CREATING MORE COLLABORATIVE COUNCILS Who is your most important constituent? Put these TOOLS in your Toolbox: Vision and Strategic Thinking Act as a Body Group Decision Making Techniques Be an Effective Member Effective Communication Trust Know Your Community Engage the Public appropriately and effectively Model Civility 1
Tool: Vision and Strategic Thinking My responsibility is to get my 25 guys playing for the name on the front of the shirt and not the one on the back. Tommy Lasorda, Former Manager, Los Angeles Dodgers Vision Strategic thinking 2
3 Myths of Strategic Thinking Myth 1: Productivity is the goal. Productivity is about getting things done. Strategic thinking is about getting the right things done well. The corollary of that truth is that strategy requires leaving some things undone. Myth 2: The leader s job is to identify what s important. Strategic thinkers must decide where to focus, not merely what s important. Strategic leaders must consciously table some important projects or ignore some important opportunities. Myth 3: Strategic thinking is only about thinking. Ultimately, strategic thoughts must yield strategic action. Napoleon once said, Nothing is more difficult, and therefore more precious, than to be able to decide. http://blogs.hbr.org/2014/05/3-myths-that-kill-strategic-planning/ Put these TOOLS in your Toolbox: Vision and Strategic Thinking Act as a Body Group Decision Making Techniques Be an Effective Member Effective Communication Trust Know Your Community Engage the Public appropriately and effectively Tool: Action as a Body 3
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team Patrick Lencioni 4
Tool: Action as a Body Clear, consistent rules of procedure Clear agreed upon protocols Planned agendas on important topics Make sure all members have the same information Respect each other and abide by the decisions of the group (move on!) Set clear direction and policy What people think it is: An arbitrary set of rules, rigidly enforced, resulting in total frustration of employees and community. What it should be: A set of high level decisions serving as a guide for lower level decisions. What it really is: 3 out of 5 votes. A Note on Policy Minnesota Mayors Association Sample City Council Bylaws Appendix A Minnesota Mayors Association Sample Rules of Order Appendix B Google Search Council Protocols Resources: 5
Put these TOOLS in your Toolbox: Vision and Strategic Thinking Act as a Body Group Decision Making Techniques Be an Effective Member Effective Communication Trust Know Your Community Engage the Public appropriately and effectively Model Civility Research findings: Effective Council Groups When Councilmembers: Trust and respect each other Openly communicate Can disagree but not take it personally Councilmembers perceive low risk and are willing to own their views When the mayor Demonstrates fairness and integrity in running meetings Focuses the council s attention on specific issues What Makes Municipal Councils Effective?: An Empirical Analysis of How Council Members Perceive Their Group Interactions and Processes Kimberly L. Nelson, Gerald T. Gabris, and Trenton J. Davis, State and Local Government Review, Vol 43, Issue 3, 2011 Beyond Robert s Rules of Order Don t let the rules get in the way of the work, but rules are important for a successful meeting Rosenberg s Rules Video: https://vimeo.com/25152753 6
Communication and Problem- Solving Be attentive. Ask clarifying questions. Listening to Understand. Let people know you are listening Paraphrasing Perception check. listening to the music beneath the words (Heifetz and Linsky) Communication and Problem- Solving Understand the distinction between Values, Interests and Positions Position: I want a park and skateboarding area at the corner of Palm and Main with the city contributing all the funds. Interest: I want a park and open space where our children can play. Value: Children are our community s most important resource. Positions Interests Values Needs 7
Communication and Problem- Solving Look to satisfy interests than to bridge conflicting positions. A conversation about values or interests can often reduce or clarify differences. Communication and Problem- Solving Separate the people from the problem. Focus on interests, not positions. Invent options for mutual gain. Make opportunities to jointly think about and creatively invent new ideas that may be in the interests of both (or all). Requires a time and a place to happen Insist on using objective criteria-agree on some sort of common standard or a result that everyone thinks makes sense. Tool: Group decision making techniques Watch out for: Groupthink Abilene paradox Decision making biases Must have courage to make the hard decisions! 8
Illusion of invulnerability Collective rationalization Belief of inherent morality Stereotyped out-groups Direct pressure on dissenters Self-censorship Illusion of unanimity Symptoms of Groupthink Groupthink The Bay of Pigs Invasion (1962) President Kennedy and his advisors developed illusions of unanimity and invulnerability; doubts were inhibited and suppressed. The Challenger Space Shuttle Disaster (1986) After 55 successful missions NASA felt invincible. Fatally ignored crucial warning about faulty equipment. Avoiding Groupthink Invite alternative perspectives Reappraise the rightness of your cause Critically evaluate alternatives at every step Periodically break into smaller subgroups to discuss issues Introduce more diversity in the group by: Promoting different perspectives on problems Challenging assumptions and th status quo Promoting opportunities for greater learning Strengthen relationships between the team and outsiders 9
Abilene Paradox failure to manage agreements Abilene Paradox failure to manage agreements Symptoms of The Abilene Paradox Members exhibit different opinions in the group as opposed to one on one Members are discouraged to dissent, often seen as lack of commitment Members seem frustrated or resentful towards management and other team members Members avoid responsibility or even attempt to blame others Members exhibit a lack of trust All decisions require unanimous agreement Very little dissent from group opinion is observed 10
Avoiding the Trip! Reward critical thinking, for example, by appointing a devil's advocate. Do not mistake silence for consent. If people are quiet, find out what they think. Don t state your opinion too early. Be the last to speak so that people don't copy you. Give meeting participants time to think through major proposals. After initial enthusiasm wears off, they are much more likely to spot problems and weaknesses. Invite group outsiders in and ask them to tell you what they think. Decide how to decide Sometimes issues need more than just a simple majority. Listen to the opposition Be willing to compromise Keep the community interests Relationships first Put these TOOLS in your Toolbox: Vision and Strategic Thinking Act as a Body Group Decision Making Techniques Be an Effective Member Effective Communication Trust Know Your Community Engage the Public appropriately and effectively Model Civility 11
Tool: Be an Effective Member Participate in ALL issues Not just your favorite You must VOTE! Remain engaged in the meeting Don t judge too quickly Tool: Be an Effective Member Participate in ALL issues Not just your favorite You must VOTE! Remain engaged in the meeting Don t judge too quickly Focus on policy, not politics Discuss, Debate, and Disagree without fighting Don t burn bridges Avoid Micromanagement Play a supportive role in the group 12
What role do you play? TEAM ROLES 13
Put these TOOLS in your Toolbox: Vision and Strategic Thinking Act as a Body Group Decision Making Techniques Be an Effective Member Effective Communication Trust Know Your Community Engage the Public appropriately and effectively Model Civility Communication Within/among governing body, with/between staff, and with the community: Who? What? When? Where? Why? How? 14
Communicate Discuss: What s working? What do we do well? What could we do better/differently? What s missing? What needs action? Put these TOOLS in your Toolbox: Vision and Strategic Thinking Act as a Body Group Decision Making Techniques Be an Effective Member Effective Communication Trust Know Your Community Engage the Public appropriately and effectively Model Civility Establish it, Maintain it. Tool: Trust You may be deceived if you trust too much, but you will live in torment if you don't trust enough. Frank Crane, American minister and author 15
The Importance of Trust Taking Risks Information Sharing Trust Effective Groups Enhanced Productivity 46 Calculus-Based Trust A form of trust is based on keeping records of what another person does for you and what you do for them. It is an arm s length form of trust in which neither party really becomes that vulnerable to the behavior of the other person. The expectations are like contracts, and the consequences of violating trust are punishment or the severing of the relationship 47 Knowledge-Based Trust Level of trust is grounded in how predictable the other person is Developed over time: Through interactions, benefits are exchanged between two parties. People come to expect the other person to come through for them. Information is gathered about the other person in a variety of circumstances. 48 16
Identification-Based Trust This form of trust is characterized by the leader and follower sharing the same goals and objectives. 49 Building Trust 1. Tell the truth, even when it does not serve you well. 2. Never make promises you cannot reasonably expect to keep. 3. Commit firmly to values that respect the interests and rights of others. 4. Be known for having high standards of integrity, for doing the right thing because it is right, even if others are willing to accept a lower standard. 5. Don t let personal ambition interfere with being honest and fair. 6. Consistently remind yourself that it is not in your own self-interest to be selfish. Put these TOOLS in your Toolbox: Vision and Strategic Thinking Act as a Body Group Decision Making Techniques Be an Effective Member Effective Communication Trust Know Your Community Engage the Public appropriately and effectively Model Civility 17
Tool: Know your community Look for the history issues, landmines, successes Put these TOOLS in your Toolbox: Vision and Strategic Thinking Act as a Body Group Decision Making Techniques Be an Effective Member Effective Communication Trust Know Your Community Engage the public appropriately and effectively Model Civility 18
Principles of Public Engagement 1. Inclusive Planning 2. Transparency 3. Authentic Intent 4. Breadth of Participation 5. Informed Participation 6. Accessible Participation 7. Appropriate Process 8. Authentic Use of Information Received 9. Feedback to Participants 10. Evaluation Institute of Local Government: http://www.cailg.org/inclusive-public-engagement League Workshops on Authentic Public Engagement Community Engagement: http://www.lmc.org/page/1/civic-engagement.jsp Peak Democracy: http://www.peakdemocracy.com/ Resources: Put these TOOLS in your Toolbox: Vision and Strategic Thinking Act as a Body Group Decision Making Techniques Be an Effective Member Effective Communication Trust Know Your Community Engage the Public appropriately and effectively Model Civility 19
John C. Gillespie s 10 Commandments of Public Civility 1. Thou shalt not rudely interrupt a colleague midsentence; nor "speak over" a colleague while she/he is speaking. 2. Thou shalt not assume that shrillness of tone is a substitute for substantive dialogue. 3. Thou shalt treat the members of the public with the same courtesy as you would if they were members of your body--and perhaps more importantly, require that they treat you and your colleagues the same way. 4. Thou shalt not resort to "zingers" designed solely to embarrass your target 5. Thou shalt, where possible, explore areas of common ground where legitimate disagreements exist, in an effort to move forward on matters of public importance. Civility and Council Member Behavior 6. Thou shalt not allow legitimate critique of policy and practice to become a personal attack aimed at the person who devised the policy or implements the practice. 7. Thou shalt always recognize that your colleagues were also elected, just as you were, and deserve the same level of respect for having run and won. 8. Thou shalt not ridicule or belittle a colleague, or a member of the public, simply because he or she disagrees with you on an issue. 9. Thou shalt not pretend something is much more important than it really is, simply to score points with an audience. 10. Thou shalt always remember that it is okay to agree to disagree, and that reasonable people can indeed disagree reasonably Resources: Civility Library http://www.lmc.org/page/1/civility.jsp Model Civility Managing Disruptive Citizens at Council Meetings: http://www.lmc.org/page/1/disruptivecitizens.jsp 20
TOOLS for Effective Collaboration on the Council: Vision and Strategic Thinking Act as a Body Group Decision Making Techniques Be an Effective Member Effective Communication Trust Know Your Community Engage the Public appropriately and effectively Model Civility Final Words of Advice Final Words of Advice 21
Final Words of Advice Final Words of Advice Final Words of Advice 22
Final Words of Advice Moral of Aesop s Fable: Please all, and you will please none. If you try to please everyone, you will only end up losing your ass! Thank you! Kathie Novak 1363 W. 111 th Place Northglenn, Co 80234 720-339-5845 The.Kathie.Novak@gmail.com 23