Ashley Wooten, ICMA-CM
County Manager
McDowell County, North Carolina
awooten@mcdowellgov.com

Signing time sheets, purchase orders, and so forth are routine daily duties that can take shorter amounts of time. I have found it best to clear those items out as soon as possible. The paperwork can seem overwhelming at times, but I know that people often depend on that simple signature to get on with their day.

Oftentimes, my weeks and months are spent either planning for a commissioners’ meeting or working on items from prior meetings. The county commission meetings often deal with board priorities and major policy decisions, so of course, much of the workday revolves around what happens there.

There are other parts of the job that require long-range planning, especially when it comes to budget preparation. The months of March through June are mostly filled with budget planning meetings. Finding time to do much else during these months can be difficult.

I have found it important to delegate; to make decisions thoughtfully, but quickly; and to stay focused on organizational priorities. These tricks of the trade help me to meet county goals as well as maintain my personal sanity.

 

Andrea Phillips
Town Administrator
Mancos, Colorado
aphillips@mancoscolorado.com

Government work is equal parts reactionary and future-oriented. Best intentions for long-term community goals must be weighed against issues that arise requiring an immediate response or action. On most days, my team and I are working on projects in each area. In order to balance these needs, I rely on quality staff, regular communication, and written work plans.

I return calls and e-mails within 24 hours or less. The most pressing situations get pushed to the forefront of my attention, while less-urgent concerns are sometimes delayed for another day or two. While I may spend a good portion of a day working on an unplanned issue, I try to always keep the long game in mind. Setting task timelines or benchmarks is helpful.

For longer-term prioritization, I rely on written to-do lists and other visual management tools. A simple chart in my office displays tasks on Post-it notes. As the task moves from "not started" to "in progress" and finally “done,” I can quickly and easily track the status of these projects.

Long-term capital and vision plans are implemented through an annual work plan, which is set each year with staff and board input. Throughout the year, the plan is updated as duties are completed and new projects are added, as necessary. I believe that what gets stated gets done; however, there are times when unexpected situations occur that pull staff attention away from planned projects.

It is important to be flexible and understand that the work plan can be a fluid document as long as we are making headway on the larger goals.