THE LEADERSHIP ROLE FOR CITY OFFICIALS (TEAMWORK AND

EFFECTIVE GOVERNANCE)

IOWA LEAGUE OF CITIES

SEPTEMBER 14, 2016

The Institute of Public Affairs

BASIC PREMISE #1

Effective policy development and

implementation require teamwork.

BASIC PREMISE #2

The interaction and effectiveness of the team will ultimately determine

whether the city will or will not be able to achieve its

goals.

THE TEAM CONCEPT

IN A CITY SETTING

Teamwork = functioning cohesively as a group

The goal: elected officials and staff working together to achieve common objectives

KEY ELEMENTS

A shared direction and set of goals

Clear roles and responsibilities

Effective processes and methods

Agreement to the basic rules of the game

Open communications (two-way)

BARRIERS

Loss of focus – goals and directions; focus on the trivial

Role confusion/conflicts; Micro- managing issues and programs

Commitments but no follow-through

“Bad” processes or lack thereof

Lack of open communication/ withholding information

KEY TEAM ELEMENTS

Element 1: Team Goals and Direction Goals are what the city team is striving for.

STRATEGIES TO

ENHANCE TEAMWORK

Develop and approve goals and priorities:

• Council goal setting • Develop Action Plan

• Strategic planning

Communicate goals and priorities:

• Staff • Boards and Commissions • Public • Stakeholders,other local govts

STRATEGIES TO

ENHANCE TEAMWORK

Connect goals and priorities with policy-making, decision-making:

• Budget • CIP • Annual Work Programs • Performance evaluations

Periodically review and monitor

KEY TEAM ELEMENTS

Element 2: Team Member Roles and Responsibilities For effective teamwork, roles and responsibilities need to be distributed and understood among team members.

TEAM MEMBER ROLES

AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Mayor

City Council

City Administrator

Department Heads

MAYOR’S DUTIES

Presiding officer at council meetings

Legislation – sign/veto/no action

Chief executive officer – unless duties delegated to others

Certain appointments

Spokesperson

MAYOR’S DUTIES

Informal duties

Emergency powers

CITY COUNCIL

Decision-Making >Legislation

Quorum, Open Meeting, Adopting

Legislation

Indiv council members – no authority unless specifically delegated

CITY COUNCIL

Legislation

Approve/amend/monitor budgets

Adopt city policies

Approve plans and programs

Approve expenditures & contracts

Appointments

MAYOR /COUNCIL – SHARED

GOVERNANCE ROLES

Goal setters/priority setters

Anticipate and focus on issues

Determine vision and values

Evaluate/review/monitor performance

MAYOR /COUNCIL – SHARED

GOVERNANCE ROLES

Listeners

Educators

Promoters/supporters/mobilizers

Buffers

Set the “tone” for the city

CITY STAFF

City Administrator

Department Heads

CITY ADMINISTRATOR

Day-to-day administration

Supervises departments/employees

Implements council goals

Information source/interpreter - for council; b/n council/mayor/staff; with public

Analyzes issues and develops professional recommendations

Develops proposed budget

CITY ADMINISTRATOR

Mediates and resolves conflicts – internal/external; problem solver

Negotiator? – economic development, other agencies/organizations, others?

Timer

Educator

Evaluator

Cutter

DEPT HEADS

Assure quality services and products are provided

Manage/organize/supervise dept operations, personnel, budgets

Implement decisions, plans, programs and policies

Analyze issues; develop prof’l recommendations; experts

DEPT HEADS

Evaluate services and citizen impact

Solve problems

Give out information

Researchers/planners/preparers

Cutters

Shock Absorbers

ROLES AND

RESPONSIBILITIES

All team members:

Understand and make clear the relationship between the Mayor – Council – City Adm. – Staff

Don’t forget Boards & Commissions, Committees, etc.

Act in accordance with defined roles

KEY TEAM ELEMENTS

Element 3: Develop and use effective processes for handling common issues

PROCESSES

Council meeting rules of procedure

Agenda development

Information flow and meeting packets

Complaint handling

PROCESSES – MAJOR/

CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES

Agree on the process(es) to be used

Agree on the information needed

PROCESSES

Goal and policy implementation review

Program, project and financial monitoring and reports

Negotiations

Intergovernmental relations

PROCESSES - WORKPLACE

Personnel policies/Employee Handbook

Chain-of-command

Making requests and giving direction to staff

Performance reviews

KEY TEAM ELEMENTS

Element 4: Understand and follow team norms/”rules of the game”

TEAM NORMS/RULES

OF THE GAME

Comply with legal requirements

• Open Meetings Law

• Public Records Law

• Gift Law

• Conflict-of-Interest Law

• Others

Practice integrity and behave ethically

TEAM NORMS/RULES

OF THE GAME

• Support decisions unanimously – regardless of your own views/votes

• Respect the process

• Citizen engagement

• “Responsiveness” versus “Responsibility”

TEAM NORMS/ RULES

OF THE GAME

Show respect –

• Recognize value & importance of individual contributions

• De-personalize issues & differences

• Trust each others abilities

• Listen carefully

• Honestly express viewpoints

TEAM NORMS/ RULES OF THE

GAME

Insistence on civility

Council meeting management/rules of procedure

Council work sessions

Role of committees, boards/commissions

Council orientation

TEAM NORMS/RULES OF THE

GAME

Periodically discuss and review:

• Roles and responsibilities of key team members

• Team norms – “rules of the game”

KEY TEAM ELEMENTS

Element 5: Open two-way communications

EXPECTATIONS/

PROCESSES

Equal information to all members

Share information – what/when?

Council questions – try to ask for information before the meeting

Role of staff – staff recommendations

ROLE OF STAFF

•Provide relevant information

•Be factual, objective

• Identify alternatives - including the “Do Nothing”

•Professional recommendations

OTHER STRATEGIES TO

ENHANCE TEAMWORK

Accountability for actions

Reduce surprises

Celebrate success and accomplishments