Building a service culture.

The following is a preview of one of the topics to be covered during Leadership Training Institute seminars at the Congress of Cities in Orlando, Fla., November 11-15.

How do residents and businesses in a community see their elected officials and the public servants who provide their safety and municipal services? How can the delivery of these services positively or negatively impact the perception of the community as a whole either by the taxpayer or regional competitors?

Municipal leaders carry the responsibility of administering the funding for implementation of plans and programs to safeguard the community, providing for the well-being of its residents and enhancing the economic growth and tax base of the region. All of these attributes add to the fundamental elements and enrichment of any community. A positive customer-oriented service staff only lends itself to continuous improvement. What was once thought of as only applicable to private industry is now a very important facet of regional government.

As a leader in your community, are you aware of the culture with which your municipal government is run and viewed in the region? Elected officials and municipal leaders need tools to ascertain where they may be missing the mark in delivery of services, and benchmarks to determine whether staff members are aware of the culture and vision of the organization and how that transposes into their communication and interaction with residents and businesses.

The City of Brunswick, Ohio, has built an atmosphere of positive customer service from the elected officials and city manager to its department heads and front-line staff members. All have contributed immensely to the "Working Together to Create a Community of Excellence" mission statement. This theme has transformed itself throughout the community, extending into the businesses, schools, churches, community groups and organizations, and residents. Other communities can do the same and work together to create their own community of excellence.

Details: Zienkowski will lead Leadership Training Institute seminar L01, entitled "Building a Culture of Community Service: Creating a Community of Excellence," on Tuesday, November 11, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information or to register for Leadership Training Institute seminars, visit the NLC homepage at www.nlc.org.

Robert Zienkowski is the city manager and safety director for the City of Brunswick, Ohio.