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agree, don't implement the deci-
<br /> sion, and resign or be fired. In
<br /> almost all instances, they cannot
<br /> instruct a council to act othenvise
<br /> and expect it to follow their
<br /> instructions,
<br /> This does not mean that a man-
<br />ager should be subservient to the
<br />council. In fact, it is a manager's
<br />job to initiate and recommend new
<br />policy to the council, to tell the
<br />council that it is headed in the
<br />wrong direction, to preserve fl~e
<br />managerial prerogatives that exist
<br />in the council-manager form of
<br />government, to advise the council
<br />when its proposal is not a good
<br />idea, and so forth. In other words,
<br />I strongly emphasize that a sub-'
<br />servient manager is not doing his
<br />or herjob.
<br /> Even after doing all of the
<br />above, however, the council may
<br />still decide on an action contrary to
<br />a manager's recommendation.
<br />Then, it remains the manager's
<br />responsibility to implement the
<br />policy. If the manager disagrees
<br />with it because it violates his or her
<br />professional standards, code of
<br />ethics or personal beliefs, then that
<br />manager dearly should resign.
<br /> Frequently, managers forget they
<br />work for the council. At a workshop
<br />I attended on the duties of local
<br />government managers, the presen-
<br />.ter listed the manager's responsibil-
<br />ities in order of priority as: to serve
<br />citizens, to serve employees, and to
<br />serve the council.
<br /> I disagee. My priority ranking
<br />of a manager's responsibilities is:
<br />
<br />i. serve the council.
<br />
<br />-2. serve the employees.
<br />
<br />serve the citizens.
<br />
<br /> My reasoning is that the man-
<br />ager works directly for the council
<br />and follows its directions. To do
<br />this, he or she must ensure that the
<br />employees are capable, properly
<br />trained and given the proper
<br />resources to implenmnt the council's
<br />policies and the manager's instruc-
<br />tions. By ensuring these circum-
<br />
<br />stances, the manager ensures that.
<br />the citizens are best served. Anyway,
<br />the council works at the pleasure of
<br />the citizens, and the citizens should
<br />be at the top of the council's priori-
<br />ties, not the manager's.
<br /> Interestingly, the ICMA Chec'klist
<br />for council-manager relations in
<br />small communities, which was pub-
<br />lished in the March 2000 issue of
<br />Public Managemmt, has the public
<br />as the manager's number-~o pti.
<br />ority, followed by the employees.
<br />
<br /> Pie-in-the-sky expectations
<br />The manager's expectations of
<br />council-manager relations should
<br />be realistic and practical rather
<br />than blindly idealistic and theoreti-
<br />cal. Being practical' means acknowl-
<br />edging that there will be a contin- ·
<br />uum of disagn'eement/agreement,
<br />harmony/disharmony, understzmd-
<br />ing/misunderstandings, wins/losses
<br />and civility/lack of civility. But these
<br />vagaries will not mean the end of
<br />the relationship or even necessarily
<br />a poor or declining one.
<br /> At the same time, an astute man-
<br />ager will acknowledge that any
<br />overconcentration on the negatives
<br />might elicit the .dreaded "handwrit-
<br />ing on the wall" of which the man-
<br />ager should take heed, perhaps
<br />searching for other employment
<br />opportunities.
<br /> Bottom line is that, as a man-
<br />ager, your expectations of your
<br />relationship with the council must
<br />be realistic in order to achieve
<br />long-term success. There is nothing
<br />wrong with idealism, and most of
<br />us started ouc careers from an ide-
<br />alistic perspective. Over time, how-
<br />ever, this perspective must be tem-
<br />pered by our daily experiences. If it
<br />is not, and if we operate only from
<br />an idealistic perspective, then we
<br />will suffer many frustrations and
<br />possibly many job searches.
<br /> Certainly, a great difference
<br />exists between a movie combat
<br />scene and real combat, in real com-
<br />bat, the soldier -'.in spite of exten-
<br />sive training tb the contrary -will
<br />start out with visions of glory as
<br />depicted in John Wayne movies.
<br />
<br />But by the time the first shot is
<br />fired, the soldier is usually dirty
<br />and scared, often feels confused '
<br />and frustrated, and has one goal
<br />uppermost in his mind - to survive
<br />for another day.
<br /> The initial, unrealistic vision of
<br />glory does not prevent the battle
<br />from being won. Tlxe same is true
<br />of organizational relationships,
<br />including the council-manager
<br />interaction. It will not match up to
<br />the theory or to our ideals, but it
<br />still can succeed. Amd though the
<br />manager may start from an unreal-
<br />istic viewpoint on the job, with
<br />adjustments and learning, he or
<br />she can manage to survive, and
<br />survive to manage.
<br />
<br />Strengthening the relationship
<br />Strengthening the relationship can
<br />be accomplished by learning that
<br />councils, managers and situations
<br />change, so that all involved must
<br />adjust (it is not necessarily the situ-
<br />ations that will adjust). In 1'986,
<br />Fred ~isher called this adjustment
<br />"closing the gap' in his Cou~dl
<br />Devdopment: Strategies for ~[ncreasing
<br />Council Effectiveness, published by
<br />the National League of Cities.
<br /> He observed that "it is neither
<br />realistic nor possible to completely
<br />close the gap between your expec-
<br />tations of public service and the
<br />reality you've experienced in the
<br />role [of elected councilmember].
<br />And yet, daere can.be enormous -
<br />frustration in accepting the discrep-
<br />ancy as an unfortunate fact of
<br />elected life." Even though Fisher's
<br />statement referred to elected city
<br />councilmemb~rs, it is applicable to
<br />appointed managers. You either
<br />close the gap and survive, or you
<br />ignore the gap, undergo frustra-
<br />tions and suffer the consequences.
<br /> Strengthening the relationship
<br />by knowing the ramifications of the
<br />boss and subordinate roles and by
<br />adapting your expectations can be
<br />accomplished by following these
<br />eight guidelines: ~
<br />
<br />-54-
<br /> A,7~il 9QO3, MICHIGAN MUNICIPAL ~EVIEW
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