Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on your point of view, we’ve come to depend on county government more today that ever before. This makes it especially important that county commissioners not only be qualified for the office, but dedicated to it as well.
While no particular job experience or education is known to be the best preparation for success as a commissioner, familiarity with some aspects of politics, budgeting, personnel management, communications, and the law is without question useful.
Let’s just say, to make good decisions and be effective, a commissioner needs “credible” information. You can’t make informed decisions if you do not invest the time required to gather information; and believe me, it takes a dizzying amount of time, if you are doing your job.
It is not enough to just show up at meetings–open up the agenda and supporting materials for the first time–and shoot from the hip. Commissioners who habitually gravitate to this modus operandi too often have no basis for their decisions other than allowing their emotions to drive the process.
The first thing you’ve got to understand is how much time it takes to be a county commissioner. It’s not just sitting in the commissioner’s meeting or work sessions two to three times a month for a few hours. It’s an ongoing, twenty-four-seven commitment and responsibility.
The need for effective governance systems and researched decision-making continues to intensify. Actions by federal and state governments have shifted responsibility for many programs and services to the local level, with local officials being required to make decisions having significant political, social and economic consequences.
Because of a lack of professional advice, information, and expertise for rural counties, Ohio State University Extension created an assessment center to help present and aspiring county commissioners in identifying their current managerial capabilities and training needs. In February 1991, the university developed fifteen competencies based on the profiles of rural Ohio County commissioners. The fifteen dimensions were: oral communications, written communications, leadership, initiative, planning/organizing, decision making/ judgment, development of co-workers, behavioral flexibility, organizational sensitivity, assertiveness, objectivity, perception, sensitivity, management control, and collaborativeness.
When Cook County hired its second administrator, the consulting firm we worked with used a similar competency profile to assess applicants. The evaluation required candidates to rank their “strengths” in the following ten areas (potential commissioners may wish to comb through the list themselves):
Personal Skills
Dependability, adaptability, motivation, problem-solving, and analytical skills.
Interpersonal
Active listening, teamwork, responsibility, dependability, leadership, motivation, flexibility, and patience.
Analytical Problem Solving
Can you assemble data and facts to develop a logical line of reasoning?
Planning / Organizing
Can you manage time, tools and resources to reach a goal?
Decision Making
The ability to identify the problem that needs to be solved or the question that needs to be answered, gather relevant information, determine alternatives, weigh the evidence, choose among alternatives, take action, and review the decision.
Self-Management
Problem solving, resisting stress, communicating clearly, managing time and strengthening memory are all key examples of self-management skills.
Employee Development
Training programs to help employees acquire new knowledge and skills.
Personal Effectiveness
Determination, becoming self-aware (knowing your actions and their consequences), optimism, managing stress, persistence, problem– solving, time management and planning.
Negotiation
Communication, persuasion, planning, strategizing and cooperating.
Diplomacy
The art of dealing with people in a sensitive, caring and effective way.
Conflict Management
Active listening, emotional intelligence, patience, impartiality, positivity, open communication, not jumping to your defense or pointing fingers.
I’ll throw in three more that were not included in the county’s assessment. Attributes I believe to be foundational if a person hopes to be an effective and respected commissioner:
Transparency
One of the best ways to win the trust of your constituents is by being transparent. Instead of withholding or even hiding information, you should openly share it with them.
Emotional Intelligence
With emotional intelligence, you can control your emotions, which prevents negative emotions from influencing your decision-making skills. As a result, you are less likely to make hasty decisions. Moreover, emotionally intelligent commissioners are great at understanding the emotions and empathizing with the feelings of others.
Humility
An effective commissioner is always selfless and always thinks about those who elected them to office. As Thomas Merton once said, “Pride makes us artificial and humility makes us real.”
“A lot of people run for the wrong reasons, they’ve been told something somewhere down the line, they’ve had a falling out over a particular issue, so they run. It has to be a heartfelt thing for public service. It has to be something truly coming from within and not just eye and lip service. It’s got to come from the heart to be effective.” ~ Eugene Dyal, Bacon County, Georgia Commissioner.
Former Cook County Commissioner Garry Gamble is writing this ongoing column about the various ways government works, as well as other topics. At times the column is editorial in nature.
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