Principles

1
Principles Practices in Local Government

• A Presentation to the 2002
• Faculty of Extension
• Elected Officials Symposium
• June 19th, 2002

2
The Audience
3
Some Thoughts
One never can see, or not till long afterwards,
why anyone was selected for any job. And when one
does, it is usually some reason that leaves no
room for vanity. C. S. Lewis
4
The Expert

• To spot the Expert, pick the one who predicts
  the job will take the longest and cost the most.
• A Consultants Creed

5
Some Thoughts

• If Columbus had turned back, no one would have
  blamed him. No one would have remembered him
  either.
• Anon

6
Session Outline

• Challenges of Today
• Societal Impacts
• Laws of Leadership
• Problems Facing Councils of Today
• Attributes of an Effective Councillor
• Governance and Its Impact
• Where Leaders Fail
• Keys to Effective Organizations
• Where Do You Fit
• The Messages of Landy Lots Wife
• The Adage of the Sparrow

7
Challenges of Today

• Societal changes may be changing our perceptions
  of what is right, acceptable and of value
• Our technology appears to lead us-not us it
• World is wired technologically not socially,
  politically or culturally
• Avoiding the prison(s) of yesterday
• Our families may not share our values

8
Challenges of Today

• Were aging-not adjusting
• Our sense of community is limited to workplace-
  not neighbourhood
• Corporate cultures have changed dramatically
  sense of loyalty to a cause replaced by focus on
  self world is smaller-our networks better-our
  personal connections less meaningful

9
Societal Impacts on Communities

• How are we building our communities?
• How are we developing opportunities for people to
  connect
• How are we addressing Canadas problems with
• obesity sedentary behaviour
• lack of interest in reaching out to others
• being educated without a solid values context
• infrequent participation in meaningful exchanges
• sense of powerlessness in engaging Government

10
The Scope of the Challenge

• The Population of Canada is aging
• 23 of todays population is over the age of 54.
• 34 of the population will be 55 years older in
  2022.
• Question How does this impact how/where we
  provide services?

11
The Scope of the Challenge

• What do these trends signal to you? How does this
  impact governance in the next 10 years?

12
The Scope of the Challenge

• The Cost of health care is related to the age of
  the individual.
• per capita costs increase dramatically as people
  age.
• Assuming zero inflation, the cost of health care
  in Alberta will increase by 25 over the next 20
  years.

13
So What is Missing?

• Resources not the issue for many-they lack time,
  ideas, contacts, friendships and meaningful
  initiatives
• Society crying out for people who are authentic
• Society needs those who see/think broadly and
  deeply
• Society aging and fears or blots out the
  consequences
• Society looking for its leaders

14
Laws of Leadership

• The Law of the Lid Leadership ability is always
  the lid on personal organizational
  effectiveness
• The Law of Influence The true measure of
  leadership is the ability to get the other person
  to participate
• The Law of Process Leadership develops daily,
  not in a day
• The Law of Navigation Leaders see more see
  farther and see before

15
Laws of Leadership

• The Law of Solid Ground Truth is the foundation
  of leadership
• The Law of Connection Leaders touch a heart
  before they ask for a hand
• The Law of the Inner Circle A leaders potential
  is determined by those closest to him

16
Laws of Leadership

• The Law of Buy In People buy into the leader,
  then into the vision
• The Law of Empowerment Only secure leaders give
  power to others
• The Law of Legacy A leaders lasting value is
  measured by succession

17
Problems Facing Todays Councils

• Locked into yesterdays practices/structures
• Need to connect with todays public
• Leaders lack focus on governance-too interested
  in administration
• No primary focus-what is our agenda?
• Poor decision-making process
• Unwillingness to make tough decisions
• Inattention to the big picture

18
Problems Facing Todays Councils

• Unwillingness to ask dumb questions
• Past baggage brought in the door
• Inability to work together (the ability to
  disagree agreeably)
• Inappropriate use of power
• Lack of a process for ongoing renewal
• Unwillingness to ask-What Value do We Add?
• Abuse of trust

19
Leadership

• One can lead with no more than a question in hand.

20
Attributes of an Effective Councillor

• Time to Understand the Organization Its History
• Familiar with Constraints of His/Her Mandate and
  Authority Limits
• Understands the Needs/Agenda of Others
• Plans to Succeed Establishes the Key
  Deliverables at the Outset Vision of Preferred
  Future

21
Attributes of an Effective Councillor

• Prepares for Each Agenda, Each Meeting-(what is
  the result to be achieved)(why does this body
  exist)
• Builds in Accountability
• Becomes Familiar with Our Policies
• Is Reflective
• Exercises a Constructive Influence

22
Attributes of an Effective Councillor

• Practices Ethical Leadership
• Evidences Concern for People their Needs
• Is Comfortable with Change and its Impacts
• Sees through a Global, Conceptual View
• Searches for Knowledge and Options
• Focuses on Results Clear Accountability
• Has Respect for Role Clarity
• Is Comfortable with Exercising Control

23
Attributes of an Effective Councillor

• Has an Expectation of Honesty
• Is Prepared to Cut Some Slack
• Reflects Openess to the Ideas of Others
• Focuses on the Strategic Agenda
• Reflects Systems Thinking (how the pieces fit
  together)
• Pays Attention to Process Collaborative Focus
• Lives a Life of Personal Balance

24
What is Governance

• The process of exercising corporate leadership
  on behalf of the public by the policy-making
  authority to the organization as a whole in terms
  of its purpose, control and future and overseeing
  the organization to ensure that its mandate is
  achieved.

25
Governance Principles

• Clear Mandate
• Clarity of Authority
• Sense of Direction
• Policy-Making Responsibility
• Appropriate Control Mechanisms

• Sound Legislative System
• Risk Management
• Public Transparency
• Full Disclosure
• Trust Relationship to the CAO

26
Governance Principles
Clarity of
Public
Authority
Accountability/
Clarity of
Responsiveness
Mandate
Clear Sense of
Ongoing
Direction/Purpose
Performance
Assessment
Policy-Making
Governance
Orientation of Board
Principles
Full Disclosure
Control
Risk Mgte
Sense of
Integration
Independence of
Governing
Authority
Sound
Succession Planning
Board/CEO
Interface
Results
27
The Deadly Sins of Ineffective Governance

• 1. Representational Governance (Focus on Vested
  Interest Groups)
• 2. Lack of Focus on Mission
• 3. Tendency to Resist Change Rather than Lead It
• 4. Making Do with Irrelevant, Useless Information

28
The Deadly Sins of Ineffective Governance

• 5. Reluctance to Dump the Deadwood
• 6. Maintaining Cumbersome, Outmoded Structures
• 7. Working without Job Descriptions
• 8. Mistaking Activity for Progress
• Based on Article by James E. Orlikoff, Healthcare
  Forum (July/August, 1997)

29
Where Elected Leaders Fail

• Forget the reason they chose to serve
• Ignore the reasons the public elected them
• Become all-accepting or all-questioning
• Lose sight of the big picture
• People are viewed as commodities
• Rules are not bent-theyre broken
• Principles are situational

30
Where Elected Leaders Fail

• Personal control is the driver
• Instant expert phenomena
• The process becomes the end result
• Change is resisted inability to compromise
• Life is out of balance
• Forget the need to write your own legacy-what
  will be said that we accomplished

31

Key Attributes of Administrative Leadership
Public Sensitivity
Clear Roles
Shared Vision
Transparent
Process

Ethical
Administrative
Public
Conduct
Partnership
Leadership
Integration of
Accountability
Resources
Focus on Results
Issues
Leadership
32
Key Attributes of Governance Leadership

Interactive
Community
Publicly-Espoused
Participation
Values
Shared Vision
Transparent
(
Council-Public-Staff)
Process
Ethical

Conduct
Governance and
Public
(
Integrity)
Partnership
Leadership
Public
Loosely-Held
Accountability
Power
Locally-Driven
Issues
Priorities
Leadership
33
What is Leadership All About?

• Leadership is About Learning
• Leadership is about Self-Awareness
• Leadership is About Preparation
• Leadership is All About Influence
• Leadership is All About Integrity

34
What is Leadership All About?

• Leadership is About Learning
• In a study of 90 top leaders, leadership experts
  Warren Bennis and Burt Nanus made a discovery
  about the relationship between growth and
  leadership. They reported It is the capacity to
  develop and improve their skills that
  distinguishes leaders from followers.
  Successful leaders are learners. It is an
  ongoing process of self-discipline and
  perseverance.

35
What is Leadership All About?

• Leadership is about Self-Awareness
• The late English Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli
  commented To be conscious that you are ignorant
  of the facts is a great step to knowledge.

36
What is Leadership All About?

• Leadership is About Preparation
• Former heavy weight champion Joe Frazier stated
  You can map out a fight plan, but when the fight
  starts youre down to your reflexes. Thats
  where the roadwork shows. If you cheated in the
  dark of the morning, youll be found out under
  the bright lights.

37
What is Leadership All About?

• Leadership is About Influence
• Harry A. Overstreet, author of the Mature Mind, a
  required text for our university class 25 years
  ago, states "The very essence of all power to
  influence lies in getting the other person to
  participate". While you may be able to demand
  certain actions as a boss, you will only capture
  their hearts by effective persuasion and by
  example.

38
What is Leadership All About?

• Leadership is All About Integrity
• General Norman Schwartzkopf spoke of the issue of
  integrity when he said, "Leadership is a potent
  combination of strategy and character. But if
  you must be without one, be without strategy".

39
Some Thoughts

• The business of leaders, of heroes, is tricky.
  Leadership is not something that is done to
  people, like fixing your teeth. Leadership is
  unblocking peoples potential to become better.
• Bill Bradley, Retired US Senator

40
Leadership Functions

• 1. Initiating
• Setting the course
• Establishing policies
• 2. Soliciting
• Seeking input
• Assessing public support
• 3. Regulating
• Influencing the administration of policy
• Monitoring input

• 4. Informing
• Bringing information
• Outlining opinions
• 5. Supporting
• Holding the group together
• Encouraging
• Relieving tension
• 6. Evaluating
• Measuring the results

41
Attributes of an Effective Organization

• A thorough orientation to its role (What business
  are we in?)
• A clear understanding of its mandate and target
  audience(s)
• Clear guidelines on the exercise of individual
  and collective powers
• A process of establishing and then re-visiting
  its goals and priorities (the Business Plan)
• An understanding of the policy development
  process

42
Attributes of an Effective Organization

• An abiding respect for role clarity
• CEO/CAO/Administration/SPBs/Public
• Recognition of authority of the CAO/staff
  respect for their abilities
• Mechanisms to receive and recognize public input
• A willingness to change
• A desire to seek allegiances with others

43
Governance Best Practices

• A Willingness to Learn
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Staying Close to the People
• Respect for Role Differences
• Understanding Change-and Your Role in It
• Understand the Value of Priorities
• Openness and Transparency

44
Governance Best Practices

• Respect for Limitations of Power
• Focus on Accountability and Integrity
• Focus on the Issues and Results
• Choose a Sound Governance System
• A Reasonable Degree of Government
• Stay the Course

45
What Value is Added

• Oversight to decisions
• Leadership on key issues
• Public values and concerns
• Advocacy to Government
• The layperson viewpoint
• Setting priorities
• Fiduciary monitoring
• Reporting on results

46
What Does a Governing Body Avoid

• Insistence on total agreement
• Preoccupation with administration
• Lack of a questioning attitude
• Focus on personalities demeaning remarks
• The Titanic impression
• Unethical behaviour
• The backroom boys
• Over-reaction

47
The Messages of Landy Lots Wife

• One became a footnote in the history of track
  field (British Empire Games-1954)
• The other became a pillar in the history of the
  flight of the people of the Old Testament on
  their way to the chosen land
• What did they have in common?
• Both looked back-our future lies ahead.

48
The Lessons of Eulogies

• Everyone leaves a footprint
• Not all are the same size
• People of influence not always those in power
• Personal choices determine influence
• Lives closest to you most impacted
• Busyness not equated to influence
• The business of life not business but living

49
So What Have I Said

• This is a very important avocation/vocation
• Be a person of understanding and compassion
• Be a lifelong learner-stay interested and
  involved in your world
• Be a person of influence-at home, with friends,
  at work
• Contribute to an effective organization
• Understand leadership-study it practice it
• Maintain your integrity-raise the bar
• Be a person of balance and passion

50
The Adage of the Sparrow

• A farmer comes upon a sparrow lying in the middle
  of a road. He asks the sparrow Mr. Sparrow, what
  are you doing? The sparrow replies Why, cant
  you see? I am holding up the sky. The farmer
  says But you are so small. Look at your spindly
  legs. You cant hold up the sky! The sparrow
  replies One does what one can!