Democracy on the Front Lines
City Administrator’s Blog
Walter Denton
February 26, 2008
I spent three days last week at the Illinois City Management Association’s Winter Conference in Springfield. Springfield was about as exciting as you would expect in February, although the weather was better than it was here in O’Fallon. We had some snow flurries, but no ice storms.
This annual conference is valuable because there are sessions that relate directly to state laws and regulations. For example, I attended a meeting on downstate police and fire pensions that explained the Illinois Municipal League’s proposed legislation to protect public safety pensions (more on this in a future blog). I admit it is not the most interesting topic, but the statewide pension crisis is real and it is critical that we protect the pension funds for our public safety employees.
I also like going to the state conference because I get to talk to other city managers/administrators around the state about the challenges they are facing. I can learn from others and can take into perspective what is happening at home. While we have our issues and challenges in O’Fallon, it is instructive to know that things could be a lot worse. I spoke with managers who facing devastating budget shortfalls and declining economic development. We are living in an uncertain economy, and city budgets are severely impacted.
Since we were in Springfield, the keynote presentation at the conference focused on Abraham Lincoln. Donald Phillips wrote the book, “Lincoln on Leadership,” and he made connections between Lincoln’s experience and our challenges as local government officials. In summary, Phillips stated that Lincoln’s leadership strategy was four-fold:
1. Build teams and alliances
2. Involve people in the decision making
3. Communicate your vision early and often
4. Get in the field to monitor the implementation of your vision.
These are seemingly simple lessons, but if they were easy we obviously would not be looking to Lincoln for inspiration. The City of O'Fallon is already working on these ideas. We have an active Team Training program and we try to involve all levels of the organization in decision making. Communication is an ongoing challenge and we use various forms of technology to inform our residents: newspapers, newsletters, cable TV, and the Internet. I could probably do a better job of getting out of my office to see what’s going on around town.
In the end, Phillips concluded that Lincoln’s primary management strategy was continuous improvement. Lincoln stated as much in a letter during the Civil War: “The question recurs ‘Can we do better?’” Indeed.
I also attended sessions on Tax Increment Financing, Performance Management, and IDOT’s Context Sensitive Solutions Approach. These are “nuts and bolts” management topics that were interesting though not inspiring.
One of the highpoints of the conference again was linked to Lincoln. The conference sponsored a private dinner at the Lincoln Museum and Library. What a fascinating place! The museum thoroughly presents Lincoln’s life from his humble beginnings in a log cabin to his tragic assassination at Ford’s Theater. In addition to admiring his extraordinary life, I was struck by a profound sadness. Lincoln was surrounded by death his entire life: his mother died when he was young, his first girlfriend died of yellow fever, three of his four children died, he presided over the most horrific war in the country’s history, and he was tragically assassinated at the peak of his success.
In spite of this (or perhaps because of it), Lincoln forged a personal character that withstood these heartbreaking experiences to become one of the greatest leaders in history. If you have not already been to the Lincoln Museum, I highly recommend everyone to travel to Springfield to see it. However, I would suggest you wait until the weather gets a little warmer.
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