March 2016
VIDEO OF THE MONTH:  Why Good Leaders Make You Feel Safe 
  
What makes a great leader? Management theorist Simon Sinek suggests, it's someone who makes their employees feel secure, who draws their staff into a circle of trust. But creating trust and safety - especially in difficult budget times - means taking on big responsibility.  Click on this link to watch this informative TED Talk Video.

ARTICLE OF THE MONTH:  The Public Works Leader's Balancing Act

In researching good articles to share this month, we found this 2004 publication from the APWA Reporter, Tim Equels an Assistant Director of Public Works from Fulton County, GA explores what it is like to be an effective leader in the Public Works industry and to maintain a tricky balance between responding to immediate needs versus planning to meet future needs. Mr. Fulton touches upon subjects such as lack of leadership, garnering your responsibilities, prioritizing and looking/planning ahead. We found the information provided by Mr. Equels to be just as relevant in 2016 as it was in 2004.
Bringing Out the Best in People
By Alan Loy McGinnis  
Book Review by a TLP Cohort #4 Member

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in developing better leadership skills. The main focus of this book is on how to better motivate the people that work for us. It details various motivational strategies, with an emphasis on positive reinforcement. It talks about parlaying little successes into larger scale achievement. It advocates for building an environment where people are not afraid to fail, and for a team approach for projects. The author also points out that many of us are competitive by nature and it can be beneficial to tap into this competitive nature.
Don't Miss Opportunities to Develop Your Employees

Providing professional development opportunities for your employees is very important. We are very fortunate that the APWA National Snow and Ice Conferences is coming to Connecticut this year. The event will be held from May 22-25, 2016 in Hartford. APWA is offering a unique opportunity for agencies in New England to enjoy the benefits of the snow conference close to home. The Agency Sponsorship Program allows your organization to send multiple staff members to the snow conference at a fraction of the regular cost. Your staff will have a full day access to the exhibit floor displays, vendors and suppliers without having to register for the full conference. Different levels of sponsorship are available based on the size of your crew. 
 
For more information, visit http://newengland.apwa.net/ or contact Walter Veselka at [email protected] (860) 584-3838 or Tim Webb at [email protected] (860) 870-3140  
Sharing Knowledge ~ Constructing New Knowledge Together

 All of us at the T2 Center are excited about the outcomes of your final capstone projects. We received a request from one of our TLP Alumni. They suggested that we post the PDF's of the project powerpoints on our website, as a resource to everyone in the Public Works community.

I think that is a great idea but also want to be aware of any sensitivities you have to information you shared about your agency. For those that have  completed their final projects, can you contact me if you would prefer not to have your powerpoint included on the website.

Also, if you have any ideas for ways we could share the great work you are doing in your projects, I would be very interested in hearing from you.
   
Best,
Donna   

"Every time you speak, you are auditioning for leadership"
-- James Humes
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