In my years of working with PM magazine, never did I ever dream of featuring pills on the October cover (there were!) or a gun on the November cover (there is!). But as these graphic images made an appearance during 2016, they reflect the issues that local governments are dealing with. (Thankfully, there was the July article on humor in the workplace!)

But the horrors can’t be laughed off when there is an assailant with a gun, and November’s “Shots Fired!” article asks: Is your community ready for an active shooter? Authors Rod Gould and Jack Brown collaborated to provide actions that managers can take to help preempt a lethal shooting or cope when one occurs. They also provide links to several law enforcement videos that provide important information.

This year, ICMA is part of a consortium that released a resource guide for local governments on high-speed Internet access and digital literacy. In “Advancing Local Broadband Access,” authors Lindsey Frost, Michael Baskin, and Jelani Newton provide six strategies for strengthening community access to reliable Internet service. One piece of advice: Local leaders should conduct a network scan and develop a resource map to understand what potential partners and resources already exist.

Two more features of note: The Brexit Conundrum by Kim Ryley, provides an insider’s perspective on the decision Britain made to leave the European Union, now known as Brexit. As Ryley says, “As part of the wider transformational changes already taking place in local councils across the UK, Brexit adds further unwelcome uncertainty and challenge, and it cannot be avoided.”

For managers and elected officials who are considering a facilitated performance review for the manager, turn to the article “A Constructive Dialogue” for details on how helpful such a review can be. Authors Jan Perkins and Frank Benest write that “Some managers said such a performance evaluation process, often in politically turbulent environments, was helpful in getting useful feedback from elected officials.”

ICMA members Ashley Wooten and Andrea Phillips were turned loose with the On Point question: How do you prioritize your work on a daily, a weekly, or even a long-term basis?

Does a PM article always have to deal with an evocative theme like active shooters or opioids? Not necessarily, but the content should be important and relevant, like it is in the November department articles on libraries, recycling innovation, succession planning, and successful law enforcement management.

PM online-only articles also have top-notch authors who write on park management, cybersecurity, and the value of these two words: “thank you”! Reality at its best.

November 2016 PM

October 2016 PM

July 2016 PM

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