Michigan State University Extension
Boardsmanship - 03160001
06/05/00
Capacity-building Skills for Public Officials - Local Boards Working Together
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Contents
I. Introduction
II. Communication
III. Working with Troublesome Personalities
IV. Effective Uses of Committees
V. Conducting the Meeting
VI. Summary
For Further Readings in this Area
Appendices
A. The Crowded Office
B. The Citizen Complaint
C. Communications Skills Ranking
D. Coping with Troublesome Personalities
E. Committee Self-evaluation
F. Test Yourself
Series developed through the courtesy of
Cooperative Extension Service, Michigan State
University and the Michigan Townships Association
I. Introduction
Even with the best of intentions on the part of all
members, putting a group together on a board or council
brings its share of problems. So many personalities,
backgrounds and lifestyles do not combine easily The
individual members need to be patient and understanding,
and they need to develop particular skills with
organizational techniques to be effective.
One major area that can cause problems is the level of
communication among officials. Some people seem to
communicate entirely too much, though not always
effectively, and others are rarely heard from. Either
extreme is frustrating and limits the progress of the whole
group.
Sometimes the communication problem is a matter of
personality. There are people who, one way or another, are
hard to get along with Trying to cope with fellow members
who are hard to understand or who have abrasive or negative
personalities makes serving on local boards a difficult
task at times. Few of us are comfortable with such people,
but it is possible to develop some techniques to cope with
them. You cannot change other individuals, but you can
learn to change your approach, and possibly your attitude
toward them as well. Developing an effectively functioning
board includes learning to get along with troublesome
people.
When local boards work together well, they usually have a
good committee system Organizations can easily become
top-heavy with committees, maintaining too many of them or
including too many members on each committee. Committees
will work best when tasks are carefully matched with
particular personalities. Though members vary in their
individual strengths and knowledge, they must have the
ability to work compatibly to reinforce one another.
The final area to be considered in learning to work
together concerns conducting the public meeting. Although
the present leader conducts the meeting, any member may be
elected to that office in the next term, so everyone on the
local board needs to know how to conduct an effective
meeting. Pleasant, well run meetings that accomplish their
goals enhance the local team's ability to develop and
maintain good working relations.
11. Communication
"George is so hard to work with! He's a nice enough fellow,
when you get to know him, but he never lets anyone know
what he is thinking. When he finally does express
something, he won't explain his reasons for his opinion I
never know how to deal with him at board meetings!"
This description of a fellow board member expresses the
frustration felt by people who must interact with others
who don't or won't share their thoughts and the rationale
for them. Such reluctance puts a real burden on the other
members. Relations among people who find themselves sharing
responsibilities as local decision makers can be complex
and sometimes difficult. Those who use good communication
and outgoing, cooperative behavior help everyone to enjoy
his or her role and to accomplish his or her goals with
some ease.
Communication on local governmental boards and councils is
the glue that holds the board together. It involves
"attending" to others, listening as well as speaking. When
we listen with an open mind and refrain from using
"selective listening," we don't always hear what we want to
hear! However, we do hear what is actually there to be
heard. Although it may not always bring us comfort to be an
open listener, it will bring us a greater understanding of
the thoughts and feelings of those around us. 1)
Communication also involves our interpreting what others
say and their interpreting our messages. George, in the
example above, is definitely sending messages even though
he doesn't talk much. But the question always is, what
message is he giving? He may, by his reticence, be telling
the others that he simply doesn't have an opinion much of
the time. That is one interpretation of his silence. He may
be saying that he isn't much interested in what goes on at
board meetings He could also be saying that he is quiet
because he is shy. He could be silent because he lacks an
adequate vocabulary with which to express himself. More
interpretations of George's silence are possible, but
already we have several very different potential answers
because George is not communicating in a way that even
narrows down the possibilities. No wonder his colleague is
frustrated!
Good communication needs to be as open and straightforward
as possible. It is necessary to try to reduce the
opportunities for misinterpretation or misunderstanding. An
effective listener needs to attempt to aid the speaker by
asking open-ended questions whenever this would lead to
greater understanding. The listener needs to reserve
judgment until the speaker has had full opportunity to
express her/himself. A good listener also checks for
clarity and understanding by restating or summarizing the
speaker's main points The listener can ask, "Would you say
that last part again a bit differently, please? I didn't
quite understand it." Or, "I think what you're saying
is.... Did I understand you correctly?" Such restating can
save many later misunderstandings by all parties.
Effective communication tends to validate all parties. It
includes --rather than excludes--shows respect, clarifies
and provides a direct and honest base for further
interaction.
Much of communication involves not just what is said but
also how it is said. As the words of the speaker need to be
pertinent to the interaction, other elements must also be
fitting. For example, the appropriateness and degree of
sincerity of the speaker; the tone of voice used; the
attention given to the interaction; and the use of "body
language"-- gestures, eye contact, etc.--all tell whether
the speaker is really "with us" in the communication. It
gives the listener additional feedback, beyond the words
themselves, to help him/her determine whether to respond
with trust or suspicion and to accept or reject the
speaker's message. 1)
Effective communication involves mutually open and honest
behavior between two or more people This behavior attempts
to share ideas, feelings or information as is appropriate
to the situation The key words here are "mutual," "open,"
"honest" and "appropriate." Communication must be mutual,
or it is only a single-dimension monologue. The interaction
between two or more needs to be open and honest for it to
be trustworthy and valuable to all participants As a
township supervisor stated recently, "if people can't be
open and honest with me, we haven't anything to go on
with." The sharing of ideas or feelings in a communication
must be appropriate to the situation or relationship.
Generally, people feel more comfortable and safe sharing
their feelings and ideas in close personal relationships
than they do in a professional setting You may feel that
wisdom or discretion dictates caution in revealing
particular feelings or reactions in public communications,
but the feelings that you do express should be open and
honest Discretion and/or necessary caution do not equate
with dishonesty or manipulation of others.
The listener's perception of the apparent sincerity and
appropriateness of the speaker's behavior is all important
in determining the listener's response. If the non-verbal
cues do not match the words, the listener generally
believes those cues rather than the words themselves. To
illustrate: A local resident goes to his/her township
treasurer, stating that there is a tax problem that he/she
would like to discuss. The treasurer says, "Fine! I'll be
glad to discuss it with you." But as the resident presents
the problem, the treasurer continually checks the clock,
taps fingers on the table, looks out the window and
generally conveys an impression of boredom or impatience.
Would the resident believe the original response to the
request for help, which indicated interest, patience and
willingness or the non -verbal, contradictory signals?
Clearly, what we say and how we act must be in accord for
us to be credible to others Listening involves much more
than simply "being there" with another person Effective,
skilled listeners have worked at becoming adept. There is
probably no role where skilled listening is more valuable
to success than that of the elected official. The value and
necessity of a public official's ability to give thoughtful
attention and to interpret what he/she hears with
reasonable accuracy cannot be overemphasized. 1)
A final area of communication important to good public
meetings and within boards involves "wrapping up" the
meeting with final summarization This is important for two
reasons: the first is to make very sure that members and/or
the public recall the highlights and decisions that have
evolved through the discussion; the second is to ensure
that everyone leaves the discussion or meeting with a clear
sense of accomplishment Otherwise, the final impression may
be of the heated or divisive discussions that might have
gone on, rather than the decisions made as a result of
those discussions. It is psychologically necessary to send
people away from the meeting with a positive sense of
accomplishment.
Final summarization is ideally the responsibility of the
leader It involves a concise restating of the major points
discussed throughout the meeting and any final decisions
made. The chairperson can precede the summary by such
phrases as, "As I recall, these are the main points we
covered tonight. ."Or, "Let's see if I remember our final
decisions.... "The summarizer can refer to the secretary or
clerk who has been taking notes to check the validity of
the summary It is helpful to all to conclude the summary
with a question to the group, such as, "Is that the way you
heard it?" Or, "Did I miss anything that should be
included?" This gives an opportunity for final
clarification and any changes that may need to be made. It
is also helpful to the secretary, who will be finalizing
the official records
Sometimes members may realize that, for whatever reason,
their chairperson is not going to do a summary, although
one seems needed. In that case, any member has the right to
ask the chairperson to summarize or to offer a summary
him/herself. It is important, both factually and
psychologically, that positive results of each meeting be
summarized, either by the leader or by an assertive
member.1)
III. Working with Troublesome Personalities
If the public official encountered only people who were
considerate, amenable, courteous and kind, more people
might run for office! Unfortunately, not everyone fits that
description. Though each of us may be difficult with others
at times, the "troublesome personality" is one who is
habitually hard to deal with. To all with whom he/she comes
in contact, this person is "hard to get along with" or
"argumentative" or "dominating" or "always complaining."
Learning some methods of dealing with troublesome people
can make the public official's job more rewarding and less
frustrating.
Some often seen types of troublesome people are:
- The Bullies. These people use extremely dominating
behavior to overwhelm others. If this doesn't work, they
throw childlike temper tantrums. They are prone to yelling,
fist clenching and swearing at the slightest provocation.
These aggressive people believe that "might is right."
- The Complainers. They gripe and object constantly but
rarely try to correct the situation to which they object.
They may either feel unable to change conditions or be
unwilling to take the responsibility. Negatively passive
and/or martyr personalities may be complainers.
- The Silent Ones. These folks never let you in on their
feelings or thoughts. You don't know if they heard you or
if they agree or disagree. They tend to use monosyllables
whenever possible, such as "yep," "no," "umm" and various
grunts. They may be either martyrs or passive types, but
you will seldom be sure of which, because they won't let
you find out.
- The Wet Blankets. They have "been there," no matter what
subject is brought up, and they know that "it won't work,"
no matter what suggestion is proposed. These are gloomy
people who effectively diminish everyone's enthusiasm. They
use the past and its lessons, which only they remember, to
control the present and predict the future. They usually
are martyrs who manipulate by negativism.
- The Experts. These are"superior" people who let you know
how fortunate you are to have their vast knowledge and
experience available to the board. They are condescending,
"tolerant," patronizing and pompous. They make others feel
inadequate when they can. They tend to be arrogantly
aggressive people.
When you must interact with troublesome personalities,
there are three possible courses of action you may take.
One is to accept their behavior, no matter what the cost to
you or to others A second is to try to change them, though
we can really change only ourselves The third option is to
learn effective means of coping with them Coping means
using certain actions or behaviors that equalize the
balance in a situation. Successful coping aids in
minimizing the effect of the behavior or actions of the
troublesome person People who impose unfairly on others
through a difficult personality may or may not realize what
they are doing, but they control others through their
unpleasant actions. Too often, people around them allow
them to control, to everyone's disadvantage, by not
developing coping skills that can equalize the power
balance.
The following actions will help you to learn to cope with
the troublesome personalities described above.
The Bullies:
- Give them a little time to run down before you attempt to
respond.
- Don't worry about being polite: get in the conversation
as soon as they do begin to run down
- Get their attention: by calling their name firmly or
changing position (sitting if they will, or standing,
deliberately).
- Maintain eye contact to show that you are not
intimidated.
- Use assertive behaviors to state your views.
- Avoid getting into an arguments-win or lose, you actually
lose: you lose credibility and you risk losing the chance
to communicate.
- Be ready to use humor and friendliness.
- Develop and maintain meeting ground rules that limit
speaking time.
The Complainers:
- Use positive listening skills even if you feel
Complainers don't warrant it; they may need your attention.
- Restate their complaints in your terms and see if they
agree with your understanding of them.
- Don't agree with or apologize for their allegations, even
if you accept them as true.
- Avoid becoming defensive with them.
- Try to state and acknowledge all facts related to the
complaint.
- Use a problem-solving approach:
* Ask specific, informational questions.
* Assign limited fact-finding tasks, where appropriate.
* Ask for complaints in writing, and assure the writer you
will actually consider them in further interactions.
- If all above fails, ask the Complainer, "How do you want
this discussion (meeting) to end?" and wait for an answer.
The Silent Ones:
- Ask open-ended questions that invite opinion.
- Wait for a response calmly and with complete attention.
Don't fill in the silence!
* If the person doesn't respond, comment on what is
happening between you. End your comment with an open-ended
question, such as, "Where would you like us to go from
here?" Or, "How do you feel we can proceed?"
* Repeat waiting, then commenting, then asking. (Stay
calm!)
If he/she opens up, be attentive. Encourage with good
listening and reinforcing body language. Limit your own
conversation.
If he/she remains silent, end the interaction. Don't be
overly friendly. If appropriate, set up another meeting
and/or tell the Silent One what you will do, concerning the
subject/decision at hand, since a discussion has not
occurred.
The Wet Blankets:
- Be aware that Wet Blankets may drag you, or the group,
into negativism
- Avoid trying to argue Wet Blankets out of their
pessimism.
- When past failures or negative experiences are brought
up, counter them cheerfully with examples of success,
wherever possible.
- When solutions or decisions are offered,raise possible
negative results yourself, so that you control the
responses.
- Counter the effect on the group that the Wet Blankets may
have by turning to clear and positive thinkers with equal
experience. Ask them to evaluate the possibilities of the
Wet Blankets' fears being realized.
The Experts:
- Be certain you are extremely well prepared with facts
that have been carefully checked for accuracy
- Avoid accepting or rebutting with dogmatic statements.
When met with them, question their validity on a factual
rather than emotional basis.
- Use questions, not countering statements, to raise
problems.
- Repeat step 3, if the Experts continue to bulldoze with
"expert" opinions.
-When you can do it honestly, show appreciation and respect
for the Experts' knowledge. Remember, these people may also
need attention!
- Propose delays in action, if necessary, to gain time for
other individuals, or for the group as a whole to develop
information that will refute the Expert or simply get power
back in the hands of the group.1)
Some basic steps can be used with any troublesome
personality as part of the coping process:
- Assess the situation as objectively and rationally as
possible.
- Stop wasting time in wishing the troublesome person
didn't act as he/she does.
- Put some distance both mentally and physically, when
possible --between you and the difficult person.
- Develop a plan for coping that will equalize power or
minimize acceptance of troublesome behavior.
- Use your plan--stick to it and don't give in to your own
negative impulses of anger or frustration.
- Change or modify your coping plan where necessary, but
don't abandon it!
- Continue to expect reasonable and appropriate behavior
from the difficult personalities.
- Try to show basic respect for these persons, even though
you may not respect their particular style of behavior.
- Keep your sense of humor!
IV. Effective Uses of Committees
The basic purpose of committees, whether authorized by
state law or created by the authority of local governments,
is to share the work and responsibilities in a group among
many people. This sharing relieves the leader of extra
burdens and gets members involved in goal-fulfilling
activities of the group. Wise committee delegation by
leaders frequently results in improved commitment to the
whole group. Members who have little if any role beyond
passive response in the general meeting may not see the
group's goals as their own. Committee involvement brings
them closer to the goals, needs and problems of the total
board.
In form, committees can be of two types: long-term and
formal, called standing, or short-term and informal, called
ad hoc. Effective organizations generally see value in
maintaining a few standing committees Examples might be the
financial committee, policies and procedures committee and
perhaps a program committee that oversees particular
services. The standing committees handle affairs that are
a continuing part of the structure and business of the
organization. They may exist throughout the duration of the
organization itself.
Ad hoc committees are appointed on an as needed basis to
deal with specific assignments and business that is not
routine to the group. When such committees finish their
assignment, they are dissolved by the leader.
Roles on standing committees can be good training for
future leaders. It is the history of such roles, however,
that membership sometimes becomes a "bargaining chip"
awarded to friends of the leader, or to members of the
power clique around the leader, with little regard for the
worth of the recipients. Power in a group sometimes rests
with the chairpersons of standing committees more than the
elected leader. Obviously, this can have negative effects
on the progress of the total group, When standing
committees are used appropriately, however, their work is
of significant benefit to the local board.
Ad hoc committee membership may not provide the status
conveyed by membership on a standing committee, but the ad
hoc committee is as important. Standing committees may be
governed by a tradition of doing things in particular and
established ways. But because the ad hoc committee is
assigned a specific task and has a definite cut-off time,
it is relatively free to do its business as it sees fit.
Different types of personalities will be attracted to
particular types of committee work. Even without the power
brokering that may occur with standing committees, their
very stability and longevity appeal to the more traditional
members, as well as to the less secure, who are reinforced
by the same elements of tradition and stability. Membership
on standing committees can provide a means for them to
develop confidence as group members.
Creative, risk-taking members may find it more challenging
to serve on short-term ad hoc committees, with their
specific term and task orientation and greater freedom of
approach. Thus, committees allow each extreme of
personality to find a way to serve the organization. The
leader who knows the personalities in the group well enough
to make committee assignments with this information in mind
will reap the maximum benefits from his/her committees.
Certain criteria need to be observed when developing
committees so that they work most effectively for the board
or council. How can committees be used to work well?
- Review current committees:
* Redefine their purposes.
* Decide if you need all of them.
* Change status from standing to ad hoc, or vice versa if
this is appropriate.
* Determine if they have too many/too few members (keep
them to a workable minimum).
- Make sure all members know:
* What their assignment is.
* Limits of their authority,
* Expected reporting time on specific issues/tasks.
* Some idea of the time commitment expected of them.
- Think ahead to possible new committees.
* Develop goals for them.
* Carefully choose members, bearing in mind the skills,
time commitment and mutual compatibility needed for
success.
- Determine and make clear a time frame to complete the
task or to report back to the board or the chairperson.2)
The wise leader will choose the committee chairperson very
carefully. Committees can "make or break," depending on the
skills and personality of the chairperson. Those members
with well developed interaction skills, commitment to the
organization and the respect of their peers will tend to
make the best chairpersons.
With careful attention to developing the committees,
including wise selection of members and chairpersons, the
committee system can be an invaluable tool for the local
board.
V. Conducting the Meeting
Each of us can recall attending meetings that were great
disappointments because of the way they were conducted or
what they accomplished. Yet those who conducted the
meetings surely had every intentions of having an effective
session. Public meetings can fail for many reasons, but
failure is often due to a lack of understanding of the need
for thoughtful planning. The leaders involved are often so
caught up in the demands of the moment that they fail to
realize that some basic issues in setting up the meetings
need attention. These issues revolve around "task" and
"people" considerations.
Task considerations include:
- Arranging the meeting site.
Local boards and councils may have little choice in site,
as they meet in traditional locations. However, they can
make efforts to ensure:
*That meetings are held at the best time for most of the
people to attend.
*That the physical setting is prepared with lighting,
seating, heating and/or cooling as comfortable as possible.
- Preparing the agenda. (Agendas should always be available
prior to board meetings.)
*They should be kept simple and clear.
*Input should be sought from both members and officers.
- Conducting the meeting:
*Start on time!
*Ensure that everyone understands each issue and the reason
it is on the agenda.
*Establish ground rules that allow citizen input as well as
board discussions, but limit discussion/input time.
*Stick to the agenda except in emergencies.
*Keep the process moving along.
*End in a reasonable time (two hours is reasonable).
Surprisingly, many local boards do not use an agenda at
their regular meetings. The agenda is a helpful tool for
leaders, members and citizens alike. It serves as a guide
and also as a control, when necessary. With an agenda,
everyone present clearly knows what will be covered. This
informs and provides a sense of progression of events that
helps ensure an orderly meeting. If a board member or a
citizen attempts to disrupt a meeting by introducing an
inappropriate topic, the leader can easily disallow it
because it was not on the agenda.
Though the agenda is necessary to a well run meeting, it
must always be used as a guide, not a club. If someone
shows good reason why a deviation from the agenda should
occur on occasion, the leader, with the members'
permission, should be flexible and allow his change.
Otherwise, the moment may be lost for an important issue.
Inflexibility in the face of demonstrated need does not
serve the best interests of the group and may indicate
negative controlling by the leader.
These instances of deviation from the agenda do not happen
often but need to be men openly when a legitimate but
unexpected issue is presented, Generally, the agenda helps
everyone. It should, however, be kept to a reasonable
length. It is better to call another meeting to complete
all the business at hand than to tackle too much for the
attendees to handle in one sitting. A meeting that lasts
over two hours soon loses the attention of its audience.
It is appropriate to structure public meetings agendas in
the following manners.3)
*Call to order (on time).
*Roll call.
*Minutes.
*Brief public comment.
*Reports of officers.
*Standing committees reports.
*Special or ad hoc committee reports.
*Unfinished business.
*Postponed business.
*New business.
*Extended public comment.
*Adjourn (on time).
This order of business can be adjusted to fit the
particular needs of a public board or council, but it
should remain reasonably constant for all meetings once
those changes are made.
The discussion above relates to "task" items. Those who
develop meetings also need to be aware of "people" issues
in the meeting. The level of skill in interpersonal
relations demonstrated by the leader of a public meeting is
crucial. It will exert great influence on the character of
the meeting and the satisfaction of those who attend. The
information on communication in the first section of this
bulletin applies very directly to the "people" issues in
the meeting. In addition, leaders need to be sensitive to
the following points:
- Devise methods to control the long talkers (establishing
a five-minute time limitation is a help).
- Draw out the silent, understanding that silence may
indicate either shyness/insecurity or hostility/resentment
(It is important to sense which of these is occurring so
you know how to deal with that person.)
- Protect the weak in the group--the new, young, old,
"different."
- Encourage the clash of ideas.
- Discourage the clash of personalities.
- Be able to handle negative people and those with personal
"axes to grind" or hidden agendas.
- Close on a note of achievement.
With planning, with a simple agenda that is used
effectively and with attention to the interaction needs of
the people involved, meetings can be effective, productive
and satisfying to everyone.4)
*VI. Summary
With honest commitment and a willingness to accept and
learn from the differences among people, the local
governmental board can be an enjoyable setting in which to
accomplish meaningful goals. With the use of empathy and
good communication skills in an atmosphere of mutual
respect, board members can gain maximum benefits from their
tenure. A team spirit, which is so essential to boards,
comes about when all members are willing to listen openly,
express their ideas, object without being objectionable and
learn from each other. Effective board members reinforce
one another, rather than being destructive or unfairly
critical. Individuals on boards that accomplish their
objectives constructively know that their personal goals
will be accomplished through the process of helping the
group to accomplish its goals. An effective board, in the
long run, is one in which each member puts the success of
the group above his/her personal need for success.
For Further Readings in This Area
Paul Hersey and Ken Blanchard. Management of Organizational
Behavior. Prentice-Hall, Inc.
Michael Doyle and David Strauss. How To Make Meetings Work.
Playboy Press.
R.S. Lazarus. Psychological Stress and the Coping Process.
McGraw-Hill
D. Watson and R. Thorp. Self-Directed Behavior: Self-
Modification for Personal Adjustment. Brooks/Cole
Publishers.
G. Corey. I Never Knew I Had a Chance. Brooks/Cole
Publishers.
Robinson and Clifford. Team Skills in Community Groups.
University of Illinois Press.
Planning the Program and Managing the Meeting. Volume I-
-Handbook of Guidelines for Planning, Conducting, and
Evaluating Group Meetings. College of Agriculture, The
Pennsylvania State University.
Guiding Group Discussion and Parliamentary Procedure for
Common Use. Volume II-Handbook of Guidelines for Planning,
Conducting, and Evaluating Group Meetings. College of
Agriculture, The Pennsylvania State University
Jobs of Members, Officers and Committees. Volume III -
Handbook of Guidelines for Planning, Conducting, and
Evaluating Group Meetings. College of Agriculture, The
Pennsylvania State University.
Robert Bramson. Coping with Difficult People...in Business
and in Life. New York: Ballantine Books.
FOOTNOTES
1) Refer to NCR Extension Bulletin #314, "Express Yourself
(Without Turning Others Off!)
2) Refer to Appendix A, "The Crowded Office."
3) Refer to Appendix B, "The Citizen Complaint."
4) Refer to Appendix C, "Communication skills Ranking," for
further assessment of your communications skills.
APPENDICES
Appendix A
THE CROWDED OFFICE
Case Study
Mary and Jim work for the planning commission and have
shared an office for several years. They have worked out an
arrangement of space, office procedures and personal
courtesies that is satisfactory to both. Recently, their
boss put a new employee, Kim, in their office. Kim has a
desk, chair, visitor's chair and two filing cabinets, as do
the others. Although Mary and Jim often were kidded by
fellow employees about having a really spacious office,
larger than anyone else's, they are very upset at having
their comfortable arrangement interrupted. Kim is feeling
the extent of their indignation from the hostile attitude
the others are showing. They carefully move around Kim's
furniture as though they could barely avoid hitting their
shins, have coffee together in one corner and exclude Kim,
forget to share office memos, and lately have been making
pointed remarks that indicate real resentment of the
interloper. Other people are noticing their problem and are
gossiping about it.
Kim does not know how do respond to the other two, feels
very unhappy at having been placed in this office, and
dreads going to work each day.
Directions:
Review the information on communication and think about
the following questions:
1. How are Mary and Jim using the following aspects of
communication in a negative way? Be specific.
Voices--words, tone, attitude, mood.
Body--gestures, eye contact, expressions.
2. How could they turn negative communication around so
as to include Kim?
3. How can Kim use positive communication skills to
improve this situation? Be specific.
4. Have you ever been excluded as Kim is? How did you
handle it?
Appendix B
THE CITIZEN COMPLAINT
Case Study
Since moving to his present location, Dick and his family
have spent many hours fixing up the old house on the site,
which he had purchased very cheaply. Now it is finished, it
looks great and they are very proud of their work. They
didn't have much to spend, but with the family effort they
now have a comfortable home.
Yesterday, however, Dick had a real shock. The new tax
assessment came and was double last year's bill. Dick is
really angry about this and is going to the township
supervisor to protest. He feels they simply cannot afford
to pay such a bill. He is also angry because he feels there
is no incentive for self-improvement efforts if one is
going to be penalized this way!
Dick feels he must make the supervisor see the unfairness
of this assessment. He intends to confront him using his
forceful personality He doesn't care if the supervisor
knows he is good and angry, and he expects the supervisor
to lower this unfair bill!
Glen has been a supervisor for 20 years in the township in
which he grew up. He knows everybody from all the old
families and rarely has any problems with them. They
understand each other. His problems come with people that
move in from other places and don't understand how things
work, like the fellow Dick, who is coming in today. He
sounded really upset on the phone, but Glen will try to
joke him out of his anger. Usually that works with people
who give him problems.
If he can't joke them out of their anger, sometimes he has
to remind them that most of the tax laws and decisions come
down from the state anyway. It's really not his fault if
citizens don't like them! Generally, he is able to get rid
of the worst problem situations using these behaviors
Think about this case:
1. Do you feel the communication between Dick and Glen will
be successful? Why? Why not?
2. List specific positive communication behaviors Dick
could use to handle his problem more effectively
3 What positive communication behaviors would you recommend
Glen use?
4. What do you predict as an outcome, both in facts and in
the feelings of both people?
Appendix C
COMMUNICATION SKILLS RANKING
Instructions:
The following list contains 15 communication skills that
can help you carry on effective interactions every day.
Read through the list, thinking about your skills. Reread
and rank yourself, 1 through 15, with 1 indicating your
best skill or trait.
Think of the significance of your ranking:
- Does it indicate that you are an effective communicator?
- Could you benefit by improving particular skills?
- Are you willing to risk new behaviors in attempting to
improve those skills?
--Confident
--Flexible
--Good listener
--Open to input from others
--Sensitive to your own needs and to others'.
--Sense of humor
--Empathetic (able to understand another's views,
attitudes, etc.)
--Giver and receiver of clear messages, both verbal and
non-verbal
--Diplomatic or tactful
--Perceptive-you "sense" people accurately
--Caring and able to show it
--High threat level-it takes a lot to bring out defensive
attitudes
--Responsible for self and others
--Honest
--Expressive in words and actions
Appendix D
COPING WITH TROUBLESOME PERSONALITIES
Using the coping tips given on previous pages, determine
how you would cope with the following situations that occur
frequently in the public setting. Think specifically of
what you would do and say to cope.
A. Bill Jones is a large man who uses his size to
intimidate others. (His friends call him "Bill the Bull.")
He has learned that size and a loud voice get him what he
wants much of the time. Last week he came storming into the
monthly meeting of the city council demanding to be heard
immediately The presiding officer attempted to inform him
that he was out of order, but Bill just blustered on about
a grievance he had against the street department The
officer backed down and Bill proceeded to exhort the
council for 30 minutes, completely frustrating and angering
the rest of the council and destroying the atmosphere of
the meeting.
Outline behaviors that the council's presiding officer
could have used to cope with Bill. Think of it as though
it was your problem
B. The supervisor looked up to see who was coming in late
to the township meeting and groaned to himself. He knew
the meeting wouldn't be as pleasant as he had hoped. Joe
and Harry, old friends, were sure to upset the meeting's
progress. Sure enough, the next agenda item brought Joe
to his feet with a complaint that Harry echoed from his
seat next to Joe. Soon they were each muttering darkly to
people seated near them The supervisor tried to ignore
them, but that didn't work. He never knew how to handle
them and wished he dared to kick them out. As the meeting
progressed and Joe and Harry griped about almost
everything, the supervisor began to lose his control. He
started defending actions and decisions angrily. This
caused Joe and Harry to act offended but didn't stop their
complaining.
How could the supervisor have more effectively handled
Joe and Harry? Be specific. Could you use coping skills
to achieve better results than this leader did?
C. Josie has been a trustee for many years. She knows
enough people in the township so that she is reelected
trustee year after year. She never misses a meeting but
rarely joins in the discussion. Her fellow board members
say behind her back "Josie sits. She sits, year in and
year out. No one seems able to draw her out on her views.
She watches and apparently listens but almost never
comments." The other board members are never sure where
she stands on an issue until the actual vote is taken.
When they try do get Josie to express opinions and she
does little more than mutter, they tend to try to speak
for her -to fill in her sentences, which are left
half-said. They interpret her scant language as they see
fit, and she generally allows this, Josie frustrates
everyone on the board and they simply don't know how to
handle her.
How would you cope with Josie's silence and help
her to become a more valuable member? What would you say
and do?
D. You came to the board meeting full of enthusiasm, ready
to share an exciting idea with the other members. You've
been looking forward to this meeting ever since you thought
of a good plan for handling the sewage treatment problem
with which the township has been struggling. The meeting is
still in its first hour and now you are really depressed!
All you want to do is find a way to get Gloomy Gus off the
board, or to quit yourself. You are recalling time after
time that Gus has caused the same reaction in you and
others on the board. He never gives approval to any ideas
but his own. He always makes others feel that they are
foolish or some way in the wrong. He remembers everything
that failed in the past and relates these experiences to
what people suggest in present situations. He just did this
to your exciting idea. Everyone else on the board has been
influenced by Gus, too, and they are not considering your
plan.
Could you learn new ways to cope with Gus? Were you
prepared ahead to his pessimism? How could you have better
handled Gloomy Gus?
E. You are a citizen attending the city council meeting and
are feeling very uncomfortable. You think the mayor just
made you look like a fool, but you're not really sure. When
you described a problem you have in the neighborhood, the
mayor seemed to listen but responded in such an overbearing
way that you feel he was being condescending. He smiled
nicely, but in some way it felt as if he was patting you on
the head, as if to say, "There, there! You just let those
of us with important things to say tell you how to handle
your little problem." That isn't the kind of response you
expected. The fact that he spent the next 10 minutes going
on and on with an answer that you think was inappropriate
increased your discomfort. You are thinking. "He acts like
he knows everything, and I don't think he really does. Nor
does he care about my problem. He just cares about telling
everybody how smart he is! "
Is there any way you might have turned this situation
around? How could you have coped more effectively with the
mayor?
COMMITTEE SELF-EVALUATION 1)
Yes No
-- --Is the meeting place comfortable, accessible,
attractive?
-- --Does the committee understand its assignment?
-- --Is the agenda carefully planned and thoughtfully
worked out by the whole committee?
-- --Do members transact their business efficiently?
-- --Does the committee represent different viewpoints? Is
the focus on ideas-not personalities?
-- --Do members feel they really are a part of the
committee? Do they think of it as "their" committee?
-- --Is the committee willing to be accountable to the
parent group?
-- --Does the committee spread its work assignments?
-- --Can the committee make constructive use of conflict,
opposition or criticism?
-- --Is the committee flexible and adaptable?
-- --Does the committee obtain facts, study and analyze
them, make decisions as a result of full discussion,
and then take appropriate action?
-- --Do members feel that time is used wisely and have a
sense of real achievement?
-- --Do meetings begin and end on time?
-- --Totals
Good committees have "yes" answers to most or all of
these points A "no" answer indicates a point that needs
improvement. How much improvement does your committee
need?
Appendix F
TEST YOURSELF 2)
Certain qualities in a chairperson promote good meetings.
Here are a few for you to test yourself on. Score 3 points
for each "always", 2 for "sometimes," and 1 for "never." A
good chairperson will score 20 to 30 points.
Always Sometimes Never
Do I get all possible information to the members before the
meeting?
Have I checked arrangements for the meeting, such as heat,
lighting, seating?
Have I prepared an agenda estimating the time likely to be
required for each segment?
Do I respect the opinions of others, even though I may
disagree with them?
Do I use discussion questions to encourage participation ?
Can I handle an argument without getting personally
involved?
Do I try to get less vocal members to participate?
Am I aware of the importance of adequate information for a
discussion?
Do I come to a meeting prepared for a clear introduction of
the subject aimed at clarifying goals and promoting
informality?
Do I listen to detect when members are in agreement on an
issue or when they are getting off the subject?
My Score
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