develop, and, above all, remember to keep your eyes on the prize.1 “Eyes on the Prize, Practical Suggestions for Career Advancement,” Public Management (PM) magazine, Page 28, October 2017, https://icma.org/articles/ pm-magazine/eyes-prize.

1

Adriana Trujillo-Villa is interim public works director, Public Works Department, Haines City, Florida (atrujillo@hainescity.com).

APRIL 2019 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | 33

Career Mapping FROM THE

GET-GO

BY SHANALEE GALLAGHER

How ICMA Opens Doors to Young Professionals

I

began my path towards a career in local government with a feeling that I wanted to change things. Living in Northern California’s Bay Area, I was disappointed with policies I felt were shortsighted. Some of the policies seemed experimental and risky; I suspected that had they been evaluated properly, the Bay would not be suffering from some of its most distressing issues, such as the housing crisis.

Looking to make a difference at the state, federal, and tribal levels, I was drawn to Mills College for graduate studies because it offered a master of public policy (MPP) degree. I liked that this degree focused more on research, analysis, evaluation, and strategic long-term planning, which I felt were the best tools for policy work.

During my first semester, I discovered the Mills ICMA Student Chapter, which played an important role in my professional growth. The student chapter president mentored me, empowered me to host my own ICMA event, and I later took on the role of chapter president.

Despite caring deeply about local issues, I had not actually considered working in local government when starting my MPP program. But in 2017, ICMA member Alexandra Orologas sponsored my attendance to ICMA’s West Coast Regional Summit in Burlingame, California. I met more than 40 professionals at the event and had countless meaningful conversations. I left truly inspired by what I had experienced, and started to consider a career in local government.

The real “game changer” on my career map was attending the ICMA University Workshop Leadership Strategies to Move Communities from Disruption to Connection and Renewal. I had never witnessed senior management speak about their professional and personal experience handling tragedies their communities experienced and even admitting their mistakes. Importantly, I saw these leaders sharing lessons learned and providing real-time support to other jurisdictions facing similar situations.

34 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | APRIL 2019

Chance Encounters Can Change Your Course

At the summit I met Pam Antil, Assistant City Manager of Santa Barbara, California. Pam was smart, experienced, and delightful to be around, and I decided right then that I’d do anything to work for her. I called her many times over the next few months, and eventually secured an internship. Not only did I leave the summit with an exceptional number of new mentors, the experience was invaluable and completely changed the course of my career.

This brings me to lesson number one: Chance encounters can change your course. You never know where you might meet someone who

changes your career, so show up for events, try out new organizations, and go to meetings – even if they’re a little inconvenient or don’t seem exceptionally inspiring. There’s always a possibility it won’t be worth your time, but one thing is for sure: if you don’t show up, you can’t meet anybody.

During my time in Santa Barbara, I was assigned to various projects and advocated for some of my own projects from personal interest.

Lesson number two: Having a strong mentor is helpful; if you see an opportunity, they can help you grab it.

My internship experience prepared me for my first post-graduate Local Government Management Fellowship (LGMF), and for choosing the right fellowship. The fellowship I ultimately chose was for the City of Evanston – a mid-sized city adjacent to Chicago, IL. Moving across the country to take a new job seemed daunting.

I interviewed for LGMF in Evanston with Assistant City Manager, Erika Storlie. When Erika sensed I was having a difficult time with this decision, she was kind enough to take time out of her day and talk me through my other offers. Erika has become a great mentor and is still helping me navigate my next steps, both inside and outside of Evanston.

Lesson three: If you have the opportunity to choose your boss, do it.

Finding the Right Mentors

Mentoring and guidance is important at all career stages, particularly when you see a course change ahead. Luckily, experienced professionals

generally love helping those of us just starting out in local government. ICMA has opened a lot of doors for me, and I am grateful for the lasting relationships I have made thus far.

Here are some personal strategies I recommend for acquiring strong mentors: 1. Don’t be afraid to access your local network. While in graduate school, I scoured the Mills College Alumni list for professionals working in local government and reached out to them with specific requests. For example, I found Melissa McDonough at the City of

Berkeley, California, and asked if she could help me prepare for an interview. To my surprise, although to this day we have never met in person, she did. You can also cross-check ICMA members with your university alumni list, which can give you enough commonality to start a conversation.

2. Take advantage of ICMA’s amazing network of members. Check

out the online Who’s Who at icma.org. I have reached out to many people for assistance on a variety of topics, including best practice

»

APRIL 2019 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | 35

Example: Dear Director of Lion Tamers, [Explain who you are] I am an early-career lion tamer and I am looking for guidance and career development.

research, advice on how to complete a specific task, process-related topics, and more. You can reach professionals in almost any position through ICMA, and receive a guaranteed warm welcome and abundance of help. ICMA also offers a number of career coaching options – take advantage of them. I was “matched” with Kevin Caitlin, City Manager of Springfield, Michigan, an LGMF alumnus. I have been in touch with him consistently since our meetup at the conference. If you are a current LGMF, how many times have you accessed your coach since 2018 ICMA Conference?

3. Pick a supervisor or team leader, not a position. It may sound

[Explain why you are contacting this person specifically; show that you have done your initial research and carefully selected them.]

I have experience in lion taming, however, managing lion tamers is another type of cat herding. When I saw that you are the Director of Lion Tamers for the City of Santa Fe, I was thrilled. I am from Las Cruces myself, and it’s my dream to manage lion tamers for a mid-sized city in the Southwest. I would love to discuss the unique challenges you have faced managing lion tamers in the Southwest, and if you have any guidance or suggestions as I look for my next role.

[Suggest a method of contact and schedule to show you are wellorganized and serious.]

If you are willing, I am available for an initial phone call at the following times.

Once you have spoken, you can agree on what schedule and method of contact is best for both of you (but more so, for them).

You will agree on how, how often, and what times they prefer to be contacted.

counterintuitive, but choosing a role based on the person you will report to, rather than the job description, can help propel your career exponentially. It’s possible to have a mentor who is not also your boss, but nobody knows your professional life as well as your boss. A great boss is able to understand what’s important to you, what your strengths and skillset is, and is able to assign work accordingly. These are also characteristics of a great boss; how awesome does it feel to receive a project based on your strengths?

My last piece of advice is, if you are not interviewing with your future boss, ask to do so.

6. Know your own strengths and weaknesses. It can be difficult to assess your own abilities and areas of growth. If you’re not sure, ask professors, former bosses, and co-workers for an honest assessment. Ignorance is not bliss in this regard! It’s impossible to grow, and impossible to select a team of mentors, without being aware of what you don’t know.

4. Use LinkedIn. Throw a message out there and see what happens. I

7. Choose different mentors for different purposes. I have differ-

found one of my best mentors on LinkedIn. He graciously offered one free phone conversation to help me navigate a sticky power dynamic.

One year later, Nick Kittle, Government Performance and Innovation Coach, is still helping me navigate sticky situations and the daily pickle.

LinkedIn can also be used to find professionals in positions you are aiming for and find professionals who have specific skill sets or expertise of interest. Both are great icebreakers.

5. The “ask.” Finding a mentor is about building a relationship. It’s is important to upfront and be specific about what you need, so that mentors understand clearly how they can support you. In discussion with a colleague, Lyzz Schwegler, Communications Director for Sister District, she informed me that “people are constantly asking us for professional advice in such a non-specific way and it makes it impossible for us to support them.” If you don’t know exactly what you need, but you want a monthly call to ask questions, that’s ok – just say that. And, as willing as local government professionals are to help, keep in mind that they are busy. Be sure to keep your r equest appropriate – asking a City Manager for weekly calls might be challenging.

36 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | APRIL 2019

ent mentors for different reasons, based on their expertise. This is a good strategy because it puts less burden on any individual mentor, and you can avoid “mentor burnout.”

Make It Count

When you attend an ICMA event, as a student, intern, Fellow, or early-career professional, keep your eyes and ears open. EVERY interaction is an interview. Show interest, don’t waste anyone’s time, have a specific ask, provide clear expectations, use your resources wisely, and keep it professional.

If you want something, be persistent and work for it. If you are in the early stages and will be applying for jobs, know that it’s not easy.

Get used to the word no.

Lastly, in the spirit of giving back as many of my own mentors have done for me, please reach out! If you have reached a more advanced stage and are seeking more tips, I can be reached via LinkedIn or through ICMA’s Who’s Who page.

Shanalee Gallagher is an ICMA Local Government Management Fellow, Evanston, Illinois (sgallagher@alumnae.mills.edu).

Veterans Local Government Management Fellowship What is VLGMF? management training and hands-on experience in the local government environment with the goal of preparing them for

(ELGL) will provide a number of professional development, networking, coaching, and free professional membership

Who is eligible?

Service Members who: ➤ ➤

Hold a Bachelor’s Degree with 3+ years of leadership experience (or equivalent related experience) OR

➤

Hold an Associate’s Degree with 5+ years of leadership experiences (or equivalent related experience) WITH the intent to complete their Bachelor’s Degree in the next 2-3 years.

➤

Have a strong interest in serving in local government management.

➤

Possess one or more of the following areas of experience that are relevant to local government management:

➤

What are the dates? ➤

Cohort 19-02: May 13 – August 30, 2019 (Deadline to Apply: April 19, 2019)

➤

Cohort 19-03: September 9 – December 20, 2019 (Deadline to Apply: August 16, 2019)

➤

Cohort 20-01: January 6 – April 24, 2020 (Deadline to Apply: December 6, 2019)

MILITARY VETS

SERVING TWICE This pool of highly skilled professionals may be the answer to the boomer retirement wave

BY SCOTT TRAINOR AND DARRIN TANGEMAN

I (Scott Trainor) have a confession that my co-author has graciously allowed me to share: About 15 years ago, I learned that a retired Army major had been hired to serve as town administrator in a neighboring community.

“What skills and experiences could this Army guy have that could possibly translate into local government service?” I asked myself, my thoughts barreling along, in effect building a case against this hire. “He doesn’t have an advanced degree in public administration nor does he have ICMA management credentials.”

Turned out I was wrong – embarrassingly so. Anyone who has worked with military veterans can see why I am somewhat ashamed to share this story all these years later.

38 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | APRIL 2019

That misguided attitude revealed my utter lack of experience working with military professionals which blinded me to the vast and untapped talent that vets can bring to local governance.

And as the current exodus of highly-skilled professionals from the workforce ramps up, we believe this moment could not be more urgent.

Consider this 2017 estimate from a senate report on aging. Over the next decade, some 40 million baby boomers will retire (https://www.aging.senate.gov/ imo/media/doc/Aging%20Workforce%20Report%20 FINAL.pdf).

Put another way, over 31% of 128 million workers will vanish.

For those of us in local government who already face a highly competitive labor market (https://www.bls.gov/ opub/mlr/2018/beyond-bls/down-and-down-we-gothe-falling-us-labor-force-participation-rate.html), this trend promises to add new challenges to hiring technically savvy individuals, not the least of which is stiff competition from the private sector.

Interestingly, the above-stated trend we face matches the dynamic lifecycle of military professionals in which 250,000 military retirees transition to the private sector annually. They are mostly young, early to mid 40s, with tremendous experience, leadership, and talent in search of a second career.

Experts describe the US military as the world’s greatest and most elite leadership school.

We agree. Many career military staff have been tested in austere, culturally sensitive conflict zones – think Afghanistan and Iraq. They have led platoons of 20, 40 or over 100 troops, a “management” job that demands split-second decision-making skills that have life or death implications.

And contrary to popular memes, post-9/11 veterans have developed strong conflict management and soft skills through diplomatic and key leader engagements in the United States and overseas.

Here at home, military installation commands work regularly with adjacent local governments to identify collaborative opportunities for emergency response to natural disasters, common infrastructure improvements and the provision of public services.

Overseas, military service members work directly with local government officials in Africa and the Middle East on projects like maintaining key infrastructure, air and water quality improvements, public safety and education projects and counter-terrorism training.

Not only are these skills directly translatable to local government service, but perhaps more importantly, offer diverse perspectives for policy and problem solving.

Meet Aric Ward, a senior non-commissioned officer and one our best hires. After completing a local

Many veterans are military retirees in their earlyto-mid 40s who bring tremendous experience, leadership, and public sector talent in search of their second career.

governance fellowship for vets, he became a top manager for our Human Resources department. With 20 years of HR expertise at the DOD, Ward’s military career matched our needs perfectly. To date, Aric has performed beyond expectations, continuing to build his own core competencies. He Aric Ward has established himself as a reliable colleague with a sterling reputation among his colleagues.

Aric performed beyond expectations and was an incredible fit for the organization. He still serves in the position and continues to build upon his incredible competence and positive reputation with the employees.

That said, Aric is the exception, not the rule.

We have witnessed the widespread, blatant discrimination against job hunting vets ever since we founded the Veterans Local Government Management Fellowship (VLGMF) program in 2016, The argument not to hire a vet goes something like this: they tend towards autocratic leadership styles, they possess no soft skills, and the notion that military experience is not professionally relevant to local government management.

We have heard hiring officials openly tell others that they won’t hire veterans because of past introductions to veterans. These comments break laws against age, gender and ethnic discrimination, but there are those hiring managers who believe the law doesn’t apply to veterans (https://www.military.com/hiring-veterans/resources/5reasons-why-employers-are-not-hiring-vets.html).

Along with coaching veterans to market their rare and valuable skills to potential employers, we discovered a workaround to combat these entrenched myths that unfairly exclude vets from far too many jobs.

Sign up to serve as a local government sponsor for VLGMF, a fellowship program backed by the Pentagon »

APRIL 2019 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | 39

Veterans Leaving the Military (2003-2019)1 Active Duty Separations and Reserve Losses 2003

275,000

2004

298,000

2005

274,000

2006

262,000

2007

269,000

2008

251,000

2009

248,000

2010

240,000

2011

244,000

2012

267,000

2013

271,000

2014

245,000

2015-2019

230,000-245,000

(per year, enlisted and officer, est.)

Estimated 2003-2019

4.3 million2

As a population, enlisted service members are younger than officers. Many enlisted service members do not have college degrees when they join the military. For example, in 2008, the year in which the highest concentration of US troops deployed overseas, 52 percent of enlisted service members were 25 years old or younger, and only 4.5 percent had a bachelor’s degree.2 The numbers from 2003-2014 represent enlisted service members only, and are calculated from the Defense Department’s annual Demographics Reports. US Department of Defense.

(2003-2014). Demographics Reports. Retrieved from http://www. militaryonesource.mil/footer?content_id=279104. I have included Active Duty Enlisted Members separations and retirements, and Enlisted Members Losses from Army National Guard and Reserve, Navy Reserve, Marine Corps Reserve, Air Force National Guard and Reserve who transferred to civilian life or to the Individual Ready Reserves or Standby Reserves. The projected numbers through 2019 represent do not differentiate between enlisted service members and officers. US Government Accountability Office. (2014). Transitioning Veterans: Improved Oversight Needed to Enhance Implementation of Transition Assistance Program [GAO-14144]. Retrieved from http://www.gao.gov/assets/670/661361.pdf 1

This estimate is higher than the VA’s estimated 1.9 million OEF/ OIF/OND veterans because the military’s separations and losses data do not distinguish between service members based on their period of service or the character of their discharge.

2

US Department of Defense. (2008). 2008 Demographics Report.

Retrieved from http://download.militaryonesource.mil/12038/ MOS/Reports/2008%20Demographics.pdf 3

40 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | APRIL 2019

that offers transition support Learn About VLGMF to service personnel with a special focus on how to prep for Visit ICMA’s Veterans Local a second career in local governGovernment Management ment. The program, funded Fellowship website at

by DOD, also matches eligible icma.org/vlgmf to find out fellows with local government more about the program. To sponsors based on skills, request additional information regarding the fellowship, education, experience and the contact Scott Robinson at preferences of both parties.

ICMA, srobinson@icma.org.

Fellows typically work approximately 35 hours a week with a local government, while also fulfilling online local government training and military transition requirements.

The program also allows local governments to evaluate each Fellow to determine if he or she might be a good fit for future job openings within the organization.

Another way to get past systemic stereotyping is to encourage vets to apply to ICMA fellowships, which provide local governments myriad opportunities to recruit, train, and potentially employ these veterans, strengthening our teams who are critical to public service.

Thinking back some 15 years ago, I never could have predicted I’d not only hire a vet like Aric, but how he would deepen my understanding of exemplary leadership, top notch organizational behavior and results-driven strategic planning.

There is no doubt that the US military is among very few organizations that consistently produce some of the best professionals on offer.

We urge you to tap into this pool of unmatched talent.

Scott Trainor is city manager, Fountain, Colorado (strainor@fountaincolorado.org), and Darrin Tangeman is city manager, Woodland Park, Colorado (darrintangeman@ gmail.com).

COMMENTARY

Keep Age Out of It

By Robert Shapiro

Ageism Has No Place in Hiring Practices

I found my job at the Village of Friendship

for the position but thought stating a maximum was Heights, Maryland, in the obituary section of The Washingequivalent to putting in a maximum age. The workshop ton Post. The former village manager had just passed away. instructor saw no problem with the maximum wording.

Since I had been looking for a job at the time, with little My wife was recently told at a consulting firm that they success, I took a chance and called the village mayor whom were looking for someone “less seasoned.” She knew exI knew while living in the village 20 years earlier. actly what that meant. A few years ago, I saw this I was told the village was in the final stages of language in a brochure I received from a recruiter WE WERE BOTH interviewing for both a manager and an assistant concerning a position in Florida: WILLING TO TEACH manager, and the mayor invited me to come in for “Finally, the council is looking for someone what I was sure was a courtesy interview. Long who will commit to the city for the long term.

AND LEARN FROM story short, I have been with the village, first as They are not looking for someone who views this EACH OTHER, assistant manager, then as Assistant Village Manposition as a steppingstone to the next position WHICH IS A RECIPE ager/Finance Director for nearly 23 years. or to retirement (unless retirement is a long way FOR SUCCESS Up until that time I had not seen a lot of off). The city manager’s position in [location] is a courtesy in my job search. There had been a destination in and of itself.” time in my career when sending a resume almost I contacted the company advertising the posiguaranteed an interview and often led to an offer. tion, noting that this sounded like blatant age discriminaThat was no longer my experience. Of the piles of retion and asked them what, given this wording, was the sumes I had sent out, each with a customized cover letter, maximum age for the position. This was the response: the response had been about 50-50. Half the time I was “Thank you for (the) comment, but I disagree. The city rejected without an interview; the other half of the time I wants someone who will stay five to 10 years and preferdidn’t get a response at all. ably the latter. Hence, they do not want someone who I was 50-years-old when I was hired by Friendship will be moving on after two or three years—whether it is Heights. My new boss, the manager, was 29. He had been because they will be looking for the next, better position there for six years, starting as the assistant to the manager. or someone who plans to hang it up in two or three years.

I am sure he had his concerns when the mayor at the time “We will consider anyone who is willing to make a wanted to hire the “old guy,” but he was willing to give it five- or 10-year commitment. As I am sure you are aware, a shot. some people retire at 40 and others, like my father, retire Nearly all other employees were also older than he was. in their 80s or later. The point, again, is the city wants Fortunately, I had some experience being a young boss someone who will stay five to 10 years.” » and knew it could be challenging.

We were both willing to teach and learn from each other, which is a recipe for success. We have enjoyed working together all of these years, and we have also accomplished quite a bit.

Rampant Prejudice Ageism, in my opinion, is the last frontier of “acceptable” illegal discrimination, and I believe it is rampant in today’s world. I attended a workshop where the topic was discrimination in hiring. The moderator was talking about things to avoid when advertising a position that might be interpreted as discriminatory.

I asked about including such wording in job advertisements as three to five years of experience or five to 10 years. I could understand setting a minimum standard APRIL 2019 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | 41

If these are the facts, then I think the job advertisement should say that. Two years ago, I received a brochure from the same company with this wording: “The assistant city manager needs to be someone who does not settle for second best because this community is one where the best is merely adequate and something to be exceeded. This job is not a retirement job. Only the serious and vigorous will be successful.”

Maybe I am just too sensitive.

Birth Dates and Such When I first joined ICMA, I received a printed directory each year. The member listings included birth dates and a resume of experience.

I contacted ICMA and requested that my birth date be removed, and my experience be limited to my local government experience. The person I spoke with complied but thought this was fraud.

By understating my experience? The only thing I was obfuscating, possibly, was my age.

I asked the purpose of including anyone’s age in bio information and was told it was so people of similar ages could network.

Kind of like at the assistant’s lunches at the ICMA conferences. Interestingly, my ICMA profile still lists my college graduation date, another hint employers use to determine age.

A few times since working for the village of Friendship Heights I have tested the waters for other jobs.

I admit it. Twice I applied to larger Washington area jurisdictions. I didn’t get an interview either time.

As it turned out, the same person was hired for both jobs. Twenty years my junior. Is no longer in either position. Both of the people I sent my application to have also moved on.

Once, I sent a resume for a town manager position in Florida. I didn’t get an interview. When I saw the announcement for the person hired I looked up the name in my trusty ICMA directory. Very similar background in local government to mine. I just had 20 years of additional experience.

Robert Shapiro is Assistant Village Manager/Finance Director, Village of Friendship Heights, Maryland (rshapiro@ friendshipheightsmd.gov).

Attitudes Are Important There are concerns, of course, when hiring someone older, especially for a position for which they might be considered “over qualified” (I’ve also heard that one a few times) or where they will be working for people younger and possibly less experienced.

One thing I accepted when I joined the Friendship Heights staff is that I was now the assistant manager of the village. Who I might have been before, profes-

42 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | APRIL 2019

sionally, was part of me but not the role I was playing at this time.

That let me not only do the job, but ultimately grow while in the job. It also left me free to learn. My boss had a lot to teach me.

He also realized that giving me a long leash often came back to benefit him. We all need to remember that what we now herald as “diversity” used to be considered reasons why a potential hire would not “fit in.”

I was fortunate that my courtesy interview was indeed courteous. We discussed the village and discussed my background. I didn’t offer my previous salary, and I wasn’t asked. I did, however, explain that salary was not a key issue for me.

There are other situations where I would have been dismissed as the dreaded “over qualified.” Ironically, when I started my new job I found that the village didn’t even have the cash flow to pay my reduced compensation.

Over the years, that has been fixed. Cash flow is no longer a problem, and fortunately, all staff salaries have risen considerably.

Am I responsible for this? Of course not. There were a lot of factors coming together. Did my presence and perhaps age help? I like to think so.

A Unique Community Friendship Heights is a unique place. The village is a 32-acre enclave of high-rise buildings, housing some 4,500 people, just over the Maryland line from Washington, D.C. We have the second largest concentration of people over the age of 65 in Montgomery County, Maryland. Second only to Leisure World, an agerestricted community.

There are also a nearly equal number of residents under 35. We have a central community center catering to all residents, but with many programs aimed at older people. The village council’s goal has been to help keep people independent, in their homes, for as long as possible.

The 11-member village staff reflects the uniqueness.

We range in age from 49 to 97. Some employees were hired in their 20s and just stayed. Others were hired when they were much older and with other careers behind them. It certainly works for us.

In my opinion it is time for ICMA to step to the forefront of opposing ageism in hiring. Simply by natural demographics, the membership will age with the boomers. I believe that there is much ICMA and its members can do to both identify factors in age discrimination and to assist members in dealing with them.

MANAGEMENT

Manage This

By Gregory Burris

Promoting Volunteerism to Your Community’s Retirees

If you are a local government manager,

why should you care about volunteerism? As a retired city manager, I believe that the communities and their managers who can answer this question will have a significant competitive advantage during the next 20-plus years.

With 10,000 baby boomers turning 65 every day for 19 years according to the Pew Research Center, is your community ready for the wave of retirees?1 In my experience, every community of any size has two things—volunteer needs and skilled retirees seeking ways to regain their identity.

While volunteers can be almost every age, it is important that local government leaders begin to focus on this growing and largely untapped wave of baby boomer retirees. I believe everyone needs to be needed, even after retirement.

Here are five things to consider about getting your community’s retirees active through volunteerism: 1. Think of volunteerism as “civic matchmaking.” I real-

ize Valentine’s Day has come and gone for this year, but romance is always in style. On one side of the romance is a wave of talent, skills, and passion possessed by the growing population of retirees.

On the other side of the romance are the suitors—nonprofits and local governments—who are seeking skilled and passionate volunteers.

What if each community could connect these two groups by some version of speed dating or “civic matchmaking”? It can be done, but communities must be intentional about it.

2. Follow the passion. Encourage retirees to real-

ize they don’t have to volunteer in the same job areas as they did with their careers. This is their chance to do something different and perhaps something they’ve always wanted to do.

If a person has spent their entire career as an accountant, they may want to swing a hammer or mentor young people. Successful volunteerism relies on the volunteer following their passion, while also benefiting the community.

3. Strengthen your community’s fabric. Volunteer-

ism can enhance trust, social capital and empathy, which will strengthen a community’s overall social fabric. What community couldn’t use more of these?

Volunteering impacts the individual, the nonprofit or local government, as well as the community’s social fabric, economic vitality, and quality of life. It’s truly a win-win-win scenario. »

APRIL 2019 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | 43

ENSURE YOUR COMMUNITY PROVIDES A MENU OF MEANINGFUL VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES.

Gregory Burris is executive director, Give 5 Program, United Way of the Ozarks, Springfield, Missouri (gburris@ uwozarks.com). He is the former city manager of Springfield.

4. Address social isolation. The levels of social

isolation in my community were greater than I imagined. Social isolation is, almost by definition, hard to see if you don’t look for it.

Isolation is difficult to find unless a community is intentional about it. Out of sight, out of mind.

The best tool we’ve found is to offer a program that entices people to come out and get involved.

Most realize they are not engaged. Communities need to create an opportunity for them to break out of their isolation cycle.

Do you know the level of social isolation in your community? Whether you realize it or not, I’ll bet you know someone who is suffering from social isolation or loneliness.

Humans are social animals, so the health impacts of social isolation are astounding. According to a study at Brigham Young University, loneliness and social isolation have the equivalent health impacts as smoking 15 cigarettes per day.2 Draw some of your neighbors out of social isolation by creating volunteer opportunities that are fun, meaningful, social, and easy to find. Create opportunities for the volunteers to regain their identity and make their friends jealous.

5. Ensure your community provides a menu of meaningful volunteer opportunities. If a retired

chief executive officer offers to volunteer with your organization and you give this person some filing to do, they are not coming back the next day.

Remember, this is the other side of the romance equation. An army of skilled volunteers cannot make an impact unless there are meaningful volunteer opportunities available in a community.

Remember, too, most people are not looking for a full-time volunteer job; they are seeking one that will be fulfilling and make a difference in their community.

While they may not want to stay in the same lane as their previous career path, many do want to use the skills and talents they have amassed.

Offer an array of volunteer opportunities in your community and be specific about them and the benefits they provide to residents. http://www.pewresearch.org/facttank/2010/12/29/baby-boomers-retire 2 https://news.byu.edu/news/prescriptionliving-longer-spend-less-time-alone; https:// womensconference.byu.edu/sites/womensconference. ce.byu.edu/files/12.pdf 1

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2019 ICMA

ANNUAL CONFERENCE OCTOBER 20–23 REGISTRATION OPENS JUNE 26, 2019

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MANAGEMENT

Four Tips for Modernizing Meetings Forget the Old, Tired Routine

By Elise Keith

were doing. One-way monologues were never thrilling, but they were the easiest way to share information in the past.

Now teams post updates online. Between all the chatter created by our coworkers and the constant influx of news from the outside world, the challenge shifts from distributing information to sifting through it all to figure out what matters.

Tip 1: Trade information sharing for sense making. Manag-

ers must learn to ask great questions. Teams make sense of all this information not by passively listening but by actively debating the answers to skillful questions.

The always-on barrage of updates and infotainment creates workers who are always learning (bright side!) and highly distractible.

Heraclitus’s river has become a flood, leaving many people with a fragile grasp on the team’s boat. A 90-minute meeting once per week is too long to hold anyone’s attention and too infrequent to ensure the team stays connected.

Tip 2: Hold shorter, more frequent meetings. Pair daily

stand ups with a short weekly meeting. Most full-time teams find that a short meeting for quickly confirming daily plans and a weekly meeting for checking alignment and priorities works best. This pattern is common to both agile development teams and high-performance leadership teams. Remote teams streamline further by running the stand-up in a chat app.

VUCA-Ready Meetings

We started a new year, yet countless managers

Elise Keith, Is the cofounder of Lucid Meetings, Portland, Oregon, and the author of Where the Action Is: The Meetings That Make or Break Your Organization (www. lucidmeetings.com; connect with her on Twitter, @EliseID8).

will walk into a meeting that seems identical to the meetings they’ve held in 2018. New year, same tired routine.

What these managers may not realize is that the old approach to meetings, where someone talks the team to sleep each week, is quickly becoming unacceptable. Companies everywhere are ditching their boring meetings and adopting more effective practices.

Two factors driving revolution throughout the modern workplace also demand a new way of meeting: digitalization and VUCA. Meetings in the Digital Workplace The rise of digital technology has obvious impacts on meetings. We no longer need to travel and rarely pass around printed reports. Paperless virtual meetings are now common, and for some companies, the only option.

Digitalization also changes how teams work during the meeting. Before email and other online communications, it made sense for teams to gather to hear what their colleagues

46 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | APRIL 2019

Change is a constant, but the rate of change is not. Today’s management blogs are full of strategies for navigating a workplace awash in VUCA: Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity.

There are no sure bets in a VUCA world, but there are sure ways to fail. Waterfall planning and command-and-control leadership, those darlings of the industrial age, are now the prime examples of what not to do.

As any factory worker knows, automation is taking over the straight-forward work. This leaves us with the complex work; the knowledge work that demands people with skills making quality decisions.

There are too many decisions coming too fast for all this deciding to remain leadership’s sole responsibility.

Instead, organizations create self-organizing teams with distributed decision-making authority to remain competitive.

What does this mean for meetings?

Tip 3: Release control and adopt a real-time agenda technique. A successful self-organizing team needs ownership

over what gets their time and focus during meetings. Realtime agenda techniques give team members a structured way to propose and prioritize topics for discussion.

VUCA impacts our well-being. Increasing cultural fragmentation and isolation breed anxiety and depression.

Many people have lost their traditional communities, so now look to the workplace for connection. Leading companies use meetings to foster a sense of meaning and belonging.

Tip 4: Develop meeting rituals that represent your team’s values. Teams at the

online shop Zingerman’s and the software company Atlassian, for example, begin their meetings with icebreakers—a conference classic that proves surprisingly effective at increasing bonds between team members.

ORGANIZATIONS CREATE SELF-ORGANIZING TEAMS WITH DISTRIBUTED DECISION-MAKING AUTHORITY TO REMAIN COMPETITIVE. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR MEETINGS? Google, Dry Farms Wine, and RFS Financial are examples of teams that meditate during meetings. Starbucks’ crews enjoy a coffee tasting. These micro-transplants from large events become cultural rituals that enhance the sense of community and meaning in everyday business meetings.

New Format Overhauls Tradition

The waves of technology-laden VUCA are drowning out those who cling to a

command-and-control approach. Today’s managers must learn instead how to ask the right questions and cultivate insights.

The fragmented, distracted nature of the workplace also makes it critical to engage the team by intentionally fostering a sense of trust, ownership, and meaning.

The modern meeting can do all of this and more. Managers who follow these tips can gain a powerful tool for shaping team culture and driving work momentum.

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To advertise, contact Tilman Gerald, The Townsend Group, Inc., 202/367-2497, or t-gerald@townsend-group.com 48 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | APRIL 2019

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Directory of

EXECUTIVE SEARCH FIRMS The executive search firms in this directory are listed alphabetically by name with this information: website, address, contact email address, phone number, and areas served in the United States. (Note that all of this information may not have been provided by each organization.)

Affion Public affionpublic.com 2120 Market Street, Suite 100 Camp Hill, Pennsylvania 17011-4709 info@affionpublic.com 888-321-4922 Nationwide Alliance Resource Consulting, LLC alliancerc.com 1 Centerpointe Drive, Suite 440 La Palma, California 90623 info@alliancerc.com 562-901-0769 California, Virginia, Florida, Nationwide Avery Associates averyassoc.net 3 1/2 N Santa Cruz Avenue, Suite A Los Gatos, California 95030-5916 jobs@averyassoc.net 408-399-4424 California Bob Murray & Associates bobmurrayassoc.com 1544 Eureka Road, Suite 280 Roseville, California 95661-3093 bmurray@bobmurrayassoc .com 916-784-9080 California, Florida

Careers in Government careersingovernment.com 1345 S Sierra Bonita Los Angeles, California 90019 310-403-8022 Nationwide

Eaton Peabody Consulting Group eatonpeabody.com/consulting 77 Sewall Street, Suite 3000 Augusta, Maine 04330-6334 207-622-3747 Maine

Chris Hartung Consulting, LLC chcpublicsectorsolutions.com 2000 E Lamar Suite 600 Arlington, TX 76006 chris@chcpublicsectorsolutions.com 817-715-9693 Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico

Edward J. Collins, Jr. Center for Public Management umb.edu/cpm 100 William T Morrissey Boulevard Boston, Massachusetts 02125-3393 collins.center@umb.edu 617-287-4824 Massachusetts

Colin Baenziger & Associates cb-asso.com 2055 S Atlantic Avenue, Suite 504 Daytona Beach Shores, Florida 32118-5024 colin@cb-asso.com 561-707-3537 Florida

GovHR USA govhrusa.com 630 Dundee Road, Suite 130 Northbrook, Illinois 60062-2749 info@govhrusa.com 847-380-3240 Nationwide

CPS HR Consulting cpshr.us/executive-search/ recruitment-staff 2450 Del Paso Road, Suite 220 Sacramento, California 95834-9664 connie@cps.ca.gov 916-263-3600 California, Colorado, and Texas DDA Human Resources, Inc. ddahumanresources.com 5029 Upton Avenue S Minneapolis, Minnesota 55410-2244 Gary@DavidDrown.com 612-920-3320 Minnesota

4 | ICMA DIRECTORY OF EXECUTIVE SEARCH FIRMS

HC Smith, Ltd hcsmith.com 24000 Mercantile Road, Suite 7 Beachwood, Ohio 44122-5964 hcsmith@hcsmith.com 216-752-9966 Nationwide HueLife, LLC hue.life 5775 Wayzata Boulevard, #700 St. Louis Park, Minnesota 55416 info@hue.life 651-204-0441 Minnesota

JDGray Group, LLC jdgraygroup.com 11625 Custer Road, Suite 110-281 Frisco, Texas 75035 info@jdgraygroup.com 972-885-6472 Nationwide Jersey Professional Management hjerseyprofessionalmgt.com 23 North Avenue E Cranford, New Jersey 07016-2196 info@jerseyprofessionalmgt .com 908-276-2777 New Jersey Kansas League Executive/ Administrative Position Search (LEAPS) lkm.org/page/LEAPS 300 SW 8th Avenue Topeka, Kansas 66603-3951 info@lkm.org 785-354-9565 Management Partners, Inc. managementpartners.com 1730 Madison Road Cincinnati, Ohio 45206-1865 atrimpe@management partners.com 513-861-5400 California, Ohio, Virginia

Mathis Group mathisgroup.net 11660 Church Street, #714 Rancho Cucamonga, California 91730-8917 Dr.Bill@MathisGroup.net 909-322-9045 California McGrath Consulting Group, Inc. mcgrathconsulting.com P.O. Box 190 Wonder Lake, Illinois 60097-0190 info@mcgrathconsulting.com 815-728-9111 Nationwide Municipal Resources, Inc. mrigov.com 120 Daniel Webster Highway Meredith, New Hampshire 03253 all@mrigov.com 866-501-0352 New England Murphy, Symonds, & Stowell Search msssearch.com 1001 SW 5th Avenue, Suite 1100 Portland, Oregon 97204-1127 503-244-2126 Oregon Municipal Solutions LLC municipalsolutions.org 845 S. Estrella Parkway, #5038 Goodyear, Arizona 85338 888-545-7333 (U.S.); s39 327 938 6493 (International) Canada, Europe, United States Odgers Berndtson odgersberndtson.com Royal Bank Plaza 200 Bay Street Toronto, Ontario M5J 2J3 Canada toronto@odgersberndtson .com 416-366-1990 Worldwide

Peckham & McKenney, Inc. peckhamandmckenney.com 300 Harding Boulevard, Suite 203D Roseville, California 95678 866-912-1919 Toll Free bobbi@peckhamand mckenney.com All U.S. offices in Northern and Southern California, Colorado, and Texas Prothman prothman.com; prothman-jobboard.com 371 NE Gilman Boulevard, Suite 310 Issaquah, Washington 98027-2901 info@prothman.com 206-368-0050 National Public Administration Associates, LLC public-administration.com P.O. Box 282 Oshkosh, Wisconsin 54903-0282 info@public-adminstration.com 920-235-0279 Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin Ralph Andersen & Associates ralphandersen.com 5800 Stanford Ranch Road, Suite 410 Rocklin, California 95765 info@ralphandersen.com 916-630-4900 National Resource Management & Acquisitions rmasearchfirm.com government@rmasearchfirm. com 888-646-2607 Asia, Canada, Europe, United States RJA Management Services, Inc. rjamanagement.com 2719 South Mayflower Avenue, Suite A Arcadia, California 91006 rgarcia@rjamanagement.com 626-447-3318 California

Roberts Consulting Group, Inc. robertsrcg.com P.O. Box 1127 Rancho Mirage, California 92270-1127 robertsrcg@msn.com 424-522-2251 California

Teri Black & Company, LLC tbcrecruiting.com 3510 Torrance Boulevard, Suite 209 Torrance, California 90503-4829 info@tbcrecruiting.com 424-296-3111 Western United States

S. RenĂŠe Narloch & Associates srnsearch.com 2910 Kerry Forest Parkway, D4-242 Tallahassee, Florida 32309 info@srnsearch.com 850-391-0000 Nationwide

The Lee Group theleegroup.com 11838 Rock Landing Drive, Suite 150 Newport News, Virginia 23606-4232 757-873-0792 Virginia

Slavin Management Consultants slavinweb.com 3040 Holcomb Bridge Road, Suite A1 Norcross, Georgia 30071 info@slavinmanagement consultants.com 770-449-4656 Nationwide Spencer Stuart spencerstuart.com 13355 Noel Road, Suite 1200 Dallas, Texas 75240 214-672-5200 Nationwide Springsted | Waters Executive Recruitment springsted.com 380 Jackson Street, Suite 300 Saint Paul, Minnesota 55101-4705 information@waterscompany.com 651-223-3000 Minnesota, Washington Strategic Government Resources governmentresource.com P.O. Box 1642 Keller, Texas 76244-1642 CourtneyWare @GovernmentResource.com 817-337-8581 Florida

The Mercer Group, Inc. mercergroupinc.com Corporate Offices: 5579B Chamblee Dunwoody Road, #511 Atlanta, Georgia 30338 Executive Offices: 1000 Cordova Place, #726 Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505 mercer@mindspring.com 505-466-9500 Nationwide from 21 offices The Novak Consulting Group thenovakconsultinggroup. com 26 E Hollister Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45219-1704 info@thenovakconsultinggroup.com 513-221-0500 Nationwide Waldron waldronhr.com 101 Stewart Street, Suite 1200 Seattle, Washington 98101-2449 info@waldronhr.com 206-441-4144 Arizona, California, Oregon, Washington

ICMA maintains this list of executive search firms that know the local government management profession. This list is for your convenience but it is not an endorsement of any firm.

ICMA DIRECTORY OF EXECUTIVE SEARCH FIRMS | 5

ICMA CAREER GUIDES ICMA’s Career Guides offer local government professional managers toolkits to help you thrive in the profession, from finding a position, to succeeding as a first-time manager, or how to break into the profession from another field, and preparing the next generation through internships and Fellowships. Find all these guides at icma.org/careerguides.

Resources for the

Interim or Acting Manager

First-Time

CAREER COMPASS ANTHOLOGY

Administrator’s Handbook

Articles from ICMA focused on career issues for local government professional staff Volume I

By Dr. Frank Benest

Acting Manager’s Handbook is a guidebook to help the acting manager make the most of a sometimesunexpected opportunity.

(Member Resource)

Career Compass is a monthly column from ICMA focused on career issues for local government professional staff that appears in the ICMA Newsletter and online.

icma.org/actingmgr

icma.org/careercompass

Breaking into Local Government A Guidebook for Career Changers

First-Time Administrator’s Handbook covers items that should be considered before an interview, during an interview, before accepting a position, and before starting a new position.

(Member Resource)

Making It Work: The Essentials of Council-Manager Relations provides the competencies needed to build a relationship that is based on mutual respect, understanding of roles, and open communication.

icma.org/newmanager

icma.org/councilrelations

Careers in

Local Government Management

Job Hunting Handbook

Breaking into Local Government will help career-changers enter the local government sector.

Cases include private sector, military, and other government sectors. icma.org/breakingintolg

Careers in Local Government Management is an introduction to local government as a career, what city/town/county management is, what managers do, and tips on education, skills, and job opportunities related to the profession. icma.org/careersinlg

6 | ICMA DIRECTORY OF EXECUTIVE SEARCH FIRMS

Job Hunting Handbook is a resource that covers topics ranging from mapping out your job search to negotiating compensation.

(Member Resource) icma.org/jobhandbook

Management Internships A Guidebook for Local Governments

Management Internships: A Guidebook for Local Governments helps local government managers and MPA programs work together to create meaningful internship experiences. icma.org/internships

FIND ALL YOUR CAREER RESOURCES NEEDS AT ICMA.ORG! Manager Evaluations Handbook

PREPARING FOR AN INTERVIEW

Recruitment Guidelines

for Selecting a Local Government Administrator

Find a Coach at ICMA’s Coaching Program: icma.org/coaching

Congratulations! Your resume or application has passed muster, and you have been asked for an interview. Give yourself a pat on the back, because that can be the biggest hurdle. But be aware that this is the stage where things really begin to get interesting! Interviews can be conducted via phone, in person, or a combination of the two, so be prepared. Following are some recommendations as you prepare for your interview.

(Note - some of this advice is universal, and some of it is geared toward entry/mid-level job seekers and some toward senior-level. Adjust your expectations accordingly!).

Manager Evaluations Handbook is a template for new or tenured managers to help elected officials design an effective evaluation tool.

(Member Resource)

Preparing for an Interview offers helpful hints once you’ve passed the resume screening and have been called in for a discussion. icma.org/interviewguide

icma.org/evaluation Perparing the

Next Generation A Guide for Current and Future Local Government Managers

Model

Recruitment Guidelines for Selecting a Local Government Administrator presents guidelines to help local governments and executive search firms conduct a successful recruitment for a local government administrator/chief administrative officer. icma.org/ recruitmentguidelines

Employment Agreement

Veterans Guide to Finding a Job in Local Government

Model Employment Agreement is a template for municipal government administrators to use in crafting terms of hiring and employment.

(Member Resource) icma.org/ employmentagreement

Preparing the Next Generation Case Studies highlights programs being used by local governments that believe it is their responsibility to mentor young and mid-career professionals.

(Member Resource) icma.org/nextgencases

Find a Job at ICMA’s Job Center: icma.org/job-center

Search for Internships and Fellowships: icma.org/findinternships-fellowships Explore hosting an ICMA Management Fellow: icma.org/host-fellow Consider teaching or lecturing to inform students about the profession: icma.org/teach Visit an ICMA student chapter: icma.org/student-chapters Learn about the ICMA Credentialed Manager Program: icma.org/credentialing Grow in your career through professional development: icma.org/thrive-your-careericma-university

Veterans Guide to Finding a Job in Local Government offers tips and tactics to help veterans get the job they want in local government. icma.org/veteransjobs-guide

Explore more career resources at icma.org/careerguides

Contact our team with questions!

• To post a job ad:

advertising@icma.org

• Questions about the

ICMA Management Fellowship: lgmfprogram@icma.org

• Questions about

ICMA Coaching: coaching@icma.org

ICMA DIRECTORY OF EXECUTIVE SEARCH FIRMS | 7

Alliance Resource Consulting is considered one of the premier public sector executive recruiting firms in the country. Our company motto “The Power of Partnership� is taken seriously at ALLIANCE and carries a reputation of providing service and building lasting relationships by placing the highest quality candidates throughout the United States.

Our mission is to provide value-added service to our clients in an ethical, efficient, transparent and timely manner. We are committed to providing our clients and candidates with the highest caliber of service in the industry.

For questions and inquiries, please contact: Sherrill Uyeda, Founding Partner Cindy Krebs, Regional Director David McDonald, Regional Director Our consultants are based in Palo Alto, California; Seattle, Washington and Tallahassee, Florida.

Headquarters Office 1 Centerpointe Drive, Suite 440 La Palma, CA 90623 T: (562) 901-0769 F: (562) 901-3082 www.allianceRC.com twitter.com/GoAllianceRC facebook/Alliance Resource Consulting LLC

8 | P U B L I C M A N A G E M E N T | J A N U A RY/ F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 9

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Since 2009, we’ve provided practical and innovative thinking that transforms organizations

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and prepares them for the future.

Our experienced consultants draw on their passion for public service to deliver the best strategies and effective implementation methods in each of our practice areas.

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Visit TheNovakConsultingGroup.com or call 513-221-0500 to learn how we can help you.

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