Southbridge Town Council of the Whole - August 25, 2016

Evaluating TheTown Manager's Goals And Objectives

VAPID AND MEANINGLESS...
(for more on this topic see the discussion at Focused On Southbridge)

In Principles of Management by Mason Carpenter, Talya Bauer, and Berrin Erdogan the question is raised “What are goals and objectives?”

The answer of these authors, which is reflective of contemporary managerial thinking, is as follows:

Goals and objectives provide the foundation for measurement. Goals are outcome statements that define what an organization is trying to accomplish, both programmatically and organizationally. Goals are usually a collection of related programs, a reflection of major actions of the organization, and provide rallying points for managers. For example, Wal-Mart might state a financial goal of growing its revenues 20% per year or have a goal of growing the international parts of its empire. Try to think of each goal as a large umbrella with several spokes coming out from the center. The umbrella itself is a goal.

The Next Step In Doing The Job

Ken O’Brien

At Monday night’s joint meeting of the Town Council and the School Committee, committee member Jill Congdon made a succinct observation.

“A School Committee member’s primary responsibilities are policy, budget and overseeing the Superintendent “she noted.

Substitute the term ‘Town Manager” for “Superintendent” and one could make the same statement about the Town Council with equal validity.

This year for the first time in memory the Council took the step of instituting a budgetary practice commensurate with that in virtually every business and household. It took the (for a governmental body) extraordinary action of imposing a limit on spending before establishing a budget.

Oversight: A Contrast Of Imbalances in Southbridge

Ken O’Brien

Two issues have come to a head in Southbridge and will result in either decisions or ongoing indecision in the near future.

The issues are the question of whether there will be one or two Principals at the new Southbridge Middle/High School and the growing disaffection between the Chief and the rank and file in the Southbridge Police Department.