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City leaders brush up management skills 
Wed, Jan 18, 2006 

By Jeffrey Pieters
Rochester Minnesota -- The Post-Bulletin

Rochester's city government leaders are brushing up on their management skills with the help of a Twin Cities-based business consultant.

A three-month exercise in leadership development and team-building started on Tuesday with a 90-minute introductory program at Mayo Civic Center. Every senior member of the city's professional staff, all seven city council members and the mayor attended.

"I'd compare it to spring training," said Mayor Ardell Brede. "The Chicago White Sox will go back to spring training this year, even though they won the World Series."

Brede called for a training retreat in his 2005 State of the City address, and reiterated the call in his 2006 address earlier this month.

He said the skills city leaders learn in this exercise will help improve city operations -- budget-making in particular -- "even though we (already) work together quite well."

Brede said he organized similar kinds of training retreats during his working career in the finance department at Mayo Clinic.

"I bet there's not a business in town that doesn't once in awhile do a retreat," he said.      "Who knows what we may uncover?"

The educational sessions are being led by James Sipe, a founder of Magellan Executive Resources, based in Golden Valley, Minn.

The firm has predominantly worked with corporations and other for-profit businesses but has in recent years begun consulting more often with government agencies, Sipe said.

Magellan is working with the cities of St. Cloud, Mankato, Maplewood and Andover to similarly re-evaluate and develop their management practices, Sipe said.

Its contract with Rochester is for $9,700.

On Tuesday, Sipe introduced officials to the concept of "servant leadership," a management style in which leaders present themselves as empathetic, visionary and thoughtful figures who give their subordinates a greater share of power and control -- in essence, managing their departments from the bottom-up.

"It's all about relationships -- mobilizing groups of people to perform effectively," Sipe said.

His work with the city continues with one-on-one interviews with each of the key leaders in the city. After that, he'll hold two more meetings -- one with the group of professional staff members, and one with elected officials.

The process will conclude with a group meeting, at which time city leaders will agree on their shared "vision" for the city organization, clarify the roles of staff members and elected officials, and set goals that can be measured for attainment.

Organizations often see "dramatic and enduring changes" as a result of transforming their management approach and organizational culture, Sipe said.

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