How to embark on a new role as elected officials?
Although the municipal team of La Trinité-sur-Mer was elected in the first round of the municipal elections in March 2020, they actually took office only at the end of May. Immersed in various matters and emergency management, including the Covid-19 crisis, the initial months have been intense for the elected officials, with very few opportunities for collective meetings.
In light of this, the mayor expressed the desire to organize a one-day seminar to bring together the elected officials. The main objective was to reconnect on a personal level first and then to share insights on their first months in office. The focus was to explore what had been surprising for each individual, what was working well, what was not working as effectively, and what could be improved.
I had the privilege of designing and facilitating this day, building on two previous collaborative meetings that I had with them during the electoral campaign. The agenda for the day included:
- (Re)clarifying common values and ambitions
- Sharing feedback, insights and new questions about the first months as official electives
- Exploring how to work efficiently between officials and with the employed stuff in the municipality
The seminar proved to be a day filled with enthusiasm and lively conversations, underscoring the elected officials’ strong commitment to being effective and valuable in their roles while upholding the distinctive values that defined their campaign.
“Thank you so much for your performance yesterday. It combined professionalism, understanding of the context and the people involved, and a great grasp of the desired objective. Everything was there, and in addition, your insight and great kindness. Thank you truly because the exercise would not have produced the same effect without you”
Yves Normand, mayor
Following the seminar, I wrote a visual report to keep a record of the day and list elements of analysis that can fuel the next steps and facilitate decision making for the municipal team. Here is a bit of feedback from several elected municipals in reaction to the document I sent them:
“Hi Mathilde, I only just came across your report today. Very professional, as usual. Thank you for this work and everything else. I know we will call for your services again in the coming months and years.”
“Thank you, Mathilde, for this rich and accurate transcription. It’s now up to us to play with all of this!”
“A big thank you for this very comprehensive report and the visual sheets that will allow us to move forward and make progress with a systematic approach 😊”
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