Here I’m borrowing a line from a 1961 folk song as I reflect on articles published in PM magazine during 2016. A contentious presidential campaign had much of the country on pins and needles most of the year, but fortunately, PM kept its bearings. My personal opinion is that it was an extremely good year for the magazine! Articles focused on subjects large and in the news, like law enforcement issues, trauma, and opioids, and on perhaps smaller but still really important subjects like work-life balance, creativity, and humor, among many others.

During the year, 104 ICMA members wrote articles for the magazine, and a 2016 survey of all members found that some 81 percent of them rated PM as excellent. All good! 2016 wraps up with the December issue and its variety of subjects. It also includes the new special section titled LGR (Local Government Review), a descendant of ICMA’s The Municipal Year Book.

ICMA members Jeffrey Fiegenschuh, Kimberly Alexander, and Travis Rothweiler honestly answered the December On Point question: What Top Five Qualities Do You Look for When Hiring Senior Staff?

Nighttime is a movement! It can be an economic influence for many communities. Although, as author Jim Peters writes in “The Nighttime Economy,” a strong institutional foundation is required for maintaining the critical balance between nightlife’s vibrancy and chaos. He stresses the need to plan for the impact that will be placed on local resources, including public safety, zoning, parking, and public works—yes, public restrooms are a part of the planning!

A special online-only article written by Angela Turner, “Nightlife in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada,” describes the formal late-night management program that Edmonton has had since 2007 called the Responsible Hospitality Edmonton.

Three managers from Maine are featured on the December cover: Amy Lamontagne, Nathan Poore, and Nat Tupper. They are the authors of “Working Together Regionally,” which provides examples of how their communities work together to deliver services and what they’re learning from the experience. Their recommendation: Be a collaboration’s biggest supporter and talk about success stories to the media, elected officials, and staff members.

If you’re a manager who would be excited by the prospect of a large tech company establishing a base in your community, catch the article by former manager Kathryn Dodson, “The Smart City Movement.” She has written an overview of what these companies are about in order to help managers talk intelligently about smart cities to their elected officials. Dodson says the areas where smart city development is occurring rapidly is energy, infrastructure, traffic, and parking.

In Village Manager Raymond Rummel’s article “Managers Pioneer Emotional Competence Certification,” Rummel tells why six managers in Illinois completed a leadership enhancement certification program that focused on emotional confidence and being personally self-aware. He and his colleagues advocate that “understanding emotional responses and behaviors is critical for leaders today.”

“Simply put,” Todd Jackson writes, “traditional IT is dying and a new partnership model is taking its place.” In “Bid Adieu to Traditional IT,” find out about the model Jackson proposes, which involves IT and the departments it serves becoming partners. Departments will take on a much greater role, the author argues, in designing technology that meets their needs.

Patrick Ibarra did a bit of creative writing in his article “Cultivating Creative Leadership.” It’s an enjoyable read on creativity in the workplace and what managers can do to encourage a creative culture, described in terms of a fitness plan—taking your vitamins, cultivating an appetite, fueling up, and more.

I definitely enjoyed reading Karen Thoreson and Ryan Spillers’ article, “Reaping Rewards from Awards.” The Alliance for Innovation recognizes innovation award winners each year. In this article the authors take a look at the long-term effectiveness of award-winning programs. The results are interesting.

Don’t miss three more online-only articles: “Four Tips for Easier Parking, Less Road Rage, and Fewer Tickets during the Holidays”; “How to Gain and Use Leverage in Every Negotiation”; and “Make the Most of Your Minutes”—with information we might be able to use this time of year.

I look forward to receiving more articles from managers and local government management experts next year so volume 99 of the magazine will have yet another good year. Until then, Happy New Year!!

December 2016 Public Management (PM) magazine

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