TEAMWORK IN THE COURT HOUSE

1. TEAMWORK IN THE COURT HOUSE Iowa state association of counties January 14, 2015

2. Effective policy development and implementation require teamwork.

4. Key ELEMENTS OF EFFECTIVE TEAMWORK • A shared direction and set of goals • Clear roles and responsibilities • Effective processes and methods • Open communications (two-way)

5. BENEFITS OF EFFECTIVE TEAMWORK • Better problem solving – blending individual talents enhances quality and quantity of results • Greater commitment to the task • More productive meetings • Better communication

6. BENEFITS OF EFFECTIVE TEAMWORK • With limited time, focus energy on critical issues • Maximize benefits from limited resources • Scope of task is greater than one person or group can complete • Working for the common good

7. ELEMENTS OF EFFCTIVE TEAMWORK • Personal attributes • Mutual respect and trust • Professionalism • Civility • Ability to de-personalize issues • Valuing differences

8. BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE TEAMWORK • Loss of focus – goals and directions • Focus on the trivial • Role confusion/conflicts • Commitments but no follow-through • “Bad” processes or lack thereof • Lack of open communication/ withholding information

9. BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE TEAMWORK • Micromanaging issues and programs • Personal Attributes/Experience: • Past Experiences • Style Differences • Unresolved Conflicts • Personalization of Issues • Stereotyping • “Gotcha”

10. KEY TEAM ELEMENTS Element 1: Team Goals and Direction Goals are what the county team is striving for.

11. TEAM GOALS Build commitment of team members towards that future direction Assist in mobilizing people and resources to achieve a clearly defined desired end Define program direction and service levels

12. TEAM GOALS Provide a foundation for accountability and performance Leads to the understanding that neither the elected officials nor the staff can achieve the goals by themselves

13. STRATEGIES TO ENHANCE TEAMWORK • Develop and approve goals and priorities: • County goal setting • Develop Action Plan • Strategic planning • Communicate goals and priorities: • Staff • Boards and Commissions • Public • Stakeholders, other local govts

14. STRATEGIES TO ENHANCE TEAMWORK • Connect goals and priorities with policy-making, decision-making: • Budget • CIP • Annual Work Programs • Performance evaluations • *Periodically review and monitor!

15. The interaction and effectiveness of the team will ultimately determine whether the county will or will not be able to achieve its goals.

16. KEY TEAM ELEMENTS Element 2: Team Member Roles and Responsibilities For effective teamwork, roles and responsibilities need to be distributed and understood among team members.

18. TEAM MEMBER ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES • Board of Supervisors • Other Elected Officials • Department Heads

19. BOARD OF SUPERVISORS - GOVERNANCE: • Decision-making > direction and resources > legislation • Approve/amend/monitor budgets • Approve plans, programs and policies • Approve expenditures & contracts • Appointments

20. OTHER ELECTED OFFICIALS - GOVERNANCE • Per Code of Iowa

21. SHARED GOVERNANCE ROLES • Anticipate and focus on issues • Determine vision and values • Goal setting/priorities • Evaluate/review/monitor performance

22. SHARED GOVERNANCE ROLES • Listeners • Educators • Promoters/supporters/mobilizers • Buffers • Set the “tone” for the county

23. BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS • Per Code of Iowa • Per County Ordinances/policies • Clear and explicit • Orientation

24. DEPT HEADS • Assure quality services and products are provided • Manage/organize/supervise dept operations, personnel, budgets • Implement goals, decisions, plans, programs and policies • Analyze issues; develop professional recommendations

25. DEPT HEADS • Information source - for elected; between BOS and staff; with public • Evaluate services and citizen impact • Solve problems • Researchers/planners/preparers • Cutters • Experts • Shock absorbers

26. Roles and Responsibilities • All team members: • Understand and make clear the relationship between the BOS–other elected officials–Bds/Comms - Dept Heads– Staff • Act in accordance with defined roles

27. KEY TEAM ELEMENTS Element 3: Develop and use effective processes for handling common issues

28. processes • Agenda development and meeting packets • Information flow • Goal and policy implementation review • Program, project and financial monitoring and reports

29. processes • Complaint handling • Making requests and giving direction to staff • Personnel policies and performance reviews • Intergovernmental relations • Negotiations • Others?

30. processes • Complaint handling • Making requests and giving direction to staff • Personnel policies and performance reviews • Intergovernmental relations • Negotiations

31. PROCESSES • Meeting management/rules of procedure • Insistence on civility • Board orientation • Chain-of-command • Others?

32. TEAM nORms/ rules of the game • Equal information to all decision-makers • Confidentiality • Chain-of-command

33. KEY TEAM ELEMENTS Element 4: Open two-way communications

34. COMMUNICATION • Communicating: • Ideas • Information • Understanding • External: • Public • Media • Inquiries/Complaints • Internal: • Within Dept • Other depts • “City Hall”

35. TYPES OF CONTACT/ COMMUNICATION • Letters, reports, memos and other official communications • Personal, face-to-face • Inside & outside of offices • Telephone calls • E-mails, social media • Coffee klatches, etc. • Informal contacts after working hours • Observations by your citizens

36. BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATIONS • Style differences • Past experiences • Not knowing each other • Stereotyping • Personalization of issues • Withholding information • “Gotcha”

37. OTHER STRATEGIES TO ENHANCE TEAMWORK • Accountability for actions • Reduce surprises • Celebrate success and accomplishments

38. Institute of Public Affairs 319-335-4520 319-335-7586 jeff-schott@uiowa.edu www.ipa-uiowa.org