Advice Column: Help from The Senior Advisors July 2025
”Seniors Moments” is an advice column where the innocent and the guilty shall remain nameless. Send your real or imagined, funny or tragic, but always educational problems to the Seniors team, composed of anonymous ICMA Senior Advisors (who shall also remain nameless to protect their reputations ).
Dear Seniors,
We as managers frequently work together. Truthfully, working with other managers is usually my favorite part of the job. Sometimes, we must work together- contracts or obligations require interactions between jurisdictions. We have a regional issue that requires engagement across localities. I'm frustrated that one of my manager colleagues won't return my calls or emails. I am trying to coordinate this regional issue and just can't make the connection. I am prepared to ask a member of the governing body who is also involved in this regional issue about the issue, what to do, or even if there is something wrong with the manager? I don't want to violate the ICMA Code of Ethics which requires me to alert the Manager that I am talking to their Mayor, but I can’t get the manager to talk to me. Help!
Signed, Fully Frustrated
Dear Fully Frustrated,
It is certainly frustrating when one reaches out to a colleague to discuss issues that are of mutual importance/concern for your locality and the colleague’s.
Hopefully the issue, while one of importance, is one where immediate response is not needed. Regardless, I would resist the idea of using an elected official as a go between for obvious reasons. Here are a couple of suggestions:
Send a follow-up email, or better yet, text asking for a time for the two of you to talk.
If you are still unable to get a response; is there another colleague who also knows or is friends with the manager. Contact them explain your frustration and seek their help in making contact.
Finally, you could try reaching out in a more social context. What about grabbing a coffee, breakfast, or lunch together? Food is a great ice-breaker and can help change the context of the conversation.
Hopefully one of these alternatives will help make that important contact, and once the lines of communication are open the two of you can talk regularly.
It is important for there to be open lines of communication but be aware that every circumstance is different and the other manager may have difficult working conditions that temper the ability to discuss some issues.
Best of luck
The Seniors
As always, if this response seems lacking or raises further questions, feel free to reach out and contact a Senior Advisor directly. We are here to assist you navigate your local government management career and enjoy paying back the support that helped us through our careers.
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