Great info from presenter George Cuff @icma12 on signs of a faltering relationship with your council, surviving working in a political environment, and building sustaining relationships. Here’s some advice on meeting the challenges:

·         If council resists orientation? Remind the council that it’s all about continuous improvement. Ask them what they would find helpful in fulfilling their responsiblity to provide governance leadership.

·         What if a council member comes to the table thinking he/she knows it all, including your job? Be clear that they were elected to govern, not to manage. . . that they were elected to connect and capture the sentiment of the community, not for their management expertise.

·         What if council makes you the punching bag? The debate around issues should be between council members, not between you and the council. Repeat the message that you provide your best administrative analysis and recommendations in the report to the council, and now it’s the council’s job to discuss and provide policy direction.

·         What if the council drifts into your management realm despite having participated in an orientation? Well, maybe the orientation is spending too much time discussing what you and your staff do administratively, which has the unintended consequence of inviting council into your realm. Shift the emphasis of the orientation to council’s governance role, demonstrating how council’s role is significantly different from the manager’s role.

·         Approach your day with enthusiasm—your staff picks up on that energy.

·         What if you're retiring or on the way out? Don’t coast to the finish line: charge as though it’s the first 10 yards of your career (or job) and not the last.

If a colleague asked you for one piece of advice on how to avoid pitfalls in council relationships, what would your advice be?