Communication….The Key To Leadership


Well, I have kept my eye on the budget process for the past couple of months and watched as the people we elected have tried their best to get in front of the re-evaluation and budget situation.

Now, before I delve into the issue I want to cover in this article I have to say first that everyone from town employees to elected officials have tried to handle the difficult budget year with a deep concern for the public interest.

However, what about communication with the citizens of Enfield? Has information about the re-evaluation, mill rate adjustment, and budget needs made its way to the public in a timely fashion?

Well, these are questions I will leave to each reader to answer for himself or herself.

Leadership and communication go together. If you are placed in a position of leadership you have a responsibility to make sure the people you serve are kept up on the facts that affect their lives.

Two years ago when I was running for Town Council we ran on a platform that centered on the events now facing Enfield, namely re-evaluation and the tax burden on you. We spoke to the public about what was going to take place and how we, if placed in the majority, would handle this serious budget season.

Now, I am not saying that we would have saved the day, or that our opponents lacked in vision in how to handle the current tax situation. What I am saying is that we knew the key to creating calmness during this time was centered on communicating to you the residents of Enfield.

Communication is the key to good leadership. Some feel that decision-making is the backbone of a great leader, but all the good decisions in the world will not be effective if they are not communicated properly.

Two Presidents of our country were masters at getting information out to the public. John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan were two men that had a gift for communication. Even if your politics was not aligned with one of these leaders, you cannot deny that they were the best at conveying their thoughts and views to the public.

But, what about the other side of communication. What about the responsibility of the public to place themselves in the arena of information. If people don’t attend meetings of the Town Council or Board of Education then the blame for confusion has to be shared by them.

Legal meetings of Town government have to be open to the public. The meetings of the Town Council and Board of education even have to be set in advance of the fiscal year and published on the official town calendar to make sure residents have knowledge of these meetings.

Agendas must be placed to alert the public of issues that will be discussed at the meetings and opportunity for residents comments are always on the agenda. Now I know that Enfields meetings are recorded for television so you and I can see what is taking place in town, but just watching on T.V. only allows us to be spectators and not participants.

I have attended many meetings in Enfield. It has always saddened me to see the empty chairs at these meetings. Yes, there are the regulars who attend and these regulars usually have something to say when the “Public comment” time comes around. Good for them!

But what about the rest of us.

Our town government is a “Representative Government.” Our Councilmen and School Board Members represent us. However, unless they hear from us they have no way of knowing what we are thinking. The fact is their decision making process will turn internal and they will make decision based on their views or the views of a few that influence them.

Leadership is communication. But if you don’t get involved in the dialog then they cannot communicate fully to the citizens. So next time you speak to your neighbor about your dissatisfaction on the way your money is being spent in town answer these questions. When was the last time you attended a Council meeting or Board meeting? When was the last time you called or emailed your representative to give your view? Are you placing yourself in the “communication forum?”

To share your thoughts with Enfield leaders just go to www.enfield.org and look for the contact information of elected officials. You also can go to the link for the BOE on that site and look up school Board members. They truly want to hear from you.

If you want lower taxes then tell the men and women that decide what the tax rate will be. Just so you know you have about three weeks before the Town Council sets their budget, sorry I mean YOUR town budget, and the new Mill Rate. Have you expressed your thoughts on this? If not, then email them today. If you want to copy your email to me at GTStokessr@aol.com I will also make sure your views are heard.