Do you practice compassion in planning?
From Cyburbian el Guapo: I am not talking about helping the poor, the disenfranchised, a particular ethinic group or sexual orientation culture. This isn't the APA. I am talking about people. If you practice in the public sector do you do your best to remind yourself every time that there is a real human being behind that building permit counter or conditional use application?
Do you do everything you can to put yourself in their place? You know they don't understand our terms or the process and are often at our mercy. Often they cannot read a map like we can and would be easily misled. They don't know which council person is going to be the road block in the process and they don't understand how much gray area exists.
So, do you understand what it is like to be crushed in the bureaucratic machine? Do you hit the attitude reset button for the next innocent customer/citizen in your office after you just spent two hours explaining to le Douche Mc Developer he can't count on the city to build his subdivision's infrastructure so he can make an even more obscene profit? Do you do everything you can to help people that have pissed you off before and are now back in your office? Do you understand that when Gramps is trying to subdivide the family farm that his great grandfather assembled that it may be the most painful day of his life?
So, the compassion thing? How important is it to you?
Good thread idea. The compassion thing is pretty important to me. But in order to do it one needs to be present in the moment. That is often not the case and if I were to report on how often I actually deliver on that commitment I'd say maybe four out of ten times. The other six I'm on autopilot. Gramps will probably get a healthy dose of empathy (or at least sympathy) even if I'm going through the motions, but Scumbag is a much more challenging prospect and chances are real good I'll falter there by assuming the Official Bureaucratic Stance. Eight years ago I probably would have delivered compassion (intentionally) maybe in three out of ten cases. Sad but true.
When I'm in a pre-app meeting with a person who describes a crazy proposal, I'll point out all the problems with their idea(s). Then conclude by putting on my thespian planner face and tell them, "I know that's not the answer you wanted to hear, but I have to be honest with you. I don't want to walk you down the path with an application only to reach the end and say, 'Oh by the way, we're recommending denial of your request.'"
I go through the motions....a lot. :-|
I go through the motions....a lot. :-|
My cohort in the Public Works Department and I do this a lot. We find that meeting with people as early as possible saves them a lot of time, money, and frustration.
[ot]Thanks for taking the wind out my ego's sails. I thought I originated this tactic and practiced it exclusively. :-D
Why didn't I patent it and sell the rights?[/ot]
As with EVERYTHING ELSE in planning this too is situational. I approach almost every situation with the public or every situation if I have never met the person with an open mind and an eagerness to help the public understand the often confusing and sometimes frustrating public planning & permitting process.
However, if I have word that someone is being rude, ugly, or is swearing in front of my permit clerks (we have 7 sweet women who handle permitting) I will then approach the situation with a sternness that the applicant or customer must first explain their actions or more often they change their tune when the "boss" gets involved.
I have compassion especially for the lay person who is doing minor house work and doesn't understand why they need a permit for certain things or why it takes 3-4 weeks to get a permit for a new house.
Where I lack patience and compassion is when I'm dealing with the same person, professional or lay person, for the umpteenth time and they either haven't been listening or haven't done what we've asked. What irks me most is the "professional developers" who need the process explained almost every time they submit. I have little patience if it is your line of work versus a one time customer.
I agree with and work to practice/apply all that has been said.
When I was on the planner side of the equation, I never treated anyone with anything other than respect. I was more helpful to people who didn't p*ss me off but I realized very early in my career that those irritating people come back so there's no point in setting yourself up for continuing confrontations with them. I try to practice that same approach to dealing with planners when I'm on the other side of the counter. You/We aren't all easy people to deal with either. Some of those committee written procedures are pretty obtuse when you don't deal with them every day and when you're dealing with multiple communities, well...let's just say that it's mind-numbing.
I am beginning to morph into the The 'You, Mister, Must Earn My Trust First' School of Public Planning.
I have been to compassionate before and it is beginning to burn me.
I believe in making folks understand the process, maps, plans, etc., but don't take me for a ride. I will not bullshit you, if you do not bullshit me.
I am generally very nice. I have alway had a talent for telling folks what the don't want to hear and making them feel not so bad about it.
However, on Wednesday I had to go out to a nuisance violation with the city attorney since our nuisance guy retired. The landowner is one we have constant problems with. A few years ago he took the city's charges to the supreme court and lost. He threatened that again, and I responded by channeling Dr Phil. "How did that work for you last time Larry" The attorney asked me to return to the car..... I guess that wasn't the nicest thing to say.
It is my experience that planners have become regulators…that is to say that we enforce the regulations and understand those via case law. There is not much room for compassion in ‘enforcing the regs’…..The only chance I get is trying to explain to some poor, confused citizen who has wondered into a planning ‘circle-jerk-in-motion’ what is going on and help him to understand it……oh well.
Exactly, you can't really be 'compassionate' in what you do at your job, but only in how you treat people. I go under the premise of treating everyone with respect and fairly and give them the benefit of the doubt. Once they start being rude, ignorant, shady, what have you than I can be a complete &%$@#*. Of course I am still very polite and fair but they know I'm not taking their crap. It's kind of you get what you give type of thing.
Fat Cat
I agree with and have always tried to follow the RJ and NHPlanner approach,
And no not everyone is happy with me and that approach but I do it anyway
This is where I differed from Maister. I had little to no sympathy and would make elderly men cry. I was there to do my job, and do it well. Maybe one of ten times I would be compassionate, beyond that, I would use compassion as a bargaining chip. While the violation my not get corrected within the 10 day time period, the:
“well, tell you what I can do, if you clean it up within 15 days, we won’t issue the ticket. Technically we should issue it after ten, but I want to help you out.”
But than again I am a cynical person. We often played the good cop/bad cop when we teamed up. Often Maister talked and I just stood there looking angry that I had to leave my office to come down here and deal with this crap.
It worked some of the time. He had a much better relationship with repeat offenders than I did, however I spend more time in court.
“well, tell you what I can do, if you clean it up within 15 days, we won’t issue the ticket. Technically we should issue it after ten, but I want to help you out.”
But than again I am a cynical person. We often played the good cop/bad cop when we teamed up. Often Maister talked and I just stood there looking angry that I had to leave my office to come down here and deal with this crap.
It worked some of the time. He had a much better relationship with repeat offenders than I did, however I spend more time in court.
I tend to follow the M'ski school of thought on this one. I have aboslutely zero compassion for the developer-type. Slightly more compassion for the local businesses who are trying their hardest to succeed and follow the rules. And just a little tiny bit more for the average home owner who wants to put up a garage, etc.
For me; I can just not understand how people are unable to become educated on the general zoning guidelines within their communinty. But again, just like M'ski, I'm generally a cynical bastard when it comes to the general public and development community. My first though is always..."If they could get away with X, Y, and Z, they would; it's my job to stop them".
Maybe it's a Michgan thing. ;-)
I tried to be nice, I really did. But when you get a developer trying to scam you.... When you meet with Mr Bitchy who has come in for the 85th time to complain about the same project (over a 9 year span, and he's followed you from Planning to Trails because he knows you) and once again tries to convince you how the developer circumvented the "system" (true, but what can you do?).... you hear Mr Bitchy's voice and run out the back door of the office. When you're accused of taking bribes to approve something done before you even worked there? Yeah, I had my moments that weren't compassionate. The guy who says "I don't know anything about this process" but argues code issues like a lawyer for two hours of your valuable time?
But for Mom and Pop who were genuinely clueless and just trying to do something, sure, anything I could do to to help them out. They were few and far between, though.
In the private sector, I have to be nice. Every time! To everyone! :a:
Compassionate with applicants? Sure - every time.
Compassionate with the rules? Naw!
Compassionate in the gray areas? That's what comes back to haunt me every time - when I am compassionate, and when I am not.
Damn the gray areas! Full speed ahead!
Next?
Ditto. Especially to those who pay the bills ;-)
Does you fair employer have a Mission Statement that spells it out like this ?
- Customers' are not an interruption of our work. They are the reason for our work.
- Uniqueness in our community character is fostered by promoting economic health, respecting cultural heritage and preserving environmental resources.
- Service to our customers is prompt, courteous, and competent.
- Teamwork is fostered by supporting one another, sharing ideas, information and resources within the department, the county and the community.
- Orderly change is achieved by applying reasonable and innovative planning principles.
- Maintaining what is best about our community, the environment and our cultural resources.
- Effective and consistent service is provided by taking pride and ownership in the work we do and by setting high standards for our performance.
- Respecting each customer's uniqueness and valuing each person's contributions is our commitment.We are honest, ethical and professional in all our dealings with our customers and each other.
http://www.co.jefferson.co.us/planning/planning_T59_R58.htm#mission
For me; I can just not understand how people are unable to become educated on the general zoning guidelines within their communinty. But again, just like M'ski, I'm generally a cynical bastard when it comes to the general public and development community. My first though is always..."If they could get away with X, Y, and Z, they would; it's my job to stop them".
Maybe it's a Michgan thing. ;-)
Come on, really now. Zoning codes are very often cryptic as hell and if I were Joe Average Homeowner instead of a planner, I'd probably have a tough time deciphering what a lot of this stuff means as well. Step outside your own education and experience and think about it from a layperson's perspective.
That said, I do tend to be pretty nice to everyone but am slowly becoming less nice as I see folks come in here playing dumb and trying to manipulate me. There have been times where an applicant has called me and when I've given them an answer they don't like, they go and call the municipal admin, or the building department, trying to play us against each other. Uncool.
I try to be compassionate/helpful with people who aren't used to the development process. But it's interesting because there is a contingent of the population who would think that is a bad idea - that staff should treat developers harshly so they won't want to develop in town again.
It depends. There are some people that flaunt the rules and know they are doing it. Like the local developer who does not get a building permit because he knows we have building size limitations in a neighborhood commercial zone. He constructs the building (why did my inspectors never stop him I do not know) and then acts suprised when we cite him, as if he did not know that was coming. For people like that, I have no compassion.
For Joe and Susie homeowner, who do not know the process, and just want to expand their deck, I will bend over backwards to help them out.
I do my best to be as 'reasonably" compassionate as possible. Having good conversational awareness is key to determining how compassionate you really should be. For example, the 65 year old single woman who wants to know why she can't build a 9' wall for security needs a healthy dose of compassion and a careful explanation of the purpose of limiting walls to 6'. However, Joe Developer who you talked to yesterday about a specific requirement who came back today and tried to subvert you by talking to another planner (or even an intern or counter tech) to get another answer, deserves much less compassion.
Maybe it is my young idealism or the fact that I have worked in both the public and private sectors, but I think the key to compassion is balance and consistent application. :)
I try to be nice, I've only made a few people cry. ;) I think, when it comes to the homeowner there are those I will help 110% and then there are those that knew the rules, didn't like the rules, built whatever they wanted and then submitted for a Variance. The latter kind, well, I wish we could have public time-outs for them because, imo, if you act like a toddler you should be treated like one.
I guess my compassion comes down to the stupid statement factor- if anyone utters, "but xyz was allowed..." my compassion factor goes down. My main job is being a parent when I'm not at work being a planner. I choose to work, so I expect to have adults act as adults and have the brainpower to grasp concepts as such. I know there are exceptions, there always are, but I tend to loose patience and compassion with the lazier sorts.
I think I left my compassion in the public sector. No wait, those were my morals.
;)
I'm also generally compassionate. The individual homeowner gets much more patience than the experienced developer.
And the small business owners will be in-between.
I had a substantial reply all typed in and got bounced.:-{ It doesn't matter anyway, it really just reeated much of what has been said: I'll go the extra mile for individuals but will not do anything if I feel a scammer.:-@
DLK
I try my best to treat every applicant fairly and with respect. I sympathize with certain situations when there is a genuine concern (and I'm not being lied to), but I have a duty to uphold the rules. If applicants follow the submittal rules and show enough respect for the city to show up at meetings and submit proper plans, I will make sure they get their permits as quickly as possible.