By Michael Roberto
Reprinted with permission from the Public Management (PM) magazine, copyrighted and published by ICMA (International City/County Management Association), Washington, D.C.
Michael Roberto, FCCMA past president, passed away in August 2006.
All managers go through transition in some way. How does the phrase go: Nothing changes like change
itself? Whether in our personal or professional lives, change is one of the few constants. In my particular case, as I went through transition from a city management position, the past seven months have been among the most enjoyable, introspective, and defining times in my life. I would not have traded them for anything.
Actually, I have been in local government management for the past 18 years, 12 as a city manager in two cities. Beginning in January 2000, I “transitioned” into the private sector to work for a first-class consulting engineering firm. I chose the firm because of its commitment to quality, the wonderful people who work for it, and their strong sense of ethics, which places a high value on the firm’s clients. I was a finalist in four cities and a county and also was considering two other private sector offers when I chose to work for the firm.
My Own Story
I began my transition from local government in late July 2000. It was odd because, during my career, I
have hired 10 managers who were in transition and never expected to be one myself. Call it ego or
naivety, but you always assume it will be someone else who is between jobs. I hired these managers
because I believed it was an obligation in this profession to help out our fellow managers. If you can’t be supportive and compassionate to a fellow government professional, then what do you stand for, and where are your ethics and values? Everyone gets into the barrel, and at what point do you help or hinder? When I left, I received more than 200 phone calls, e-mails, and letters from citizens, fellow managers, and people I had never met. They were so incredibly supportive that it made me realize the value of what we do as managers. In a short period of time, I became convinced that I needed to make this opportunity something special. I began to see this experience as a chance to strengthen my core values, and I started to embrace this change as an important chapter of my life. In retrospect, I came up with 10 points on how to manage transitions in life.
1. Through the transition process, stay in control. I am absolutely convinced that at the point when it is time to leave, you are in the greatest position of strength. Exercise it thoroughly to protect your family and your future. Do not negotiate from a position of weakness. Force the issues if you must, but just as in negotiating a union contract, never let them see you sweat.
2. Begin work early. When you can read the tea leaves that it might be time to go, start putting your resume and contact list together well in advance. Talk with an attorney and an accountant to develop to both short-term (four to six months) and one-year plans. Eventually, you will use them, and when that happens you will not be operating out of confusion but instead from a plan that has a sound legal, professional, and financial foundation.
Also, hire a resume company to help prepare your curriculum vitae (c.v.). I have found that managers
write the worst resumes, but this task must be done before you leave. Go back and have your staff summarize all of your accomplishments over the past few years. I always did this each year and kept the correspondences. If you have not done this, you will need your staff to remember key improvements and accomplishments, and it is easier to do this while you are still in your position. I wrote both a public and a private resume so that my options were open.
3. Once you leave, get out of town, and take time off. My family and I left for a three-week vacation to Minnesota, and it was a cleansing process. Getting away was an opportunity to read, relax, and think without interruption. Speaking of reading, two books I recommend are Running to the Mountain by Jon Katz and, for the guys, Men’s Passages by Gail Sheehy.
Both books are not so much about change as about how a person deals with it. This, I came to find, was
my single most important learning experience. You must embrace change. Do not run from it, rationalize it away, or imagine demons in it. Change is going to happen every day of our lives-how we confront and control it is what really matters.
4. Get in physical, mental, and spiritual shape. I know you have heard this before, but in my eyes it made all the difference. I hired a personal trainer and started lifting weights, working out, and reducing my body fat, which resulted in losing three inches from my waist and gaining energy. Another great support was seeing a therapist, who helped me work through some personal issues and put thoughts in their proper context. Most managers have negotiated health insurance as an employee benefit, and most plans will cover this valuable service.
But, most important, I reconnected with my religious beliefs. I learned that as my relationship with my beliefs grew stronger, I developed a far greater understanding of myself. I credit this fact more than anything else with bringing value to my life during this period of transition.
5. Rediscover your family. I could not remember a time when I was at home when my daughter left for
school or there when she got back. We started taking tennis lessons together. I coached her soccer team and drove her to places that I didn’t even know she went. As well as your children, remember that person who sleeps next to you in bed. Take this time to strengthen and bring your relationship with your partner to a new level, and realize that all of this crisis will pass, but family stays constant.
6. Get rid of debt, and create a solid financial plan. I always had paid attention to long-term retirement goals, but it’s easy to get caught in short-term debt. Eliminate all of it ahead of time, well before you ever leave a job, so that when all of the other issues hit, this is one giant burden that has been lifted.
7. Take your time. Develop a plan, and explore both public and private options. I worked on focusing on my ideal job. Since I had almost one year of severance pay, this cushion helped give me the chance to think through what I wanted to do. But, more important, it helped get my priorities in order. I was able to negotiate the city into paying for an outplacement firm that helped me with transition to another sector.
Look closely into this option. I found it incredibly useful, especially when I was researching the private sector. Remember, it is your choice to make.
Consider each option carefully, making every step correspond to the plan and priorities you have
established. Transition is work! Set up an office with what works for you. For example, I installed a cable Internet connection because I was used to a T1 line. As part of your severance package, include your cellphone (a lot of people remember the number), your computer (avoids fighting over the home
computer), a fax/printer (the entire world is not Internet-ready), and a Palm Pilot. If you have operated with these in your government job, technology will be equally important as you look for a new job.
8. It is important to be open to the kindness of others. As managers, we are so used to giving orders
and being in control. Then, suddenly, all of that power disappears. It hurts, and it’s easy to want to hide.
But what you’ll discover is that there are incredibly compassionate people in this world who will appear in your life, sometimes when you least expect it. Work at being receptive to them. Realize that each contact is an opportunity that opens another door, either within you or for a future job. So many people were incredibly supportive to me, and I shall never forget how their support helped me.
9. Continue to believe in yourself. It is easy to get “down” on yourself and to doubt things. For me, faith in myself, my family, and my religion has never wavered, and my beliefs have only strengthened with time. Don Stillwell, manager of Lee County, Florida, put it correctly at a recent conference where I was a speaker: “This is a job, not a life.” It’s easy to confuse the two.
10. Realize that change and transition are just another opportunity to succeed. You cannot dwell on
the past, but you can grab the future and take it where you want it. At the moment when it least appears that you are in control of your life, you are in the greatest control of it. I subscribe to an e-mail service called Daily Motivator (www.greatday.com), which sends me words of encouragement and strength each day. As I went back and looked at old messages, I came upon these thoughts, which make a perfect ending for my story: “What was once an effort becomes a joy when you decide you want to do it, when it fits your purpose, when it makes a positive difference. A great strategy for getting yourself to take effective action is to connect that action solidly with the things you truly desire.”
