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V If Y �' Figure 1. Effective Small-Group Decision Making An EFFECTIVE Small Group Interpersonal Skills Task Skills Rational Skills The ability to work with others Knowledge to do a job Ability to deal with issues and problems rationally • Listening to and understanding . Knowing the form and role of • Selecting and prioritizing the the views of others the organization issues to be addressed • Constructively confronting and resolving differences • Knowing law,policies,and • Analyzing issues and related facts • Supporting others and showing procedures • Identifying objectives and • Showing civility and good outcomes respect for their ideas • Participating actively in manners • Considering alternative discussions •• Using professional and technical strategies and courses of action knowledge •Assessing obstacles and x; • Taking"time outs" to discuss consequences how well group members • • Reaching consensus decisions interact • Evaluating and following up mance component must be defined functions. Policy makingiimplementa- on empowering effective staff perfor- within the team through discussion and tion is a continuum of thought and rela- mance. Councils that do not do this will mutual definition of those behaviors tions that transforms ideas and abstrac- frequently fall into micromanaging, that and practices expected of the mayor and tions(visions,policies,goals,and plans) is, they will perceive a need to become councilmembers in the conduct of their into defined, observable ends or out- involved in,or retain approval over,even duties and interactions. comes (results, programs, buildings, minor staff activity and plans. Vince Lombardi, when asked what streets, deliverable services). Council A critical element and important made a winning team, replied, "Start and staff share this continuum as part- council task in this partnership is evalu- 4 with the fundamentals.A player's got to nets ensuring each other's success. Each ation of the manager or administrator, I know the basics of the game and how to person plays an important role in mak- based upon clearly defined goals, poli- play his [herj position.The players have ing sound policies and in ensuring their cies,and established guidelines on exec- to play as a team, not a bunch of indi- effective implementation through tell- utive performance. According to the viduals. The difference between medi- able administrative practices and perfor- 1996 ICMA survey, only about 45 per- ocrity and greatness is the feeling the mance. Figure?depicts this partnership cent of ail councils formally evaluate players have for each other,"that is,their and continuum. their managers'performance. relationships. Teams talk about and de- John Carver, a widely acclaimed au- fine expected roles and relationships thor who writes about boards that make Make a Systematic and give constructive feedback to their a difference, discusses this partnership f''"' members on the degree to which they as one in which councils define the . A� Evaluation of are fulfilling these expectations. needs to be met and the outcomes to be --Ai'', Policy I achieved. He believes that councils implementation r Establish and Abide should allow staff,within council-estab- Councils, like most legislative bodies, by a Council-Staff lished limits, to define the means for frequently exhibit the Jean Luc Picard ,,. ` a Partnership achieving these ends. He sees a council- syndrome (Star Trek II) and simply tell 4 `� staff linkage that empowers staff to do their staffs: "Make it so." They assume • We have all heard the saying "Council its tasks and to be evaluated on the re- that council action equates to policy and makes policy, staff implements policy." sults produced. program implementation. The next Well, this is a total misconception of re- Councils that accept and abide by this time the council hears about policy is aiity: Policy making and policy impie- partnership focus their energy on estab- when a problem or crisis arises. mentation are not distinct and separate fishing vision,goals,and good policy and In contrast, highly effective councils 11 6 NOVEMBER 1997