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4, Ignore some things:
<br />· Don't treat a council defeat of
<br /> your proposals as a catastrophe.
<br /> Don't crusade for a proposal.
<br /> Let it rest for a while.
<br />· Don't overreact to council criti-
<br /> cism of your actions. Digest
<br /> members' comments, respond
<br /> if necessary, and move on to
<br /> the next project or issue.
<br />· Accept blunt council directives to
<br /> you. Don't take them personally.
<br /> Recognize that the council has a
<br /> role to play in the public arena
<br /> and that sometimes it needs to
<br /> show the public that the man-
<br /> ager works for the council.
<br />
<br />5. Hold a goals workshop or
<br /> retreat with the councii:
<br />· Use a facilitator to help identify
<br /> problems or areas of contention
<br /> between the manager and coun-
<br /> cil and anaong the councilmem-
<br /> bors themselves.
<br />· Identify the issues confronting
<br /> the council.
<br />· Understand the respective roles
<br /> of the mayor, council, and man-
<br /> ager.3
<br />
<br />6. Look in the mirror:
<br />° Reflect on your actions with
<br /> the council.
<br />· Make sure you are not the
<br /> problem.
<br />· Determine what you might do
<br /> to improve relations.
<br />
<br />7, Use social gatherings:
<br />· Know councilmembers in a
<br /> non-meeting environment.
<br />· Attend conferences togethen
<br />· Host a party at yom' house.
<br />· Ride in a parade together.
<br />· Drive to city functions together.
<br />
<br />8. Avoid:
<br />· Drawing lines in the sand. Don't
<br /> say, "My way, or no way.''4
<br />· Adhering to a "cafeteria plan"
<br /> in supporting the council or in
<br /> implementing council instruc-
<br /> tions. A manager cannot be
<br /> selective in the council policies
<br /> she or he implements but must
<br /> implement them all.
<br />
<br />-56-
<br />
<br />Assuming that you know the
<br />council's expectations of you.
<br />Assuming that, or acting as if,
<br />you are always on the "high
<br />road." Do not be self-righteous
<br />in your managerial actions or
<br />attitude. You may be 100 percent
<br />right technically, while you are
<br />only 50 percent right politically
<br />or realistically. You can take the
<br />100 percent-right attitude once
<br />too often and end up 100 per-
<br />cent out of a job, And then the
<br />city will be without your profes-
<br />sional skills to implement 50
<br />percent of your good proposals.
<br />Think about it.
<br />
<br />Holding realistic expectaeions
<br />Managers need to understand their
<br />role in [he council-manager form of
<br />government. You can make a great
<br />team with the council, you can offer
<br />policy recommendations on a vari-
<br />ety of local affairs, and you can
<br />have frank discussions with the
<br />council. Bottom line, however, is
<br />that you play a subordinate role to
<br />the council. This situation is not
<br />bad or evil; in fact, in a democracy
<br />we anticipate that elected officials
<br />will wield control and authority
<br />over appointed officials. Just
<br />remember that this is so!
<br /> As far as your expectations of the
<br />job go, close the gap between your
<br />ideals for the managerial job and
<br />the reality of your currentjob. The
<br />sooner you do this, the happier
<br />and more successful you will be.
<br /> After doing all of these things,
<br />remember that, even though you
<br />may hold realistic expectations of
<br />your relationship with your council,
<br />and even though you may thor-
<br />oughly adhere to the boss-subordi-
<br />nate view of the relationship, these
<br />conditions will not guarantee your
<br />longevity in the job. of manager.
<br /> Situations change, and keeping
<br />your realistic approach to the rela-
<br />tionship will not mean that the
<br />council will not fire you. And your
<br />thorough adherence to your subor-
<br />dinate role will not mean that the
<br />council always will be happy with
<br />your peribrmance. There is hath-
<br />
<br />lng that can guarantee your job as
<br />manager; however, your chances
<br />for success increase if you follow
<br />the eight suggestions outlined in
<br />this article. *
<br />
<br />Sources
<br />I "Council-Man,get Relations in Small Communities,"
<br /> Put*lie Management (PM), (Match ¢2000), ¢.
<br />
<br /> once (San fiancisco, Cali[omi~: 8~rrett-Keehler Pub-
<br /> lishers, be., 1994), m 7.
<br /> Dr. Ga~ H~lter, a professor a~ T~s A&M Univer-
<br /> siW, served ~s ~ ~acilit~mr for ~issouri Ci~ in 1999
<br /> ~nd provided ~ lis~ of ~ dmi~ ~nd t~sb to
<br /> mayor, coundl, and re,namer. He ~sked e,~ to
<br /> id~dty the roles o~ th~ mayer, council, and
<br /> ' in decision-ma~in~ situations, ~s th~ related to
<br /> ~sk and duW. This ~erdse kebed to identify
<br /> pmenti~l areas br misunderstandin9 and raise ~pec-
<br /> rations,
<br />4' ~llen (Texas) CiW M~n~er Mi~e Perez tells
<br /> story ~b6ut ~en ~e was m~n~er o~ ~ small d~.
<br /> The council was ~b~tin~ klm ,nd deddin~ on a
<br /> cou~e of action br ~e ~ure. He mid th~m~
<br /> you want a city re,namer or you wan~ a ci~ secm-
<br /> t~. Ma~e up your mind." ~e council went
<br /> ~tive session, th~ ~me out ~nd raid him,
<br /> want ~ ci~ secretary'" ~e stall ci~ was ~e~t with-
<br /> out ~ike's professional ~pcnJse he,use he drew
<br /> line in the s~nd.
<br /> James H. Swra, "Di~otomy ,nd Du~I~: Rotan.
<br />
<br /> Administration in Coun~l. Managet Cities," Ideal
<br /> and P/notice in Council-Meaeg~ Government, 2n6
<br /> Edition. Washington, D.C.: ]CMA (1995).
<br /> Bill Han~el~, "Council. Manatee ~ebtiom; %e
<br /> in~ Point," Council. Manager gebtiont: Current
<br /> . Readingt, p. 6.
<br /> ~. J. D. Rowe, "Thmry and Myth v~. Pract~ce," -
<br /> P~blic Management (PM), (February 1987),
<br /> I 1-16.
<br />
<br /> noted, "Polifl~ is a contentious ~rocess bemuse
<br /> encomp~s~ different ~nd competin~ v~bes,
<br /> forests, and ¢onstituen~es, ~Jl of which are
<br /> claims on ~overnment."
<br />
<br />MICHIGAN MUNICIPAL REVIEW, April 2003
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