Sean has proven that he’s not just an effective city manager – he’s also a skilled communicator.  (Check out his presentation from last year’s ICMA conference, online here.)  This online webinar will feature best practices communications lessons that Sean has honed during his years in local government.  Sean exemplifies a leadership style that promotes up-to-the-minute communications and connectivity in Elgin.

If you are pursuing a career path in management or communications – this is a webinar that you shouldn’t miss.  Please ensure that you register online here.  Only preregistered participants will be able to access the webinar. Questions?  Having technology/connection issues for webinars?  Contact ELGL at oregonelgl@gmail.com.

This scholarship opportunity has been extended – applications are now due by Friday, June 21!

ELGL is pleased to partner with the Oregon City/County Manager’s Association (OCCMA) to offer an opportunity to attend their annual conference July 9-12 in Bend, Oregon.  Selected participants (up to two) will receive free admission to the conference, and a stipend for travel costs.  The application process is easy – just fill out the below form and we’ll be in touch when participants have been selected.

This is an amazing opportunity for people with an interest in local government management to attend the Oregon conference this summer.  In return, the selected participants will agree to write a column about their conference experience for the ELGL blog and the OCCMA newsletter.  And, you will get special recognition as an “emerging leader” who is attending the OCCMA confernece with an eye on the future of professional management.

Questions?  Please send an email to ELGL.

They are job titles that are becoming more elusive:

• Assistant City Manager
• Assistant to the City Manager
• Management Analyst

Once thought as a succession planning pathway for the next generation of city managers, generalist mid-manager positions are often hard to come by as local governments forgo filling these roles during times of budget uncertainty.  Alex McIntyre, the Menlo Park City Manager and former Lake Oswego City Manager, has shown a willingness and commitment to creating and empowering these roles in the organizations he manages.

The agenda will include two parts.  The first portion of the webinar will include tips from Alex on how current managers can create new employment opportunities for emerging leaders.  The second portion of the webinar will include feedback from Alex on what he looks for when he hires for entry level management positions.

ELGL will offer its first online webinar featuring Alex on March 15, 2013 at noon.  This event is limited to the first 20 respondents, with priority given to ELGL members.  Please RSVP to OregonELGL@gmail.com today to secure your spot in this webinar.

Agenda:

• Introduction of Alex McIntyre, City Manager, Menlo Park, California
• Part I: Creating Meaningful Opportunities for Next Generation Local Government Employees
• Learn how Alex has created employment opportunities in the organizations he has managed that promote local government professionalism.
• Part II:  So You Want to Be An Assistant to the City Manager (or Management Analyst…)
• Get the inside scoop on the knowledge, skills, and abilities that Alex looks for when he is hiring for entry level management positions.
• Questions & Answers
• Adjourn

View the 2012 Holiday Card

Take a minute to consider corporate membership for your organization. Here’s how your organization can benefit:

Benefits of Affiliating with Oregon Emerging Local Government Leaders (ELGL)

Innovative cross generational networking for the public and private sector

Join today!

• Build relationships with more than 350 public and private sector professionals including city managers, banking officers, attorneys, management analysts and more.

• Access to ELGL blog and social media networks:
  • Blog:
    • 66,500 since inception in May 2011
    • 200 hits a day
• Facebook: 348 likes
• Twitter: 371 followers
• LinkedIn: 351 members
• Pinterest: 138 followers
• Google+: 153 in our circle

• Attend 2013 Speaker Series with Bill Wyatt – Port of Portland, Steven Bass – OPB, Mark Zusman – Willamette Week, Tiffany Couch – Acuity Forensics, Greg Baker – City of Damascus… and more.

• Reach all areas of Oregon through the Central Oregon and Willamette Valley chapters.

• Prominently promote your job openings and events on ELGL blog and social media network.Free advertising in the annual ELGL Resume Book.

• Need to know what others are doing? Submit an information request on the ELGL listserv that reaches more than 60 different organizations.

Friends –

Thank you for your continued involvement with the Oregon Emerging Local Government Leaders Network!

Over the past two years, ELGL has grown from a lunchtime networking event for a handful of people, to a statewide organization with 350 members. In that time, our membership has lunched with governors and city managers; newspaper editors and communications professionals; non-profit directors and private-sector CEOs.

Along the way, friendships have formed, professional networks have expanded, and ELGL has evolved into an organization that many of you depend on in your professional lives.

And, we are continually sharing local government news and information. We are averaging 300 hits per day on the ELGL blog, and have a vibrant presence on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn and Google+.

As ELGL has grown, it has become necessary to evolve into a more formalized organization – to ensure the continued viability of ELGL, and to perpetuate ELGL’s success into the future. At the direction of the ELGL advisory board, ELGL has formed as a 501(c)6 organization. This allows ELGL to operate independent from individual members, and to provide exciting opportunities to our members.

To this end, effective this month, we will begin charging a $20 annual membership fee. Current graduate students will receive free membership to ensure their continued participation. There are significant benefits to membership, including:

• Access to the ELGL listserv
• Access to the monthly newsletter
• Early registration for all lunch forums
• Reduced member price for all lunch forums
• Featured resumes in The Resume Book
• Access to expanded ELGL job listings
• Free blog job postings for employment opportunities
• Opportunities for involvement with ELGL advisory board and promotions

The membership application and payment process is available exclusively online. 

The decision to begin charging dues is was not an easy one to make – for the last two years, we have taken great pride in the organization’s ability to grow and evolve on a shoestring. With the addition of membership revenue, we anticipate the following expenditures:

• Scholarships for ELGL members to Oregon professional conferences including OCCMA, OMFOA, OAMR,ORAPA, etc.
• Web site upgrades
• Event liability insurance
• 501(c)6 administrative costs.

At this two-year anniversary of ELGL, we celebrate our organizational milestones. None of our success would have occurred without the loyalty of you and your dedication to ELGL events and our online tools. Thank you for helping make ELGL a successful local government network in Oregon. We would also like to extend a special thanks to the ELGL advisory board – they have provided invaluable guidance to the organization.

The adopted Constitution, By-Laws, and the anticipated two year budget for ELGL are available online here. We also welcome your questions about the decision to formalize ELGL and appreciate your feedback.

Also, please look forward to an exciting roster of speakers in 2013.  We have started planning and are pleased to announce the following speakers for you to tentatively add to your calendars, with more announcements of speakers to come:

• January: Bill Wyatt, Port of Portland
• February: Mark Zusman, Willamette Week editor
• March: Tiffany Couch, Financial Investigation and Forensic Accounting
• April:  Greg Baker, City Manager, City of Damascus
• May:  Steven Bass, President, Oregon Public Broadcasting

Thank you,

Kent Wyatt, Kirsten Wyatt, and Megan Messmer

City of West Linn Communications Update

(See slide 10 for social media comparison)

This Embarrasses You and I*

Grammar Gaffes Invade the Office in an Age of Informal Email, Texting and Twitter

By SUE SHELLENBARGER, Wall Street Journal

When Caren Berg told colleagues at a recent staff meeting, “There’s new people you should meet,” her boss Don Silver broke in, says Ms. Berg, a senior vice president at a Fort Lauderdale, Fla., marketing and crisis-communications company.

“I cringe every time I hear” people misuse “is” for “are,” Mr. Silver says. The company’s chief operations officer, Mr. Silver also hammers interns to stop peppering sentences with “like.” For years, he imposed a 25-cent fine on new hires for each offense. “I am losing the battle,” he says.

Want Happier Employees? Get Rid of the Bosses

If your employees are spending much of their time doing things simply because they have to, don’t be surprised if they seem a little less than motivated. I noticed this was happening at my company. So I decided to get rid of all the layers.

By ILYA POZIN, Time Magazine

For many employees, a job is a place they go because they have to. They have to pay the bills. They have to get in by 8, work 8 hours, and leave by 5. They have to report to their boss because he has to report to his boss who has to report to… you get the idea.

If your employees are spending well over a third of their time doing things simply because they have to, it should come as no surprise if they seem, well, a little less than motivated.

I noticed this was happening at my company. Our top-down hierarchy only reinforced the problem. Employees were working in silos, instead of collectively, because they couldn’t really see how and where they fit into the overarching goals of the business. They completed tasks simply because they had to. I realized that the managers, execs, department heads, etc. were getting in the way.

So, a few months ago I decided to get rid of all the layers. Instead of a rigid hierarchy, I flattened the structure, threw out fancy titles, and reorganized the whole company into teams. It wasn’t an easy shift–it quickly became clear that some positions previously amounted to “middle men” and weren’t entirely necessary anymore, so I had to let some people go. We’re still adjusting, but I can say that even though we’re only a few months into it, it’s working: We all work in teams that self-manage. There’s no need for bosses or management to nag and tell people what to do. And productivity and motivation are through the roof.

Continue reading at Want Happier Employees? Get Rid of the Bosses