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Building Healthy Communities Developing LeadersEngaging Stakeholders LL Decker & Associates, Inc. Copyright 2015 Arizona Municipal Clerks Conference Fountain Hills, Arizona July 29, 2015

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Welcome!!! Why are you here? What you can expect from the workshop Learning outcomes

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Workshop Goals To orient professional clerks to the principles of community engagement To demonstrate tools and techniques presented in the OMDB Workbook

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Why We Are Here. The Athenian Oath We will never bring disgrace on this our City by an act of dishonesty or cowardice. We will fight for the ideals and sacred things of the city both alone and with many.

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We will revere and obey the City laws, and will do our best to incite a like reverence and respect in those above us who are prone to annul them or set them naught. Why We Are Here. The Athenian Oath

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We will strive increasingly to quicken the publics sense of civic duty. In all these ways, we will transmit this City, not only not less, but greater than and more bountiful than it was transmitted to us. Why We Are Here. The Athenian Oath

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9:45 Whats keeping you from engaging? 9:55 Exercise: What successful community engagements have you experienced? 10:30 Other examples of successful community engagement 11:00 Using the OMDB Book 11:35 Workshop Summary / Closing 11:55 Adjourn Todays Agenda 8:10 Welcome!!! 8:20 The Story of Chicken Grove 8:25 What makes a healthy community? 8:50 Why is community engagement important to professional clerks? 9:10 Engagement vs. Involvement 9:30 Break

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There once were two towns Chicken Grove Turkey Crossing

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Chicken Grove was changing Farmlands to residential; freeway made access easier and quicker Population doubled by 1980 due to urban migration. Nowover 100,000 people Peoples behavior changed. They became suspicious The front porch was replaced by the garage door and cocooning Complaints trumped compliments

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Anger Animosity Acrimony Conflict Divisiveness Incivility But WHY?

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At the core of all conflict is an ill-defined, poorly communicated, unmanaged and unmet expectation. Lindworth's Law

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What happened? What behaviors might you expect to see when a community changes?

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Community Conditions What are the attributes of a healthy community? What are the symptoms of an unhealthy or toxic community?

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Attributes / Symptoms Toxic Communities Crime all types Anonymity Lack of accountability Incivility Unmet basic human needs Disinvestment of the future Healthy Communities Hopefulness & vision Leadership, stewardship, statesmanship Accountability Civility Clear expectations

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Symptoms of Toxicity / Health Active and engaged boards and commissions systemActive and engaged boards and commissions system Broad-based, enthusiastic voter turnoutBroad-based, enthusiastic voter turnout Collaboration between nonprofits, civic groups, schools and municipalityCollaboration between nonprofits, civic groups, schools and municipality Civic investments are consistently approved by the publicCivic investments are consistently approved by the public Frequent recall elections and citizen initiativesFrequent recall elections and citizen initiatives Low voter turnoutLow voter turnout Consistently negative letters to the editor and news editorials; toxic bloggingConsistently negative letters to the editor and news editorials; toxic blogging Squabbling between civic interestsSquabbling between civic interests Chronic defeat of tax initiatives and proposals for civic investmentChronic defeat of tax initiatives and proposals for civic investment

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Community and Clerks Why is community engagement important to professional clerks? Why are the clerks the key element in community engagement?

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Engagement vs. Involvement What do we mean by community engagement? Whats the difference between engagement and involvement?

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Enhancing Quality of Life What creates quality of life in a community? What are the expectations of citizens and stakeholders? Economic Environmental Social

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Break

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Have you had successes in engaging your communities? Whats keeping you, your residents, your communities, and your government from positively engagement? Clerks and Engagement

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Examples

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Community-based research (Chapter 3) Managing meetings (Chapter 6) Community conflict and expectations (Chapter 7) How to use the book?

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Community-based Research (Chapter 3)

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Youve got questions What do you need to know? Why? What kinds of information could you use? What do you hope to learn? Who are the people and institutions (stakeholders) that can give you information?

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An approach Gather (ask people) Compile and convert (data) Decide what it tells youDecide what it tells you Inform those who need to knowInform those who need to know Use the research to help people make the transitionUse the research to help people make the transition

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What to remember about Research Do research in advance Find "friendly faces" to start, butseek different approaches Look for strong opinions Include people who will have an impact on implementation

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What else should be said about community-based research?

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Meetings and their role in community engagement (Chapter 6)

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5 Steps to Successful Meetings 1.Research 2.Plan 3.Prepare 4.Meet 5.Follow-up

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What to remember about Meetings 5 Steps to Successful Meetings Create action plans Obey open meeting laws In public hearingsassume distrust Be prepared for conflictits all about CHANGE!

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What to remember about Meetings Actively listen with an open mind Solicit and explore minority positions No cheap shotspreserve self- esteem Keep a sense of humor and admit youre human.

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What else should be said about managing meetings?

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Managing conflict and mediating community disputes (Chapter 7)

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Types of Conflict Procedural-based Resource-based Substantive Psychological Identity-based

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Effective Conflict Management Requires... Identification and anticipation of controversy Preemptive, systematic communication Nurturing community partnerships Permission to understand stakeholders, communities and community issues

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Effective Conflict Management Requires... Active listening Time and opportunity to develop agreement A personal, practical tool box of conflict resolution, mediation and group process techniques

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What causes unclear and unmet expectations? Failure to fully explain whats going to happen Failure to test for understanding Failure to solicit feedback and once giventest for understanding Managing Expectations

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Change comes easier when everyone... Agrees that its needed Benefits from the change Believes the cost is fairly distributed Knows the paththe transition is clearly defined Everything we do is about CHANGE!

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What to remember about Managing Conflicts Our problems are getting more complicated Conflict centers around change People want the chance to voice an opinion and be heard Truthful, accurate, timely and meaningful information is vital Change is easier if its our own decision

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What else should be said about managing community conflicts and expectations?

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What did you learn as a result of todays workshop? What can you take back and use in your own communities? Who else from your organization should be involved in engaging the community? Take aways

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