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Figure 1. Effective Small-Group Decision Making Interpersonal Skills The ability to work with others I · Listening to and understanding the views of others · Constructively confronting and resolving differences · Supporting others and showing respect for their ideas · Participating actively in discussions · Taking "time outs" to discuss how well group members interact An EFFECTIVE Small Group Task Skills Knowledge to do a job I · Knowing the form and role of the organization · Knowing law, policies, and procedures · Showing civility and good manners · Using professional and technical knowledge Rational Skills Ability to deal with issues and problems rationally · Selecting and prioritizing the issues to be addressed · Analyzing issues and related facts · Identifying obiectives and outcomes · Considering alternative strategies and courses of action · Assessing obstacles and consequences · Reaching consensus decisions · Evaluating and following up mance component must be defined within the team through discussion and mutual definition of those behaviors and practices expected of the mayor and councilmembers in the conduct of their duties and interactions. Vince Lombardi, when asked what made a winning team, replied, "Start with the fundamentals. A player's got to know the basics of the game and how to play his [her] position. The players have to play as a team, not a bunch of indi- viduals. The difference between medi- ocrity and greatness is the feeling the players have for each other;' that is, their relationships. Teams talk about and de- fine expected roles and relationships and give constructive feedback to their members on the degree to which they are fulfilling these expectations. Establish and Abide by a Council-Staff [] Partnership We have all heard the saying "Council makes policy, staff implements policy." Well, this is a total misconception of re- ality. Policy making and policy imple- mentation are not distinct and separate functions. Policy ma'ldng/implementa- tion is a continuum of thought and rela- tions that transforms ideas and abstrac- tions (visions, policies, goals, and plans) into defined, observable ends or out- comes (results, programs, buildings, streets, deliverable services). Council and staff share this continuum as part- ners ensuring each other's success. Each person plays an important role in mak- ing sound policies and in ensuring their effective implementation through reli- able administrative practices and perfor- mance. Figure 2 depicts this partnership and continuum. John Carver, a widely acclaimed au- thor who writes about boards that make a difference, discusses this partnership as one in which councils define the needs to be met and the outcomes to be achieved. He believes that councils should allow staff, within council-estab- lished limits, to define the means for achieving these ends. He sees a council- staff linkage that empowers staff to do its tasks and to be evaluated on the re- sults produced. Councils that accept and abide by this partnership focus their energy on estab- lishing vision, goals, and good policy and on empowering effective staff perfor- mance. Councils that do not do this will frequently fall into micromanaging, that is, they will perceive a need to become involved in, or retain approval over, even minor staff activity and plans. A critical element and important council task in this partnership is evalu- ation of the manager or administrator, based upon clearly defined goals, poli- cies, and established guidelines on exec- utive performance. According to the 1996 ICMA survey, only about 45 per- cent of all councils formally evaluate their managers' performance. Make a Systematic Evaluation of Policy [] Implementation Councils, like most legislative bodies, frequently exhibit the Jean Luc Picard syndrome (Star Trek ID and simply tell their staffs: "Make it so." They assume that council action equates to policy and program implementation. The next time the council hears about policy is when a problem or crisis arises. In contrast, highly effective councils 6 NOVEMBER 1997