Today’s Buzz is by Meredith Reynolds, Deputy City Manager for the City of Long Beach.
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What I’m Listening To: My Holiday Playlist
What I’m Watching: My holiday favorites – which, yes, all have music, but y’all know me by now right? – White Christmas, Emmet Otter’s Jug Band Christmas, Merry Christmas Charlie Brown
My City’s Office of Youth Development recently began a youth mentoring program that pairs 100 middle school students in neighborhoods affected by disproportionate amounts of violence, poverty, and COVID-19 impacts with 100 City employees to be a part of the upbringing of our next generation of City leaders and to understand what it is like to be a youth in today’s age as we create policies, programs, and services for our residents. I think this program is terrific and I was one of the first in line to sign up!
Recently, potential mentors participated in healing-centered and culturally affirming mentor training to prepare us to be effective mentors so that we may better connect with our mentees by helping them discover their inherent strengths and potential. In this training, we reflected on our experiences as adolescents (yikes!) and the mentorship we may have had throughout our careers.
The theme that continually crossed my mind was the quote: be who you needed when you were younger.
My mind flashed to great local gov mentors who shared notable characteristics of caring, empathy, and encouragement. Other notable exchanges with people (in positions of power in local gov who thought they were mentoring) also crossed my mind that conjured up strong feelings of anger, pain, and resentment. Both experiences have helped shape my list of behaviors of who I needed when I was younger in local government, but are likely universal for great mentors in any capacity.
So for this holiday season – instead of a 23-piece band consisting of drums and flutes, a 19-person dance troupe of ladies and lords, 8 milkmaids, five rings, 23 birds and a tree – I give you the gift of local government mentorship best practices. This is my local gov remix of the 12 days of Christmas for who I needed when I was younger as I was making my way in local government.
On the 1st day of Christmas,
the lesson local gov mentors gave to me:Believe in others
Regardless of one’s self-confidence, having external validation from a trusted source can be a helpful shot in the arm. Acknowledge and embrace the boundless promise of others.
On the 2nd day of Christmas,
the lesson local gov mentors gave to me:Offer a supportive and listening ear
Everyone needs a sounding board for support. Be someone big enough to hold space for what others feel, wise enough to know how to help, and then brave enough to do it.
On the 3rd day of Christmas,
the lesson local gov mentors gave to me:Allow others to count on you
There is strength in dependability. Everyone needs someone to count on when in need, and often more importantly, for all of the other times in between. Follow up, follow through and check in with others.
On the 4th day of Christmas,
the lesson local gov gave to me:Exhibit care for others
Exhibit compassion, empathy, and real care for others. Be present and focused. Behave in a way that makes others feel valued and important. Share opportunities that benefit the growth and development of others. Treat others in ways you feel good about.
On the 5th day of Christmas,
the lesson local gov gave to me:Learn to rebound
We are not perfect and we all make mistakes. Sometimes we take calculated risks and they don’t work out, but it is important that we tried. You are not damaged nor broken because of this. The meaningful aspect is how we reflect and rebound. Acknowledge what didn’t work, show the learning, be accountable to make changes, and say sorry if needed.
On the 6th day of Christmas,
the lesson local gov gave to me:Say yes
Be motivated to approach your work with enthusiasm. Create your own energy. This is contagious and makes others want to join you. Say yes to the big ideas, to the wacky ideas, and to the small tweaks that allow someone else’s ideas to soar.
On the 7th day of Christmas,
the lesson local gov mentors gave to me:Be a do-er that gets things done
Learn how to get things done and share this information with others. If something is broken, work with others to fix it. Bring people together to find solutions and commit to being outcome-oriented.
On the 8th day of Christmas,
the lesson local gov mentors gave to me:Establish healthy boundaries
Boundaries are important in service work that can be all-encompassing and consuming. Identify your own personal boundaries, enforce those boundaries, have healthy communication, and learn how to say no to people. Then, teach others.
On the 9th day of Christmas,
the lesson local gov mentors gave to me:Model authenticity
You don’t have to chase something you’re “supposed to be” when it doesn’t feel right. Success in who you are in local government work isn’t about how it looks to others, it’s about how it feels to you. It’s a journey, not a competition.
On the 10th day of Christmas,
the lesson local gov mentors gave to me:Exhibit a little whimsy
Someone who doesn’t take themselves too seriously, can be silly and display humor makes the workplace fun. So while you’re working hard and being kind, don’t take yourself too seriously, because nobody has it all figured out. (Even the ones who think they do.)
On the 11th day of Christmas,
the lesson local gov mentors gave to me:Be transparent, honest and vulnerable
Everybody has scars, is afraid of something, and wants more than anything to belong. Let others see your full self. Be transparent about angst and anxiety and the parts of your work are not perfect. Admit when you don’t know, ask for help and help others who may need to work through similar things.
On the 12th day of Christmas,
the lesson local gov mentors gave to me:Amplify others
A wise person once said, “lift as you climb”. It is our responsibility to hold the door open for others once we get there. Speak the names of others in the places they are not, particularly those who have historically been left out/not afforded the opportunity (women/people of color).
Happy holidays ELGL!
