pages: CityCouncil/2019-12-18.pdf, 27
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CityCouncil | 2019-12-18 | 27 | City Council Workshop Workshop Report Management Partners Why managers can't always do what you want them to do: The manager can often be confronted with a situation of an individual council- member wanting something done that is not consistent with the wishes of the city council. The manager needs to respond to the direction of the city council as a whole. While managers try to be as responsive as possible to the needs/desires of individual members, on matters of any consequence, the direction of the city council will often be required. Take your role to evaluate your city manager's performance seriously: Like any other employee, the city manager benefits from regular and thoughtful performance evaluations. Performance evaluations are an important communication tool between the manager and council. Working for multiple individuals is challenging enough without clear and consistent feedback on performance. At least annual evaluations should be conducted. This provides the opportunity to communicate how the council views the manager's performance, including areas of strength and areas for potential additional emphasis. This is also the only opportunity for the council as a whole to provide this input in private. Also, due to the inherent challenge of multiple individuals attempting to evaluate an individual who works for them as a group, the use of a consultant to facilitate the evaluation can be very helpful. If done right, evaluations can be a very valuable communication mechanism for the council and manager. Tolerance for organizational imperfection (mistakes!): While no one likes mistakes, they are unavoidable in the context of organizational life. Cities are complex organizations dealing with a wide variety of services with unique and sometimes challenging clientele. It is not a matter of whether mistakes will be made, but when. It is critical as a leader of your city that you react to mistakes appropriately. While mistakes should be avoided to the greatest extent possible, overreacting can cause further damage. You should expect that mistakes will be addressed promptly, fully disclosed and that steps will be taken to avoid repeating the same mistakes again. You will need to trust the manager to follow up and effectively address the situation when organizational miscues occur. Have high expectations but recognize that mistakes will occur, even in the best organizations, and try not to overreact when they do. Support of reasonable risk-taking: High-performing organizations will occasionally need to take "reasonable risks" in order to achieve community objectives. Sometimes these endeavors will not be successful. However, organizations that avoid ANY unnecessary risk are not likely to accomplish a great deal. While city councils need to be informed and concur that the risk being taken is reasonable for the potential benefit being gained, councils should also be understanding that projects and initiatives that have inherent unknowns may not always turn out as hoped Intolerance for any - -7- 21 | CityCouncil/2019-12-18.pdf |