Improving Team Decision-Making in Local Government: Insights from Perla of Brownsville, Texas

Effective decision-making is crucial for any organization, and this is especially true in local government. In a recent episode of the LeaderGov Podcast, we had the privilege of hearing from Perla, the Director of Organizational Development and Human Resources for the City of Brownsville, Texas. With nearly a decade of experience in HR and organizational development, Perla shared valuable insights on how leaders can make better decisions that benefit their teams, organizations, and the communities they serve.

Learning from Mistakes: The Power of Reflection in Leadership

When asked about the toughest decision she’s made, Perla was open about the challenges she faced in the past. She recalled times when the pressure to fill vacant positions led her to make rushed hiring decisions. These quick decisions, made with the best of intentions to support her team, ultimately resulted in hiring...

Ethics and integrity aren’t just buzzwords in local government—they’re the foundation of public trust, team cohesion, and long-term success. When leaders prioritize ethical behavior, they create a culture where employees feel accountable, engaged, and proud of their work. But fostering this kind of culture doesn’t happen by accident—it requires intentional effort and strong leadership.

In a recent LeaderGov workshop, government leaders from across the country came together to explore practical strategies for promoting ethics and integrity in their organizations. Through insightful discussions and real-world examples, they uncovered key approaches to strengthening ethical standards within their teams.

Why Ethics Matter in Local Government

As William Whitson, a seasoned local government professional, put it, “working in local government is like "living in a fishbowl." Every decision, policy, and action is under public scrutiny. When integrity is compromised, the consequences ripple...

Enhancing Communication in Local Government: Insights from Our Expert Webinar

Effective communication is crucial for the success of any organization, and local government is no exception. In a recent webinar, LeaderGov gathered over 150 leaders to discuss the challenges and best practices in team communication within local government settings. The insights shared provide a comprehensive look at where communication often breaks down, the typical communication cadence in departments, how information flows up and down the management line, and the impact of body language and tone on productive conversations.

Where Team Communication Usually Breaks Down

Leaders shared the following about communication breakdowns:

• Listening and Engagement: A significant number of participants highlighted issues with not actively listening or engaging in conversations. This lack of engagement can lead to misunderstandings and a breakdown in communication. Notably, over 50% of respondents mentioned that
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Like any organization, local governments need to build strong teams to get important things accomplished.   Even the mundane tasks are done with greater ease when we operate like a team.  

We recently completed a LinkedIn poll and asked local government leaders what key topics they liked most in retreat. By large margin the top two most popular aspects of retreats were team building time and goal setting time.

Team-Building Exercises

Next time you plan an offsite retreat for your Department, City or County staff, City Council or County Commission, we encourage you to include exercises that bring the team together and grow the level of trust and understanding among individuals.

Here is a list of several exercises you can consider. Let us know if we can help you think through the rest of your offsite retreat needs. 

1. Two Truths and a Lie: Have each team member share three statements about themselves, two of which are true and one of which is a lie. The rest of the team must guess

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