Yes, ICMA members have done it again. As contributors, they’ve made the August issue of Public Management (PM) a decent summer read. Let me explain.

Four of them—Cheryl Hilvert, Patrick Ibarra, David Swindell, and Karen Thoreson­—wrote the article “Next Generation Professionals: An Inside Look at What Matters to Them” to help management colleagues ready their workplaces for a younger workforce. Earlier this year, recently-employed local government workers were asked to provide their perceptions of local government as a career choice and how they would enhance their workplace.

Eight charts and graphs help reveal such insights from this cohort as: 67% were drawn to local government because they want to make an impact on community and public service, and 39% say that poor management and oversight would be demotivating factors for them. With the new ideas and expectations outlined in the article, what do you think—is your local government workplace all set?

Although PM features intergovernmental collaboration articles periodically, little has been written on how communities in one state have joined forces. In “Bridging Interests on Local Government Collaboration,” ICMA members Robert Lee and Sarah Hannah-Spurlock write about ways Florida local governments are doing it. They summarize managers’ recommendations when considering a team arrangement, which include being clear and up-front about expectations, recognizing it can be a long process, and planning—but expecting things to go wrong.

The On Point department question I asked Laura Smith, Jack Layne, Mindy Moran Conner, and Dave Kanner to answer this issue is: What is the biggest lesson you learned in the past year or two—the one thing that was revealing, that changed the game, that brightened your outlook (or darkened it) or otherwise changed you, even in the tiniest of ways? The answers are short but personal insights from each of them. (I always love this department!)

In other department articles, ICMA member Ed Everett proposes a different local government management model that he thinks is appropriate for today’s management environment, one where managers will need to rethink the way they always reach decisions (Commentary). Members Alan Rosen and Andrew Belknap provide five priorities to help local leaders build organizations that are stronger and better prepared to withstand an economic downturn in the future (Management Minute).

Authors who aren't ICMA members also provide local government leaders with information they can use: Sheila Grant with the Downtown Research & Development Center, writes about the efforts that at least seven local governments have taken to enhance their downtowns and draw senior residents to them (Active Living).

Three dissenters with Kevin Desouza’s article on citizen engagement published in the March 2015 PM—Matt Leighninger, Tina Nabatchi, and Daniel Schugurensky—explain why they don’t agree with his take on what engagement should include (Your Replies). And Eldonna Lewis-Fernandez presents seven strategies, including using the power of silence, for becoming a top-notch negotiator (Top 5 or More).

There aren’t a lot of magazines that feature “regular local government people” as their authors, but for PM, that’s business as usual. I hope you let them (and me) know that you appreciate their contributions.