Small Budget, Big Thinking How to Lead in Times of Expanding Challenges and Declining Resources
Feb 09, 2016
Small Budget, Big ThinkingHow to Lead in Times of Expanding Challenges
and Declining Resources
Have You Ever Had…..• Too much money in your budget?• Employees that are 100% competent, happy and
eager to make your job easy?• Citizens that are always gushing with praise for
your performance?• Elected officials that want to give more money to
public works and less money to fire & police?• The perfect balance of sun, rain, cold and warm
weather?• All of this at once for a sustained period of time?
Of Course You Haven’t
• Public works is always challenging• Managing people is always challenging• Public sector work is always challenging
So What Has Really Changed?
• Just that you have been sucked into the vortex of depressed and pessimistic public servants
Now is a Time for Extraordinary Creativity and Opportunity
Change Your Thinking and Attitude
• Chance to demonstrate leadership• Chance to change things that have needed
changing for years• Chance to elevate the public works profession• Chance to develop new relationships and
networks• Chance to experiment• Chance to learn
"People in good moods are better at inductive reasoning and creative problem solving.“
--From Emotion, Disclosure, and Health, 1995 Salovey, Mayer, Goldman, Turvey, and Palfai
Motivation
• Is it easier or harder to motivate your team today than it was 2 years ago?
• Are you more or less motivated than you were 2 years ago?
What is Motivation?
• Really talking about “Engagement”• Engagement means…
– Coming to work energized – looking forward to the day
– Excited about the work being done – how is it meaningful?
– Would you do this work for free?– Is it a hobby or just a job?
Leading to Engagement• Trust
– Engagement 1 in 2 vs. 1 in 12• Compassion
– Caring is noticed• Stability
– 9 x more engagement w/confidence in financial future
• Hope– 69% vs. 1% engagement – feeling
enthusiastic about the future
Source: Strengths Based Leadership; Rath and Conchie; Gallup Press, 2008
TRUSTCOMPASSION
STABILITYHOPE
Building Trust
• Get to know one another as people• Socialize• Off-site retreat• Ethical behavior
Role of the Leader
• Admit mistakes• Live up to commitments• Invite relationships• Create opportunities • Risk losing in front of
group• Create an environment
that does not punish vulnerability
Compassion
• Empathetic behavior• Face to face
communication• Note cards• Must be authentic
Emotional Intelligence
• Knowing your emotions. • Managing your own emotions. • Motivating yourself. • Recognizing and understanding other
people's emotions. • Managing relationships, ie., managing the
emotions of others.
Source: Daniel Goleman
“In my 1998 book Working with Emotional Intelligence, I proposed that EI-based abilities more often than IQ-type abilities or technical skills are the discriminating competencies that predict who among a group of very smart people will lead most ably.” – Daniel Goleman
Emotional Intelligence
Stability
• Open, honest and frequent communication
• Visible efforts to improve stability– Finding grants– Teaming with adjacent
jurisdictions– Doing work for other
departments
Being unstable & crabby is all part of my mystique
Hope
• Define a visible future and boldly go there
Leading Change1. Why is this change important?2. Who is with me?3. Where are we going?4. Selling our future5. Empowering the team6. Creating short term wins7. Keep building momentum8. Anchor in the culture
There is no point where we say we are done!
Managers
• Bring order and predictability to complex, chaotic situations
• Focus on planning, budgeting, organizing, staffing, problem solving
• Focus on today, next week• Use appointed power
Source: William Sterling, P.E. Leader-Manager: Is There a Difference; APWA Reporter December 2005
Leaders
• Have a vision for a better future• Set direction for change through vision and
strategy and aligning people behind initiatives• Inspire people to follow• Transform vision into reality• Focus on long term view• Use influential power
Source: William Sterling, P.E. Leader-Manager: Is There a Difference; APWA Reporter December 2005
Leadership is NOT…• Equivalent to managing well• Forcing change through power mandates
Leadership is …• Risky, yet rewarding• Necessary for change• Action based on passion and inspiration
Leadership is Proactive
• Natural response is to be reactive• Think about what could be done, rather than
focus on what needs to be done• Organizational culture may stress responding
to near term needs• Spend more time initiating than responding• Develop the next generation of leaders
Source: Strengths Based Leadership; Rath and Conchie; Gallup Press, 2008
Leading Characteristics
• Continually learning• Service oriented• Radiating positive energy• Believing in other people• Leading balanced lives• Seeing life as an adventure• Creating synergy• Exercising for self-renewalSource: Steven Covey, Principle-
Centered Leadership
Team
An energetic group of people who are committed to achieving common objectives, who work well together and enjoy doing so and who produce high quality results.
Doufour (2008)
HAS ANYONE EVER MET THIS GROUP OF PEOPLE?
Five Dysfunctions of a Team
Healthy Team
• They trust one another• They engage in unfiltered conflict around
ideas• They commit to decisions and plans of actions• They hold one another accountable for
delivering against those plans• They focus on the achievement of collective
results
Left Brain ApproachPublic works industry tends to be dominated by
engineers and other linear thinking problem solversPublic works is always inundated with demands for
service which all appear on the surface to be emergencies
Public works never has enough resources to get the job done the way we want to do it! (and we never will!)
We tend to solve the immediate problem
Integrated ApproachSystem Thinking. Recognize everything is interrelated and find meaning,
purpose and connectedness. Simplify. Utilize powerful tools that are simple and easy to use.Exploring. Create a sustainable future through risk-taking, innovation, and
courageous leadership. Knowledge. Recognize and improve the public works profession’s
contribution and continued leadership on creating transformational change within their communities.
Teamwork. Create a foundation for success by embracing collaboration with other municipal departments, elected officials, citizens and other professionals.
Caring. Nurture relationships to foster change. Efficiency. Deliver services and provide infrastructure that promotes less
waste, less pollution and less consumption.
APWA Center for Sustainability
Opportunities Abound
• Chance to demonstrate leadership• Chance to change things that have needed
changing for years• Chance to elevate the public works profession• Chance to develop new relationships and
networks• Chance to experiment• Chance to learn
Low and No Cost Ideas
• Ethical behavior• Compassionate behavior• Read books on leadership• Brown bag lunch ‘n’ learn• Listen• Pizza or donuts• Engage your team in problem solving
Low and No Cost Ideas
• Get out in the community• Walk around your department and talk to
people• Buy a box of cards and some stickers• Give people achievable assignments that will
challenge them• Say “please” and “thank you”• Ask questions
Thoughts on Leadership• The ability to lead is closely related to
what inspires you• If you are inspired to change, leadership
comes naturally• Love your work• Find what inspires you and go there• Find out what inspires your team• Your enthusiasm will inspire others
The Role of Leadership
Do What you Love Every Day
Passion is a powerful motivator
References
• Leadership on the Line by Marty Linsky and Ronald A. Heifetz, Harvard Business School Press 2002
• Leading Change by John P. Kotter, Harvard Business School Press 2002
• Strengths Based Leadership by Tom Rath and Barry Conchie, Gallup Press 2008
• Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman 1995• The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick
Lencioni 2002