The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ASPA as an organization.
By Thomas Barth April 12, 2024
My previous essay addressed learning from MPA students, pulling from the discussion boards in my various online classes. This time I want to turn to learning from practitioners from another useful forum. Since 2016, our MPA program at UNC Charlotte has delivered our MPA Public & Nonprofit Management Academy, which is a three-day professional development offering for mid-level and first-line managers in the government and nonprofit sectors. The format consists of MPA faculty presenting on key topics such as strategic planning, performance measurement, program evaluation, data presentation, ethics and working with boards. We then close out each day with a roundtable of practitioners to reflect on these topics and share their experiences, followed by Q&A with the participants. This program has produced a rich trove of best practices and stories from 50+ practitioners who have served as city/county managers, department heads and nonprofit executive directors. The following are some themes and stories that stand out.
It’s all about relationships: Technical expertise is essential, but the ability to develop and maintain relationships can make or break careers, a message that was relayed by someone who has worked in both the public and private sectors. The saying was shared: “technical skills get you hired, but people skills get you promoted.” As an emergency management professional noted, “if you are meeting someone you need to collaborate with for the first time during a disaster, it’s too late.”
Humility – know what you don’t know:A critical lesson was learned during the pandemic by an executive with a food bank in a major city, where the shutdown suddenly prevented individuals and families from entering their facility to secure food. She sat down with her board and staff and simply shared, “I have no idea what to do. I need all of your help to move forward.” She was brave and humble enough to admit she didn’t have the answers. They responded by formulating a plan together and found a way.
Understand your role with elected officials: In some cases, the relationship between the city/county manager is getting tougher and tougher to negotiate in these polarized times. At the end of the day, it must be understood that the civil servants make proposals and the elected officials make decisions, but the importance of providing air tight evidence and speaking truth to power is more important than ever. One practitioner noted that transparency is fundamental; do your best to never surprise elected bodies and you are more likely to gain their trust.
Take on difficult conversations: As one nonprofit executive put it, “you never want to call the baby ugly” but there are times when you need to tell it like it is. However, there is an art to holding people accountable with tough feedback or delivering unwelcome news while still being kind.
Know your people: A common theme is the need for the manager to get out of the C-suite and get to know the people who work for them. Management by Wandering Around (MBWA) is a basic but valuable tool as you want to seek opportunities to have cordial conversations with staff outside of the structure and pressure of a strictly work-focused dialogue. One manager noted she makes a habit of joining the staff outside for smoke breaks; this is where she really gets a sense of the pulse of her employees as people are in a more relaxed mode, reflecting and venting about work life.
Tell your story with data: We live in an age where people are awash in data. Managers suggested the importance of “making data real” for your audience in creative ways such as capturing the number of people served by thinking of a full NFL stadium. To make need compelling, the use of community risk assessments is invaluable. Additionally, funders want to see Return on Investment (ROI), and this means the ability to show outcomes (impact) as well as outputs (activity levels).
Align your planning: The theme of alignment of strategic plans is evident, whether that means translating policy issues that elected officials are championing to ensuring front-line workers are involved so they feel part of the planning process and thus can see how their work is in line with the strategic goals of the organization.
There are a host of other useful themes such as collaboration, trust, networking, culture, customer service and community involvement, but the larger point is the value of integrating theory with practice in professional development. The combination of faculty presenting concepts with practitioners sharing their professional experience and expertise has been very well received. The Academy is fully online so please contact me if you have interest in learning more about the design and delivery of the program.
Author: Dr. Tom Barth is a Professor in the MPA program at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He teaches, conducts research, and consults in the areas of organizational behavior, strategic planning, human resource management and ethics. [email protected]
Learning from Practitioners
The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ASPA as an organization.
By Thomas Barth
April 12, 2024
My previous essay addressed learning from MPA students, pulling from the discussion boards in my various online classes. This time I want to turn to learning from practitioners from another useful forum. Since 2016, our MPA program at UNC Charlotte has delivered our MPA Public & Nonprofit Management Academy, which is a three-day professional development offering for mid-level and first-line managers in the government and nonprofit sectors. The format consists of MPA faculty presenting on key topics such as strategic planning, performance measurement, program evaluation, data presentation, ethics and working with boards. We then close out each day with a roundtable of practitioners to reflect on these topics and share their experiences, followed by Q&A with the participants. This program has produced a rich trove of best practices and stories from 50+ practitioners who have served as city/county managers, department heads and nonprofit executive directors. The following are some themes and stories that stand out.
There are a host of other useful themes such as collaboration, trust, networking, culture, customer service and community involvement, but the larger point is the value of integrating theory with practice in professional development. The combination of faculty presenting concepts with practitioners sharing their professional experience and expertise has been very well received. The Academy is fully online so please contact me if you have interest in learning more about the design and delivery of the program.
Author: Dr. Tom Barth is a Professor in the MPA program at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He teaches, conducts research, and consults in the areas of organizational behavior, strategic planning, human resource management and ethics. [email protected]
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