CC PACKET 11221989 - Laserfiche WebLink

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MEMORANDUM DATE: November 13 , 1989 TO: Department Heads and Staff FROM: Thomas D. Burt, City Manager ITEM: STARTING OUT It is a pleasure for me to be joining St. Anthony Village as City Manager. I look forward to getting to know each of you and establishing a positive working relationship over the coming months. TRANSITION PERIOD Inevitably when a new person assumes the position of City Manager, there is a period of transition and adjustment. This period should be one of trust and growth -- trust in the abilities and sincerity of each other and growth of long lasting professional and personal relationships. No major departures . of any current administrative policies will occur unless by mutual analysis and discussion it is clear that changes will be in the best interest of the City and/or the organization. I am proud to be a part of your organization and ask for your cooperation. While I wish to have your personal loyalty and support, I recognize that it cannot be asked for or demanded, but rather, it must be merited. I plan to earn that loyalty and support through hard work, sincerity, and advocacy and support of staff. MANAGEMENT PHILOSOPHY Although a "philosophy" is better conveyed through demonstration and experience than in a memo, I want to briefly describe the basis .upon which I will try to operate. Briefly stated, my management philosophy centers on two things -- communication and involvement. To me, no organization can run well without effective communication. For a city, that means that the City Council must communicate the organizational goals and objectives that are to be pursued. Following that, the staff's job is to communicate, both internally and to the City Council, the necessary information and recommendations on how to attain the identified goals and objectives. Without involvement however, the communication process will never attain peak efficiency. This is based on my belief that people,