Sunday, July 7, 2013

Success requires both leaders and managers | Carter's Community

I was reading the Costco Connection.? There was an article entitled ?Leader or Manager?? that caught my eye.? It was a short but very informative piece.

Basically, it said if you are only a manager, your focus is too short-sighted.? You don?t provide the vision needed to survive and grow.? You may not be responding to changing conditions, not developing new revenue, not keeping up with trends.? And your employees may not feel motivated or engaged.

The article went on to say if you are only a leader, your vision is too grand.? You don?t provide the day-to-day oversight and guidance needed to make sure things are being done on time and under budget.? Customer service slips, revenues dip.? Employees may feel unnoticed and that no one cares about their performance.

As I read this, I realized the parallels between running a successful business and being the mayor and part of the executive branch of Bonney Lake government.

The executive department of the city consists of the?Office of the Mayor, the Office of the City Administrator, the Prosecuting Attorney, and Facilities and Special Events.

The Office of Mayor is a part-time position that as I previously mentioned pays $800 per month.?Mayor Neil Johnson works a full-time job, is married and the father of two daughters who keep him on his toes with their various sports and activities.? Remember that Association of Washington Cities (AWC) I talked about in a previous column?? Mayor Johnson has an Advanced Certified Municipal Leader certification. He has also been a small business owner with over 20 years of experience in professional retail and advertising ?? again, similarities between running a business and a city.

The mayor is the chief executive officer of the city. All departments of the city are under the supervision and control of the mayor.? He and the deputy mayor shall have power to administer oaths and affirmations, take affidavits and certify them. The mayor, or the deputy mayor when acting as mayor, shall sign all conveyances made by the city and all instruments which require the city seal.? Dan Swatman is currently the deputy mayor, and was chosen by his fellow council members.

The mayor is assisted by a full-time professional city administrator named Don Morrison.?? Don has been with the City since 2004 and has over 30 years of local government administration in Washington, Utah and Montana.? He has a Bachelors of Arts degree in political science and education, and a Masters Degree in Public Administration from the Marriott School of Management at BYU.? Remember that advice given at the new council member training at AWC?? The part where the directors and administrators have the certificates hanging on the wall, supporting their years of education and experience doing the job, making them the experts?

The city administrator is responsible to the mayor for the general coordination and supervision of the activities of the various city departments and offices.

The city administrator is responsible to the mayor for the general coordination and supervision of the activities of the various city departments and offices, subject to the directives of the mayor. The city administrator is generally responsible for promoting efficient and effective service delivery and to see that departments are coordinating their activities.

There was a quote in the Costco publication by management guru Peter Drucker that said, ?Management is doing things right.? Leadership is doing the right things.?? Your mayor and executive department have to do both.? Running a city is like running a business.

And again, employees are the greatest asset.? They have done it again.? Bonney Lake Relay for Life was held the last weekend of June.? As of the time I write this column, Laura Miller, Bonney Lake Police Department community service officer who has been battling cancer and beating it, was the top fundraising participant.? And Team Bonney Lake, made up of city employees, was the top fundraising team. City employees seem to be motivated and engaged.? These employees seem to be getting noticed for their performance, not only at work but out in the community.

Source: http://feeds.soundpublishing.com/~r/bchopinion/~3/W2QzIwN96VI/213878821.html

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