You are Your Community

Like it or leave it, you are your community.

When you complain without offering solutions, you are part of the problem. If you care enough about something to comment and try to change things, make sure you're informed! With almost every project proposed through a city or local agencies, public comment is welcome. Informed public comment is taken seriously, especially if you have solutions that are thoughtful and realistic. In our city, if you want to know more about a proposal, you are invited to call, stop by, and ask questions. The city will even provide a tour for you in a proposed project site to explain the need and thought process for a project.

One resident leaves anonymous messages in voicemail boxes throughout city government offices, one with the city manager, one with the city commission's clerk, sometimes another at the police department. The phone registers "unknown caller" and he is always sure to call long after offices are closed.

Sometimes the messages are funny, though not intentionally, in their na?ve and somewhat paranoid ramblings. Sometimes he has something of value to say, but he never leaves his name or a way to contact him.

There are days when I would like nothing more than to wait for the phone to ring after regular work hours so I can chat with the resident and find out his name, his story. I want to tell him that his anonymous messages go nowhere, no matter how smart or compelling his idea might be. I can pass along his suggestions to the manager and mayor, but unless they come directly from the constituent, those suggestions have very little value. I want to tell him to write his suggestions down, because many times he's not just complaining, he has some ideas for resolving issues. He won't leave his name, so his calls go to the black hole of voicemail, forever lost. What a waste.

What's really difficult is that many times when people call, they have preconceived ideas about how the call will be taken. The first tone in email or a call comes across as defensive. Instead of beginning the call with a question, the conversation begins with an attack.

I'm really angry at you for cutting down those trees at the corner off Benton Avenue and Euclid. I'm really angry because those trees didn't do anything to you and you just cut. them. down. They were big, beautiful trees, why'd you cut them down? I'm really angry at you... well... not you specifically.

"Why were the trees cut down on the corner of Benton & Euclid?" Should have been the initial sentence of the message. By not giving the person a chance to explain, you are immediately backing him into a corner, into defensive mode. Conversations rarely go well when they begin in attack mode, and they generally do not end in a way that is satisfactory for either participant. It's silly to attack the first person with whom you interact, he is most likely sitting at a desk, not wielding a chainsaw.

First things first, decide what you want to accomplish with your call or email/letter, then plan your conversation around that goal, allowing some flexibility in case you learn something you didn't know about the reason for your call.

Resident: Before you call or write your letter to the editor, do your research. Ask questions, visit the site of a proposed project, find out who is behind the proposal (follow the money), and find out how the proposal was developed. If recognized, trusted scientists, community leaders, and individuals are behind the project, find out why. THEN write your letter and sign it or make the call. No anonymous posting or letter will find an audience that can or will make a difference. If you are going to speak at a public meeting, write down no more than three key points and back them up with data and facts. Make your point quickly and succinctly and make sure you have some ideas for solutions, low-cost solutions are preferable. Practice what you are going to say in front of a mirror so you know you can make your point and be persuasive.

Elected Official/City Official: As any other constituent, ask questions, visit the site of a proposed project, find out who is behind the proposal (follow the money), and find out how the proposal was developed. Do all of these things as soon as you know about a large proposal because your delayed response can be the difference between the success and failure of a project. If recognized, trusted scientists, community leaders, and individuals are behind the project, find out why. THEN make your decision. Don't be arrogant, even unintentionally, by thinking you know more about the subject than other people might, particularly out of your area of expertise. Listen to your trusted resources, listen to your constituents! Pick out the fine points of their letters and speeches and be prepared to change your mind or take additional time to absorb new information.

I love to connect, please personalize your request with a story or quote! I also love to teach and lead workshops on customer service, go to www.thesmileisfree.com to contact me about speaking at your next event.

Photo Credit: Brad Langsather