The Intern’s Question … “What Does Success Look Like?”

By Frank Walsh

Two weeks ago, Meridian Township welcomed our newest management intern. Will Christie, who grew up in St. Joseph, is a senior at MSU. Will’s goal (dream) is to become a city manager.

During our initial discussion, Will asked me an interesting question. “For those of us just entering the city manager field, what advice would you give to help us be successful over the next 30 years?” I thought to myself, that’s an interesting question and fits right into MME’s Member Success Committee. I posed Will’s question to our Member Success Committee. Below are a few simple suggestions that our Member Success Committee would like to share with our incoming and future leaders.

  1. Be kind, considerate, and always try to remain unflappable. Emotional intelligence will lead you down the right path.
  2. Make it a personal goal to gain the respect of your most vocal critics. Use kindness, empathy, and responsiveness to win over the critics.
  3. Respond quickly to citizen concerns and complaints. Make it a priority to address the issues. Build a team that shares in your desire for unparalleled customer service.
  4. Think boldly, act continuously, and do good things daily.
  5. Don’t be afraid to say, “I don’t know.” A humble and straightforward response is always better than “bluster.”
  6. Pass on the credit and don’t be the center of attention. It’s so important to build the team with appreciation. Think of yourself as “coach” not a “boss.”
  7. Although it’s really tough, there will be times in your career when you will need to part ways with a staff member. Always, remember this… ”it’s not the ones you fire you should worry about, it’s the ones that you should, that you don’t, that you should worry about.”
  8. Be Compassionate. Treat your team with unbridled care and show compassion for them and their families. Get to know your team. Understand what is important to them. “Show your team that you care, before you show them what you know.”
  9. Be involved in the community. Be seen. “Always treat your community as if you grew up there.”
  10. The sooner you get over yourself, the better. Being “right” is the easily most overrated thing on the planet. You can be right every day, but if you don’t get people on board with you, cooperate and compromise, you will not create positive change and your community will suffer.
  11. Take your time. I remember that time in my career when I worried about getting the perfect first job or doing everything right the first time. It takes time and experience to learn your style, what works and what doesn’t (by doing both yourself), and how to best interact with people of all types.
  12. From the onset, establish a clear and consistent evaluation process for you and the city council to keep the lines of communication open.

Best wishes, Will. Municipal management is an incredible opportunity to fulfill your innate desire to serve others.

Frank L. Walsh

Frank Walsh
Chair, Member Success Committee
Manager, Meridian Charter Township

At the age of 19, Frank Walsh was elected as a trustee of Henrietta Township. After six years in public office, Frank went on to pursue a career in municipal management. The Cedar Springs City Council appointed Frank as their city manager in 1991. He was then hired by the St. Joseph City Commission in 1996 and served the residents of St. Joseph for 17 years. In 2007, Walsh was awarded the State of Michigan’s City Manager Award, the highest award given in municipal management. He became the Meridian Township manager in 2013. Over his decade of service, the township has established a new 10-year local road program, greatly improved maintenance of its facilities and assets, fully funded the township OPEB system, established a plan to fully fund its pension system, and nearly tripled its fund balance. He has also led the township through numerous challenges, including the 2013 ice storm that left thousands without power for many days. He has a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Toledo and a bachelor’s of science degree from Grand Valley State University. Volunteerism Member and former president of the Haslett-Okemos Rotary Club, Walsh lives in Meridian Township (Okemos) with his wife, Shar. They recently celebrated their 30th anniversary and raised three children together: Casey, Mersadie, and Brooke.