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City of El Cerrito City Council City Council February 18, 2014 2013 Good to Great Employee Workshops Agenda Item No. 4 ---PAGE BREAK--- Wh t i G d t G t? What is Good to Great? Jim Collins Jim Collins Stanford Educator Researcher Author All NY Times Best Sellers Author – All NY Times Best Sellers Good to Great Good to Great for Social Sectors Great by Choice y Built to Last Keynote Speaker at International City/County Management Association (ICMA) Conference in 2012 Challenged managers with “12 Questions For Leadership Teams” as a mechanism of disciplined thought, accessing the full body of Collins’ work ---PAGE BREAK--- We accepted the challenge We accepted the challenge… Twelve Questions for Leadership Teams R l ti l d Leadership Teams Once a month, in sequence, with readings Relatively easy reads (don’t usually give homework) corresponding to each question Led by staff Practical, Applicable, Translatable to what we do y Interactive Build on prior lessons Incorporate into daily vocabulary and routine ---PAGE BREAK--- “Greatness is not a function of circumstance. Greatness is largely a matter of is largely a matter of conscious choice and di i li ” discipline.” -Jim Collins ---PAGE BREAK--- Do we want to build a great Do we want to build a great organization, and are we willing to do what it takes? Month 1 – Police Chief Sylvia Moir willing to do what it takes? ---PAGE BREAK--- Do we want to build a Great organization and are we willing to do organization and are we willing to do what it takes? E t i t ith Extreme consistency with values, goals, performance standards and methods Hyper vigilance, Hyper vigilance, attuned to threats, especially when all is well. Turn worry into ti ith Look to empirical evidence; Data Driven Analysis action with contingency plans, reserves and margins of safety Driven Analysis y ---PAGE BREAK--- Month 1 What we learned What we learned … Staff is prepared to do what it takes Being Great requires planning up front Our Paranoia needs to be more Productive We need to be more data driven and i i h l maximize our technology to generate that data M t i t i di i li id t th Must maintain our discipline amidst the craziness ---PAGE BREAK--- Do we have the right people on ? the bus and in the key seats? Month 2 – Fire Chief Lance Maples ---PAGE BREAK--- First Who, Then What “…if you have the wrong …if you have the wrong people, it doesn’t matter whether you discover the right direction; you still won’t have a great g organization. Great vision without great people is irrelevant.” “…the ‘who’ questions come before the ‘what’ questions – before vision before strategy vision, before strategy, before tactics, before organizational structure, before technology.” ---PAGE BREAK--- Month 2 What we learned… To go from Good to Great, people are not g , p p our most important asset…the RIGHT people are our most important asset. Getting the right people on and the Getting the right people on and the wrong people off is very hard, and even harder in the public sector For the most part, we have the right people on the bus and in the right seats ---PAGE BREAK--- What are the brutal facts? Month 3 – City Attorneys Sky Woodruff & Jen Faught Sky Woodruff & Jen Faught ---PAGE BREAK--- Key Points Key Points Good decisions require an honest q confrontation of the brutal facts Creating a climate where truth is heard i l b i ti ti involves some basic practices: questions, dialogue, no-blame autopsies, red flag mechanisms G2G companies faced just as much adversity as the comparison companies, but faced the realities of their situation head on faced the realities of their situation head-on. Retain absolute faith that you will prevail in the end, AND at the same time confront the most brutal facts of your current reality. ---PAGE BREAK--- Month 3 What we learned… In order to be Great we must accept the brutal facts p As a City we are struggling with some of these facts The brutal facts must be planned for and faced head on We must cultivate the culture of truth and honesty ---PAGE BREAK--- What is our hedgehog: What can we be the best at, with an economic engine, and for which we have unbounded Month 4 Housing Program Manager passion? Month 4 – Housing Program Manager Hilde Myall & OESD Manager Garth Schultz Schultz ---PAGE BREAK--- Wh t’ h d h t? What’s a hedgehog concept? ---PAGE BREAK--- M h 4 Month 4 What we learned… N l H d h C t No clear Hedgehog Concept was identified as an organization W h ld id l i We should consider exploring our Hedgehog on the departmental and organizational level and organizational level Passion for service exists…but is that passion focused enough? that passion focused enough? ---PAGE BREAK--- What is our 20 Mile March, and are we hitting it? Month 5 – Assistant City Manager and are we hitting it? Karen Pinkos ---PAGE BREAK--- K 20 Mil M h Att ib t Key 20 Mile March Attributes ---PAGE BREAK--- Month 5 What we learned What we learned… The Strategic Plan is keeping us focused The Strategic Plan is keeping us focused However, we tend to chase many lower priorities we need to stick to the Plan priorities…we need to stick to the Plan Often, we are focusing on the short-term Being prepared and being consistent is Being prepared and being consistent is what will take us through our “new normal” normal ---PAGE BREAK--- Where should we place our big bets based on empirical validation bets, based on empirical validation (bullets-to-cannonballs)? Month 6 – Former Public Works Director Jerry Bradshaw ---PAGE BREAK--- Fi b ll h b ll Fire bullets, then cannonballs Bullets C Rely on direct obser ation Low Cost Low Risk Low Distraction observation Conduct practical experiments Cannonballs The Big Bet Calibrate by firing many Engage directly with the evidence Don’t rely on: y g y bullets first Don t rely on: Opinion Whim Conventional Wisdom Conventional Wisdom “Analytical skills matter, but empirical validation matters much more.” ---PAGE BREAK--- Month 6 Month 6 What we learned… We collect a lot of data but each We collect a lot of data but each department uses it differently and with differing effectiveness We need to be mindful of firing just enough bullets, and not be afraid to fire the cannonball when ready Need to improve regular reporting to better advise stakeholders ---PAGE BREAK--- What are the core values and core What are the core values and core purpose on which we want to build this enterprise for 100 years? Month 7 – Recreation Director p y Chris Jones ---PAGE BREAK--- What are Core Values for $400, Alex? • Ethics and Integrity g y • Fiscal Responsibility • Inclusiveness • Innovation and Creativity • Professional Excellence • Responsiveness • Responsiveness • Transparency and Open Communication ---PAGE BREAK--- M th 7 Month 7 What we learned… Staff’s core values are consistent Staff s core values are consistent with those identified in the Strategic Plan g Our organization is value-driven Our core purpose inspires and drives us and makes work meaningful (and will soon prove to have lasted for 100 years!) have lasted for 100 years!) ---PAGE BREAK--- What is our 15 to 25 year Big Hairy Audacious Goal (BHAG)? Month 8 Interim Community Month 8 – Interim Community Development Director Melanie Mintz ---PAGE BREAK--- BHAG Guidelines Clear & Compelling Clear & Compelling Must get people’s juices going Outside the Comfort Zone Outside the Comfort Zone So Bold & Exciting to Outlive Leadership Leadership Successive There is no finish line There is no finish line Consistent With Core Ideology Core Purpose, Values Core Purpose, Values ---PAGE BREAK--- Month 8 What we learned… It is very difficult to identify one BIG It is very difficult to identify one BIG HAIRY AUDACIOUS GOAL as a public organization organization BHAGs might be helpful on the department and/or division level p Goals need to be measurable and data driven ---PAGE BREAK--- What could kill us, and how can we protect our flanks p (Productive Paranoia)? Month 9 – Finance Director Lisa Malek-Zadeh and Human Resources Manager Sukari Beshears ---PAGE BREAK--- Productive Paranoia Productive Paranoia and Black Swans Use paranoia productively to build buffers and shock Use paranoia productively to build buffers and shock absorbers to prepare for the next Black Swan Event Manage and mitigate risks – death line, asymmetric g g , y and uncontrollable You can respond effectively and make informed decisions if you Zoom out and then ZOOM IN decisions if you Zoom out and then ZOOM IN When faced with the biggest threats ask the critical question: How much time before the risk profile question: How much time before the risk profile changes? ---PAGE BREAK--- Month 9 Month 9 What we learned… Our level of “paranoia” may not be very productive We need to optimize our paranoia on things we can control Black Swan events have happened Black Swan events have happened and we must use our paranoia productively to prepare for the inevitable next one inevitable next one ---PAGE BREAK--- What should we stop doing to What should we stop doing to increase our discipline and focus? Month 10 – Interim Public Works Month 10 Interim Public Works Director Yvetteh Ortiz ---PAGE BREAK--- Start a "Stop Doing" List Ever-expanding “To Do" list rarely works p g y Great companies make use of both “Stop Doing” and “To Do” lists: Remarkable discipline to unplug all sorts of extra junk Remarkable courage to channel resources Remarkable courage to channel resources to a few key areas Guts to make huge investments into these areas Requires fanatic discipline (“rinsing cottage cheese”) cheese ) ---PAGE BREAK--- Month 10 Month 10 What we learned… Saying No or stopping doing things is very difficult is very difficult Everyone felt we are doing things that could/should be stopped pp Some are internal and others external B d h ld b d Budget process should be used to create our “Stop Doing” list. ---PAGE BREAK--- How can we increase How can we increase our Return on Luck (ROL)? Month 11 – Community Outreach Specialist Suzanne Iarla Suzanne Iarla ---PAGE BREAK--- Luck vs Return on Luck Luck vs. Return on Luck Luck events—good and bad—happen Return on Luck is how the organization reacts to the luck event Luck is NOT a good strategy! ---PAGE BREAK--- Month 11 Month 11 What we learned… Generally, we do not think about luck as a factor of success In retrospect, we have had both good and bad luck While not a prime factor in our success d k d f h we tend to take advantage of these opportunities ---PAGE BREAK--- Are we becoming a Level 5 Leadership Team? Month 12 – CM Scott Hanin & ACM Karen Pinkos p ACM Karen Pinkos ---PAGE BREAK--- What are the different levels of l d hi ? leadership? Level 5 Leadership ---PAGE BREAK--- M h 12 Month 12 What we learned… People at all levels of the op a a o organization can be leaders Not everyone is expected to be y p at Level 5 We strive to create an environment where you can progress up the pyramid ---PAGE BREAK--- P tti It All T th Putting It All Together Pop Quiz! Anonymous survey Anonymous survey Real time answers by staff using phones, tablets, laptops p p Sparked honest, compelling conversation about where we are as a team ---PAGE BREAK--- An honest look at our organization An honest look at our organization We have work to do on our discipline, facing brutal facts, and using data to prioritize prioritize We feel pretty good about who is on the bus and in the right seats We should seriously consider our “Stop We should seriously consider our Stop Doing” list We’re on our way to becoming Great ---PAGE BREAK--- Going forward…! Going forward…! 100% Continuing the discussion throughout the next year Drilling down on issues we’ve identified that need work Using these concepts, along with Strategic Plan, to guide FY 2014-15 Budget preparation