Professional courtesy extends beyond interactions with elected officials and the public. If a member of a colleague’s governing body contacts you for advice, or you respond to the inquiry, a member is expected to notify his or her colleague of this contact as outlined in Tenet 2 and its guideline. You would want the same professional courtesy extended to you if the reverse situation occurred.
Rocky relationships between the manager and the governing body can cause everyone involved to develop an exit strategy. If the governing body’s transition plan involves finding a new manager and you are contacted, you have an ethical obligation to explain you cannot discuss an occupied position until the incumbent's separation from employment is publicly known.
There are also unique considerations to keep in mind if you are a retired manager who lives in the community, and it is a good idea to review the advice for interim/retired managers.
Applicable Tenets and Guidelines
Tenet 2. Affirm the dignity and worth of local government services and maintain a deep sense of social responsibility as a trusted public servant.
Guideline on Advice to Officials of Other Local Governments. When members advise and respond to inquiries from elected or appointed officials of other local governments, they should inform the administrators of those communities in order to uphold local government professionalism.
Tenet 3. Demonstrate by word and action the highest standards of ethical conduct and integrity in all public, professional, and personal relationships in order that the member may merit the trust and respect of the elected and appointed officials, employees, and the public.
Guideline on Seeking Employment. Members should not seek employment for a position that has an incumbent who has not announced his or her separation or been officially informed by the appointive entity that his or her services are to be terminated. Members should not initiate contact with representatives of the appointive entity. Members contacted by representatives of the appointive entity body regarding prospective interest in the position should decline to have a conversation until the incumbent's separation from employment is publicly known.
PM Magazine Articles
- Err on the Side of Caution (September 2022)
- The Ethical Boundaries When Former Managers Live in Your Town (March 2022)
- Showing Professional Courtesy and Respect When You’re No Longer in Charge (July 2021)
- Respect: Where's Aretha When You Need Her? (July 2017)
- Guard Against Ethical Missteps (May 2017)
