Organizational Strengths

Organizational Strengths

          From an organizational standpoint, the Town of Gilbert has many strengths. Gilbert maintains a strong commitment to the organizations “mission, vision, and values”, which include being the best in class in all lines of service. The values of the organization are printed on each employees ID Badge, on the Town’s website, and on wall art throughout the workplace. The values the Town seeks to uphold are: integrity, respect, accountability, innovation, learning, and communication. Aside from a strong mission, vision, and values system, the Town maintains a unique approach to personnel management. The management style at Gilbert utilizes “coaching” opportunities when it pertains to employee discipline. Instead of making punishment and disciplinary action the first step in personnel management, Gilbert seeks to coach and mentor employees through problematic situations. Depending on the type of infraction, Gilbert will usually always seek to retain the employee, but modify their behavior through coaching/mentorship opportunities from senior staff members. Additionally, another strength of the organization is their “on the spot” program, which seeks to reward employees for their good deeds. Staff can submit “on the spot” awards for those who have gone out of their way to help another employee or a citizen. Overall, the Town offers a supportive environment that seeks to nurture and develop their employees to the best of their ability, creating an environment that encourages learning and creativity.  Gilbert gives a great deal of attention to engaging and managing personnel in the best possible manner, which has been one of the organizations greatest strengths.

"How to Successfully Interview" Webinar

            A few weeks ago, I attended the career services webinar on “How to Successfully Interview”. Even though I am still in the early stages of my career, I have been on several interviews already. I personally believe interviewing is a skill-set that can be developed and honed over time, which is why practicing is important. While I was familiar with most of the information being presented in the webinar, there were some points worth noting. During one part of the webinar, the need for a STAR story was discussed. A STAR story is one that tells: a Situation you were apart of; the Task at-hand; the Action you undertook; and the Results of the process. I think the STAR format would be a useful method for framing some of your career experience. Additionally, I found the statistics that were presented in the webinar very interesting. According to the webinar, 80% of recruiters want to see membership in a professional organization on your social media account. Furthermore, 61% of employers react negatively to profanity and other inappropriate posts and tweets. These statistics made me rethink some of my social media posts, and to exercise caution in regards to my social media activity.

Thanksgiving Holiday

            This week I am traveling to Hermosa Beach to visit my sister for Thanksgiving. I am looking forward to traveling and spending some time with my family and friends for the Holiday. My sister and I don’t cook often, but we have committed to making the stuffing and pumpkin pie this year (two very big staples), so wish us luck! After the thanksgiving holiday, I have roughly one week of class and assignments, and then the semester is finished! It will be nice to have a break from school to concentrate more on work, as well as other areas I haven’t been able to give as much attention to. More importantly, I am looking forward to spending time in Philadelphia with the rest of my family over the winter break. Happy Holidays Everyone!

Modern Day Public Service

How to Demonstrate Public Service?

At all levels, government should be providing some form of public service to its citizens; however, the type of service will vary dramatically depending on what level of government is involved. One of the reasons I became interested in pursuing a career in local government was because of the impact I could have on the community. Personally, I don’t feel that I could accomplish much at the state level, and even less at the federal level, which is why I have concentrated my efforts at the local level.

My experience in local government thus far has shown a changing landscape in regards to providing public service. Originally, local governments were formed to address infrastructure, safety, and health issues in the community. The need for building and fire codes, sanitary/sewer systems, safe roads, and open space were the early drivers for the enactment of public services. Ensuring and protecting the health, safety, and welfare of the community, has always been the underlying goal of local government; however, as society has progressed and technology has improved, the role of government has shifted as well. Citizens now look to local government to demonstrate their commitment to public service in a manner that differs from those in prior decades. Current public service expectations include transparency; accountability; financial prudence; efficiency; and a commitment to ethics. These recent trends in public service have impacted Gilbert’s mission/model in several ways.

Gilbert’s mission is to be “best in class”, which is a commitment to effectively and efficiently serving residents and the businesses. The Town employs this mission by keeping some of the lowest utility and tax rates in the county. Additionally, financial prudence is exercised through the Town’s careful evaluation and implementation of municipal services and programs. Not being transparent with the use of taxpayer dollars has been a stumbling block for many communities and Gilbert makes a concerted effort to avoid any instances of impropriety. Publishing financial reports and documents, while taking accountability for any wrongdoing, is a key provision in providing the level of public service citizens desire.

This weekend I was able to spend time hiking and running outdoors, which is something I always enjoy! The weather is beautiful this time of the year, and I am certainly enjoying the fact that I am not still living in a cold-weather climate. I was also able to catch up with some friends this weekend as well, which has been increasingly difficult with my recent school and work commitments. Most importantly, I submitted my midterm for one of my classes this week, which only serves as a reminder of how fast the semester is going, and how little stands between me and my graduate degree!