Positive Environment

Every now and then a City Council gets a chronic complainer. I’m not saying that a little complaining isn’t justified, but working around the chronic complainers makes me generally unhappy at work. It’s a fact that negative people are highly contagious and one chronic complainer can easily get an entire city down. I believe councils can have three types of members; the peacebraker, peacefaker and peacemaker.
The peacebraker thrives on conflict and will create conflict where there should be none. I’ve worked with councilors like this in the past. If you say the pavement is black, they say it is gray. This councilor sees every city employee as another excellent opportunity to complain.
The peacefaker wants peace at any cost. They generally will let stronger members dominate them and not express their concerns at the cost of creating conflict. They tend to feel alienated and can create distrust and suspicion within the council and with the public. These councilors tend to accommodate the peacebrakers and eventually become negative or depressed.
The peacemaker tells the truth, communicates their concerns and hopes. They respect the people they are dealing with and work towards producing the best outcome for the city. They are not afraid of conflict, but they do not prolong it. Cooperation is the key word rather then I got what I wanted. These councilors find peacebreakers to be grandstanders and timewasters
I believe that Councils that work together in a positive and cooperative manner are taking the first step in gaining the public’s trust. Understanding your role within the structure and working as a team to improve the community builds trust.