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Figure 3. Arenas for Governing Body and Staff Performance Exploration and Disposition/ Community Arena Goal Setting Analysis Legislation� Relations Purposes • Establish vision • Understanding the • Taking official action • Interacting with III • Explore potentials issue(s) • Votingon items • Set goals constituents/citizens o • Problem -Resolutions • Building alliances •Set direction/ identification -Ordinances • Doing outreach and priorities • Selecting"best • Gathering public liaison -Community options" input • Coordinating with -Services • Building • Mobilizing support other entities -Staff action commitment -Budgets Typical Setting Retreat or advance— Study session— Public—formal council Numerous— informal off-site conference room meeting in chambers diverse formats workshop Focuses • Future of community •Developing knowl- • Going throughthe •Communicating• Evaluation of edge for decision agenda(formality) • Problem solving -Needs making • Showing authority • Collaborating and -Trends • Sorting of options • Ratifiying/adopting coordinating -Strategic issues ! • Examining • Dealing with political • Forming • Community desires consequences pressures partnership(s) and values •Setting strategies • Identifying •Actingas a • Leadership • Making competent psychological needs community and informed decisions Key Characteristics • Informality •Starting council-staff •Meeting formally •Being"outside"city • • Sharing of options dialogue •Setting and following hall 40 • Open dialogue •Questioning and test- rules and procedures •Responding to • Creative thinking P g ing ideas • Encouraging public requests • Humor and adventuae • Exchanging input and • Starting joint information involvement ventures • Face-to-face/group • Negotiating and • Gaining high • Facilitating interaction visibility interagency activity I. consensus building • No voting • Dealing with • Using multiple inter- • Face-to-face/group pressure/advocacy action modes and interaction from groups communication • Voting techniques • Interacting as groups 4 Many councils, however, drift from Get a Valid not it is addressing issues effectively. these rules and procedures in pursuit of Assessment of the Highly effective councils seek feedback informality, collegiality, and "just being • Public's through a number of market research • nice." They let their meetings drone on Concerns and tools such as focus groups, surveys, and with a lack of focus, redundant corn- an Evaluation of the questionnaires. Typically, the phone calls ments,and endless discussion. Council's Performance a councilmember receives or the com- Rules and procedures do not pre- merits made in public hearings are not f dude citizen input, courtesy, or sensi- Elections are contests among individuals valid or accurate reflections of the entire tivity to public concerns and view- vying to become members of the coun- community's sentiments about issues and points. They respect all these elements cil. They are not valid, obiective assess- about the council's performance."Market nd the necessity to conduct business in ments of the public's feeling about the research feedback" should be ongoing orderly, disciplined, and productive quality of the council's performance as a and should be included in the annual Waal manner. governing body and about whether or goal-setting retreat or advance. 8 NOVEMBER 1997