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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2005 02-05 CCP Planning Session with Facilitator `City of Brooklyn Center, Minnesota City Council Leadership Workshop February 5, 2005 8:30 a.m. 5:00 p.m. 1. Objectives: Upon completion of this workshop, the participants will have: a. identified and discussed the 5 most important topics the council members feel they must address to improve city council leadership performance, teamwark and productivity/effectiveness as a governing body b. assessed factors essential to: achieving and sustaining superior council performance their collective and individual contributions to the team's success c. identified the "Big Things" council must focus on during 2005, the outcomes it desires, and how to set and stay the course necessary to achieve those outcomes d. reviewed how council and manager wish to evaluate their respective and each others' performance within the council-manager/staff partnership e. discussed/updated councils' adopted goals for 2005 f. assessed, and identified approaches to, improving procedures, processes, and policies relating to council meetings and decision making g. defined a date and list of proposed topics for the Fall Council Workshops. 2. Agenda: 8:30 a.m. Introductions and Overview of the workshop objectives and agenda. 8:45 a.m. Council Focus: the "Big Things" for 2005 10:00 a.m. Review and updating of council's adopted goals for 2005 11:00 a.m. Evaluating council, council member and city manager performance. 12:00 Noon Lunch 12:45 p.m. The "5 most important topics" we want to address for improving city council leadership performance, teamwork and productivity/effectiveness. 2:00 p.m. Council and council member success factors. 3:15 p.m. Broadcasting of "Other City Council Meetings" on Cable Access System. 3:45 p.m. Review of, and suggested improvements to, council operating procedures, processes and policies. 4:30 p.m. Planning for the Fall Council Workshop: 5:00 p.m. Adjourn Pre-workshop Reading Assignment: Achieving and Sustaining Superior Council Performance ACHIEVIN,G AND SUSTAINING SUPERIOR COUNCIL LEADERSHIP PERFORMANCE By Carl H. Neu, Jr. WHAT IS SUCCESSFUL COUNCIUBOARD PERFORMANCE? Good councils are the result of good training, constant team building, expanding insight and perspective about how to govern well, and an insatiable desire to expand capacities and skills. Yet, an appreciation of this reality is seldom included in elected official orientations, continuing education, or critical reviews of their accomplishments and performance. Most council education efforts are focused on the nuts and bolts of municipal organization and policies, current hot topics at league and association meetings, motivational speeches at conferences, and individual rather than group learning experiences. But effective and continuous training and development, individually and coltectively, are no longer optional. They are absolute necessities. There are five key attribute categories that determine the success of councils and boards: i The role of the council Council member competencies Council performance Leadership traits The role of the mayor. The Role af the Council The role of the council is to govern by setting goals, priorities, and policies. The role of the manager is to implement the goals, policies, and direction set by council. This is the classic definition, but it fails to take into consideration the alternative perceptions councils may have of their roles and relationships, as well as the competencies and contributions each of the players exhibits in achieving sound governance and a productive council-manager partnership. James Svara identifies five interpretations of the role of the council that are emerging as elected officials define their positions in the changing and challenging conditions occurring within America's cities, counties, and government-citizen relationships:z Board of trustees. Strict separation of policy and administration; council focuses on making policy only and demonstrates no interest in administrative matters Board of directors. Council directs all aspects of government operations and administrative functions, reducing the manager to the council's assistant Board of delegates. Council represents citizens' viewpoints, and members serve as spokespersons in policy setting and complaint resolution; policy innovation and implementation rest with the city manager or mayor if that person is the key city executive. i There are many more than five categories, but these five aze fundamentaL z James Svara, "The Roles of City Council and Implications for the Structure of City Government," National Civic Review 91 (Spring 2002): 5-25. ONeu and Company and the Center for the Future of Local GovernanceT"", 2003. Excerpted from The Manager as Coach: Increasing the Effectiveness of Elected Officials: ICMA IQ Report, VoL 35/No. 10 October 2003. Board of governors. Governance is an interactive process in which council sets goals and policy, reviews and adopts proposals for policy implementation, and oversees and evaluates the performance of and results achieved by the manager; the difference between this model and the board of trustees approach is the interaction and sense of partnership existing between the board and the manager; each partner complements and reinforces the role of the other within their warking relationship Board of activists. Council members assume the role of activists and ombudsmen advocating for their constituents' interests and desires; the manager, by default, assumes the role of goal setter and policy initiator. These alternative models beg two immediate questions about the council-manager relationship and its working structure as practiced within any city or county. What is teadership and who provides it? Leadership, particularly in the local government realm, is frequentiy defined in terms of olic leadershi i.e. settin mission vision values oals and olic P Y P� g ,g P Y) John Carver frames leadership within the concept of policy governance as a body of individuals acting as a I singular governing entity that defines purpose, desired results, and policies to be managed to successful 3 conclusions and achievements b executives who develo and mana e the means. These executives Y P g operate within policy limitations set by the governing entity. Leadership effectiveness in Carver's view is the ability of the council or board to speak with a single voice. A body incapable of doing so, or unwiliing to do so, has little power or credibility to lead. Ron Heifetz, a professor at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, concludes that leadership is not a position or claim of authority. It is an activity. Those engaged in leadership mobilize people to identify and tackle tough issues and problems. More specifically, leaders lead people to tackle problems with the innovation and tearning necessary to solve those problems. Heifetz refers to this use of innovation and learning as "adaptive work." Continuous innovation and learning are necessary to assess and address the deeply challenging issues and problems we face as societies and organizations--challenges made more confounding by the diversity of values peop(e hold and the ever-expanding complexity evident in these issues, problems, and challenges. Adaptive work requires a change in values, beliefs, behavior, and one's understanding of how issues and problems can effect constructive resolution. According to Heifetz, leadership is the ability to engage organizations and people in the task of doing adaptive work. Thomas Cronin, president of Whitman College, defines leadership as "making things happen that might not otherwise happen, and preventing things from happening that ordinarily might happen. It is a process of ettin eo le to ether to achieve common oals and as irations. Leadershi is a rocess that hel s eo le g �P P g g P P P P P transform intentions into pasitive action, visions into reality.i James Svara concludes that the board of governors model is "still just-right leadership" for the council- manager form of government. However, he foresees the prospects and benefits of a composite model, an activist-governor board. His key conclusion is that councils must examine their leadership views and governance role model options and choose one, with the support of the manager, as the basis for structuring the council-manager partnership and clarifying the respective roles, accountabilities, and interactive relationships within it. In Svara's words, "The effective functioning of the form of government depends on a distinctive relationship between the council and city [county] manager and the ability of the council to play certain roles that contribute to sound government." I i Carver, John Carver on Board Leadership, 131-135. Ronald A. Heifetz, Leadership ivithout Easy Ansivers (Cambridge, Mass.: Belknap Press of Harvard Universiry Press, 1994) 5 Thomas Cronin, "Leadership: A Perfortning Art," Chrrstian Science Monitor, February 6, 1990. Svara, "The Roles of City Council," 9. What are the respective roles, contributions, and relationships of the council and manager? Again, James Svara provides a useful framework for answering this question. In his Complementarity Model of sharing accountability within the council-manager partnership, he identifies dimensions of local government and possible roles and relationships that can be established between the council and the manager in their desired partnership.' It is imperative that the council and manager, soon after a new scheduling what we will call here "a coaching workshop" to discuss the roles and relationships of the council is formed after elections or a new manager is appointed, focus on the role of the cour�cil and its implications for the structure of the council-manager partnership. The manager ean initiate this activity by council and manager. The sidebar on this page provides agenda items to be discussed and the focus that the manager and council members should give each item, as partners. Council-manager dialogue on roles and relationships in locat governance Agenda Item Partnership Focus Mission: Purpose of city and of the council as a' Agree on fundamental purpose, scope, and leadership body. benefits of local government Clarify xespective roles of council and' manager Governance/Leadership: Definition of]eadership Clarify'council'leadership views and role I and council s>role m shaping vision, goals, Define and agree uponstrategic issues shaping strategies, policies and resource allocation. and defining the communiry's future `Link leadership priorities andlpolicies to strategic issues and goals Establish goal-based resource allocation method' Clarify role of council and manager in! >addressing each item above Management: Role and authority/accountability of Define wQrking relationship desired by council management>vis-�-vis counciPs role. and manager Establish manager's role in determining policies; performance standards and' evaluation process' Determine the'degree to which council wishes 'to consult in;-majorappointments, and manager nerformance Community Building/Alliances: Identification of Community visioning, goal setting (one community vision, partners/alliances, citizen 'community, many players) involvement, and processes for participation. .''Pattnering/alliance building (thinking of the whole community as "we") !Power sharing (leveraging) Mutual res onsibili and accountabilit to P t3' Y mu tea co ni m m ty Promotin citizen involvement and g I participation Council's and mana er's role in each item I �I, g above. Preservation/Anticipation: Ensuring preservation Preserve iocal government authority and of community authority and ability to address 'issues prerogatives and needs. Limit preemption by state or other governments 'Embrace op ortunities'for constructive ehange P .and innovation within the communit}r Ask "What more should/can we be doing?" •-Council's and manager's roles: in each of the above. James Svara, "Complementarity of Politics and Administration as a L.egitimate Alternative to the Dichotomy Model," Administration and Society 30 (1999): 676-705 Discussion of the role of council and the nature of the council-manager parinership must acknowledge one critical difference between the council and the manager: The council as a governing body exists and asserts authority only when its members convene, deliberate, and act as an official body within legally prescribed rules, meetings, and settings. The council governs, as a result of these required conditions, during relatively few hours (usually fewer than 150 annually). Its partner, the manager, is responsible for around-the-clock operations. This creates a partnership performance gap. Council as a partner within the council-manager partnership has to fulfill the role and functions it wishes to assume within severe time limitations. This gap, identified in Figure 3 as the 7% Governing Reality, affects the degree to which the partners, the council (as a body), and the manager can interact and contribute to a"sound government." Because the partners collectively define the nature of their relationship and interactions, the performance gap must be taken into consideration. Council Member Competencies While councils perform as a governing body—a singular entity empowered when its members meet and act collectively---each member must possess a few crucial competencies. John and Carol Naibandian identify them: An understanding and respect of the gap between politics and professional-technical administration The skills to develop a leadership-legislative agenda that clarifies community purpose and establishes a clear relationship between strategic goals and administrative procedures The knowledge of how to engage the fiall capacity and contributions of the administrative staff The a6ility to integrate consTituency representation and services into the policy development role The ability to fu(fill council's oversight responsibilities without succumbing to micromanaging and "administrivia." The Nalbandians add that it is atso important for council members to: Know and be able to apply "political values" held by constituents that affect council judgments in public policy Develop good problem-solving and team-building techniques and norrns Appreciate the different worldviews held by elected officials (politics) and managers/staff (administration). Figure 3: The 7%=Governing Reality Key tasks Total time annually City council woricing as a 84-168 hours` "governing body" 24-48 meetings per'year Average'meeting time: 3.5 hours I Administration: 2,400 hours per person Manager and key department heads `Note: 16& hours,is 7% of2;400 hours; The council operates officially as a t'body" for t1B8 hours in partnership with the manager, who works at least 2,400 hours peryear. Council Performance Councils govern as a body. The quality of leadership effectiveness demonstrated by a governing body is the result of disciplined adherence to a set of fundamental principles, processes, and skills. 9 Highly effective governing bodies e�chibit ten common habits that are outlined here. Nalbandian and Nalbandian, "Contemporary Challenges in l.ocal Government." Carl H. Neu, Jr., "10 Habits of Highly Effective Counci►s," Public Management, November 1997, 4-9. A revised edition is available from www.carineu.com. Think and act strategically. Leadership starts with a strategic and powerful vision for a community's future, one that establishes the framework for goals, priorities, policies, and resource generation and allocation. Respect the "shared constituency." Effective councils ask themselves, what do the people want? Most government jurisdictions coexist and overlap with other entities and often represent and provide services to the same people, a shared constituency. Effective governing bodies recognize the need to integrate plans and programs horizontally and vertically with the other entities serving a shared constituency. Demonstrate teamwork. Councils by definition are a team, a collective body that is given the authority and power to fulfill a purpose or task. The degree to which the council completes its tasks depends on the abilities of its members to function as a team. Individuals don't govern; the group known as a councit ar board governs. Master smal!-group decision making. Most councils are small, close-knit groups, usually having fewer than twelve members. Small groups, to be effective, follow proven and effective interaction and decision- makingprocesses perfected through team building and rational decision-making approaches. Have clearly defined roles and relationships. Each member's contribution must be defined in terms of role (function) and the manner in which each member productively fulfills that role through behavior performance) and interactions with others (relationships). Honor the council-staff partnership. This concept has been discussed earlier as the council-manager partnership. Allocate governing-body time and energy appropriately. Time for council and its members is both precious and limited. It also is allotted to four crucial functions: goal setting (retreats or "advances"), exploration and analysis (study sessions), disposition/legislation (regulaz public hearings and meetings), and community relations (interactions with constituents and other jurisdictional leaders). It is essential to use counciPs time wisely and appropriately in each of these areas. Have clear rules and procedures for council meetings. Conduct systematic and valid assessment of policy and implementation. Obtaining objective feedback, instead of complaints and individual opinions, about how things are going and how council and administration are performing is essential to cultivating a learning council and performance improvement. Individually practice continuous personal learning and development as leaders. One adroit mayor, Elizabeth Kautz of Burnsville, Minnesota, advises herself and the members of council, "Decide what your role is, identify the skills you need to be effective in that role, and get them!" Leadership Traits The primary responsibility of local government officia(s, especially elected officials, is to realize the fullest potential of their communities through leadership and stewardship. Leadership motivates and empowers others to define a vision and create within themselves the will and capacity to make that vision a reality. Highly effective leaders and stewards: Engage people and their energies rather than give their teams ready answers and quick-fix solutions Inspire themselves and others to give their best efforts Focus on the future and win agreement on common vision, goals, priorities, and direction Empower and support people, instead of control and direct them, in order to achieve desired outcomes Encourage others to think in terms of "we" and as members of a partnership Are principled people who e�chibit moral behavior and possess strong character, unselfish values, and integrity Promote mutual respect and civility in all relationships. The Role of the Mayor In the council-manager form of government, the role of the mayor is frequently limited to making ceremonial appearances and presiding at council meetings. Otherwise, the mayor is another member of, not separate from, the governing body. This view of the mayor's role is too narrow for several reasons. First, citizens tend to see the mayor as the head of government and different in stature and authority from other council members. Second, the rnayor, even as the ceremonial head of government and the presiding officer at council meetings, has an opportunity to exert powerful and visionary leadership that affects the capacity of the council and manager to deliver sound governance. Finally, the mayor is the chief articulator and salesperson for the community's vision for the future. There are two types of political leadership: leadership with formal authority bestowed by law or investiture and leadership with informal authority. ie Leadership with informal authority comes from the power to influence perspectives and behavior and establish networks of people with whom authority is achieved through foundations of trust, respect, and moral persuasion instead of formal power. Ironically, some of the most profoundly effective leaders have been those who led without formal authoriTy or office: Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., Lech Walesa, Margaret Sanger. Leaders without formal authority require an educational strategy to effect change and achieve progress in addressing and resolving issues. Mayors are often required to exert informal leadership. As facilitative leaders, they can promote: Shared visions, goals, and congruent policies as the bases for community and councit leadership effectiveness Open and honest communication that fosters understanding, productive problem solving, and conflict resolution among competing interests, values, and perspectives Teamwork, collaboration, and consensus building achieved through trust, mutual respect, and a commitment to sound governance and a sound council-manager partnership Council's courage to address tough issues and problems resolvable only through innovation and adaptive work Civility in public discourse, especially at council meetings, community forums, and council-manager-staff interactions. Mayors can also be mentors, challenging and inspiring their communities and councils to be visionary, bold, and committed to defining and achieving a better and more successful future. This activity can be defined as communiry building. Gail Dorfman, former mayor of St. Louis Park, Minnesota, states, "The mayor has an especially important role. The mayor should build consensus and provide (eadership. After the consensus is built, the mayor sells the solution. The mayor should always be articulating the community's vision for the future. That selling is very broad, and includes even third graders."� Finally, the mayor can act as co-coach with the manager. As the council's chief liaison to the manager, the mayor is instrumentai in aligning staff priorities and performance with council goals, clarifying and achieving consensus on expectations that council and staff have of each other. The manager needs to give special attention, especially after each election when new council members and mayors may be selected, to helping the mayor define the mayor's role within the council and the council-manager partnership. Ten steps to build your counciPs effectiveness Establish a performance-building partnership with councii and between council and the manager James Sva�a, "Effective Mayoral Leadership in Council-Manager Cities: Assessing the Facilitative Model," National Civic Review 92 (Summer 20030: 157-172. 11 Kevin Frezell, "Roles, Relationships, and Expectations between City and Elected Officials and Staff' (presentation, L,eague of Minnesota Cities Conference for Experienced Elected Officials, 2003). Excerpted by Kevin Frezell from his doctoral thesis. Focus the council on leadership and a quality future for the community Select a time and place to conduct a facilitated discussion about #actors affecting the council's effectiveness; the manager should be invotved in this discussion Invite councii to assess candidly and objectivety its performance relative to the ten habits of highly effective councils and other effectiveness indicators council members feel are appropriate Have council identify where significant gains in the council's effectiveness are desired or needed and attainable Develop with council specific strategies and opportunities for achieving these goals Schedule specific skill- and team-building workshops for council; include key staff when the focus is on council-staff relationships Es#ablish a process for evaluating gains made and targeting new opportunities for improvement Take time-outs to address problems when they occur and make it a"learning moment" Remember that peak performers constantly seek to improve their performance; they know they are on an endless journey of growth; if council members or the manager forget this, the council-manager partnership will meet with halting success or outright failure. Bill Hansell, in "The Council-Manager Form: Making It Work with Council," offered this advice to local government managers: It takes courage to "manage your boss," but it is an essential undertaking. Learn and impart successful techniques of good group process (team building), conflict resolution, and decision making. Encourage council to evaluate and improve its performance. Introduce to councii good and systemic governance processes and concepts such as those espoused by John Carver, John Nalbandian, James Svara, and others. Schedule regular learning and team-building sessions with the mayor and council; these sessions should demonstrate the same discipline and commitment to development evidenced by, and often required of, any professional group or high-performance team. In the absence of masterful coaching and learning the skills necessary to make representative democracy work, elected officials may easily founder because of a lack of clarity about their roles, confusion about how to go about the work of governing, and a failure to appreciate and achieve a productive partnership with the professional managers. The fullest potential of the council-manager form of government is to strengthen representative democracy through a sense of partnership: people working with, instead of against, each other. The problem with the checks-and-balances method is that it establishes competition instead of collaboration. At the community and grass-roots levels, government models based on separation of powers and checks and balances are far less effective in building and sustaining successful communities than those based on a sense of partnership and coliaboration. The successful future of local government is vital to sustaining our democratic values and political institutions. The coaching to help elected o�cials become as competent and dedicated as their professional manager partners can come from many sources. But, no one is better placed and given more opportunities to do so than the manager. Hansell, "Tl�e Council-Manager Form"