Community First: A Practical Guide for Public Administrators in Turbulent Times

The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ASPA as an organization.

By Troy Chavez
June 30, 2025

Community first” is the mantra when a storm creeps over. Turbulent times ebb and flow and some are worse than others, yet just because we expect change does not mean we understand how to navigate it. Public administrators deal with abundant uncertainty, but how can it be successfully traversed?

Step 1: Establish an ethical foundation

Establishing one’s worldview does not need to have a religious bent. One’s ethical ethos espouses from good moral decisions and codes machinated throughout life. Our worldview changes throughout our lives. It is our constitution. Some have organic ones while others are more concrete. Nevertheless, whether one has a constitution steeped in rigid ethical grounding or loosely held beliefs molded in being good and doing no evil, all public administrators are “servants.”

Our religious creeds do not supersede our mission to serve the public. Although Thomas Jefferson was a slave owner, he created our government with an undergirded motive to serve the people. “The care of human life and happiness… is the only legitimate object of good government.” Reread your agency’s mission, reconnect with the population you serve and monitor thy own mental health.

The last part is crucial. View your passion as a flame on whicker wire. You can only burn for so long before it whittles down to nothing. The light you shine on your population will turn into a dark, musty smell of bitter resolve – alongside skin so thin, it dissipates into ash when gentle winds bristle. Find ways to keep the passion alive.

Step 2: Engage and prioritize communication with the community/population

Forgoing ‘professional depression’ depends on reigniting purpose and refining vision. Engage deeply with the serving population. Find personal reasons why they matter. Discover new ways they need help or how much they’ve evolved (or haven’t).

Discovery is a daily, weekly and yearly process. Government is not always consistent, from the delivery of services to the enaction of policies and procedures. Interacting in this multi-faceted arena poses numerous organizational challenges but regardless of the smoke and mirrors bellowing from state capitals, one’s agency marches onward (unless directed otherwise).

Disregarding indecision at the top allows for clear purpose on the ‘street.’ Public administrators encompass myriad roles and designations but whether one is a regional director or processing assistant, one must continue trekking down their allotted lanes. Veering and roaming means the caravan you’re supposed to be shepherding may lose its way. Keep communication continuous, frequent and consistent. It must be additionally informative, useful and engaging. Finding time to host small town halls or attending city hall or county meetings may be prudent. These efforts may also break down siloed organizations and sleeping portions of a community.

Michael Tubbs, former mayor of Stockton, CA said, “Communities know what they need. They just need people in power to listen and respond.” Although his efforts were stymied by political forces, his message remains stalwart and true. We must put people in power near the communities being served.

Step 3: Activate community partners and knockdown “silos”

A silo in this article’s context refers to entities operating in isolation instead of collaboration. This occurs in every fragment of government. Governmental uncertainty (both globally and domestically) is omnipresent and shifts focus rapidly. These inconclusive actions create areas for organizations (non-profits, private companies and non-governmental agencies) to hide and operate individually. Often, they have been burned by government. The public administrator must rekindle these partnerships and offer an olive branch. It is not about power. It is about the community’s continuous prosperity. We must find and connect our community’s missing puzzle pieces.

Step 4: Transparency of ability: be practical, positive and grounded

In uncertain times it is easy to profligate or herd people in front of you towards calm and positive attitudes. We want to make people feel better. However, we do not like being lied to or feel someone is assuaging our fears out of pity. People like to be told straight and without “fluff.”

Research conducted by Harvard’s Alison Wood Brooks offers a simple conversational guide for difficult conversations and topics: TALK (Topic, Ask, Levity, Kindness).

• Topic: Stay on topic. Do not try to disregard it and move on swiftly or veer into something semi-related/unrelated. Remain present.

• Ask: Be inquisitive about how they think and feel about the situation. Getting into their headspace is an important factor when attempting to temper their fears and anxieties.

• Levity: We all like to laugh and joke. Bring a little humor to the conversation. Do not drown it but raise the spirits in the room gently. “Even one mildly funny joke … confers so much status to the person who tried. … If the joke succeeds, that person is much more likely to be voted as the leader of the group,” said Brooks.

• Kindness: Put yourself into the other person’s shoes. Understand why they are even feeling the need to speak to someone. Make the discussion purposeful and meaningful to the person (or people) you are speaking to. Listen to understand, not respond.

Step 5: Protect your people

Whether you are a street bureaucrat or regional director, always remember your greatest asset: each other. This resource must be treated like a sacred garden. Water, mend and re-toil the soil. Most government agencies have a history and must be revisited. Remember why you are all in the offices and spaces you inhabit. The purpose is always there. Chase it and bring everyone else along with you. Lead via action, purpose and focus. Block the noise with solutions.

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Author: Troy Chavez, M.P.A. is a PhD candidate at Liberty University with a masters in public administration and works in government doing community relations. He can be reached at [email protected].

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