ETHICS MATTER!
Selecting the Next Manager:
What Role Should You Play?
Yourinvolvementmustalignwith ethicalthe values of the profession. BY MARTHA PEREGO, ICMA-CM A transition in who serves as the city, county, or
town manager, regardless of how it came about, is a huge deal. New organizational leadership brings with it a significant investment in creating new relationships and adapting to a new style. And then there are all the organization priorities that may be paused or delayed due to the vacancy. Each transition comes with a unique set of circumstances which will direct the organization’s next steps. For organizations that have experienced regular turnover in the manager’s position, the council will likely just dust off the process used before and move forward. They may look to staff to prepare the RFP to select an executive recruiter to conduct the search. Or direct staff, if they have sufficient resources, to manage the recruitment process. Perhaps the question of succession MARTHA PEREGO, was settled with the addition of ICMA-CM, is an assistant or deputy who has director of member been waiting in the wings. Since servicesandethics presumably it was the manager who director, ICMA, Washington, D.C. hired the assistant or deputy, this (mperego@icma.org). is that rare moment when a manager
International City/County Management Association icma.org April 2022
does get to put their imprint of the future direction of the organization. Even so, no promise made to an assistant about their future in the organization is guaranteed until the governing body confirms the promise with a vote. Consider the challenge to the organization though if the departing manager has served a long tenure, say 10 or more years. In that case, there may be elected officials or even the entire governing body who have never been through the process of recruiting and hiring a manager. And that is a problem given that selecting the person to lead the organization is perhaps the most important decision elected officials will make on behalf of the community and staff. Or perhaps the position is open after voters adopted a form of government that provides for a manager or administrator. That governing body is in the same predicament: making the most significant of decisions without any prior experience in designing a process, defining the desired characteristics of the best candidate, and then managing the vetting process. In all these cases, it’s neither rare nor inappropriate for the governing body to
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2 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | APRIL 2022
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ICMA Creating and Supporting Thriving Communities ICMA’svisionistobetheleadingassociatio oflocalgovernmentprofessionalsdedicate tocreatingandsupportingthriving com munitiesthroughouttheworld.Itdoes thisbyworkingwithitsmorethan12,0 members to identify and speed the adoption ofleadinglocalgovernmentpracticesand improvethelivesofresidents.ICMAoffers membership,professionaldevelopment programs, research, publications, data and information, technical assistance, and trainingtothousandsofcity,town,andcounty chiefadministrativeofcers,theirstaffs,an otherorganizationsthroughouttheworld Public Management (PM) aims to inspire innovation,informdecisionmaking, connectleading-edgethinkingtoeveryday challenges,andserveICMAmembersand localgovernmentsincreatingandsustaining thrivingcommunitiesthroughouttheworld.
