“If you start talking about ‘How do you motivate your team to do better? How do you build a professional development plan?’ All of those things are very foreign to your typical high-tech individual unless they are taught,” Conn said. “You need to have public speaking skills and you need to have presentation skills. You need to know how to come into a room and have presence. You need to know when to speak and when not to. And these are all social skill pieces that most folks are severely lacking when they first get into IT.”
Mesa, and its IT department specifically, prides itself on an innovative spirit, a reputation which helps recruit talented people who tend to be forward thinking. That approach comes through when Conn and his team take over the City Council chambers in a large-scale leadership exercise. Conn plays the role of mayor, and his direct reports serve as councilmembers, each gathered in their respective places behind the dais. IT managers give presentations to the mock elected officials on their top three priorities, answering questions and seeking buy-in from decision-makers, while following procedural rules that are in place for regular council meetings.
Presenters get a lot of feedback from Conn and his team — on every-thing from proper preparation to smoothing out speaking quirks, not reading slides and adhering to meeting rules. There are also follow-up chances to iron out any rough spots with departmentwide presentations, helping course-correct and build confidence in their growing skills.
“I’m happy to say … I would take any of my IT managers and allow them to go and make a presentation to council on their particular topic or subject matter expertise because they’re ready. After three years of doing this, they are good.”
These exercises complement Mesa’s broader emphasis on skills development in the workforce. Employees are encouraged to pursue career development opportunities that align with their interests and are held accountable for continuous learning goals as a part of their evaluation. The city pays for staff to add professional certifications to their resume and attend related conferences that appeal to them.
“We encourage that at every turn because we want to develop our people,” Conn said.
Some of those people might end up leaving the city, taking their new skills to other organizations. After all, promotional opportunities within the city can be limited. But the emphasis on career development reflects well on Mesa either way, adding to its reputation as a place people want to work.
“Anybody who knows they’re good and wishes to advance themselves, those are the folks we’re looking for. I’m not looking for the ones that want to retire in place. I’m looking for the ones that want to innovate and push the envelope forward.”
