Commissioner's Little Handbook: A Portable Guide for Local Government Advisory Board Members [Ring-bound]

Len Wood (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0963437402 | ISBN-13: 978-0963437402 | Publication Date: November 1, 1992

Finally, a handbook for the 1.2 million advisory board members serving over 83,000 local governments in the United States. This pocket size, 144 page reference guide is a bountiful source of ideas, advice and checklists for volunteers sitting on library boards, planning commissions or blue ribbon committees. Once appointed, these citizen volunteers are given some exposure to the technical aspects of the job, an out-of-date orientation manual and promptly asked to take on complicated community or organizational issues. Unfortunately, they are given very little guidance on the nuances of working with a group of diverse people within a complex local government political environment.

As a result they must learn on the job and while they are learning, they are non-contributing members of the commission. When these new members attend meetings, they do not actively participate because they do not have the confidence to jump into the commission discussion nor do they ask questions for fear of looking uninformed. This getting up-to-speed period costs the organization dollars, not only in terms of wasted energy, but also lost staff time and resources.

It doesnt have to be that way. Commissioners Little Handbook helps address this information gap. It is a portable reference guide containing a bountiful source of ideas, advice and checklists for commissioners, staff members who provide commission support and the elected officials who appoint these advisory board members.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Len Wood's new book is terrific. I've worked with elected and appointed officials in five states that needed this concise handbook. It is timely, educational and most importantly, results oriented. Every elected and appointed official and agency employee would benefit from this handbook. -- Ted A Gaebler, Co-Author, Reinventing Government

The Commissioners Little Handbook captures the essential information needed by advisory board members and staff liaisons in a handy 7 1/4 by 4 1/2 inch document. Incisive and perceptive, this book should be provided to every advisory board member. -- Public Management, 1993

From the Author

Even though citizen advisory commissions and boards are the backbone of local government, there is a lack of information available for them. The topics contained in the Commissioners Little Handbook are the same issues raised by commissioners at my public workshops for local government commissioners. The Commissioners Little Handbook was the first in the little handbook series and its widespread acceptance spurred me to write others.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Ring-bound: 140 pages
• Publisher: Training Shoppe (November 1, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0963437402
• ISBN-13: 978-0963437402
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.8 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,450,040 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic things to consider as a commissioner, January 16, 2011

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Gen of North Coast Gardening (California) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Commissioner's Little Handbook: A Portable Guide for Local Government Advisory Board Members (Ring-bound)

I'm a new member of our town's Historic and Design Review Commission, and was given this book by a city staff person to help me be a successful member.

I found it so helpful! The things to consider about knowing the jurisdiction of the commission, respecting the fact that sometimes our decisions will be overturned, and the tips on working with our fellow commissioners was very helpful. I went into this blind, not knowing much about what my role might be or how I might serve within the commission, so having this book to shed a bit of light on the processes I can expect, some of the sensitive issues I may encounter, and the tips on how to tread carefully and be respectful of alternate opinions were very helpful.

I'd highly recommend this book. It's clear to me that I will be reading and re-reading this for as long as I serve. It's a quick read and took me about two hours, even with stops to consider the contents, but there are also quizzes that existing members can take to establish areas for improvement on the commission, so it's definitely a book that would be helpful for both new and existing members.