Monday, July 9, 2012
Monday, July 2, 2012
Will There Be a 2013?
Budgets went out to Department Heads for comments, review, corrections and additions.
Friday, June 29, 2012
The Conditioners
From Robber Barrons to Conditioners - in the end it's all about the Abolition of Man. What have we gained C.S.?
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
New Way of Measuring Contracting
The budget is a contract between the policymakers and municipal departments. The budget also may be viewed as a contract between the citizens and the municipality. That is, the citizens have agreed to pay taxes so they can receive certain services from the municipality.
Monday, June 25, 2012
Civility and the New Order
Dave Limardi did a presentation this summer at the WCMA conference that introduced most of the ideas discussed in my recent blogs. Nice work Dave.
Tent 2
Affirm the dignity and worth of the services rendered by government and maintain a constructive, creative, and practical attitude toward local government affairs and a deep sense of social responsibility as a trusted public servant.
Tent 2
Affirm the dignity and worth of the services rendered by government and maintain a constructive, creative, and practical attitude toward local government affairs and a deep sense of social responsibility as a trusted public servant.
Friday, June 22, 2012
The Group
Lately, it has been become fashionable for politicians to make fact-free attacks on hard-working public employees. Unjustified attacks on public employees’ at meetings and work about their character, work ethic and very existence have become sadly common. Prolonged and systematic attacks on any group in an effort to take away their rights, voice, and respect in society are a hallmark of the bullying style now defining American politics.
The bullying style seeks to disparage a selected target so thoroughly as to deny it prestige or sympathy, render it a pariah, and rebrand it as a threat to the common good.
The bullying style derives in part from prejudice, in part from opportunism. Adept at exploiting stereotypes and fears about job security and the economic status, its tools are ridicule, scapegoating, blaming targets for their own mistreatment, and raw use of power to downgrade social standing.
The bullying style has penetrated mainstream politics in a fashion long relegated to extremist movements, such as the anti-government, and anti-immigrant groups. More associated with the coffee shop than the hallways of state, it is now a defining aspect of political leadership and governance, even as its practice frustrates both leading and governing.
Recognize that although bullies’ comments are personal, they are a tactic. The intention of the bully is to provoke and cause managers to make mistakes. The attacks are the bully’s worldview, not the manager’s. Their comments are intended to provoke reflexive action. For a manager, it does not make sense to counterattack or withdraw. The manager needs to acknowledge the context and move to the facts and to the purpose of the meeting.
The bullying style seeks to disparage a selected target so thoroughly as to deny it prestige or sympathy, render it a pariah, and rebrand it as a threat to the common good.
The bullying style derives in part from prejudice, in part from opportunism. Adept at exploiting stereotypes and fears about job security and the economic status, its tools are ridicule, scapegoating, blaming targets for their own mistreatment, and raw use of power to downgrade social standing.
The bullying style has penetrated mainstream politics in a fashion long relegated to extremist movements, such as the anti-government, and anti-immigrant groups. More associated with the coffee shop than the hallways of state, it is now a defining aspect of political leadership and governance, even as its practice frustrates both leading and governing.
Recognize that although bullies’ comments are personal, they are a tactic. The intention of the bully is to provoke and cause managers to make mistakes. The attacks are the bully’s worldview, not the manager’s. Their comments are intended to provoke reflexive action. For a manager, it does not make sense to counterattack or withdraw. The manager needs to acknowledge the context and move to the facts and to the purpose of the meeting.
Thursday, June 21, 2012
An Older Manager Told Me
Everything we do, no matter how simple or straightforward, entails some sort of conceptual underpinning -- some grounding in a belief or system of beliefs. Most of us believe in a solid, enduring, independent "self" -- an "I" that requires a good deal of maintenance. It takes a lot of effort to maintain a belief in a "self" and "others."
Civility brings together the belief in a “self” and “other.” Civility requires self-control, especially in dialogues with others with whom we disagree. We tend to view “self” and “other” in society along lines of race, social-economic groups, religion, age, politics and special interests. The “self’ can be hostile to the “other” and resort to bullying tactics. A bullying tactic is shame. Shame is used to establish dominance.
One of the most challenging emotions we have that involve managing “self” and “other” is embarrassment. Embarrassment and shame can be unpleasant to experience, but are emotions that allow us to adapt our world to the “self” and “other.” When we were children, shame allows us to stay out of harm’s way, and as adults, shame keeps us from tearing apart our social fabric.
Biologically, we are all wired for shame, an emotion experienced as an interruption to positive emotions. We can feel a little bit of shame as a twinge of self-consciousness or an immersion in shame as profound humiliation.
As manager’s, we must learn to manage our shame similar to anger and hate. Tolerance is the name of the civility game.
Civility brings together the belief in a “self” and “other.” Civility requires self-control, especially in dialogues with others with whom we disagree. We tend to view “self” and “other” in society along lines of race, social-economic groups, religion, age, politics and special interests. The “self’ can be hostile to the “other” and resort to bullying tactics. A bullying tactic is shame. Shame is used to establish dominance.
One of the most challenging emotions we have that involve managing “self” and “other” is embarrassment. Embarrassment and shame can be unpleasant to experience, but are emotions that allow us to adapt our world to the “self” and “other.” When we were children, shame allows us to stay out of harm’s way, and as adults, shame keeps us from tearing apart our social fabric.
Biologically, we are all wired for shame, an emotion experienced as an interruption to positive emotions. We can feel a little bit of shame as a twinge of self-consciousness or an immersion in shame as profound humiliation.
As manager’s, we must learn to manage our shame similar to anger and hate. Tolerance is the name of the civility game.
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