A Special Christmas Greeting To Costa Mesa Employees

As I type this it's the last work day of the year for most of the Costa Mesa City employees, although some will work the weekend and even Christmas Day.  So, before all of them take off for the week and enjoy a much-deserved holiday hiatus, I just wanted to send them a little message.

TO ALL COSTA MESA CITY EMPLOYEES

I know many of you personally.  Some of you have become good friends, others just casual acquaintances and many of you probably wouldn't know me if you drove over me in the City Hall parking lot.  I don't recommend that, by the way - thank you very much.

I NEEDED TO WRITE THIS...
Regardless, I wanted to write this to you this evening to remind you that I, and many, many other Costa Mesa residents, are very grateful to those of you who have hung in there these past six years.  We understand what you've been going through.  We understand how difficult it has been for you to feel not only un-appreciated by some of the elected leaders of our city but, in fact, actually despised for the compensation and retirement benefits you earn every day.

FROM THAT FATEFUL DAY...
From the low watermark in our city -  the day those 200+ illegal layoff notices were issued and poor Huy Pham jumped to his death on St. Patrick's Day of 2011 - until the final numbers were counted in this most recent election, you've dealt with more trauma and drama than most could endure.  You've seen many of your senior compatriots depart, either for an earlier-than-planned retirement or for greener pastures at other cities or in the private sector.

LEADERSHIP BY THE WHIP
You've seen the elected leadership of this city treat some of you as chattel, chopping your labor contracts to 1980s levels.  Others have seen the negotiations on contracts stalled for years - some are still stalled.

A FAILURE TO PRIORITIZE...
You've seen the filling of potholes placed before public safety in our city.  You've seen recruitment efforts curtailed for most of a year, causing the Police Department, for example, to fall so far behind in filling holes in the organization that it will take at least another year to get back to proper staffing levels, all the while crime is on the rise due to many circumstances beyond our control.

SHORT-SIGHTED, POLITICALLY-MOTIVATED LEADERSHIP
You've seen elected leaders stall the deployment of the Rescue Ambulances, causing the loss of millions in revenue to our city and stalling the implementation of the new staff deployment model.

YOU'VE SEEN ARROGANT DISREGARD FOR RULES...
You've seen lawsuit after lawsuit drain the city coffers due to the arrogant disregard for the rules by certain elected leaders.  And you've seen your staff leaders hamstrung by micromanagement by those same elected leaders.

YOU'VE SEEN COMPATRIOTS DEPART...
Today you're operating with a third fewer fellow staff members than you were just a decade ago, and most of those cuts have come in the past six years.  And, many of those departures were senior staffers, who took with them not only their institutional knowledge, but their intellectual courage and  leadership, as well.

YOU HAVE STAYED AND PERSEVERED
And, through all that you have stayed and persevered.  You've hunkered down and done your jobs, usually getting faint praise for those efforts.  You've worked overtime beyond normal limits to keep the wheels of city government rolling and the residents, businesses and visitors served.  Many of you have found yourselves being led by contractors with no real attachment to the City except a contract, and, while many of them have been good folks, it's not the same as having solid, vested city employees at your side, providing guidance, is it?

YOU ARE APPRECIATED...
Well, on the cusp of the Christmas holiday I wanted to write to you tonight to tell you that many of the residents out here DO appreciate your ongoing efforts to keep our city running.  We DO understand what you've been facing, trying to do jobs that are challenging enough without unnecessary impediments being placed in front of you.

THERE IS LIGHT...
Following the election last month there is light at the end of the tunnel.  It's clear to me, a resident for more than 43 years and long-time council-watcher, that the new council majority is fully aware of the problems you've faced and is going to work quickly to resolve many of those.  It will take some time to undo some of the issues involved, so I hope you will continue to work hard, knowing that your efforts are appreciated and that things will be getting better for you soon.

THANK YOU...
So, speaking only for my sweet and very patient wife and myself, we want to thank you for your efforts on our behalf.  We want you to know we appreciate every one of you.  As we wish you all a Very Merry Christmas, I think I'll let Mariah Carey tell you how we feel about you.  Happy New Year to you all.

Leadership Tips

AS THE MAYOR'S EVENT APPROACHES...
As we approach Costa Mesa Mayor Jim Righeimer's self-aggrandizing "Mayor's Celebration" - a dinner with the theme, "The Art of Leadership", to be held the evening of May 8th, I thought an article I read in the Wall Street Journal last Tuesday, April 29th, might be timely and enlightening.

THE BEST STUFF I READ...
As I've said many times, The Wall Street Journal is the best publication I read regularly.  The news is thorough and presented well - and timely.  The editorials, most of which are conservative, are also well-written.  The columnists are superb and the contributing commenters are usually excellent - experts in their fields.

A VIEW FROM EXPERTS
With that as a preamble, I read the commentary by Barry Glassner (President and professor of sociology at Lewis & Clark College) and Morton Schapiro (President and professor of economics at Northwestern University) titled "Leadership Tips for College Presidents and CEOs".  I figured these two gentlemen just might know a thing or two on the subject - they did - so I'll share a thumbnail version for you here and hope I don't violate their copyright along the way.

A DOZEN BITES...
Their commentary was broken into a dozen segments.  I'll give you the titles and snippets of their message for each.  I think you'll find them relevant to circumstances in Costa Mesa today.  I may offer a personal observation in bold red type.

1 - Think first, talk later.  Everything you say will be taken literally.  Don't ever think you're "off the record".  Apparently learned very slowly.

2 - Talk less, listen more.  Do not offer a grand plan before one exists.  Yep!

3 - Show up.  Every constituency wants you to be physically in the room on important occasions.

4 - Engage veteran employees.  You want them on your side and you'll learn from them.  Boy, ain't that the truth!

5 - Don't ignore the staff.  In companies, they are the face of the business.  In municipal government, too!

6 - Customers want to be consulted.  It is better to tell someone you have thoughtfully considered his or her suggestion than to give the impression you don't care.  This should ring a few bells....

7 - Answer nearly all messages.  This relates to the previous point.

8 - Use the board of trustees or directors.  The board is your boss, and if you don't like that, then keep your resume up to date.  Presume the "board" is your constituency - the residents.

9 - Community relations matter.  Bad relations with the local community can interfere with everything - building projects, programming, the provision of public services.  Maybe the most important point made in this commentary!

10 - Don't take things personally.  Many bad things are going to happen and you will be blamed for most of them.  Don't beat yourself up, and remember that things are never as bad as they look.

11 - Don't believe the hype.  Things aren't as good either.  Hyping short-term success can undermine long-term progress.  Maybe the second most important message...

12 - Don't neglect your health.  Reserve time to enjoy your life.  Act like a president and take control of your schedule.  Words for us ALL to live by...

SEND IT TO HIZZONER...
There was much more to this commentary, but I think my edited version captures the tone.  Now, since the mayor says he doesn't have time to read "the blogs", will someone please send him the link to this one?  Thanks...

Fay Vincent In The Wall Street Journal

EXCELLENT ADVICE
Yesterday in the Wall Street Journal Fay Vincent -  former Commissioner of Major League Baseball, CEO of Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc., and Executive Vice President of Coca Cola - presented an opinion piece titled, "Ten Tips for New Executives", which can be read HERE if you subscribe to the Journal online.  You may be able to find it with a Google Search and sneak behind the paywall.

FIND THE WHOLE ARTICLE
Assuming (bad word, that one!) that most of you DO NOT subscribe to the Wall Street Journal, I'm going to try to give you the flavor of Vincent's excellent piece without violating the copyright.  The Wall Street Journal is the best thing I read each day, with consistently well-researched and well-written articles and the best editorial page by far.

LESSONS LEARNED
Vincent suggests that some things he's learned along the way in his long and illustrious career might be helpful to folks just climbing the executive ladder by presenting to us 10 things he wished someone had given to him when he was 40.  I'll give you the short version of them:

1 - The less you confide in others in the organization, the better it will go for you.

2 - Be sure to manage down.  Be decent to everyone.

3 - Leadership is a full-time job and the duty clock is never off.  Be especially careful about what you put in writing, especially emails - they never disappear.

4 - Keep listening to and for advice.

5 - The wisecrack you believe is witty often is not.  Never joke about serious matters.

6 - The important thing is to be sure that the important thing remains the important thing.

7 - Never complain; never explain.  No one listens.

8 - Trust your professional advisers and accept their expertise.

9 - Be careful about the use of the word "average" - one can drown in a river the average depth of which is six inches.

10 - Never do or say anything that you would be unhappy to see written about on a newspaper front page.  The only worthwhile public response to a crisis is honesty.

WORTH CONSIDERING...

So, there you have it.  He said much more under each item, but that is the Cliff Notes version of his excellent advice.  As I read down his list I couldn't help but mentally check off some of those items as I contemplated my business life.  I also mentally underscored a few of them as they apply to certain local elected leaders. 

Leadership Template Reprised

IT'S STILL RELEVANT TODAY
Four years ago, while using my previous blog host, I wrote the following little ditty. The recent actions by some members of the Costa Mesa City Council jogged me into going to my archive and resurrecting this one for your reading pleasure now. You can pick your own favorite leader - that actor fella over there is one of mine...

***

Tuesday, May 9, 2006
A Leadership Template
Since the campaign season looms on the horizon, it's time for us to begin considering what the next few months hold for us as a covey of candidates start jockeying for position in the race for our votes in November. Of course, opinions differ on just what constitutes a good candidate for city government. Each of us, based on our background, bias and expectations, may have a different take on that subject.

I suspect most of us in Costa Mesa would just like to have people on the city council we can trust, who are willing to work hard on important issues and calmly debate them with their peers to do the best job possible for all residents of the community. We will likely gravitate toward candidates who share our values and goals for the future of our city.

As I consider candidates who will vie for my vote I use a kind of mental template against which I compare their qualifications. My template presently includes the following characteristics, not necessarily in order of importance:

INTELLIGENCE - I want a candidate with the intellectual capacity to understand the complex issues that will come before the council. That doesn't mean any candidate must be an "expert" in municipal government - we have an excellent city staff to help them navigate through the process. It does mean that any candidate I will consider must have demonstrated, either through academic achievement or professional accomplishment or both, that he or she has sufficient gray matter to do the job.

LEADERSHIP - I want a candidate with proven leadership experience. This doesn't necessarily mean military leadership, although that would be acceptable. Heck, in recent months a little combat command experience might have come in handy. I want a person to whom others look for guidance and direction. I want a person who has demonstrated the skills necessary to guide the discussion of complex and controversial issues and arbitrate resolutions.

ENERGY - I want a candidate with the energy and stamina to do the job. That doesn't necessarily mean youth. I wouldn't consider a young person based simply on age - just as I wouldn't discount an older person for the same reason. I want a person who has shown, through recent accomplishments, that there's sufficient fuel in the tank and horsepower under the hood to take on the tasks ahead.

VOLUNTEER SPIRIT- I want a candidate who feels our city is important and has demonstrated, through significant community involvement, a willingness to make it even better by volunteering time and energy to worthy causes.

VISION - I want a candidate who shares my vision for the future of this city. We don't have to agree on everything, but I want a person on the council who shares my core beliefs and has the skill to prioritize the challenges ahead so they can be met with success. I want a candidate who understands that Costa Mesa is not an island - it's part of a broader regional entity, the needs of which must be considered as critical issues are debated. I want a candidate who has a vision to lead this city into the future, not permit it to regress by espousing half-century old philosophies on social issues and pandering to the darkest side of a few people in this town.

COMPASSION - I want a candidate who wants to make our city a place for anyone willing to work hard and contribute to our society, regardless of ethnicity or religion. I want a candidate who will repudiate those who advocate exclusion of groups because of race or national origin.

EVEN-HANDEDNESS - I want a candidate who is willing to listen to all residents with courtesy and compassion and who will try to negotiate each issue to a fair, just conclusion for all residents, not just a vocal few.

MATURITY - I want a candidate who has the maturity to lead our city of well over 100,000 souls into the next decade. Typically, this maturity comes from time spent in the trenches, learning from experience. It's highly unlikely that I will feel comfortable entrusting the future of our city to the whims of the youth among us - those with the attention span of a gnat.

That's my list - at least part of it. I'm sure other elements will be added as we begin to see who the real candidates will be this year. I'll leave it to create your own, personal list and to do the homework necessary to make an informed choice in November.

***

Bruce Garlich - Distinguished Leader

As you might remember, following a hard-fought campaign for City Council last year in which he finished third, our friend Bruce Garlich planned to serve out the remaining two years of his appointment on the Planning Commission. Unfortunately, personal health reasons forced him to resign that position earlier this year. He's been dealing with those issues ever since and I'm happy to report that he is making good progress.

In addition to his tenure on the Planning Commission, Bruce has been an active and valued volunteer in many organizations in our community, including the Senior Center and the Boy's and Girl's Club Boards. He has worked tirelessly in these and other activities, bringing his experience, wisdom, leadership and integrity to each endeavor.

At their annual awards dinner on May 17, 2007 the Orange County chapter of the American Planning Association (OCAPA) recognized Bruce for his very significant contributions to our city as a Planning Commissioner by presenting him with their "Distinguished Leadership Award - Citizen Planner". The following is the text of the article published in "The Orange County Planner", that chronicled Bruce's award:

Bruce Garlich has been working just as hard in his retirement as he did during full-time employment as an aerospace engineer. For more than 25 years, he has served as a citizen planner, including three consecutive terms on the City of Costa Mesa Planning
Commission, one as its Chair. As a planning commissioner, Bruce has shaped or acted on major plans or projects that are now changing the face of the city, including its 2000 General Plan, Segerstrom Concert Hall, and at least two of the projects that earned citations earlier this evening. One measure of Bruce’s influence is the 800 Google "hits" generated by his citizen planner activity
over the past couple years. In supporting his nomination, his fellow commissioners cite Mr. Garlich's "ability to communicate complex issues in a language that [real] people understand.” He is fair, they attest, he leads by example, and he always does his homework, enabling him to ask "the hard questions." Bruce Garlich, they declare, "is an inspiration."

As far as I'm concerned, that last sentence sums up Bruce's activities in this city. He has dedicated much of his post-retirement life to making Costa Mesa a better place for all of us to live, work and play. If you were fortunate enough to watch him on the Planning Commission you saw the steady hand of reason on the helm - whether he was the Chairman or not. One only has to watch the current version of the commission once or twice to see just how much that steady hand is missed.

Congratulations to Bruce on this most recent and well-deserved recognition. We hope to see him back more fully involved soon.