CC WS PACKET 01092024 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

43 COMMON TRAITS Successful Councilmembers value partnership and teamwork. Effective governments are no more than effective teams. When the mayor, city councilmembers, and staff view each other as resources and partners, they are more likely to be able to meet their community’s needs, no matter how difficult. However, when the city’s elected officials look for scapegoats and blame staff or each other it chills innovation and risk taking, leads to low morale and turnover, and ultimately to failure. Both elected and appointed officials must be held accountable even though mistakes will occur. Effective Councilmembers spend their energy on learning from mistakes and how to avoid them in the future, and not on finding someone to blame. If there is a significant issue, it will be addressed by Council leadership and the City Manager. Keys to team-building success Many observers of government have linked city success with the ability of the mayor and council to work together as a team. Both inside meetings and during one-to-one. Working collaboratively to establish visions, goals, and priorities. When priorities and policies are set collaboratively they often have greater stakeholder buy-in. Successful Councilmembers gather their facts before making decisions. Some issues that arise do require immediate action, even when all the facts or opinions have not been collected. However, successful Councilmembers recognize that these rare situations are the exception rather than the rule. Councilmembers and city councils may at times feel enormous pressure from constituents to act immediately in response to a crisis or new event. Taking the time to plan a thoughtful, concerted response may not always be a popular decision. Nevertheless, it is important to recognize that, even in a crisis, better decisions invariably result when there is opportunity and effort to gather crucial information and thoroughly discuss alternatives.