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McGinn's 46 Rules

It only takes 46 rules to govern the behavior of Mayor Mike McGinn and his staff. The day before he took office, McGinn disseminated a list of 46 official rules for working in the mayor's office. Happiy, these rules for public servants are focused on public service -- #11 is Always remember we are here to serve the public, and #24 is You are an ambassador of the Mayor and the City of Seattle. There's a few we envy -- we could have really used #21 (Always try to make your co-workers look good), and #32 (Be cool. Don’t overreact & do the right thing.) in past workplaces. We've got the full list, via Publicola.

  1. Clean up after yourself
  2. Have Fun
  3. Don’t break any laws
  4. Help each other
  5. Listen
  6. Always work when volunteers are present
  7. Don’t pass the buck
  8. Start on time & end on time
  9. Share information
  10. Be careful what you write-everything is public
  11. Always remember we are here to serve the public
  12. Trust in the seaworthiness of your vessel
  13. Everybody works & helps
  14. Anticipate others’ needs
  15. Loose lips sink ships
  16. Be clear about from whose perspective you are speaking (on behalf of the Mayor or not)
  17. Elevate problems liberally
  18. Ask for help
  19. Don’t be the highest ranking person with a secret
  20. Keep the Big Picture in Mind
  21. Always try to make your co-workers look good
  22. Talk to each other
  23. Always thank each other
  24. You are an ambassador of the Mayor and the City of Seattle
  25. If you are on it, say you are on it
  26. If you say you are on it, You’re on it
  27. Take a pause for clarity
  28. Emphasize collaboration and team work
  29. Everyone is important
  30. Take time to think about how you can help others succeed
  31. Be Honest
  32. Be cool. Don’t overreact & do the right thing.
  33. Reduce, reuse, recycle
  34. Be aware questions can be construed as orders
  35. Communicate openly
  36. Resolve conflicts early
  37. Pause (briefly) to celebrate successes
  38. Earn your taxpayer dollars
  39. Small actions have big meanings
  40. Have a “do-it-yourself” ethic
  41. Do more with less
  42. Treat everyone with respect, dignity and honor
  43. Treat adversaries with respect & disagree agreeably
  44. Challenge ideas, not people
  45. Make measurable goals
  46. Honor Diversity

Via Publicola.

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