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Engaging Marginalized Communities 12 The Latino Digital Divide 30 Lessons from Queer Ecology 38
Aimee Kane, Boulder equity program manager; and Madelyn Strong Woodley, member of the Boulder Police Oversight Task Force
EQUITY AND
INCLUSION SEPTEMBER 2021 ICMA.ORG/PM
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SEPTEMBER 2021 VOL. 103 NO. 9
30
F E AT U R E S
12
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A carefully considered engagement and inclusion process helps bind the fabric of the community Pooja Bachani Di Giovanna
Rethink what you consider to be a resource, take stock of what you’ve got, and don’t be afraid to ask for more Aimee Kane
16
38
Engaging Marginalized Communities: Challenges and Best Practices
Everyone Has a Story: Healing Macro Systems Through Micro Relationships I grew up thinking, “If only people knew me. If only they knew my story.” Melissa Wiley
20
Operationalizing Racial Equity: Beginning from within Your Organization Using the REDI Model to drive internal change by connecting racial equity to organizational performance Dr. Kathleen Yang-Clayton and Kimberly Richardson
27
Still Serving: Military Veteran Bias in Local Government The importance of recognizing unconscious veteran bias and eliminating it from the hiring process Henry Hayes Jr.
30
CONTENTS
Advancing Racial Equity with Limited Resources
Creating Inclusive Communities— Lessons from Queer Ecology To be truly inclusive, we must go beyond the binary, embrace the world for all its queerness, and commit to changing along with it. Taylor Reimann
D E PA RT M E N T S
42
2 Ethics Matter!
The Arc of the Moral Universe Bends when Ethical Public Managers Act
Landing a New Position with Your Integrity Intact
While current managers are not responsible for the past, they are most certainly accountable for the present and the future. Dr. Kurt Thurmaier
6 Case Study
Utilizing Industry Expertise to Transform Facility Operations and Reduce Risks
8 Letter from the Executive Director
48
Successful Built Environments Begin with Inclusivity
High Performance in Local Government, Part 4: The Work of Leadership
10 Assistants and Deputies
Leadership not only sets the course, it gets people on the boat and rowing together. Don Jarrett, with Patty Gentrup
Forged in Fire: Crisis and the Manager/Assistant Relationship
52 Career Track
A Healthy Workplace Culture Is the “Secret Sauce” for Success, Part 2
Closing the Latino Digital Divide How three communities with large Latino populations are expanding broadband access to help reverse the vulnerabilities exposed by the pandemic Raymond Gonzales
55 Professional Services Directory
International City/County Management Association
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
34
Share your thoughts on PM magazine by emailing us at pm@icma.org. Submit an article proposal to pm@icma.org or learn more at icma.org/writeforus.
SEPTEMBER 2021 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | 1
ETHICS MATTER!
Landing a New Position with Your Integrity Intact
BY MARTHA PEREGO, ICMA-CM
Taking your career to the next level is an
MARTHA PEREGO, ICMA-CM, is director of member services and ethics director, ICMA, Washington, D.C. (mperego@icma.org).
application to interview can take months. Those actively searching for a new position can find themselves involved in exciting prospect. For those who serve in or aspire multiple recruitments, each at varying stages of the process. to executive-level positions in local government, that Then there is the challenge that if you are offered the job, move up or onward brings a unique set of obligations, you end up negotiating terms and compensation with an challenges, and quirks. For instance, unlike counterparts individual who doesn’t have the legal authority to seal the in the private and nonprofit sectors, they don’t have the deal. Hiring the manager and approving the employment luxury of competing for the next position quietly behind agreement requires the vote of the full governing body. closed doors. Vying for a position as an assistant or deputy in another Expectations of transparency, especially in the selection organization presents another unique set of the individual who will lead the of issues to navigate. It won’t be subject entire organization, have risen so high to the same level of public scrutiny, but that in some states merely applying Given the the issue of confidentiality, especially for the position is a matter of public within a tight network of managers, record. Even absent that level of importance of is real. Seeing your application for transparency, anyone successful maintaining your the first time, will the manager in the enough to reach the finalist list should reputation and the organization where you’ve applied be prepared to have that information pick up the phone to chat with your disclosed to the media and public. unique nature of current manager? The public’s right to know and have the hiring process, Given the importance of maintaining confidence in the integrity of the your reputation and the unique process is certainly important. But the profession nature of the process, the profession every disclosure that someone is has laid out some has laid out some ground rules for seeking a position elsewhere has your consideration. the potential to burn some political ground rules for Accurate credentials and capital at the home base. your consideration. resumes. Public processes by their very Once you post your nature are not speedy ones—from credentials online and then submit
Public Management (PM)
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2 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | SEPTEMBER 2021
ICMA Creating and Supporting Thriving Communities ICMA’s vision is to be the leading association of local government professionals dedicated to creating and supporting thriving communities throughout the world. It does this by working with its more than 12,000 members to identify and speed the adoption of leading local government practices and improve the lives of residents. ICMA offers membership, professional development programs, research, publications, data and information, technical assistance, and training to thousands of city, town, and county chief administrative officers, their staffs, and other organizations throughout the world. Public Management (PM) aims to inspire innovation, inform decision making, connect leading-edge thinking to everyday challenges, and serve ICMA members and local governments in creating and sustaining thriving communities throughout the world.
your resume for a position, you are creating a permanent record of your education and work history. A resume that doesn’t match a LinkedIn profile raises a red flag. Tailoring your resume for the position is fine, but the basic facts on all versions must be consistent. Your credibility with a recruiter is in question if you have multiple stories about your credentials. Misstating your credentials and employment history—yes, even omitting short tenures— can have serious repercussions for your reputation and future employment. Complete candor. At times there may be something in a candidate’s record that is best shared early in the process and by the candidate. Better to be forthcoming as
2020–2021 ICMA Executive Board PRESIDENT
Midwest Region
Southeast Region
Clint Gridley City Administrator, Woodbury, Minnesota
Laura Fitzpatrick, ICMA-CM Assistant City Manager, Chesapeake, Virginia
James Malloy, ICMA-CM Town Manager, Lexington, Massachusetts
Molly Mehner, ICMA-CM Assistant City Manager, Cape Girardeau, Missouri
PRESIDENT-ELECT
Victor Cardenas, ICMA-CM Assistant City Manager, Novi, Michigan
Troy Brown, ICMA-CM City Manager, Moorpark, California
Mountain Plains Region
PAST PRESIDENT
Michael Land, ICMA-CM City Manager, Coppell, Texas
Jane Brautigam, ICMA-CM City Manager, Boulder, Colorado VICE PRESIDENTS
International Region
Stephen Parry, ICMA-CM* Chief Executive, Gore District Council, New Zealand Robert Kristof City Manager, Timisoara, Romania Chris MacPherson Chief Administrative Officer, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada
a demonstration of honesty than to stay silent and have a matter disclosed in a background check. Free agency. Just like a professional sports athlete, a local government professional is a free agent. You can apply and interview with multiple organizations. You are not under any ethical obligation to inform your employer that you are looking elsewhere. But as with most things in life, timing is important. If you do not wish to burn any bridges, letting everyone know before the news leaks out works best. And of course, if you are relying on certain people for a reference, advance discussions are a must. Participating in multiple recruitment processes gets challenging as you progress to the next level. You may find yourself a finalist in two or more recruitments. It’s fine to continue interviewing as long as you have a serious interest in the position. Don’t waste anyone’s time if after the first interview you can’t see yourself working in that organization. If you progress beyond the initial interview, you may want to consider informing the recruiter or organization of your status as a candidate in other places. Due diligence. Responsibility for thoroughly evaluating the position, organization, and community to determine whether it will be a good fit both personally and professionally rests with you. While the guideline on committing to a two-year tenure only applies to the appointed manager, short tenures because of a failure to do the homework should be avoided. They aren’t good for the individual or the organization.
Raymond Gonzales Jr. County Manager, Adams County, Colorado Dianne Stoddard, ICMA-CM Assistant City Manager, Lawrence, Kansas Northeast Region
Christopher Coleman, ICMA-CM Town Administrator, Westwood, Massachusetts Teresa Tieman, ICMA-CM Town Manager, Fenwick Island, Delaware William Fraser, ICMA-CM City Manager, Montpelier, Vermont
Michael Kaigler, ICMA-CM Assistant County Manager, Chatham County, Georgia Nate Pagan, ICMA-CM City Manager, Owensboro, Kentucky West Coast Region
Edward Shikada, ICMA-CM City Manager, Palo Alto, California Peter Troedsson, ICMA-CM City Manager, Albany, Oregon
ICMA Executive Director Marc Ott Director, Equity & Social Justice and Membership Marketing
Lynne Scott lscott@icma.org
Managing Editor
Kerry Hansen khansen@icma.org
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Roxanne Murphy Assistant City Manager, Valdez, Alaska * Appointed to serve unexpired term following resignation of Sue Bidrose
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Getting to yes. The offer to join the organization as the next manager is just that—an offer. It’s entirely contingent upon both parties reaching agreement on the compensation and terms. The process of getting from offer to the finish line (i.e., governing body approval) is a tango. Both parties need to be moving in sync. If you want to work for the organization, the appropriate response to the offer is “yes, contingent upon reaching agreement with the organization.” Regardless of how much ground was covered during the interview about your terms, do not be surprised if the governing body’s representative starts the negotiation from a different position or has Moving up or an issue with a particular request that you make. That’s onward brings why it’s called a negotiation. a unique set Your verbal acceptance starts the negotiation of obligations, process and signals your challenges, willingness to get to yes. and quirks. Never start the negotiation process with an organization if you do not intend to work there regardless of how much compensation they are willing to offer. At this point, you should pause your search. Taking an interview at this stage with another organization is like going out on a date after getting engaged to be married: it sends the wrong message about your level of commitment. Once you give your verbal acceptance of the terms outlined in an employment agreement or offer letter, you are committed. Oral acceptance of an employment offer is considered binding unless the employer makes fundamental changes to the terms of employment. With your commitment in hand, it is up to the governing body to hold up its end of the bargain and approve the agreement. Unlike the professional athlete who goes to the highest bidder, ICMA members should not entertain a counteroffer from their current employer. In a very public process, you have given your word. Withdrawing your acceptance to take more money is bad form and reflects poorly on the profession. Members who accept an appointment to a position should not fail to report for that position. Integrity Matters
Taken at face value, the search for a promotion or position in a new organization is an assessment of your talent and qualifications. Taking a more expansive view though, it’s really an assessment of who you are as a person and your character. The adage about first impressions being lasting ones holds true as it relates to your conduct. As you wind your way through every element of this process, will a prospective employer conclude that you are a person of integrity who would be an asset to their organization or not? 4 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | SEPTEMBER 2021
UPCOMING ICMA EVENTS icma.org/events
2021 ICMA Annual Conference • Portland, Oregon & Digital • October 3-6 icma.org/conference We’re curating the perfect global conference event just for local government professionals who want to learn from the hardships, focus on what matters most, and chart a new course for growth and success. If you are considering joining ICMA or attending our Annual Conference, there is no better time than now! New members can join us in Portland, and we’ll offer you half off your first-year membership dues (a savings up to $700) and extend to you the conference registration discounts offered exclusively to ICMA members. Visit icma.org/join-go-and-save for details. September 9: In-person/Virtual Event: Embracing Change & Transformation September 15: Free Coaching Webinar: Leading Your Community in an Era of Anxiety September 22: Webinar: Attracting Remote Workers with Incentive Programs September 23: Workshop: Planning for Economic Recovery September 29: Webinar: Leading Practices for Public Performance Reporting
Courageous Conversations Recordings can be viewed at icma.org/living-history • Creating a Truly Inclusive Culture • LGBTQIA+ Experience in Local Government • Asian American Experience in Local Government Part 2: Trailblazers in our Hometowns (Asian-Pacific Heritage Month) • Coming Out of the Darkness: Mental Health and Suicide Prevention • Asian-American Experience in Local Government • Women Pioneer Managers in the Profession • A Conversation with Marc Ott, ICMA’s First Black Executive Director, and Sy Murray, ICMA’s First Black President
ICMA Cybersecurity Leadership Academy Cohort begins September 13 icma-cybersecurity-leadership-academy
ICMA High Performance Leadership Academy Cohort begins September 13 icma.org/icma-high-performance-leadership-academy
2021 COACHING PROGRAM THRIVE IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT
UPCOMING FREE WEBINARS – Register at icma.org/coachingwebinars WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15 Leading Your Community in an Era of Anxiety: How Do You Make Sure You Hear Them and They Hear You WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 20 The Future of Work: Strategies for Adapting to a New Reality WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 17 Growing Your Career: Tips for Redefining Yourself in the Minds of Others Can’t make it to the live webinar? Register and get an automatic email notice when the recording is available. icma.org/coachingwebinars
SAVE TIME! SIGN UP FOR ALL THREE WEBINARS AT ONCE! bit.ly/ALLSIX
More Free Coaching Resources at ICMA’s Career Center (icma.org/careers) • Digital archives • Career Compass monthly advice column • CoachConnect for one-to-one coach matching • Live speed coaching events, talent development resources, and more. Join our list for coaching program updates and more: email coaching@icma.org.
Learn more at icma.org/coaching
CASE STUDY
Utilizing Industry Expertise to Transform Facility Operations and Reduce Risks Learn how Club & Leisure Partners works with municipal recreational facilities of all size to reduce risks, enhance financial stability, and streamline safe operations for communities throughout the United States. BY ELIZABETH MALCOLM
Challenge
While vibrant recreational facility programs offer many advantages to communities, they often present financial, liability, and operational challenges that become a burden to officials charged with their success. Amenities such as municipal fitness and aquatic centers, waterparks, and recreation centers can provide a community with exceptional experiences and create a positive economic impact. Yet too frequently these facilities fail to find a clear path to long-term operational success, leading to negative financial repercussions, increased liability risks, and the inability to engage the community on a sustainable, ongoing basis. Solution
CLUB & LEISURE PARTNERS supports the mission of both private and municipal clients in becoming their one-stop-shop for all of their club, aquatic, and fitness needs. (www. clubandleisure.com)
Club & Leisure Partners (CLP) has a track record of success in providing customized client options that help communities successfully manage recreational facilities. The CLP team invests time early in the business partnership, getting to know the community and understanding the community’s definition of success. Their team then applies a laser-like focus to achieve the agreed-upon outcome. CLP’s hallmark is their ability to maintain safe and clean facility operations, deliver incredible financial stewardship, and enhance guest experiences. The relationships between CLP and their municipal clients are centered around community engagement and enhanced by operational know-how. CLP bases their approach on the recognition that with the application of specialized guidance and support, many municipal recreational facilities can achieve otherwise elusive operational success. The CLP team members offer vast industry knowledge, working seamlessly with communities to prioritize needs, then provide and implement the necessary solutions. Further driving the CLP advantage are the tactical relationships the North Carolina-based company forges with the communities they serve. Every local team builds upon
6 | SPONSORED CONTENT | SEPTEMBER 2021
a network of knowledge and resources proprietary to CLP and based on the leadership team’s combined decades of experience in the aquatics and facility management industry. Expertise is combined with an intimate understanding of the positive impact CLP can make with both the communities and the municipal operations these recreational facilities support. Retention and partnership with current staff are vital to every facility’s success, and CLP is adept at optimally leveraging and maximizing those community connections. One of CLP’s most unique non-negotiables is their flexibility. For the CLP team, this ability to adapt to client needs is another key to success, allowing solutions to be modeled specifically for each community, from full turn-key operations to integrative support strategy. CLP customizes their approaches, creating community plans that address diverse yet related areas. CLP clients benefit from solutions tailored to address aspects such as facility organizational structure, human resources, risk planning, accounting procedures, marketing initiatives, enhanced branding, and best-in-class operational strategies. Results
For the city of Kinston, located in eastern North Carolina, CLP has been a solutions provider since 2019 for the management of their waterpark, Lions Water Adventure (LWA). In support of the city’s commitment to the community, the CLP team was tasked with working with LWA to reduce risks and ensure a safe operation, create new and innovative approaches to improve guest experiences, and improve cost effectiveness through both increased revenue and reduced operating expenses. Financial stability: Within the first year of their business partnership, CLP increased LWA’s revenues by 40 percent and profits by nearly $200,000. Focus was placed on
streamlining targeted aspects of operations, and CLP took tactical steps to improve staffing solutions, raise the bar in food and beverage services, introduce online ticketing software, improve marketing, and increase efficiency of maintenance practices, including with the purchasing and deployment of chemicals and maintenance supplies. This increased profitability allowed for capital improvement projects to be identified and fully funded to help improve future operations. Reduced risk: Working closely with each client, CLP’s team of industry professionals continuously coordinates to ensure all equipment, buildings, and grounds meet local and federal requirements while benefitting from updated maintenance schedules and capital improvements. At LWA, a full facility overview allowed for a renewed engagement with equipment manufacturers and enhanced review of safe standard operating procedures. CLP’s internal relationships also ensure that the local teams are trained and audited on the very latest best practices in facility management, lifeguard safety, and financial best practices. Innovation: Through deliberate market research, CLP identified that visitors to LWA viewed the food and beverage offering to be subpar. CLP then led LWA to partner with leading restauranteurs in Kinston to manage the food and beverage operations, recognizing that in this area instant credibility would be more effective than starting
CLP clients benefit from solutions tailored to address aspects such as facility organizational structure, human resources, risk planning, accounting procedures, marketing initiatives, enhanced branding, and best-in-class operational strategies.
from scratch. Through partnerships with local Kinston businesses, CLP achieved an immediate positive impact and added credibility to the service offerings. The result was a better experience for guests and a food and beverage operation that turned from a money-losing venture to a profit center. CLP also employed this approach by hiring the leading local cleaning service provider to help enhance cleanliness throughout the park. Other proactive services like online ticketing were implemented to support the facility and create more positive guest experiences. By going deep in their ability to deliver aquatics facilities and management industry best practices, Club & Leisure Partners takes pride in delivering for their municipal clients. For Vice President Zach Brown, this is a winning combination. “Our team benefits when clients such as Kinston’s Lion’s Water Adventure provide the best possible experiences for their guests,” he says. “The positive impact on the community can be immense. During the summer of 2020, we worked with Lion’s Water Adventure to adjust capacity levels, take a strategic approach to cleaning and maintenance, and helped them remain open, operational, safe, and even profitable while other facilities closed due to COVID. Our CLP team takes a lot of satisfaction from helping municipalities provide fun, safe recreational experiences that are also operationally successful.” SEPTEMBER 2021 | SPONSORED CONTENT | 7
LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Successful Built Environments Begin with Inclusivity So much can be accomplished when diversity and inclusion are part of the planning process BY MARC OTT This issue of PM gives you a great cross section of
articles on the people side of diversity, equity, and inclusion. I’d like to share a few thoughts on inclusivity initiatives in the built environment. The Great Recession in 2008 pushed communities worldwide to begin looking for ways to regain economic vibrancy in both urban and suburban communities. At the same time, we as leaders became more intentional about incorporating the core values of diversity and inclusion as central elements of the planning process. The result has been numerous examples of innovative and compelling mixed-use developments where all kinds of people can feel like they belong. Blurring Suburbs, Cities, Towns
A driving force behind the new, inclusive built environments is a fundamental shift in what’s important. People no longer want to spend hours commuting, putting in eight hours at an environmentally unfriendly workstation, and then going home to their residence far
MARC OTT is executive director of ICMA, Washington, D.C.
8 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | SEPTEMBER 2021
from retail and recreation areas. That’s just not working for people anymore and COVID even intensified these feelings. Just a few miles from where I am sitting at ICMA’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., the county of Arlington, Virginia, was able to attract Amazon’s HQ2 in part because of its long-term commitment to fostering an inclusive environment with affordable housing, access to greenspace, and public transportation. In keeping with the county’s priorities, the new Amazon facility will feature 2.5 acres of public greenspace, a dog run, and a 250-seat amphitheater so that workers have a variety of indoor and outdoor workspaces. Tom Carroll, ICMA fellow and city manager of Silverton, Ohio, chronicles the decline of the inner ring suburbs and points out that a “commitment to inclusion” is central to successful revitalization. In his research project for ICMA, which features many examples of Ohio-based revitalization, he outlines how first suburbs are well positioned to create mixed-use redevelopments and are more attractive to
residents who want to be close to center city.1 Tom’s recent PM article, “Housing, Land-Use Policy, and Local Government’s Role in Structural Racism,” also discusses how housing policy and zoning laws are some of the most powerful tools in a city manager’s toolbox in reversing “a history of segregation and disparity.”2 Additionally, climate change is forcing communities throughout the world to modify the built environment in many ways—making space for bike lanes and green zones as well as denser housing, access to public transportation, and even access to broadband. Process Leads to Positive Outcomes
Common to communities who have seen success in creating an inclusive built
A driving force behind the new, inclusive built environments is a fundamental shift in what’s important.
Density of Talent Drives Innovation
environment is the adoption of a shared vision. Getting the civic and business communities on the same page makes the path to implementation infinitely easier. City, county, and town managers are critical to facilitating this process and explicitly engaging marginalized groups in the process. There are dozens of resources from ICMA and our partners that provide guidance on how best to do this. One example is ICMA’s recent publication, Problem Solving Through Arts and Cultural Strategies, which takes an innovative approach to creative placemaking.3 Walkable communities that offer a variety of housing, retail, education, and employment options attract people from all life stages and racial and cultural backgrounds. This mix makes ideal partners with local government in improving not only the built environment, but community programs as well. By tapping into the vast experience of diverse community members, transformative ideas are born—everything from cultural festivals that attract tourists4 to educational programs in partnership with local colleges to expand employment opportunities for residents.5
The ongoing shift to remote work, accelerated by the pandemic, reinforces how the built environment must adapt and accommodate to very different ideas of the “workplace.” As Richard Florida described in his ICMA Unite keynote speech in 2020, what drives innovation and startup entrepreneurship is not the density of jobs or offices, but the density and diversity of talent.6 When I have the opportunity to visit a community that has been revitalized in this inclusive way, I am struck by the almost electrifying energy transmitted there. Economic growth and stability may be a core mission of local government leaders, but what we are learning in the process is that inclusion is integral to accomplishing that growth especially in the built environment. It’s less about removing barriers and more about opening doors! ENDNOTES AND RESOURCES
https://icma.org/sites/default/files/Revitalizing%20 First%20Suburbs%20A%20Manager%27s%20Manual.pdf 2 https://icma.org/articles/pm-magazine/housing-landuse-policy-and-local-governments-role-structural-racism 3 https://icma.org/problem-solving-through-arts-andcultural-strategies-creative-placemaking-guidance-local 4 https://icma.org/documents/magic-festivalsbold-approach-building-community-and-economicdevelopment 5 https://icma.org/documents/extraordinary-partnershipbetween-arizona-state-university-and-city-phoenix-0 6 https://icma.org/articles/article/richard-floridabuilding-back-better 1
SEPTEMBER 2021 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | 9
ASSISTANTS AND DEPUTIES
Forged in Fire
Crisis and the manager/assistant relationship Imagine you’re a first-time local government
ALEXANDRA OROLOGAS
manager or a first-time assistant manager. You have visions for how you want to be successful in your role and how you can have an impact on your agency. You’re excited and ready as you’ll ever be to get going. Then imagine that in that first year, not only would you have to begin to address serious long-term budget challenges, but also a controversial tenant protection ordinance, public safety power outages and wildfire danger, and passing a renewal of a parcel tax on the ballot, among other things. Not to mention that the first-time city manager is traveling regularly in her role as ICMA president while the first-time assistant city manager serves as acting manager when she’s out. A challenging year, for sure…but that’s part of being in local government management. We’re trained on how to manage through crisis. Nothing we couldn’t handle, right? Then the pandemic hit, and everything we thought we knew about managing in a crisis changed forever. We’ve all been managing through crisis over the last 18 months. But in our case, we have realized that the entire two and a half years of our tenures as city manager and assistant city manager in El Cerrito, California, have been spent creating order amid chaos. One thing is clear: our relationship is the critical factor in both of us surviving up to this point. While our story is somewhat unique, there are some universal lessons in why our relationship works that we think are worth sharing:
is assistant city manager, El Cerrito, California (aorologas@ ci.el-cerrito.ca.us).
KAREN PINKOS, ICMA-CM, is city manager, El Cerrito, California and an ICMA past president (kpinkos@ ci.el-cerrito.ca.us).
10 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | SEPTEMBER 2021
BY ALEXANDRA OROLOGAS AND KAREN PINKOS, ICMA-CM
We are partners.
We work together well and complement each other’s strengths and weaknesses—and it’s not strictly a manager and subordinate relationship, even though the city manager is clearly the boss. The partnership happens when we have each other’s back to execute decisions, whether it’s Karen who makes the call as city manager, or Alex being empowered to make the call as assistant city manager on Karen’s behalf. We have found that together, we are able to balance the alignment and execution of Karen’s vision and tone, while giving Alex autonomy in her role as well. Certainly, this partnership also allows us to strategically provide an additional voice for the other on various issues that need to be addressed, whether with the city council, within the organization, or with community members. We are brutally honest with each other.
We learned that we need to give each other candid opinions, even if it’s hard to hear. We have learned how to disagree and challenge each other when necessary. Sometimes these discussions are tactful and polite… sometimes they come with loud voices, emotion, and animated hand gestures. But at the end of the day, we commit to hearing each other privately and moving forward together publicly. We are usually aligned and agree on things a majority of the time. Yet we’ve realized that knowing how to properly fight for something when it’s really worth it, while understanding boundaries, is really important. It makes us better managers and brings better outcomes for the city.
We are rather close.
We understand the importance of humility.
We realize this isn’t always the case for people in our roles, but we have come to believe that having a close working relationship is an absolute must. We must be able to rely on one another and trust each other implicitly. Of course, this usually doesn’t happen immediately, as trust has to be tested and earned. Because we’ve faced down crisis together, we’ve bonded much differently in a short timeframe. We have learned to take advantage of our relationship being “forged in fire” and use it to sustain ourselves so that we can be the best leaders we can for others.
Humility—a tough but very necessary element. Being able to admit that you don’t know something, when you mess up, when you are wrong, and to understand you actually might not be the smartest person in the room. We believe this is a key ingredient of being successful in local government management, and we’ve found it’s also important in how we relate to one another in our roles. You need to have enough humility to be vulnerable and not let your insecurities get the best of you. You also need to view being humble as a motivator to be better, not a hindrance to progress. We’ve seen how people’s egos can sometimes not allow them to get out of their own way, or how this impacts the trust in their relationships, and we want to avoid that for ourselves.
We are able to be raw, real, and vulnerable.
This is certainly a direct result of the pandemic, in that everyone has been challenged both personally and professionally, and we are all going through various struggles. Knowing that we need to be okay with not being okay is essential. We have found that allowing ourselves to be vulnerable with each other, and with our staff team, has been helpful for everyone to be able to relate and know that we’re not alone in what we are going through. It’s a tricky balance to achieve between us, but in the end, we have taken on the roles of being open and lifting each other up. This has helped us build resilience and kept us moving forward even when things seem bleak.
We have patience.
Finally, patience is indeed a virtue. We are both ambitious and have big visions for El Cerrito’s future, but right now we have to focus on getting through the present day. We have to recognize that some of the issues we’re facing in El Cerrito took many years to come about and we won’t be able to make change overnight. We have to be patient with our team, our bosses, and our community as we are all still figuring out our new normal in these unpredictable times. And we have to be patient with each other, as we are still relatively new to our roles and our relationship. We’re still, and always will be, learning.
SEPTEMBER 2021 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | 11
Engaging Marginalized Communities
Challenges and Best Practices A carefully considered engagement and inclusion process helps bind the fabric of the community BY POOJA BACHANI DI GIOVANNA
etween the COVID-19 pandemic and social unrest in the past year, many cities have either begun or expanded their outreach to marginalized communities.1 This is certainly a welcome development, as the combination of health, economic, and cultural challenges have severely affected groups already facing an uphill battle. Cities are taking this one step further by increasing their understanding of what constitutes a “marginalized community,” extending the definition beyond traditionally disadvantaged groups in order to comprehensively grasp their community landscape.
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However, these initiatives pose a challenge. Many localities struggle to identify which groups in particular are marginalized and why this is the case. Sometimes it may be obvious, with common examples of the homeless, impoverished, and new immigrants. But it can be more difficult in other cases, particularly with those who lack technological access, civic literacy, and mobility. Developing an understanding of how certain groups are marginalized is a necessary condition for local leaders to successfully engage and assist them. Broad approaches to engagement, financial assistance, and other programs may fail to reach those who need help most desperately, meaning that the best intentions often fall short of producing results. In other words, for assistance programs to be successful, local governments must meet the targeted groups where they are. Understanding Marginalized Communities
Marginalized communities include those who have been historically excluded from involvement in our cities, as well as those continuing to face other barriers to civic participation.2 This includes those marginalized by factors like race, wealth, immigration status, and sexual orientation. The specific groups that are disadvantaged will also vary from one place to another, as will the degree to which they face inequality. As such, local leaders are obligated to thoroughly understand the landscape of their particular community so that they can respond effectively. In practice, this means that cultural competence is crucial, as cities must be able to understand and resonate with those they serve. It also means that selecting the right team is crucial for success; the messenger plays a key role in the success of any programs or efforts. While cities may strive to help marginalized residents, some fail to tailor their efforts to the needs of the marginalized.3 This can happen because the needs of those who face racial discrimination, for instance, differ significantly from those who are physically disabled. The same holds true for community members who are homeless compared to those who lack technological literacy. There may be—and often is—overlap between the needs of disparate marginalized communities, but the unique needs of different groups must also be recognized. Thus, a multidimensional approach is often required to effectively and comprehensively engage with disadvantaged community members. Best Practices in Reaching Marginalized Communities
One of the first steps for local governments is to determine which groups are marginalized in their community and why this is the case. Racial discrimination may be salient in some cities, while poverty is the main concern in
others—and the potential intersection is self-evident.4 To avoid leaving behind those who need to be engaged most, local leaders need to promote inclusion, listening, and diverse approaches to engagement. The first step in this process is developing an understanding of the community landscape and answering questions such as: Who is in my community? What are the challenges these groups are facing? What is their relationship with the local government/my department? How can I overcome any lingering hurdles from their previous interactions with local government? What do we have to offer to meet the specific needs of this group? When stepping into an engagement process, it is important to recognize that communities may very well
CULTURAL COMPETENCE IS CRUCIAL, AS CITIES MUST BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND AND RESONATE WITH THOSE THEY SERVE. have preexisting relationships and prior experiences with your department or division. Those prior experiences will influence and frame any future interactions with said community. The first step in the process is to meet the community where they are and start listening to their experiences to best understand how you can proceed to bridge divides. This process can take the form of digital and in-person surveys, facilitated discussion groups, conversations following community gatherings, and hosting an open forum. In this stage, the messenger or designated engagement officer is crucial; that individual or team must have a keen, comprehensive understanding of the space they are about to enter, as well as an ability to connect with the community. Furthermore, the messenger should already have a relationship with a trusted community leader/figure. Building relationships is part of the initial step because of the role relationships play in building connections with the entire community. The Role of Community Leaders and Input
Community leaders, faith-based or otherwise, can assist staff in making connections with marginalized communities. Trusted figures in the community can help establish and build relationships that can serve to reach those who have been excluded.5 This process often requires acknowledging ways that past engagement efforts have fallen short, while openly committing to overcoming those failures. These conversations may be uncomfortable at times, but are instrumental in building trust with marginalized groups. By identifying and communicating with underprivileged community members, local leaders can assess the root causes of their SEPTEMBER 2021 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | 13
FOR ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS TO BE SUCCESSFUL, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS MUST MEET THE TARGETED GROUPS WHERE THEY ARE.
deprivation. Understanding the causes of marginalization is a precondition for crafting and implementing effective solutions that are well received by all. Facilitating conversation with marginalized communities allows local government leaders to understand their challenges, as well as the underlying causes. Once this foundational knowledge is acquired, the engagement duties of local leaders remain, but take a new form. This transition in the public engagement process shifts the focus from identifying and understanding problems to pursuing meaningful solutions. Given the unique experience of underprivileged residents, their input for possible solutions is often extremely helpful, as they are uniquely positioned to propose solutions, otherwise unconsidered, to the problems they face.6 Community input can provide guidance on the best engagement modality for the community. For example, if the community gathers for an in-person weekly faith-based service, then engagement efforts should be tailored to factor in that commitment and location. Meeting locations and times should be tailored to best fit the audience. Likewise with the means of communication. For example, if there is a language barrier, then a translator can be used to identify where the community gets their news in that language and engagement efforts can be delivered through that medium. Marginalized individuals also tend to share a resonance with the broader marginalized community they belong to, serving as a “spokesperson” to explain what they have experienced and what changes may help. This does not mean that city leaders must rely exclusively on disadvantaged individuals and groups for solutions, or that they must implement every policy suggested by them. It does mean that the marginalized should be included in the discussions that directly affect them.7 Giving these groups a “seat at the table” is a major step in overcoming historic marginalization, but genuinely listening to and considering their ideas is also necessary and even obligatory. Follow Up or Fail
The engagement process doesn’t stop with creating space at the table for marginalized communities to share input. What follows the input collection and analysis is equally as 14 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | SEPTEMBER 2021
important. Community members want to feel like they have been heard and that their input made a difference. This begs the age-old engagement question: Is this worth my time? While there is no guarantee that every community member who participates in the engagement process will answer that question in the affirmative, the way to make sure that community members feel heard is by following up. In our trainings, we have come to adopt a phrase that circulates in the recruitment community—“follow up or fail”—and we believe that applies in the engagement process as well.8 It is essential to follow up with community members and communicate that their input was received and is being considered. If that input leads to action steps in line with feedback, then you should communicate those next steps, thereby exemplifying the impact of engagement. On the other hand, if the department takes another approach, then that should be communicated as well. That conversation can take the form of acknowledging the value of feedback and emphasizing that it was a part of the decision-making process. Weaving Community
For most local leaders, the responsibility to engage and assist marginalized communities may be obvious. Nonetheless, it’s still worth understanding why it is worthwhile to allocate time and resources to helping these groups. When segments of the local population are excluded—historically and/or contemporaneously—this creates a barrier between people who share the same community, disrupting the social fabric. Those barriers
IT IS ESSENTIAL TO FOLLOW UP WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND COMMUNICATE THAT THEIR INPUT WAS RECEIVED AND IS BEING CONSIDERED. ENDNOTES AND RESOURCES
https://www.kff.org/racial-equity-and-health-policy/issue-brief/how-are-statesaddressing-racial-equity-in-covid-19-vaccine-efforts/ 2 https://www.brookings.edu/blog/the-avenue/2020/03/20/black-americanswere-forced-into-social-distancing-long-before-the-coronavirus/ 3 https://www.devex.com/news/are-smart-cities-excluding-marginalizedgroups-96581 4 https://inequality.stanford.edu/cpi-research/area/discrimination 5 https://extension.umn.edu/vital-connections/building-trust-communities 6 https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/practice/resources/chsadmin/ community-relationships.html 7 https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/COVID-19_ CommunityEngagement_130320.pdf 8 https://publicpolicy.pepperdine.edu/davenport-institute/training/ 9 https://ssir.org/articles/entry/civil_society_and_the_foundations_of_ democratic_citizenship 10 https://www.urban.org/urban-wire/how-cities-technology-responsespandemic-can-close-instead-widen-disparities 1
often lead to community divisions and can jeopardize local government efforts to assist. Furthermore, those barriers can serve as a deterrent from engagement and participation in local government on the part of the community. “Community” is not simply an abstraction, as it embodies the shared environment, experiences, customs, ambitions, and hopes that bring neighbors together. The fabric of the community is alive and vibrant, requiring consistent care and understanding in weaving it together. The marginalization of some dilutes the beauty and centrality of the community as a whole, as it excludes those who may have much to offer if given the opportunity. Comprehensive public engagement provides the communal sensibility and experience that creates affection between community members, understanding the challenges facing their neighbors as challenges that belong to the entire community.9 Engaging and including marginalized groups replaces barriers with bridges,10 building trust and attachment to go with a revitalized community spirit that binds the community fabric together.
POOJA BACHANI DI GIOVANNA is the assistant director at the Davenport Institute and works on program development and delivery, communications, and strategic relations. The Davenport Institute offers an in-depth, customized training, “Engaging Marginalized Communities.” More details can be found at https://publicpolicy.pepperdine.edu/ davenport-institute/.
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Everyone Has a Story
Healing Macro Systems Through Micro Relationships BY MELISSA WILEY
In 2020, we became a nation of indirect and aggressive communicators. From social media posts to yard signs, every person had an opinion. And often, those opinions took hold in passive declarations. We traded social media arguments for intimate connection and conversation. And in those moments of passive anger, we languished. We felt disconnected and hopeless. More sure of ourselves and our own righteousness, but less sure of others. Every person I know thinks they are right and a “good person.” Every person I know also thinks that someone else is to blame for all that is wrong with the world. 16 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | SEPTEMBER 2021
I GREW UP THINKING, “IF ONLY PEOPLE KNEW ME. IF ONLY THEY KNEW MY STORY.”
I love to read. Some people read for enjoyment, but I read for connection. When someone sits down to write a story, all the pain that is usually hidden under the guise of perfection and fear comes to the surface. Each time I finish a book, it’s not the author’s glory I find relatable, but their pain. Pain is universal. And pain told through story is our humanizing link. The problem is that we’ve been conditioned to believe that our pain deserves reverence and grace while the pain of others is less worthy or even justifiable. In short, we’ve decided some people deserve to be humanized and others do not. And that is where and why we fall apart. According to research, white people believe that Black people feel less pain. Jason Silverstein studied the racial empathy gap as part of his work with Harvard and found that this gap is unconscious and a root cause of racial disparities. From medical care to the criminal justice system, a lack of empathy is at the core of racism. What is also pervasive is the belief that pain is deserved. If you tell someone you have a friend with lung cancer, the first question is often, “Did they smoke?” It’s easier to believe that cancer is deserved. It’s easier because it lulls us into a false sense of our own security and superiority. If only we follow all the rules, we might be spared from disease and death. If we cling to perfection, we will dodge pain. I was five years old when I was attacked by dogs. In a matter of minutes, two dogs ripped apart my tiny face. One day I was a normal child, and the next, a dozen doctors and nurses prepped me for what would be the first of over 30 reconstructive surgeries. The world that once smiled at me now asked for their checks and left the restaurant. People stared and whispered. I was a real-life monster before I was old enough to have earned or deserved pain. But even though I was young, I had already been indoctrinated by society. My loving family nurtured and protected me, but I believed it was my fault. I believed I somehow deserved society’s rejection. And so, for many years, I shriveled into shame, disfigured and apologetic. A universal lack of empathy from a society is enough to destroy a child. It’s enough to destroy hospitals, schools, and governments. It’s enough. Perhaps it’s because I love to read, but I grew up thinking, “if only people knew me.” If only they knew my story. If only they tried to talk to me instead of stare at me. If only they saw me as a child and not a monster. If only they could sit with me in my pain and see themselves in me. If only. Studies show that a lack of being seen and known leads to declines in physical and mental health. To be SEPTEMBER 2021 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | 17
excluded and dehumanized by your own society is a fundamental trauma with lasting impacts on the human brain, especially for children. Research shows that trauma before age six can lead to suicide, substance abuse, depression, anxiety, and difficulty in personal and work relationships. But trauma and pain do have a cure. And that cure is not your social media post or yard sign. It is your own personal ability to empathize and humanize another. Empathy is sitting with another person. It requires setting aside your own need to be liked, right, or comfortable. When we lose someone we
From medical care to the criminal justice system, a lack of empathy is at the core of racism.
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love, those first few months are filled with messages, meals, and flowers. We are given support and grace. But after several short months, that grace period is over and people move on. The world expects and often demands your positive disposition and active reengagement. But anyone who has lost someone knows that pain doesn’t work like that. Loss can’t be turned off after a few months. Pain and trauma flow in waves and though they may soften over time, they never disappear. Just like the micro pain from personal loss stays forever, so too does macro pain. The pain of racism comes in waves through microaggressions and the denial of history. The loss of a parent doesn’t hurt less because a few months have gone by, just like the racism isn’t cured because we had a Black president. Healing on a micro level is hard and healing on a macro level is harder still. And despite popular opinion, trauma is not healed by money, success, or power. Trauma is mitigated through small and consistent moments of connection. Trauma is cured with love. Being humanized heals. Children who experience trauma are able to survive and even thrive if they are loved and connected to one adult. Even just one. That’s how powerful we are if we so chose. We have the ability to transform pain like alchemists if we choose to make a connection, listening and humanizing the story of another. If we are willing to sit in pain with another just as we would want someone to do with us. When I became a deputy town administrator, the local news media ran a story about my appointment. The story outlined my credentials, which included developing and running a nationally recognized innovation team for a major city and earning a master’s degree in public administration from any Ivy League school. The article was posted on social media where I instantly found a barrage of comments that could be summarized as “What happened to her face?” and “Why does she look like that?” I love public service. I am passionate and qualified and, if you only knew me, you might also find that I am also good-hearted, joyful, and thoughtful. You might even say that I am the exact type of person you want to lead in government. But in that moment, I was dehumanized. I was not a person with a story. I was a photo, and my photo was all that was needed to be deemed unworthy. The pain came in a wave, and then it subsided again in the small moments when my husband held my hand and sat with my pain. A macro trauma, a micro healing. My humanity taken away in a passive comment and
given back through a personal connection. Given back through love. As a child, I had an extraordinary pediatric nurse. She always told me that I was the best kid she ever met and that, one day, the surgeries would be over, and I would have a beautiful life. She sat with me and my mom. She hugged us and listened to us. She stayed at work late and came in early. She took care of us. She sat with our pain and showed us courage. When she retired, she moved into a small condo. She is neither rich nor famous; her life seemingly small in the larger world. But I have a photo of her holding my daughter. Her face filled with joy. She is holding a child who likely wouldn’t be alive if not for her love and care for me when I was a child.
A universal lack of empathy from a society is enough to destroy a child. It’s enough to destroy hospitals, schools, and governments.
If not for her small moments of love and attention, my child might have never made it into the world. She didn’t make passive declarations on t-shirts and yard signs about how much she loved sick children. She didn’t have time. She was too busy living those values. As the saying goes, changing the human heart is the work of a lifetime and that is why you have a lifetime to do it. As 2020 falls further into the past, it’s worth reflecting on the stories of others. To start noticing who is humanized and who is not. To start noticing when our own hearts fall into judgement, polarization, and blame. When we treat others exactly how we wouldn’t want to be treated. A better world starts with your own heart. In the small moments when you are brave enough to set aside yourself for the sake of another. When I read the comments on social media about my face, I didn’t respond. I was too busy. Too busy serving my community, loving my husband, and raising my child. I will not be remembered for my beauty, money, or fame. I have none of those things. But I hope I will be remembered for acting with grace in small and personal moments. I hope that people who know me will be more willing to learn the story of another. I hope my life is enough to change your heart. MELISSA WILEY is deputy town administrator for Erie, Colorado.
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Operationalizing Racial Equity: Beginning from within Your Organization BY DR. KATHLEEN YANG-CLAYTON AND KIMBERLY RICHARDSON
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Using the REDI Model to drive internal change by connecting racial equity to organizational performance
The massive call for racial equity,
especially after the murder of George Floyd in May 2020, spurred a rash of solidarity statements, hirings of chief equity officers, and efforts to launch external initiatives and programs to address racial inequities.1 We are certain some readers have heard or thought, “This is a fad; it too shall pass.” Partially this is due to the fact that many of these efforts focus on generating the external “proof” of racial equity. They tend to cherry-pick examples of new programs or initiatives without pausing to acknowledge that racially inequitable processes on the inside of our organizations lead to systemic outcomes that have historically (and currently) disinvested and disenfranchised low-income residents in their communities. We have written this article to help those managers and their staff who are grappling with this issue in their organizations, want to understand the systemic nature of racism in their communities and organizations, and want to implement the kind of internal change that needs to happen to create racial equity. SEPTEMBER 2021 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | 21
It has been over five years since the city of Evanston started its work in racial equity and we are just now heading down a path that will move the organization forward to operationalize equity. There are many communities like Evanston who struggle with how to actually make racial equity “stick.” Now is the time to address this problem directly
organizational performance through a culture shift that values diversity, equity, and inclusion in clear operational terms. The model we will share is called the REDI Model (an acronym of “racial equity, diversity, and inclusion) and emphasizes individual skill and team building centered around four key areas:
THE COMMUNITY WITHIN GOVERNMENTS AND ORGANIZATIONS MUST BE REVIVED AND ENGAGED WITH A MISSION THAT CONNECTS RACIAL EQUITY TO ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE. and to offer some perspective and a working solution to this foundational problem. In this article, we will first offer a brief analysis of what is holding back efforts to implement racial-equitydriven change within local government and one possible path forward. It should be made clear that we applaud all federal efforts to keep this topic front and center on the federal level, such as the recent executive order, “Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government.” At the same time, our goal is to make the case that the place where this work must “stick” is across the thousands of local governments that have a direct and meaningful impact on the health and well-being of their communities. We will show how the institutionalization of racial equity analysis and approaches inside government processes can be done, and how that actually improves
project management, policy analysis, process analysis and change management, and socio-emotional learning and emotional intelligence. This model was co-developed by Dr. Kathleen Yang-Clayton and over 50 public leaders and staff from two mid- to large-sized public organizations over the past three years. The unique aspect of the REDI model is its focus on individual and team-building skills that are centered around learning about racial equity and applying these concepts to central administrative and managerial functions of organizations such as human resources, operations, planning and evaluation, and procurement. We will then illustrate this model with concrete examples implemented in Evanston, where we applied a version of this model for a short-term challenge and then leveraged the success of the model to launch a city-wide effort that is currently in its first year.
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What Is the Problem? There are two problems with the way racial equity has been applied to local government issues. First, there is an enormous amount of confusion about the term itself and at what level it should be applied. While this could be a whole other article in and of itself, for the sake of getting to some working solutions we will simply state our working definition and why it is relevant to understanding the foundational purpose of the model we present. Racial equity is not just about race. In other words, we use the term race before equity not to tribalize or divide, but to acknowledge a core analytical and historical reality that strengthens our approach to more viable and impactful solutions. When we avoid the use of the term race, we weaken our own analytical approach. Also by omitting race before equity, we can easily fall into the trap, once again, of failing to acknowledge the prior harm that local, state, and federal governments have perpetrated on African Americans and indigenous tribes since the founding of this country, and continue to reimpose on women, immigrants, and those with disabilities, as well as the LGBTQ+, veterans, and low-income rural communities. Thus racial equity is both (1) acknowledging these prior harms that our institutions have perpetrated on broad swaths of our country and (2) taking action to reallocate our collective resources to target support to those members of our communities who need more assistance and a sense of belonging to something bigger than their individual needs. In order to do this, we must elevate the performance
of our local governments for all residents and that vision requires a commitment to internal organizational change that is often overlooked in this work. Second, there is a tendency to emphasize external and not internal change. By simply jumping to the external examples that can be done in a short period of time and not committing to the deeper, slower, and more transformative work needed within our local government organizations, we continue to ignore the lack of investment in the human capital of local government employees and staff needed to reinvigorate and meet the skills required for twenty-first century governance challenges. In addition, broadly speaking, there are two relevant levels at which we can think of how racism affects all of us. The first is the individual level, where internalized and interpersonal racism exists. Implicit bias training provides pathways for individuals to recognize and address these individual level issues. The second level is structural racism, which can be seen in both the individual institutions and entire systems of institutions we have in our country. It is this second level that is the focus of our work, which identifies institutionalized racism in the everyday standard operating procedures (SOPs) within public governments. As many of you know, SOPs exist across all areas of practice in local government. For many of these SOPs, most of us who now labor under some of their more esoteric rules do not recall why they were written in such a way or what their original intent may have
been, but we have all suffered under the administrative burden of realizing the harmful consequences of these SOPs in our everyday work. Dismantling and building new structures of inclusion and SOPs that provide the clear guidance and accountability needed for administrative practice is the purpose of our racial equity efforts.2 What Is the REDI model? How Does It work? Let’s say that you have made the commitment to operationalizing racial equity within your organization. How do you get started? Before we get into the nuts and bolts, there are some context issues you should keep firmly in mind. First, institutional racism did not happen overnight, nor will the solutions be implemented overnight either. If you do not see a clear path to commit to a three-year organizational change process, or even a sixmonth pilot application of this model, then you should pause and wait until the surrounding environment for your vision is more welcoming. Second, we must acknowledge that the political pressures placed on managers and staff to respond to immediate events and needs of elected officials often places all of us in a “hurry up and wait” pattern of program and planning delivery that leaves very little room for the kinds of participatory and deliberative practices that are the engine of racially equitable organizations. We recognize this challenge and acknowledge that the burden falls on managers to navigate the urgent and important everyday management issues with their strong personal commitment to racial equity
and organizational performance improvement. Knowing when the REDI model is a good fit for your organization can be challenging because of the complexity of each organization, but this is a simplified checklist to determine organizational readiness: • External pressure to demonstrate effective implementation of racial equity principles to the core mission of the organization.
• Top-level leadership is fully on-board and open to a racial equity-driven organizational change model. • Urgent need for mid-level staff to be trained so that there is shared understanding, vocabulary, and toolkits related to racial equity implementation. • General desire to build collaboration and buy-in across all departments. • Commitment to allocate resources to support this work.
There are three main components to the REDI model: content/training, recruitment, and impact/ sustainability. Content/Training
REDI members are provided the opportunity to cultivate critical skills needed to understand and implement racial equity pilot projects. Whether for the six-month or three-year models, the content does not change, but the
Year 1 REDI Cycle Learning and Testing Through Pilot Projects
Year 2 REDI Cycle Project Implementation and Scalability
Year 3 Complete REDI Cycle Strategic Planning and Sustainability
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depth of understanding and practice does. Project Management: • Learning new models of meeting planning and group project management. • Identifying key performance indicators connected to core processes and racial equity. • Train-the-trainer experience to scale the work of racial equity and create organizational sustainability. Policy Analysis: • Learning new applied research tools, such as interviewing and focus group analysis. • Applying the racial equity impact analysis approach and results-based accountability in program and policy design. Process Analysis and Change Management: • Learning about the Plan-Do-Study-Act cycle and pilot project testing and learning. • Implementing new racial equity-driven process improvement. • Experiencing a strategic planning process that assesses where racial equity work best fits into the existing and future organizational structure. Socio-emotional Learning and Emotional Intelligence: • Building relationships based on shared values and vision. • Understanding the difference between individual- and institutional-level racism. Recruitment
The recruitment of the initial REDI cohort members is highly dependent on the
leadership of the organization. For the six-month model, the cohort is largely determined based on the project need. For example, for the city of Evanston, cohort members were selected from the six social service programs that were scattered across different departments. The city manager and deputy city manager were involved in the development of the cohort, and worked with them and their supervisors to ensure that they had the time to volunteer for the REDI committee. The members were drawn from mostly non-supervisory positions, although in the case of the six-month REDI, exceptions were made when a supervisor or director was personally supportive of the creation of the committee and had direct experience in the program areas that were to be analyzed. Impact/Sustainability
For the six-month REDI model, focusing on impact and delivery of a single policy proposal was the goal. For the three-year model, we also build in processes so that the organization can sustainably reproduce basic racial equity training for new cohorts without external support. By impact, we mean that REDI committee members identify pilot projects that address internal constraints and organizational culture perceived to limit achieving racially equitable outcomes for the community within and outside of the organization. By a series of internal and external focus groups and reporting out of findings and lessons learned, the REDI process also intentionally builds buy-in and models the transparency
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and accountability necessary to institutionalize racially equitable practices. For the three-year REDI model, sustainability past the initial engagement with universitybased practitioners is an explicit indicator of impact and success for the model. Case Study: Six-Month Social Services REDI in Evanston In 2018, the city of Evanston began its annual budget process months earlier than usual to undertake a prioritybased budget process (PBB), as Evanston faced budgetary challenges. This process allowed staff, city council, and the community to review all programs and services provided by the city prior to the creation of the 2019 budget. When the 2019 fiscal year began on January 1, 2019, 54 out 152 programs were up for consideration as part of the PPB process. Ten of the 54 programs were related to social services, which concerned many community members who saw this as a sign that these programs were being cut. The leadership of the city decided that before attempting to make any recommendations related to social services programs, it would implement a REDI process to incorporate key stakeholder perspectives and to identify alternative opportunities that took into account the needs of those who were served and the staff who served them. Key issues identified included the siloing of social service programs and the awareness that these programs were critical to the communities acknowledged by the city as most marginalized and harmed by
racial inequity over the decades. Racial-equity-driven questions were posed on how to increase organizational performance and to center the city’s mission to make Evanston the most livable city for all residents, especially those who have the most need. The REDI approach made the case to focus on the internal environment and to work back out toward key stakeholders, which included the staff and leaders who provided the daily program services for seniors, at-risk youth, and low-income residents. We began by bringing a small team of social service staff together in an intentional arc of engagement and training that would empower them to lead a racial-equity-driven policy analysis that could cocreate organizational options that would minimize harm to communities they served while seeking organizational performance improvements. Through monthly training and applied project application between training sessions, REDI committee members learned about racial equity analysis within the context of public administration, concrete project management skills, facilitation skills, policy and process analysis, and socio-emotional learning practices. Once a strategic plan was created, REDI members learned how to facilitate meaningful feedback sessions with other relevant city staff, nonprofits involved in social service delivery, clients, and the general public. Importantly, this engagement was well in advance of any final policy proposal from the REDI committee. Input from these key stakeholders drove the identification of policy options instead of predetermined options being handed to the stakeholders to simply validate.
There were three major lessons from implementing the REDI model. Lesson #1: Take the time to establish a clear sense of vision and mission.
Taking the time to create and validate a vision and mission for the committee was really important to clarify the committee’s purpose and establish a shared sense of purpose. Here is what was shared with internal staff after the committee finished their process. Social Services Core Committee’s Shared Vision • True belief in shared prosperity for Evanston. • Decision making is driven by those who are most in need/impacted. • All (residents + employees) feel a sense of belonging and ownership • All departments work together seamlessly. • High levels of trust among residents and employees in Evanston. Social Services Core Committee’s Shared Mission
• Ensure that policy analysis is driven by a benefits/burdens framework through a Racial Equity Impact Analysis (REIA). • Demonstrate that inclusion and trust among employees is critical to increasing the impact and effectiveness of government. • Exclusionary hierarchies do not promote the insight and innovation needed to allow REIA to take root across all departments and levels. • Change a process or program not based on the need to cut services, but on creating active structures of inclusion. Lesson #2: Shift the mindset from defensive to asset-based engagement.
Too often city staff are sent out “into the community” trying to “sell” a policy or program that is in the final phase of approval or already been approved. They are also aware that the posture they will have to take is either defensive (e.g., defend the proposal) or simply compliance-driven (e.g., we need three community meetings before we go ahead
and do what we were planning on doing). Instead, we trained REDI members on the basics of community-engaged research so they understood the critical role community engagement can play to improve their own analysis, which in turn would amplify their own professional success and sense of connection to the communities they serve. The basics of communityengaged research are still not taught as pervasively and rigorously as they should be in graduate programs for MPA and MPP students, but they are comprised of: • Constructivist listening and identifying critical one-on-one meetings with key stakeholders. • Creating and facilitating inclusive and generative community meetings. • Supplementing quantitative data with qualitative data (e.g., gathering stories from stakeholders on what was actually at stake). Lesson #3: Incorporate critical project management skills to staff toolkits.
We all acknowledge that one
of the first things that gets cut from budgets are trainings that are not mandated by law. At the same time, many leaders and staff acknowledge that the lack of building and supporting a learning culture in government has caused fundamental problems in performance, implementation, and retention of high-quality staff. Within this context, we decided that enhancing project management skills would be essential to implementing racial-equity-driven projects. The key skills that were taught and applied consistently across the project were: • Project accountability models that help team members clearly identify their roles and responsibilities on the team (e.g., DARCI model, MOCHA model). • Short-cycle strategic planning (e.g., POP model). • Understanding how to implement an iterative process of learning to avoid bias and incorporate consistency in the process to ensure the most accurate outcomes possible. At the end of the six-month process, the Evanston REDI committee recommended realigning all social service programs under the department of health and human services (HHS). Programs that had been previously siloed in parks and recreation and the library were brought together, with an emphasis on cross-communication and coordination. The pandemic hit three months after the new department was formed, and many staff were inspired by their new ability to rapidly respond to crises hitting seniors, low-income families,
SEPTEMBER 2021 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | 25
sense of the mission of a strong, vibrant, and inclusive public sector. The way we implement and operationalize programs that are designed to uplift communities must acknowledge that centering racial equity into a vision of twenty-first century democracy addresses historical flaws and builds an inclusive future for all. ENDNOTES AND RESOURCES
PM magazine has done an excellent job of raising the awareness and deepening the discussion of this issue among public managers. The efforts by the city of Renton address both external and internal efforts to implement racial equity in core services such as language access, public service access, community organizing, public events, police, and human resources (PM magazine, “Engaging Our Community for an Equitable Future,” May 1, 2021). Other articles have focused on the challenges of implementing specific racial equity issues in policing (PM magazine, “Transitions, Transformation, and Equitable Advancement,” February 1, 2021) or tackling broader issues around anti-racism (“Anti-Racism: The Responsibility of All City and County Managers,” (October 6, 2020); “Fostering Economic Inclusion, Social Equity, and Justice for People of Color” (June 24, 2020). We offer our article along the lines of “Racial Equity in Action: How to Get Started,” (October 1, 2020), where we try to explicitly detail out the logic and implementation of racial equity in a midsized municipality in the Midwest. 2 This may also require working with employee union organizations to make changes that were collectively bargained. 1
and at-risk youth. For example, in response to growing food insecurity driven by the shutdowns, scaling up the capacity of the community food-pantry was done in a couple of weeks rather than months. Another example was how staff working with seniors and at-risk youth were more effective at navigating some of the complex screening processes for relief funds that were available through the city because they could work directly with coworkers who knew the system the best. Long term, the city has initiated two more REDIrelated efforts. The first is to revise their funding process for supporting social services by taking recommendations from the REDI committee. The outcome is for the city to set a clear direction and identify complementary service areas that nonprofits are uniquely qualified to provide. Second, the city has been able to leverage funding from external sources to support a city-wide REDI committee
that cuts across all major departments and launches a three-year cycle of racial equity driven organizational change. There are currently four pilot projects that are tackling language access implementation, new manager training, access to education for staff, and prioritizing the request for services using a racial equity framework. Each project is testing assumptions by interviewing key stakeholders within the organization through a series of one-on-one interviews, focus groups, and online surveys. To note, external partners and community members have already been consulted about many of the issues that are being addressed by these pilot projects. Now is the time to build new structures of inclusion and performance inside of the organization. Conclusion The operationalization of racial equity is in the top five list of innovative or
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transformative visions for the twenty-first century, and it should be considered a prerequisite for any of those visions to yield a just, equitable, and democratic future—not just for residents, but for the planet as a whole. The community within governments and organizations must be revived and engaged with a mission that connects racial equity to organizational performance. In order to revive and engage our communities, we must take this historical moment and deeply transform the internal environment of local government. Most importantly, we need leaders “at the top” who are committed to a vision of racial equity and democracy within our public institutions, managers who are ready and willing to dismantle dated internal processes that create barriers and marginalize staff, and for everyone inside of the organization to lean into building new structures of inclusion. There is a renewed
KATHLEEN YANGCLAYTON, PH.D., is associate dean of diversity, equity, and inclusion; and clinical associate professor of public administration, University of Illinois at Chicago. She is also a research fellow with the Great Cities Institute. KIMBERLY RICHARDSON, MPA, is deputy city manager of Evanston, Illinois.
Still Serving:
Military Veteran Bias in Local Government
The importance of recognizing unconscious veteran bias and eliminating it from the hiring process. here are many aspects of one’s identity. While BY HENRY to the table? If so, why? Is it an unconscious bias, or the most common types of identification HAYES JR. have the hiring authorities fallen into stigmas resulting are ethnicity, gender, or religion, individuals also in detrimental practices? The word “marginalized” has identify themselves through their profession, medical been used to categorize various people groups, but are status, socioeconomic status, military affiliation, or other veterans included in this descriptor? According to Merriam-Webster, cultural contexts. I serve as a town manager, live and work in “marginalize” means “to relegate to an unimportant or powerless Massachusetts, am an African American male, am an Air Force position within a society or group.” A great number of people would veteran, have a strong faith system, have been married for more include veterans in this category—maybe not with their words, than 30 years, and I live in a home where special needs are a but rather clearly through their actions. The perceived skills and daily focus. So, when the subjects of diversity, equity, inclusion, and experiences of a veteran could easily be dismissed or devalued, or social justice come up, I have many reasons to find significance. In generate fear of bringing in a leader who is too strong-minded or this article, we will explore those that identify as veterans and how overly strict into a municipality. Some may have concerns about a this identification might cause bias against them in local government veteran job applicant’s post-traumatic stress. As a result, many great hiring practices. candidates may be overlooked in the hiring process simply because of their military background. Are you still with me? Let’s go deeper. Veterans as a Marginalized Population The Minnesota Psychological Association posted an article that What is your municipality’s perspective related to veterans? Is described marginalized populations as “such persons [that] are your community overlooking the strengths that veterans bring systematically excluded from full participation in the American SEPTEMBER 2021 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | 27
dream and consequently lack the self-efficacy to improve their life situation.”1 The author lists other groups beyond people experiencing poverty or minorities, to include military combat veterans, along with many others. Take this in for a moment. What do you think inspired the author to add veterans to the same category with people experiencing homelessness, people who have been incarcerated, people who are racial/cultural minorities, and people of age, to name a few? In Massachusetts, it is not lawful “for an employer, by himself or his agent, because of the race, color, religious creed, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation…or status as a veteran of any individual to refuse to hire or employ or to bar or to discharge from employment such individual or to discriminate against such individual in compensation or in terms, conditions, or privileges of employment.”2 Did you notice the veteran status part? Why is that there…unless there was a reason to include it based on cases brought before the court for one reason or another. Are veterans being underserved and overlooked in your community? Veteran Stereotypes from TV and Movies
It is human nature to form opinions of certain groups of people or places based on personal experience. If all we’ve known about a group of people is what we see on television or in movies, we walk away with an opinion based only on that content. This can create an unconscious bias. For example, Hollywood has painted some interesting imagery of military professionals throughout the years. More specifically, senior enlisted leaders are often portrayed as grumpy old men with a loud voice and demeaning speech. Those of you with many years of experience under your belts may remember Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley from an Officer and a Gentlemen or Gunnery Sergeant Hartman from Full Metal Jacket. The point is that the average person is not familiar with the military and, as a result, many form their opinion on the military personalities commonly portrayed by television and movies. Unfortunately, this perpetuates negative stigmas associated with veterans. I challenge you to avoid falling into the trap of that mindset! You will miss out on exceptional talent that can lead your teams into the future. Furthermore, the commitment and dedication of veterans is often unmatched within the workforce. Misconceptions about Relocations and Position Changes
Another common misunderstanding that occurs with veterans is a perception that they are unreliable and incompetent because they have lived in many communities and had multiple jobs across a variety of functional areas. I’ve heard statements assessing the many locations a person has lived in (the average military retiree has moved a minimum of every two to four years) as a negative mark because “we can’t be sure they would stay here, they seem to hop around to multiple jobs and locations.” What hiring managers need to understand is that in the military, positions are assigned as the need arises. One person’s promotion, demotion, or relocation causes a domino effect that often requires individuals to change positions before they typically would. This aspect of a veteran’s work experience can be especially distracting to those that have not been exposed to the military lifestyle or have not held jobs in multiple regions. 28 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | SEPTEMBER 2021
Another common statement is “You’re not from here, so you wouldn’t understand.” Only part of that is true. Just because a leader is not from that city does not mean they cannot understand or adapt to the nuances of the local area. There’s not much new under the sun, just variations of engagement or encounters. In fact, veterans are likely more adaptable than the average employee, given the multiple community settings they have experienced and adjusted to over the years. And often a fresh perspective can be valuable on the job. Can you see how experiencing different communities and job positions are examples of strengths and not detriments? I was in a conversation recently where a municipal leader with 40 years of experience proclaimed that a manager or administrator staying in one community for an excessive amount of time could actually be worse than that manager having changed positions every six to nine years. The point was made regarding the possibility of stagnation of thought and action, and how the risk of this phenomena may increase among leaders that do not change roles over a great number of years. However, when multiple relocations are brought up in a negative connotation when reviewing a veteran’s resume, it makes one think…is the critique based on multiple position changes or the fact that the person has served in the military? Serving in multiple positions and living in various communities provides service members with a wide array of experiences, each one building a more well-rounded leader with purposeful depth and breadth. A commissioned officer may start out as a pilot, serve as an executive assistant, do research and development, become a generalist delivering sustainment services, and end as a special advisor to someone in a more senior position. On the enlisted side, a person can start out as a mechanic, move to a training and development position, go back to maintenance, be given the opportunity to be a recruiter or in a dedicated human resources role, and end as a senior operations leader across a myriad of functional organizations. These job changes are not indications of failure or ineptness— quite the opposite! The veteran leader was trusted and often
purposefully selected to fulfill these responsibilities as time transpired. If hiring officials are unsure of how to assess the experience and exposure of the veteran, it is likely that devaluing may occur while strengths go overlooked. In this case, it is beneficial for the hiring manager to reach out to someone outside of the hiring process who has military experience in order to glean insight into an applicant’s military career. Questioning a Veteran’s Commitment
When compared to other candidates, hiring authorities may unconsciously question a veteran’s commitment, but when working with those who have served in the military, “commitment” is not something you need to worry about. In fact, in a study conducted by Arizona State University School of Public Affairs (in conjunction with the Center for State and Local Government Excellence, National League of Cities, and Alliance for Innovation), HR directors reported that veterans performed better than their peers in both reliability and work ethic. Loyalty is so indoctrinated
which then became a catalyst for understanding the enterprise funds concept for a municipality. I also took part in relationship building with the Native American tribes that surrounded our installation. This carried forward to my town manager role, where contacting a tribal historic preservation officer was not new to me. Finally, environmental public health impacts have been a consistent concern throughout my Air Force career, with each location needing to conform with federal, state, and local guidelines. This foundational knowledge has been a huge benefit as our community continues to battle the COVID-19 pandemic. My personal experiences represent only one example of how veterans—depending on their experiences, positions held, education, and influences—are the right fit for municipal leadership roles. Without doubt, these professionals are suited for city manager and department head responsibilities. Although one may not have municipal experience, the core functions and competencies needed to run a city and a military installation are the same, even if specific terms may differ. Even more importantly, when a community
Are veterans being underserved and overlooked in your community? in a service member that, in some cases, it proves detrimental to veterans who transfer to the civilian sector. For example, an employee who has served in the military will endure a toxic work environment much longer than their counterparts because they do not want to see a project fail or “let the organization down.” The traits of loyalty, commitment, and a strong work ethic can be expected when you hire someone who has served in the military. From the Air Force to Municipal Management
Despite all the positive experiences that the military provides, local government executive recruiters, as well as elected officials, often view hiring veterans as a risk. I can speak from personal experience when I tell you that the stigmas discussed here still exist. My path to becoming a town manager began with the Air Force. I started as an aircraft mechanic and ended as an installation command chief, a position equivalent to an assistant city manager. The jobs I had in between empowered and strengthened me for the final position. As a mechanic, I advanced from turning wrenches to supervising, training, teaching, evaluating, and mission planning. The next role projected me into leadership development and human capital management. After this, my focus narrowed to human resources responsibilities at various levels, from ground floor through institutional impacts. In my final military role, I was afforded an opportunity to lead side by side with a base commander as a command chief. The installation command chief (referred to as command sergeant major in the Army or Marines) is a senior leader for the entire community. This is where I had a deeper level of involvement with sustaining all functions that made the base able to conduct its business. In this role, I learned about snow removal, a critical skill for any town manager in New England. I was further involved with setting and confirming the recreation user fees and memberships rates for the pool, lodging, equipment rental, and other items,
experiences an emergency or crisis, it is likely that the veteran will have the discipline, decisiveness, ethical values, and determination to navigate through the challenges with clear vision. Unconscious Veteran Bias in Your Community
That brings us back to my original question: is there an unconscious bias in your community against veterans? What can you do to expand your view and application of diversity with this in mind? Will you be a positive voice in destroying this stigma, so your municipality may reap the benefits of having a veteran continue active service in your county, city, town, borough, or village? Don’t let bias against veterans cause your organization to miss out on hiring someone from this pool of talented individuals. If you would like to hire a veteran, learn more about our Veterans Local Government Management Fellowship (icma.org/vlgmf), which allows a transitioning service member the opportunity to work in your office free of charge for up to 25 weeks. For more information, contact Lynn Phillips, ICMA senior program manager for veterans programs, lphillips@icma.org; or Darrin Tangeman, Veterans Advisory Committee chair, dtangemen@icma.org. ENDNOTES AND RESOURCES
Willie Garrett, Ed.D. “Marginalized Populations,” Minnesota Psychological Association. 2021. https://www.mnpsych.org/index.php?option=com_dailyplanetblog&view=entry &category=division%20news&id=71:marginalized-populations 2 General Court. “Unlawful practices,” Massachusetts General Law. Part I, Title XXI, Chapter 151B, Section 4. 2021. https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/ TitleXXI/Chapter151B/Section4 1
HENRY HAYES JR. is town manager of Sudbury, Massachusetts. He is an Air Force veteran and a member of the ICMA Veteran Advisory Committee. SEPTEMBER 2021 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | 29
Closing the
LATINO DIGITAL BY RAYMOND GONZALES
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How three communities with large Latino populations are expanding broadband access to help reverse the vulnerabilities exposed by the pandemic
DIVIDE
While everyone in the United States has been affected
by the COVID-19 pandemic, not everyone has been affected equally. Latino communities suffered from physical, educational, and economic harm from the virus at higher rates than the general population: • Latinos contracted COVID-19 at twice the rate of white, nonHispanic Americans (the highest of any racial or ethnic group), were hospitalized at 2.8 times the rate, and died at 2.3 times the rate, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.1 • Latino schoolchildren were the group most likely to attend school remotely during the pandemic and least likely to have live access to a teacher, according to a report from McKinsey & Company.2 This has led to widening educational gaps for Latinos and other students of color, who may feel the effects for years to come.3 • The economic impacts of COVID-19 were especially devastating to Latinos, with double-digit increases in unemployment, underemployment, business losses, and difficulty making housing payments.
Brownsville, Texas
The reasons for the disproportionate economic damage from the pandemic on Latino families are multi-faceted and interrelated, with Latinos more likely to work in industries that were hard hit by the pandemic, such as tourism and hospitality, and more likely to hold jobs that could not be done remotely. Front-line work contributed to greater rates of COVID-19 among Latinos, which made parents reluctant to send their children to school, which exacerbated educational losses. A common thread, though, ran through the related challenges: a lack of access to technology, and specifically to broadband. While broadband access has been an issue for years, a reliable internet connection became a necessity during the pandemic, helping protect Americans against its worst effects. Telehealth appointments, meetings with teachers, Zoom meetings for work, and other daily activities provided a lifeline for those who could access technology, and a source of additional hardship for those who couldn’t. In a poll conducted early in the pandemic, 37% of Latino households said they lacked broadband internet connectivity or could only connect through their phones, a figure supported by other polls and studies.4 For families with no broadband access, this meant driving to the parking lot of public libraries and restaurants after work to enable their children to do homework, or missing work meetings because they were unable to connect. For local governments, especially those with large Latino populations, the longstanding problems with connectivity exacerbated by the pandemic led to redoubled efforts to expand broadband access. Brownsville, Texas; Phoenix, Arizona; and Adams County, Colorado SEPTEMBER 2021 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | 31
serve as case studies on how cities serving significant Latino populations have pivoted to address the digital divide. All took different approaches to encouraging access to broadband connectivity based on their unique circumstances and challenges. Their approaches might not be right for every community, and there are many other local governments using innovative approaches to advance digital inclusion. But these case studies do give local government leaders ideas to consider as they seek to close the digital divide and reverse the vulnerabilities exposed by the pandemic. Brownsville, Texas
Brownsville, Texas
In 2018, the U.S. Census ranked the border town of Brownsville the second least-connected city in the United States, just behind Laredo, Texas, with 30.9% of its households lacking any access to the internet—more than twice the national rate. The city’s own research found that more than half of Brownsville residents, and potentially as many as three quarters, lacked access to broadband internet, defined as 25 Mbps upload speed and 10 Mbps download speed. The implications were far-reaching, limiting opportunity for schoolchildren and adults alike while hamstringing the city’s efforts to attract new jobs and talent. Around 94% of the city identifies as Hispanic or Latino. By 2019, with help from the Dallas Federal Reserve, the city had organized a community summit and formed a Digital Inclusion Task Force to find solutions to a problem that was limiting opportunity for residents and the ability to attract businesses and talent. The problem became a fullblown crisis as the pandemic
spread. Unemployment jumped from 5.8% to 17%, housing and food insecurity spread from 17.8% to over 31%, children had trouble connecting to their remote instruction, and businesses and workers struggled to apply for assistance. “The pandemic galvanized the community and also validated the challenge,” says Brownsville City Manager Noel Bernal. “There wasn’t any opposition or resistance to our efforts at expanding access before, but there was a lack of understanding as to why it was a problem. The pandemic made it clear.” Seeing an opportunity to address a longstanding problem, the city committed to investing $20 million in a digital backbone for the city, commonly known as a “middlemile” segment that links a core network to the local network (known as the “last mile”). This fiber route will not only make it easier for residents and businesses to access broadband connectivity, it will also be combined with utilities to
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enable digital water meters, digital streetlights, and other smart infrastructure. The city’s RFP was issued in June 2021, and they plan for the project to conclude by the end of 2023. For Brownsville, investing in the middle mile and allowing private partners to manage the final mile of connecting to homes and businesses was the best solution, as last-mile solutions would have cost three times as much. But Bernal says there’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to increasing broadband access. “You have to understand community dynamics and what system or approach makes the most sense,” he says. “Everything has to be customized to your community. The issues are the same, but the approaches are going to be different.” Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix Councilwoman Laura Pastor understood the challenge of Phoenix’s digital divide from three different perspectives. As a member of
the Phoenix Union High School District Governing Board, she saw how the pandemic upended education for secondary students, especially low-income students of color who lacked access to reliable broadband networks. As community liaison at Phoenix College, overseeing community relations for the designated Hispanic-Serving Institution, she saw how disruptive the pandemic was for post-secondary learners. And as an elected member of Phoenix’s City Council, she was a policy maker in a position to do something about it. “She called me in May 2020 and said, ‘We’ve got to do something about the digital divide,’” recalls Phoenix Community and Economic Development Director Christine Mackay. Never mind that people have been working to close the digital divide since the internet was first created; the charge in Phoenix was to support students’ academic needs as soon as they possibly could. “Students were having to wait until their parents came home from their job, maybe their two or three jobs, and then they had to take them to the public library or the community center or senior center, or McDonalds or Starbucks,” Mackay says. “The pandemic really showed us the fragility of access, and by erecting a wireless canopy over the city we solve the problem forever.” While Phoenix officials understood the importance of internet access for job applications, benefits paperwork, and attending city council meetings, their sole focus during this initiative was educational. The project enables students to connect via broadband intranet directly to school from their homes. There’s no public access involved, and the connection
can’t be used for anything that’s not related to school. The concept is being rolled out first in the Census tracts designated as highest need, which are disproportionately Hispanic. While there are roughly the same number of Latinos in Phoenix as nonHispanic whites, the poverty rate among Latinos is almost three times that of white residents. The broadband intranet will ensure students’ learning can continue no matter what the future brings. The effort is bringing access to 350,000 students for $28 million—farther reaching and less expensive than earlier proposals, which would have only helped 75,000 students for $100 million. “As we roll this out across the city, we’re happy to share our playbook,” Mackay says.
Phoenix, Arizona
Adams County, Colorado
Broadband access “isn’t just an educational challenge—it’s a workforce development challenge.” Adams County, Colorado
As the pandemic took hold
in Adams County, Colorado, it wasn’t just students who scrambled to find a place with a decent internet connection. County Manager Ray Gonzales also saw teachers parked in the parking lots of county facilities, using countysupplied Wi-Fi to teach their classes. Before the pandemic, the county made it a priority to add broadband access to all capital improvement projects. Now residents can use highspeed internet not only at the county government center and libraries, but at sheriff ’s substations, maintenance facilities, and other locations. The county also sent mobile units with hotspots out into vulnerable neighborhoods to distribute vaccines and improve internet access simultaneously. During the pandemic, “it was really an eye opener to see how everyone took advantage of broadband access,” Gonzales says. Officials are now discussing how to use funds from the American Rescue Plan to address obstacles to economic opportunity both in low-
income urban neighborhoods in the county’s cities and the more rural eastern portions of the county. About 40% of Adams County residents are Hispanic or Latino. “The pandemic really set our Latino community back to the 1980s,” Gonzales said. “It’s important as local government professionals to invest in these communities so that if we have another pandemic in the future, we are able to respond.” ENDNOTES AND RESOURCES
https://www.cdc.gov/ coronavirus/2019-ncov/covid-data/ investigations-discovery/hospitalizationdeath-by-race-ethnicity.html 2 https://www.mckinsey.com/ industries/public-and-social-sector/ our-insights/covid-19-and-learning-lossdisparities-grow-and-students-need-help 3 https://www.brookings.edu/blog/ how-we-rise/2020/07/27/covid-19is-having-a-devastating-impact-on-theeconomic-well-being-of-latino-families/ 4 https://latinodecisions.com/wpcontent/uploads/2020/04/SOMOSCOVID19-Svy-Exec-Summary.pdf 1
RAYMOND H. GONZALES is president of the Local Government Hispanic Network (lghn.org) and county manager of Adams County, Colorado.
SEPTEMBER 2021 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | 33
Advancing RACIAL EQUITY With Limited Resources Rethink what you consider to be a resource, take stock of what you’ve got, and don’t be afraid to ask for more
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Y
In 2018, knowing the city of Boulder was leaning in to advancing racial equity, I asked my boss, the deputy city manager, if I could lead the city’s racial equity work. I was a project manager at the time, and not knowing what we didn’t know, we defined the work as a six-month project. Very soon after we embarked on our racial equity journey, we determined this was BY AIMEE KANE not a project at all, but rather an organizational culture shift. It would take all of our colleagues at every level of the organization to own this work if we were truly going to shift from focusing on classic inclusion and diversity efforts to a model focused on advancing racial equity both within our organization and in the community. Boulder, Colorado
I
am proud of our organization’s efforts to date. My colleagues have banded together to create racial equity core teams; a council resolution adopted by our city council in 2019; a host of equity workshops for teammates to learn and grow together; and most recently, the successful adoption of the city’s very first racial equity plan. As with most local governments, much of this work has been happening on a shoestring budget, and we have had to be extremely creative in utilizing our resources to the best of our abilities. And yet, as the city’s equity program manager, aside from my mantra, “Hard work is hard,” I find myself lamenting to anyone who will listen, “I need more resources! We fund what we deem important!” This is why, when I was asked to host a conversation on working with limited resources at the ICMA Equity Summit, I had to laugh a little to myself. What in the world did I possibly have to contribute when I am constantly trying to find resources of my own? I decided to shift my perspective about this
opportunity, and thought that maybe I could at least get other folx in the room talking about how they are obtaining resources and going about this work. So onward I went. My first step was to look up the definition of resources on the Google machine: “a stock or supply of money, materials, staff, and other assets that can be drawn on by a person or organization in order to function effectively.” The example sentence, “Local authorities complained that they lacked resources,” gave me an additional chuckle. I guess I am one of those “local authorities.” The second definition I saw was this: “an action or strategy which may be adopted in adverse circumstances.” This definition led me to start thinking about the city’s newly adopted racial equity plan as a resource itself, one that might be able to help me get the additional resources, or rather, money, materials, and staff outlined in the first definition. The plan is a living road map that is guiding our municipality through the process of prioritizing goals, specifying details,
SEPTEMBER 2021 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | 35
and “assigning resources” to achieve meaningful change. It was a shift in my thinking to utilize a resource to get additional resources. The third definition I found was this: “Resources are a kind of supply that can be drawn on by a person or organization in order to function and execute plans and projects. Resources can be in the form of money, material, staff, energy, expertise, time, and management, among other things.” I particularly appreciated this definition as I have always considered resources to first mean money, and secondarily, people or staffing. In preparation for the session at the ICMA Equity Summit, I began going through an exercise that outlined the various resources I do have and that I’ve tapped into over the past three years in the following categories: money, materials, staffing, leadership, energy, and expertise. Here is what I discovered during this exercise. Money
At the onset of our organization’s racial equity journey, there were some dollars allocated to help fund trainings, memberships, and materials, and I knew I needed to leverage those resources wisely. We first set out by joining the Government Alliance on Race and Equity (GARE), which was an incredibly valuable membership opportunity. Their model allows even the smallest of jurisdictions to participate as members due to the way in which they charge for membership. The fee is based on the number of employees in your organization. The bonus is that once a jurisdiction becomes members, all of their employees have access to their
online portal, which is rich in both training opportunities and networking opportunities with other communities trying to elevate the same work. Materials
What about materials? One definition describes materials as “facts, information, or ideas for use in creating a book or other work.” Books, online resources, trainings being hosted by other local communities, and podcasts are just some of the materials I have tapped into and shared with others over the past three years. Staffing
In regard to staffing, I had no formal staff focused on advancing racial equity at the outset. The GARE model taught me how to create a racial equity core team comprised of colleagues at every level of our organization and representing every department. There were 60 city staff who leaned into our call to action to help advance this work. The ask for our initial core team was to allocate 10 hours per month to help advance this work. This was dedicated time, not “volunteer” time, but a part of their work plan. This team was instrumental in creating a “train the trainer” model for some of our cornerstone classes, including “Advancing Racial Equity: The Role of Government” and the “Racial Equity Instrument Training.” They also helped draft the racial equity plan, host community engagement events to solicit feedback on the plan, and have created a team of community connectors. These community connectors are community members who provide feedback
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on city initiatives, programs, and policy decisions; and consider how those will impact community members who have been historically excluded from participating in their government. Leadership Support
I gained leadership support by creating a racial equity guiding coalition, which is made up of members of city council, our city manager, deputy city manager, human resources director, police chief, housing and human services director, and planning director. Not only does the coalition provide guidance to me around this work and help provide strategic planning and implementation of equity initiatives, they also help hold accountable others in formal leadership positions. Energy
This is a tough one. Like many of you, some days I have more than others, but this is one area where I have a little control. I choose to conserve or expend energy, and that is of course based on time and time management, but it is also so tied to my emotional energy, not just physical. I have been working to better conserve my energy or put it to better use by controlling my calendar more effectively. I continually look at what’s coming up and ask myself if it’s a meeting I need to be in or are there others who might be able to attend in my absence. What speaking engagements do I agree to? What projects do I want to tackle, and which need to be taken on immediately? In this, I have found that people are very forgiving,
and it demonstrates the need for additional staffing and financial resources so that it’s not just one person working toward our goals. Conserving my emotional energy is much more challenging, but I am working hard to learn more about myself. What do I need to do in order to take care of myself? For me, it means going to bed at a decent hour, turning off the news, reading fiction, cooking creative meals, gardening, hiking, and just appreciating the time I have with other people. I listen to my body to understand when I am not feeling my best and
Aimee Kane, Boulder equity program manager; and Madelyn Strong Woodley, member of the Boulder Police Oversight Task Force. The two are at a ceremony for the renaming of the municipal building, recently renamed the Penfield Tate II Building in honor of the first (and only) Black mayor of Boulder.
make decisions that will help support me rather than zap what little energy I might have. Expertise
When I refer to expertise, I’m thinking of much more than just my own. Expertise also includes colleagues and organizations who are also doing this important work across the country. ICMA, GARE, and the National League of Cities are all places where I have learned and grown from others in the equity space. Additionally, we are fortunate that our surrounding organizations are leaning
As with most local governments, much of our equity work has been happening on a shoestring budget, and we have had to be extremely creative in utilizing our resources to the best of our abilities.
into equity, and we can share knowledge, trainings, and tools. Conclusion
At the end of preparing for the ICMA Equity Summit session, I felt a little better about what I might be able to offer others. And taking stock of all the work we have done (and the resources I have) has been incredibly helpful. What was even more helpful with this exercise is that it helped me tell the story to leadership about what I need more of in order to advance this work. And for me, it still boils down to money and staffing, which is why I am requesting an additional
$210,000 during our budget process to fund an equity liaison position, with an additional $60,000 to fund future projects. The plan, which I will remind you, was unanimously adopted by council, states, “It is imperative to allocate appropriate funding to equity programs, including money allocated for staffing and supporting programs.” I am looking forward to letting you know how this goes!
AIMEE KANE is equity program manager for Boulder, Colorado.
SEPTEMBER 2021 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | 37
CREATING INCLUSIVE
COMMUNITIES
Lessons from
QUEER ECOLOGY
38 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | SEPTEMBER 2021
Nature and culture are interdependent forces, and when cultural presumptions of the natural world suggest false constraints, it can create unnecessary problems. Examples from queer ecology demonstrate that to be truly inclusive, we must go beyond the binary, embrace the world for all its queerness, and commit to changing along with it.
C
ommunity calls for justice— social, environmental, racial—have reignited conversations about diversity, equity, and inclusion across the country. With marginalized groups once again at the forefront of these calls, public servants and local government organizations must consider approaches for repair and resolution. Lessons from queer ecology can demonstrate how inclusion is as much something we do as it is a way of thinking. Rigid binary categories—native/non-native, civilized/untamed, pristine/contaminated, white/people of color, male/ female—disregard how balanced ecosystems and social systems function. Using these narrow dual structures not only loses the intrinsic value for individuals, but false constraints can create unnecessary problems. Reality exists on a spectrum and the extent to which a community can be inclusive depends upon the extent to which our differences can be acknowledged and accounted for. Considering the interdependent relationship between nature and culture, examples from queer ecology can demonstrate how binary thinking disrupts and is disrupted when the peculiar parts of ourselves, our systems, and their relationships are overlooked. QUEER ECOLOGY
Photo by Sorasak on Unsplash
What began in the early 1500s as a word to describe something strange or unusual, the word queer earned its claim to infamy as a derogatory word for homosexuals in the late 1800s and early 1900s. At the time, homosexual behavior in both humans and animals was considered unnatural and deviant, an affront to the preservation and evolution of species. Then around the AIDS crisis of the 1980s and 1990s, there began significant efforts around reclaiming the word.1 This reclamation was and continues to be the process of taking the disparaging power away from oppressors who use queer derogatorily by instead infusing queerness with a sense of pride and dignity. While there are still many in the LGBTQIA+ community that take offense to the term queer as an identifier, it is growing to be generally embraced by the LGBTQIA+ community and queer theory continues to adapt new meaning and applications. An example of this adaptation is queer ecology, a transdisciplinary approach based in ecological study and queer theory that challenges the confines of socially constructed binaries. Getting back to the original meaning of the word, queer ecology acknowledges and celebrates the unusual and rejects bifurcated ideas like native/non-native, civilized/ untamed, pristine/contaminated, white/people of color, male/female. These false SEPTEMBER 2021 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | 39
dichotomies were created by the colonial heterosexual patriarchy to suppress and erase stories of marginalized groups, and popularize a narrative informed by “a rhetoric of wilderness conquest, Romanticism, Transcendentalism, and the belief that humans can either control or destroy nature with technology.”2 Lee Pivnik is the founder of the first Institute of Queer Ecology, and they say, “Queer ecology frees other species from the script of the history in which they’ve been written about, mainly in a white/European, straight, male, context, and gives everything from other species to the people that are working in this practice the agency to tell stories themselves.” Queerness in ecology embodies the in-between, the gray area, plurality, and it represents the elements of nature and reality that don’t fit into neat boxes. It goes far beyond sexuality and gender and represents how odd reality is. As an example, 16 miles away from Denver is the former Rocky Flats nuclear complex; today it is part of an area known as the Rocky Flats Wildlife Refuge. After decades of work at the former weapons manufacturing facility, the cleanup efforts were declared completed in 2005, and We have an ethical it is now being developed for recreation obligation to be activities.3 This decision has been highly debated. Controversy aside, the fact that inclusive in our this was once a weapons plant, and now policies, processes, functions as a wildlife refuge strikes as and goals; it is rather queer. Rocky Flats is a natural area, our job to be in and it is contaminated; these are not mutually exclusive conditions of its past or touch with our present existence. However, discussions ever-changing about the cleanup “advocated the binary communities and equating of ‘nature’ with ‘clean,’ and champion a world ‘waste’ with ‘contaminated’ and therefore ‘not natural.’”4 Rocky Flats is only one that reflects them. example of a climate wrong that needs to be righted, but a zero-sum perspective on what it can or can’t be prevents us from challenging it and taking responsibility for its complex existence and continued management. Like binaries, silos are reductive and leave little room for complex thinking and approaches. The struggle against silos is a common plight for local governments, and the narrow and siloed ways our institutions function effectively trains people to use narrow and siloed thinking. For example, there is a compelling argument circling the restoration ecology and pest management world about native and non-native/invasive species. A lot of the traditional work and policies emphasize returning an ecosystem to a historical state by way of maintaining native species and eradicating non-native species.5 This binary thinking led to the human actions that degraded the idealized natural landscapes of 40 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | SEPTEMBER 2021
the past, and the reductionist approach can move the landscape even further away from the desired historic state; interventions to exterminate invaders can cause unintended harm to the whole. The focus on going back to the way something was and preserving native groups and land areas ignores the ever-changing and transient nature of the world today. Similar to the many diasporas of peoples due to slavery and colonization, nonnative plants don’t ask to relocate, nor do they pick themselves up and take themselves elsewhere. They are carried in the droppings of birds, on the feet of travelers, and even deliberately by people who want them for their home garden. Moreover, not all non-native introductions are all bad, and there are countless examples of non-native species filling ecosystem needs.6 The cherished honeybee, for instance, originally had its native range across Asia, Africa, and Europe, and were imported to North America in the 1600s. Today, their important role in agriculture and the economy as pollinators has made them one of the most intensely managed insect species in the world.7 The Zebra Mussels of the Great Lakes are more controversial, since their rapid growth has driven resource competition with other mussels and their invasive presence has been linked to disease among birds. However, Zebra Mussels have also offered natural filtration for the murky and polluted lakes, improving the water quality and visibility to allow the local salmon populations to more easily feed and thrive.8 Lastly, while the European Green Crab is considered a pest in California because they damage shellfish stocks,9 across the coast in Massachusetts these crustaceans have played a major role in restoring salt marshes previously degraded from overfishing.10 There are plenty of alien species that cause undeniable harm to the ecosystems they enter, but not all. In the restoration ecology world, beneficial non-native species can create what are called novel ecosystems. While this term is not strictly defined, Daniel Simberloff describes the novel ecosystem as a goal that “does not attempt to recreate the past; rather, the goal is to re-establish the historical trajectory of an ecosystem before anthropogenic influences derailed it.”11 Rella Abernathy, the city of Boulder’s applied ecological programs coordinator, says, “There are no easy answers, and the hardest question is what we can feasibly achieve with restoration. We need to show humility and patience and observe the ecology of the land and listen to the views and ideas of others.” As climate change continues, the displacement of plants, animals, and humans will only grow worse. Clutching onto the idea of what/who is native and what/who is not can be elitist, xenophobic, and may limit our ability to work toward meaningful solutions as we address the challenges of forced migration.
CREATING INCLUSION IN BOULDER
Globalization, geopolitics, climate change, and exponential growth over the last century has brought us into a world that hardly fits the antiquated terms and categories used to describe things today.
Now is a serious and demanding time to be in government. People are unhappy, they are not feeling seen, and systematic inequities are driving more division and strife. As public servants, we are being challenged on intimate levels to reflect and respond to these issues. The city of Boulder’s recently passed racial equity plan lays out bold commitments to lean in, do the work, and rise to the call for more diversity, equity, and inclusion. For example, one team is looking at how boards and commissions are structured and demographically represented. Older versions of the city’s ordinance on boards and commissions sought better female representation on the commonly male-dominated bodies by requiring council to “appoint members to city boards and commissions, who are city electors representing both sexes.” What was originally considered a progressive move was revisited in 2019 because of its exclusion of people with identities outside the male/female binary. Since then, the amended ordinance requires council to “appoint members to city boards and commissions, who are city residents not all of one gender identity.”12 As a result, the back-end member management system includes three gender categories of male, female, and alternate. While adding a third catch-all category still leaves something to be desired, it is definitely a step in the right direction. Land use is another area in Boulder where values and policy seem in conflict. Boulderites value their unobstructed views of the mountains, being global leaders in climate action initiatives, and creating a welcoming, inclusive, and diverse community. While the city touts a progressive and aggressive environmental agenda, some of the land-use policies effectively stifle critical density for equitable sustainability solutions to thrive. “A citywide height limit on new construction (ca. 55 feet) to maintain scenic views of the foothills and Flatirons prevented the city from growing upwards. The height limit, the green belt that limited outward expansion of housing, and the fact that a significant portion of the city is zoned exclusively for single-family residential development, all indirectly contribute to the high cost of housing in Boulder.”13 While the racial equity plan does not intend to reverse these policies, council, staff, and the community at large will need to contend with the contradictory nature of values and policy as we continue advancing the equity agenda. CONCLUSION
As local government professionals, we have an ethical obligation to be inclusive in our policies, processes, and goals. It is our job to be in touch with our ever-changing communities and champion a world that reflects them. Globalization, geopolitics, climate change, and exponential growth over the last century has brought us into a world that hardly fits the antiquated terms and categories used to describe things today. Breaking away from the binary and siloed thinking can unveil a fascinating world filled with interconnected relationships and complexity in which each individual provides a unique contribution to the greater whole. This is important because as government professionals we play a major role in writing the
narrative of human experience. “While certain narratives offer us an arguably more palatable history,” they can also construct the false notion that all Americans share the same past and understanding of the present.14 Furthermore, false claims and erasing things we don’t want to exist don’t make them go away. This is true for when we omit queer and BIPOC contributions from history, ban critical race theory in schools,15 or use a definition of wilderness that denies the land influence of indigenous populations.16 Examples in queer ecology demonstrate the limitations of binary thinking, and if the narrative is to include everyone, we must study the buried past, go beyond the binary, embrace the world for all its queerness, and commit to changing along with it. ENDNOTES AND RESOURCES
Perlman, M. (2019, January 22). How the word ‘queer’ was adopted by the LGBTQ community. Columbia Journalism Review. https://www.cjr.org/language_corner/queer.php. 2 Finney, C. (2014). In Black faces, white spaces: reimagining the relationship of African Americans to the great outdoors (p. 24-28). essay, The University of North Carolina Press. 3 Department of the Interior. (2019, February 27). About the Refuge - Rocky Flats. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. https://www.fws.gov/refuge/Rocky_Flats/about.html. 4 Krupar, S. R. (2012). Transnatural ethics: revisiting the nuclear cleanup of Rocky Flats, CO, through the queer ecology of Nuclia Waste. Cultural Geographies, 19(3), 303–327. https:// doi.org/10.1177/1474474011433756. 5 Gann, G. D., McDonald, T., Walder, B., Aronson, J., Nelson, C. R., Jonson, J., Hallett, J. G., Eisenberg, C., Guariguata, M. R., Liu, J., Hua, F., Echeverría, C., Gonzales, E., Shaw, N., Decleer, K., & Dixon, K. W. (2019). International principles and standards for the practice of ecological restoration. Second edition. Restoration Ecology, 27(S1). https://doi. org/10.1111/rec.13035. 6 SCHLAEPFER, M. A. R. T. I. N. A., SAX, D. O. V. F., & OLDEN, J. U. L. I. A. N. D. (2010). The Potential Conservation Value of Non-Native Species. Conservation Biology, 25(3), 428–437. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1523-1739.2010.01646.x. 7 Carpenter, M. H., & Harpur, B. A. (2021). Genetic past, present, and future of the honey bee (Apis mellifera) in the United States of America. Apidologie, 52(1), 63–79. https://doi. org/10.1007/s13592-020-00836-4. 8 Wolfe , J. F. (2015, May 4). 10 Invasive Species That Helped The Ecosystems They Inhabit. Listverse. https://listverse.com/2015/05/04/10-invasive-species-that-helped-theecosystems-they-inhabit/. 9 MacDonald, J. (2016, April 5). Invasive Species: Pro And Con. JSTOR Daily. https://daily. jstor.org/invasive-species/. 10 Bertness, M., & Coverdale, T. (2013). An invasive species facilitates the recovery of salt marsh ecosystems on Cape Cod. Ecology, 94(9), 1937-1943. Retrieved July 2, 2021, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/23597316. 11 Simberloff D. (2015). Non-native invasive species and novel ecosystems. F1000prime reports, 7, 47. https://doi.org/10.12703/P7-47. 12 City of Boulder. (2019). AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 2-3, “BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS,” B.R.C. 1981 https://library.municode.com/co/boulder/ ordinances/municipal_code?nodeId=941601. 13 City of Boulder. (2021, February). Racial Equity Plan. https:// www-static.bouldercolorado.gov/docs/2021_Racial_Equity_Plan___ ADOPTED_2.16-1-202102171848.pdf?_ga=2.252786057.1875945537.1624304648304236633.1564445180. 14 Finney, C. (2014). In Black faces, white spaces: reimagining the relationship of African Americans to the great outdoors (p. 24-28). essay, The University of North Carolina Press. 15 Florido, A. (2021, May 28). Teachers Say Laws Banning Critical Race Theory Are Putting A Chill On Their Lessons. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2021/05/28/1000537206/ teachers-laws-banning-critical-race-theory-are-leading-to-self-censorship. 16 Fox, A. (2020, July 24). Sierra Club Grapples With Founder John Muir’s Racism. Smart News. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/sierra-club-grapples-founder-johnmuirs-racism-180975404/. 1
TAYLOR REIMANN is assistant to the city council of Boulder, Colorado. SEPTEMBER 2021 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | 41
The Arc of the Moral Universe Bends when
Ethical Public Managers Act
While current managers are not responsible for the past, they are accountable for the present and the future.
BY DR. KURT THURMAIER
42 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | SEPTEMBER 2021
1960s, racial injustice persists and stifles the potential of millions of children and their parents to be fully engaged and successfully in their—and our—daily lives. What does this have to do with local government management? Some would argue that we should not be talking about systemic racism because these are divisive issues that make people uncomfortable. Pretending that discrimination doesn’t exist anymore, only happens to a few people, and that the media blows it out of proportion doesn’t make them go away. The arc of the moral universe may bend toward justice, but it doesn’t happen by magic. It bends toward justice because public service professionals, including local government managers in ICMA, help to bend it. Many ICMA members are deeply engaged in and confronted by the challenges of racial justice. Yet the calls for actions to vanquish institutional racism in our communities have conjured a lively and Isabel Wilkerson compares inheriting an old house in need uncomfortable conversation among members of ICMA.3 One of repairs to inheriting 400-plus years of slavery, Jim Crow laws, contingent is eschewing an emphasis on diversity, equity, and and systemic racism.1 Borrowing Wilkerson’s metaphor, current inclusion (DEI) in the profession, claiming it is a politically divisive, local government managers inherit houses built on a flawed legal ideological activity that is contrary to ICMA’s espoused political foundation of systemic racism where the neutrality. Another contingent of members long-term consequences leak through the argues that a DEI emphasis is central to ending Current local gaping cracks and where implicit bias wafts systemic racism and pursuing social justice, government managers through the ill-fitted windows. The persistent and that these goals are moral and consonant racial inequities in our communities stem with ICMA’s ethics tenet of providing public inherit houses built from uncomfortable legacies of real estate services to all the residents in a community. on a flawed legal redlining, zoning and regulatory ordinances foundation of systemic Our House: The ICMA Legacy with implicit bias toward segregation, and labor practices biased against hiring and racism where the long- Lest anyone think that ICMA’s current promoting people of color who wanted to be discussion about institutional racism, term consequences local government professionals in police, fire, diversity, equity, and inclusion is too “political” leak through the public works, and other functions of local and “ideological,” think again. The reform government. While current managers are not movement that provided the foundation for gaping cracks and responsible for the past, they are accountable ICMA was a political reform movement. where implicit bias for the present and the future. It took political power away from big (and wafts through the Over 100 years since Upton Sinclair wrote small) city machines that depended heavily The Jungle,2 people of color around the world on immigrant populations and working class ill-fitted windows. are working in physically demanding and laborers to get the votes needed in partisan dangerous slaughterhouse jobs now deemed local elections to decide who was taxed to pay essential to our quality of life as well, and for services, what services were provided, and many still lack the protections they need to raise their families and what level and quality of municipal services were delivered to which make our communities stronger. Every day in this country, children parts of the city. The reformers shifted power from the partisan wake up in apartments without heating or cooling, and drink water political machines to middle- and upper-income professionals who flowing through lead pipes that literally destroy their brains. Single wanted tax dollars spent on their preferences.4 parents living in dangerous neighborhoods navigate multiple buses Professional city management benefited the Progressives, and it and walk block after block to get to jobs that pay low wages just benefited the communities as a whole, which now had nonpartisan so they can put food on the table for their children. Despite the professional managers who would hire skilled professionals based Civil War and Reconstruction, and the protests and reforms of the on their merit and their ability to deliver high-quality municipal
ne of the few benefits of the COVID-19 pandemic has been the amount of time that has been freed for people to spend remodeling and fixing up their homes. In 1990, my wife and I bought our first home in Lawrence, Kansas. We spent several weeks each year remodeling our 1,700-square-foot 1960’s Cape Cod room by room. We updated wiring and plumbing, added insulation to walls, and replaced windows, among other things. It was a lot of work that took us more than 10 years to complete.
SEPTEMBER 2021 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | 43
services, including clean water, public safety, green spaces, and more. The ICMA Code of Ethics enshrines the principle of meritbased, nonpartisan management and that has been a wonderful gift to our communities for over a century. Well and good: ICMA members should refrain from partisan political activities, but every seasoned manager knows that nonpartisan does not mean apolitical. Let us not dismiss the fact that ICMA was born as part of a political movement and our members engage in political activities every day. That is because politics is about getting people with different views and perspectives—on city councils, county commissions, village boards, and so on—to come to a collective decision about how to move the community forward. As John Nalbandian, Jim Svara, and others noted decades ago, this also entails having political conversations with residents to incorporate their perspectives into the processes that lead to the governing boards’ decisions. These are the hard, crucial political conversations that managers and their leadership teams have every day.
conversations have turned to the historical issue that has vexed the nation for decades: how do we gain “public confidence in professional administrators” from those residents who do not have confidence that our professional ICMA administrators understand—and are responsive to—their issues and problems? The disturbing truth is that the experiences of many people of color with their local governments have undermined their confidence in the professional administrators who run the place. This is the urgent problem that our professional managers face today. We have lost the confidence of a public that is rapidly changing complexion, who care deeply about the centrality of diverse, inclusive local decision-making processes that result in more equitable distribution of community resources so that there is no “bad section of town,” no neighborhood schools to avoid, no divisions of thriving and dying sections of towns. We—as a profession—are facing a crisis of public confidence because we have not evolved as a diverse, inclusive, and equitable profession. Raising the issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion is an important first step in recognizing that the profession needs to come to grips with its empirical history of very low levels of diversity and inclusion in the local government profession. If ICMA had been successful in DEI, then approximately 18% of our local managers (and their leadership teams) would be of
We don’t resolve divisive issues by ignoring them.
The ICMA Code of Ethics
The ICMA Code of Ethics commandment to “refrain from all political activities which undermine public confidence in professional administrators” does not restrict the definition of “public” to white male professionals. Today, the difficult political 44 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | SEPTEMBER 2021
Latinx heritage, 13% would be of African American heritage, 6% of Asian heritage, 1.5% of Native American or Native Hawaiian heritage, and about 3% from a heritage of two or more races. In short, if our profession had evolved in its diversity and inclusion as the nation has evolved, if “equality of opportunity” were a reality in the profession, then we would expect that today, in 2021, only about 61% of our local government managers and leadership teams would be of white, European heritages, and more than half of them would be women. That is not the make-up of ICMA or local government leadership today. ICMA professionals in other countries are facing similar inequities.
help current members and those in the pipeline tackle the central leadership of this decade: how to lead and manage in local public governance by communicating and interacting productively with a diverse and changing workforce and citizenry in our communities.5 Our Northern Illinois University MPA curriculum has three core management competencies to help the next generation of local government managers develop this universal competency. Upon graduation from our program, our students should be able to: • Effectively work with a diverse group of internal and external stakeholders. • Meaningfully engage with people holding diverse perspectives Possibilities to address public service issues. ICMA is an amazing organization, and local government • Develop or adapt policies, programs, goods, or services management is an amazing profession. There is no other to accommodate changing social demographics for the profession that is so committed to its Code of Ethics and its population they serve. members that there is a funded program • Incorporate professional codes of to help managers in transition so that ethics in public service decisionthey always know that they can walk making to enhance integrity of public The arc of the moral away from a position if it requires them services. universe may bend to act unethically or in an inappropriate With respect to this last competency, way that harms the long-term health and students in our first MPA class must toward justice, but sustainability of the community they are compare and contrast at least two helping to lead. We are a profession of professional codes of ethics and then it doesn’t happen by committed public servants and I believe adopt one to guide their professional magic. It bends toward most members are ready to embrace the decision making. Most of our internship DEI headwinds of today. students—those who belong to NIU’s justice because public Governing boards may be reluctant ICMA student chapter and want to to address racial inequality and implicit become local government managers— service professionals, biases in local zoning, development, and usually compare and contrast the codes including local regulatory ordinances. It is up to those of ethics of ICMA and the American who currently manage our communities Society for Public Administration government managers to address the problems of the house (ASPA). Senior ICMA professional they inherited in an ethical, nonpartisan managers should note that many of our in ICMA, help to bend it. way. It will require managing with internship track students adopt the ASPA political courage. It is not enough to Code of Ethics instead of ICMA. Why? acknowledge that DEI is an issue. If our Because, they write in their explanatory members are to manage this issue with memos, ICMA’s Code of Ethics omits political courage, they need to know how to actually have the ASPA’s commitment to social justice, equity and inclusion. And difficult conversations with employees, boards and councils, they strongly believe in this aspect of the code. They adopt and and residents. What are effective strategies for productive accept the other tenets of the ICMA code, but their foundation and interactive conversations with the diverse and changing is the ASPA code and its commitment to diversity, equity, and workforces and citizenry of our communities? These are the tools inclusion. The future of ICMA is in the newest generations who that ICMA should provide in gatherings large and small. This is are committed to racial and social equity, not in a generation that not political activity; it is management training. ignores the imperative. NASPAA could assist ICMA in developing management Preparing for Courageous Conversations training that will help ICMA members learn how to have three What should ICMA be doing to help members manage the kinds of courageous conversations about the racial inequities in equity needs of the profession? Members of the Network of our communities and our profession: Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA) • Courageous conversations with those residents who have have long emphasized the need for accredited MPA programs to had their voices systematically diminished or excluded. Local help improve DEI in public service by increasing the diversity governments can use this kind of competency as an objective of student bodies and their corresponding faculties, and by or outcome in their community engagement processes. addressing DEI issues in their curricula. ICMA should consider • Courageous conversations within their organization that partnering with NASPAA to develop leadership curricula that critically look at department heads, staff, etc., with a DEI lens. SEPTEMBER 2021 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | 45
Local governments can bring in external voices and facilitators, conduct a comprehensive equity audit, and use DEI performance indicators to improve the DEI climate in their organizations. • A self-reflective courageous conversation that honestly confronts a manager’s own biases. In addition to confronting implicit biases, managers can reflect on their code of ethics and consider its imperatives for working toward racial justice. ICMA could develop goals and objectives for members who want to embrace the social justice headwinds our profession is facing. We can draw on the many ICMA members who have had—or are trying to have—these difficult conversations. The Leadership Institute on Race, Equity, and Inclusion created by ICMA, in partnership with the Kettering Foundation and the National Civic League, is a good step forward. In addition, ICMA can partner with the Local Government Hispanic Network, National Forum for Black Public Administrators, and National Academy of Public Administration to create curricula that go beyond its current offerings. It’s Time to Bend the Arc of the Moral Universe
We don’t resolve divisive issues by ignoring them. We must resolve divisive issues by facing them, determined to respect diverse opinions and the different frames of reference that arise from unique paths to that moment of the conversation. As ICMA professionals, we must strive to work effectively with diverse internal and external stakeholders, to communicate effectively with diverse audiences orally and in writing, to frame problems in ways that create solution sets that move our communities forward while bending that arc of the moral universe a little more toward justice for all of the residents in our communities. Doing so will often require management courage in the midst of political conversations of the governing board and community residents. It requires courageously looking inward (to courageously face our own biases/prejudices and those within our organization) and courageously facing outward in community engagement. Local government managers must strive to bend the arc of the moral universe because the ICMA Code of Ethics and history demand this. Our younger generations of local government managers and the generation in the pipeline are already committed to making their communities’ leadership more diverse, inclusive, and equitable. They feel a responsibility to live their public service values and ethics, to be the change that they want the world to become. As an aging Boomer, I envy their energy, their innovativeness, and their opportunities to make our communities, our nation, and our world way better off than they are finding it as they graduate. This is what managing local governments and nonprofit agencies in our communities is about in the twenty-first century. Even as we admit the flaws in the foundation of the ICMA that the Progressives built at the turn of the twentieth century, we can be proud that ICMA was built to rid communities of blatant corruption, incompetence, and unhealthy communities. Over 100 years later, ICMA is poised to rid our communities of latent racism in our laws, practices, and policies. 46 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | SEPTEMBER 2021
ICMA members and our newest graduates need to be engaged in these struggles precisely because they are divisive and unsettled, and require expertise coupled with passion to make everyone in our communities better off. Will this be easy? No. Remodeling a house is hard work, and it takes time as well as effort. Do we have all the answers? No. But ICMA should be working on them for our members and the communities they serve. Our newest ICMA members are eager to get started. ENDNOTES AND RESOURCES
Wilkerson, Isabel. Caste: the origins of our discontents. New York, Random House, 2020. Sinclair, Upton. The Jungle (1906). CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2014. 3 For example, see ICMA Connect: Is ICMA succeeding in helping you address your equity needs in the profession? 4 See Rubin, Irene S. Class, tax, and power: Municipal budgeting in the United States. CQ Press, 1998. 5 See NASPAA universal competencies at https://www.naspaa.org/accreditation/ standards-and-guidance/standard-standard-guidance/standard-5-matching-operations 1 2
DR. KURT THURMAIER is distinguished engagement professor and chair, Department of Public Administration; and director of the School of Public and Global Affairs, at Northern Illinois University. He is a fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration.
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High Performance in Local Government Part 4 : The Work of Leadership Leadership not only sets the course, it gets people on the boat and rowing together. Over the last three issues of PM magazine, we have said that high performance is a habit of continuous improvement; that our beliefs about people and work and their impact upon culture matter; and that high performance comes from consultative or participative practices, according to Likert’s four management systems. In this issue, we look at the work of leadership. 48 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | SEPTEMBER 2021
Leadership—What You Do Does Matter BY DON JARRETT, WITH PATTY GENTRUP
A culture of higher performance will not create itself. Recalling the change model introduced in the June 2021 issue,1 an organization can be viewed in two parts: (1) the production side, where management exerts controls for consistent, predictable production; and (2) the cultural side, where leadership determines how the organization operates. See Figure 1.
Figure 1.
PRODUCTION SIDE
CULTURAL SIDE
HIGH(ER) P E R F O R M A N C E
Culture develops through leadership work and cannot simply be practiced at the top of the hierarchy. It needs to be a shared responsibility of everyone in the organization. Just like technical skills, leadership is a set of practices to be exercised every day. Leadership and Its Daily Practices
We all sense the importance of leadership, yet there is no
STRATEGIES
VISION
STRUCTURES
VALUE
SYSTEMS
CULTURE
L E A D E R S H I P
around what should be and why. It is intended to inspire action, to produce adaptive change and growth through ideals and meaningful purpose, relying upon values and principles for control. We manage things and processes. We lead people and relationships, for adaptive growth, and to create potential. The Organization’s Work of Leadership
common understanding of exactly what it is.2 For us, leadership is not hierarchical. It is not a position or authority. Indeed, we carefully distinguish the terms leadership and leader, since “leader” too often connotes one who is “in charge.” Leadership, we believe, is the capacity to influence the beliefs, behaviors, and purposeful actions of others for a common good. It is
Figure 2.
Operational Values (These guide our operating processes and how we do our work.) Caring workplace: We care about each other, crafting a mutually supportive workplace that balances the interests of individuals and the organization. Stewardship: Individually and collectively, we are building a better community today and for future generations. We achieve this through creative and effective use of resources to meet environmental, economic, and human needs. Teamwork: It's about people working together within and beyond our traditional workgroups and organizational boundaries. Continuous Improvement: We inspire one another to do our best and are accountable for results. We support innovation and responsible risk-taking, and we approach our work with a positive attitude and noble intent. Learning Organization: We believe learning is fundamental to excellence. Investing in individual and organizational development is our pathway to success.
people-centric, exercised in the context of personal connection and relationships. Leadership is less about telling and more about inspiring and engaging others. It is doing the right thing for the right reasons for the greater good. We all have the capacity to do that effectively; doing so is a choice we make. For higher performance, we must each exercise leadership within our own job responsibilities, “leading from where we sit” in the organization. The Management Conundrum
For some, management and leadership are just two ends of a continuum. To be sure, those in management must exercise leadership, and those who exercise leadership must do management. However, management and leadership are two vastly different things.3 Management is intended to organize, to produce order and consistency, using rules and restrictions to control. It is tactical, concerned with the practical application of know-how. Leadership, on the other hand, is strategic, oriented
In his book, Turn the Ship Around!, L. David Marquet asserts that leadership is more about getting people to think rather than to do. Getting workers to think like a captain
LEADERSHIP IS LESS ABOUT TELLING AND MORE ABOUT INSPIRING AND ENGAGING OTHERS.
(or manager) enables them to do their job better without orders or controls. It shifts responsibility to where the knowledge and technical skills are. The key to doing so, according to Marquet, is the leadership work of building clarity and competence across the organization. For us, the work of leadership covers a wider range of strategic practices, including: • Building organizational culture and clarity. • Developing organizational capacity and competence. • Building strategic adaptability and change readiness.
SEPTEMBER 2021 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | 49
Figure 3.
Behavioral Values (How we plan to treat each other and, by extension, the customers we serve.) Integrity: We are truthful, openly share information, honor codes of conduct, ensure that our actions match our words, and demonstrate our commitment to each other and the County. Professionalism: We act conscientiously, beyond self-interest, with a full appreciation of what is appropriate in the workplace, setting high standards, seeking personal mastery, and striving to exceed expectations. Humility: We are modest but confident about our own abilities and honest about our limitations. We learn from others, own our mistakes, and celebrate our successes in a gracious manner. Humor: We laugh with one another as we work together, never take ourselves too seriously, and use humor in a sensitive and caring manner. Respect: We actively recognize the dignity and worth of every individual, extending to them kindness and courtesy. We listen and seek to understand each other and different perspectives. We stand against prejudice and intolerance, seeking acceptance and inclusion for all.
• Ensuring strategic alignment and cultural integrity. • Building relationships and interdependence. Cultural Clarity
The culture of an organization shows up in its norms and habits, in its relationships and behaviors, in its symbols and artifacts. It has impact when people feel inspired that their work has meaning. The work of leadership defines the culture, gives clarity to its meaning, and makes it a daily living movement in the work of the organization. We define culture by articulating a shared purpose (why we exist), vision (the lofty ideal we seek to be), philosophy (beliefs about people and work), and values (how we will behave, treat others, and work together). Figure 5 shows the vision and values for Johnson County, Kansas.
Developing and articulating the vision and values is only the beginning of the leadership work. Clarity comes from defining what the vision and values actually mean. It comes from constant, daily discussion and application. It is asking whether your actions are consistent with your values—whether they serve the vision. In other words, is it the right thing to do, tested by our vision and values? Culture happens when the people in the organization can tell you what the vision means, what the values are, and what they mean to them. Leadership is evident when those questions and discussions routinely occur at all levels throughout the organization. Competence and Capacity
Competence and capacity determine whether the organization is making
50 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | SEPTEMBER 2021
the best use of its available resources. How do we find and develop talent and capability already in our organization? How do we help people grow and develop beyond a job description? How do we create an environment where people choose to invest their discretionary time, energy, excitement, and knowledge? First, everyone doing leadership at all levels should be maximizing consultative and participative management practices, seeking input and suggestions, and involving others in open discussion and thoughtful debate. Second, we empower and enable others by moving responsibility and decision-making to where the information and activity are. We move people around, allowing them to see the work from different viewpoints. We
CULTURE HAPPENS WHEN THE PEOPLE IN THE ORGANIZATION CAN TELL YOU WHAT THE VISION MEANS, WHAT THE VALUES ARE, AND WHAT THEY MEAN TO THEM.
find areas of interest and create challenging opportunities for them to experience. Third, we make learning an organizational value. Leadership does not tell or teach per se, rather it inspires curiosity and raises expectations for learning, it causes engagement by inviting people to grow and develop, meet their potential, seek mastery. Finally, we set aside work time for individual and group
Figure 4.
Core Values (The higher moral purpose this organization is trying to serve.)
Public Service: A personal commitment to a higher calling, to serve the common good, guided by our democratic principles. Public Trust: We are entrusted with the care of the common interest. We shall, individually and collectively, honor, upload, and preserve this trust.
Public Leadership: We hold ourselves to the highest principles, always seeking to do the right thing for the common good.
Figure 5.
thinking, communicating, coaching, and sharing. We set a standard that doing their jobs requires learning something new and sharing it with others. Adaptability and Readiness for Change
The essence of public service is leaving the community better than we received it. We cannot accomplish that by simply doing the same things that we have always done. The pace of change continues to increase. Thus, our organizations must become more agile, adaptable to new conditions and challenges, while retaining the community character cherished by the residents. The work of leadership does not rely upon “best practices” copied from others. Rather, it pursues strategic thinking and relationships with others to develop and implement creative approaches and new ways of thinking. It removes the negative, doubtful “we cannot do that” or “it won’t work here” thinking and invites creative “what if ” thinking. It places value upon questions as much as on answers. The work of leadership does not avoid change. It emphasizes growth, development, and adaptation. It prepares the organization for “new” and “different” by being receptive to experimentation and establishing work teams to review and evaluate ideas and improvements. In Johnson County, Kansas, an employee group set up a program called Project Impact, which invited, reviewed, experimented, and evaluated suggestions and new ideas from across the
organization. Scores of ideas have been submitted, and many have been successfully implemented.
Johnson County Government Vision Statement
Alignment and Integrity
The work of leadership ensures that the organization has and maintains integrity with its culture and its operating strategies, structures, and systems. We cannot ask employees to share and perform according to a set of values if we operate by contrary rules. Alignment does not happen just on organization-wide systems; it must happen also with each normal work practice, rule, and process. The work of leadership constantly reviews and evaluates, seeks input, and listens to suggestions about the strategies, structures, and systems, asking whether they serve or conflict with the cultural values, and then it makes changes and updates as necessary. Interdependence and Stewardship
An old saying goes, “Leadership not only sets the course, it gets people on the boat and rowing together.” We know that teamwork and collaboration improve performance substantially, but “rowing together” goes beyond structured teams. How do we get people to join us on the boat? To energetically row with us? To stay the course? We do so with the work of leadership, moving away from the hierarchy and its rigidity to a more flexible network structure built around team skills and facilitative leadership. We do so by building interdependence,
(Our desired future state and organizational direction.)
We choose to be a different type of Government... One that inspires trust for who we are and pride in what we do. One that dares to imagine what can be and strives each day to make a difference. One that cares about the health, the character, and the promise of community. Through our service, Johnson County will always be an extraordinary place, second to none, where people want to be, to work, live.
blending talents together like a symphony to create a more powerful whole. We do so by developing consultative/ participative practices that invite people to be a part of something bigger than themselves and empowers them to participate fully and safely. We do so with stewardship, protecting and caring for the “symphony” as a shared responsibility. Next
Next month, we will look at ways to create time and place for performing the work of leadership and how to adaptively change organizational habits using a parallel organization. ENDNOTES AND RESOURCES
1 Pickering and Matson, Why Executive Development Programs Alone Don’t Change Organizations, (1992). 2 See the summary at Appendix 2, Stephen R. Covey, The 8th Habit (2004).
3 A useful summary of viewpoints on leadership/management can be found in Appendix 3, Stephen R. Covey, The 8th Habit (2004).
DON JARRETT is an instructor for the University of Kansas School of Public Affairs and Administration. He has over 40 years of professional experience in local government, serving as the chief legal counsel for Johnson County for 35 years before retiring in 2020. (don.jarrett@ku.edu). PATTY GENTRUP is the consulting services manager for the University of Kansas Public Management Center. She has been in direct service or as a consultant for local governments for 30 years, including six years as a city administrator. (patty.gentrup@ku.edu).
SEPTEMBER 2021 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | 51
CAREER TRACK
A Healthy Workplace Culture Is the “Secret Sauce” to Success, Part 2 How to take action and transform your culture from the prevailing to the preferred
BY PATRICK IBARRA
In last month’s article on workplace culture (Part
1 of this series), I focused on the benefits associated with a healthy culture and described the incredible impact derived from implementing a connection culture. In this month’s article, I outline the steps you can take to transition, and possibly transform, your workplace culture from the prevailing to the preferred. The role of executives, directors, senior managers, and others in a supervisory/management role is unique and has tremendous influence in “setting the tone” of the culture. Employees base what A healthy they believe is a priority and what is or is not workplace culture acceptable on what they observe from those and management capacities. creates positive inTheleadership influence of leaders and managers is faremotional energy reaching toward influencing the culture. Successful leaders also recognize that for you and although aspirational talk about culture your employees. may originate at the executive level, the actual culture manifests itself in cubicles and in the field far from top leaders’ purview. That disconnect makes it essential that top executives do more than just talk a good game. Changing Workplace Culture
PATRICK IBARRA and his consulting firm, the Mejorando Group, are passionate about unleashing human potential (patrick@ gettingbetterallthetime. com).
A workplace culture that drove success in the past can become overly codified, rigid, and ritualistic. Over time, bold new moves become much more risky; new service delivery models may compete with existing approaches that threaten their continued application. Even when it’s obvious that change will someday be necessary, it’s not hard to find excuses to put it off just a little bit longer. Unfortunately, when that occurs, organizations can lose touch with reality. As a result, successful leaders will seek to fortify their workplace culture so as to: 1. Remain adaptive in a rapidly changing environment. 2. Enhance the employee experience. 3. Conserve those elements of the culture—the “roots”— that are a source of strength and pride. 4. Establish a strong foundation of self-awareness, self-reliance, and a growth mindset of always moving forward. 5. Manage the evolution of the organization realistically.
52 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | SEPTEMBER 2021
If you really want to change your culture, you’ll need a high level of empathy, great persistence and resolve, rigorous focus, and a practical methodology that brings out the best in your current cultural situation. It is critical that employees believe the culture change is not an exercise that they are subject to, but a meaningful process in which their involvement is enlisted. Employees must also understand that culture change is not only essential for the organization to adapt to new realities, but also that it will help them and their fellow employees perform their roles better and derive greater job satisfaction. Before attempting any kind of culture change initiative, the organization’s executives need to know what the current culture is (i.e., prevailing) and how it works, identify what type of culture (i.e., preferred) would best support organizational strategy, and recognize and use the levers that influence culture.
If you really want to change your culture, you’ll need a high level of empathy, great persistence and resolve, rigorous focus, and a practical methodology that brings out the best in your current cultural situation.
Based on extensive research I’ve conducted and culture change work I’ve completed with my clients, I have developed a Workplace Culture Assessment approach that provides a means of assessing the perceptions of an organization’s employees and managers on the culture and proactively addressing issues of concern in the workplace. It helps determine what is working effectively in an organization and what is not. Organizational culture is largely driven by leadership, but it also includes a wide variety of other factors, from organizational values and norms to employee behavior. The diagram in Figure 1 indicates the Ten Dimensions© (TD) of a workplace culture that I use in assessing a client’s current culture: FIGURE 1 The Ten Dimensions© of a Workplace Culture
Mission, Vision & Values
Employee Wellness
Employee Experience
Work Processes
Teamwork
Workplace Culture Hiring & Promoting for “Fit”
Opportunity for Growth
Performance Management
Change & Innovation Quality of Leadership & Supervision
1. Mission, Vision, and Values: Employees understand the organization’s mission and vision and their particular role in their execution. When values are shared among employees, it can unleash their potential. When employees know the context and overarching purpose of their work, they tend to approach it with a clearer sense of individual purpose and meaning. 2. Employee Experience: How do employees feel about where they work? Today’s employee is a consumer of the workplace. Employees are no longer satisfied
with clocking in and out and receiving a paycheck. They are looking for meaning in their work; a supportive, collaborative environment; and an employer that can match the lifestyle they want to enjoy. A productive, positive employee experience has emerged as the new contract between employer and employee. 3. Teamwork: Healthy group dynamics are the norm. Employees build and sustain healthy work relationships with peers, direct reports/subordinates, and their supervisor/manager. 4. Hiring and Promoting for Fit: A strong emphasis is placed on hiring and promoting for “fit,” which includes being supportive of the preferred culture and criteria that goes beyond credentials/pedigree and years of experience. High-performing employees want to work in a performance-based, promotional workplace. 5. Change and Innovation: Change and innovation are discussed frequently among employees and pursuing improvements to current operations, services, and programs is supported. Change management is not an event, but instead is a process that is inclusive and collaborative. Moreover, the organization has a proven track record of successfully implementing change initiatives that have resulted in positive impacts. Mistakes are tolerated in the pursuit of identifying innovative solutions. 6. Quality of Leadership and Supervision: Leaders “traffic in trust” and are credible and influential. Leaders need to be perceived as caring about their people’s success, seeking to understand each person’s strengths, and providing employees with every opportunity to use those strengths. Great managers empower their employees by creating and sustaining a trusting working partnership. 7. Performance Management: An effective performance management/appraisal system is being used. The process for setting goals, providing meaningful and timely feedback, and holding employees accountable is essential. There’s no substitute for a well-designed and wellexecuted performance management process. 8. Opportunities for Growth: Employees are encouraged to grow, learn, and pursue their potential. A relic from a bygone era is that “if we train employees they might leave.” I turn that around and offer, what if you don’t and they stay? No employee should ever have to apologize for being ambitious and no one should ever get in the way of a person pursuing their dreams. SEPTEMBER 2021 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | 53
A relic from a bygone era is “if we train employees they might leave.” I turn that around and offer, what if you don’t and they stay? Making It Happen
Culture change takes place by implementing a series of solutions. Here is a sample: • The change process must be assigned to a group of staff who have credibility in the minds of those being the most impacted. Every organization has a pool of change agents that usually goes untapped. These people are viewed as a network of positive energizers and “key influencers.” Spread randomly throughout the organization, these are purposedriven people with an optimistic orientation. They naturally inspire others. They’re open and willing to take initiative. Once enlisted, they can assist 9. Work Processes: Modern work processes are symbolic of with every step of the cultural change. a mindset of people who choose to not be satisfied with the status • Reaffirming and/or revising the current set of organizational quo. Discarding antiquated work processes are proactively pursued values with a specific emphasis on identifying specific behaviors absence a crisis. that exemplify the connection culture must be pursued. 10. Employee Wellness: Employees feel like • A formal training program is one of the the organization cares about them—financially, most effective development techniques Organizations that emotionally, mentally, and physically— to equip executives, managers, and those and applies resources to demonstrate such effectively change who aspire to serve in such a role with the a commitment. capabilities of being a successful leader. their cultures are A training program can offer structured successful because Employees are asked questions about these learning experiences that apply directly to dimensions and their responses are gathered via they are renovating their roles. The general purpose of training various channels and evaluated to determine involves knowledge and skill acquisition what they have, not themes and the basis of the prevailing workplace and will have three goals: (1) to improve an starting from scratch culture. Organizations that effectively change individual’s level of self-awareness; (2) to their cultures are successful because they are and completely increase an individual’s skill in one or more renovating what they have, not starting from areas of expertise; and (3) to increase an rebuilding. scratch and completely rebuilding. individual’s motivation to perform his or I have partnered with leaders of many her job well. local governments assisting with their culture • Hold quarterly training sessions for the change efforts. Careful attention must be paid in these efforts as entire group of leaders, managers, and supervisors. Convening any attempts to change it may “collide” with the existing culture this group periodically generates several dividends—it and the status quo can prevail. Remember, not everyone is for increases a sense of belonging to the organization at large and progress, especially those employees who stand to gain the most by provides learning opportunities about their role in moving the maintaining the status quo. workforce forward. You can be certain that there will be resistance to culture change. But readiness for organizational transformation can be fostered Understandably, culture change can be difficult and by identifying the advantages of the refreshed culture, sharing challenging work, yet the dividends are extremely beneficial in the disadvantages of not changing, showing the gaps between helping transition or even transform an organization to achieve current performance and the organization’s potential, providing the unprecedented results. Since culture change is a continuous resources needed to implement change, and rewarding behaviors process, the work to support culture change will be ongoing. It compatible with the preferred culture. will be slow and trying before it is rewarding. 54 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | SEPTEMBER 2021
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