Key Takeaways – COVID-19 Burnout Panel

Once again, a great deal of thanks to the County Administrators and City Managers that participated in the COVID-19 Burnout Panel Discussion (follow link to see panel participants).

The deliberations of the panel were confidential, operating in the similar format as the City / County Manager Think Tanks. So, while the majority of the content will not be published for general consumption, there were a few parting comments that are worth sharing:

It’s a small group. It’s people I don’t already know. We knew in advance that this was going to be a private conversation. Those three things, I never get to have the chance to have all of those things together, even at a conference.

– Phillip Smith-Hanes

All panelists applauded this response. This seemed to be the the sentiment of the group. They all seemed to really value the opportunity to be not only among peers, but the fact that they were able to also be free from the public eye.

I love this idea that you have, it’s always great to have some kind of forum where we can just vent if one of us needed to and share ideas.

– Sharon Ragoonan

I think I can do more. You guys have challenged me to look for other avenues to do that.

– Bill Sturgeon

It was great to hear from everybody, the old adage, misery loves company is comforting. You have the same problems I have.

– Robert Sivick

It is worth noting that only 2 of the panelists knew each other prior to the discussion on COVID-19 Burnout. The group was able to get into detailed conversations quickly, with a focus on understanding and solving problems. Everyone on the panel shared at least one item they were taking back to begin implementing right away. Here are a few of them:

This conversation has re-framed a bit the questions I plan to be asking in my next meetings with the Interim County Administrator… really focusing on the situation and how can I help enhance the organization moving forward.

– Tanya Ange

I have to do more of what Bill is doing, thanks for sharing that. We’re concerned not only with our own mental health, but the mental health of our staff.

– William Lawrence

I think I need to do more about employee morale, try to reduce stress levels and keep everyone in a good place of mind

– Ashley Jacobs

The group finished by discussing other items that they would like to discuss in the future.

How we do our budget projections and what we think about how the economy might recover is interesting to me. It would be nice in a forum like this to kick around different thoughts.

– Mike Steigerwald

Future Topics – Panel Recommendations

• Social Injustice
• Employee wellness
• Crisis Management
• Organizational Culture
• Equity
• Future Service Delivery
• Council Manager Relations
• Economic Development / Recovery
• City and County Cooperation