Leading in Stressful Times

By John Shay

One might be hard pressed to imagine a more stressful and challenging time than what we are facing these days. Whether it is deciding the most effective way to encourage the use of face masks; responding to requests for hazard pay; implementing a work-share program; determining which employees must return to work and which can continue to work from home; deciding whether or not to open a park or playground; recommending what programs and services to cut or eliminate due to revenue shortfalls; or wondering why your funded percentage in your pension plans keeps going down despite great market returns and payments above and beyond the annual required contributions, the list goes on and on.

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted our communities and our jobs in a very significant way. But it has also affected our members. I can feel the stress, whether it be from listserv posts, phone calls that I have received from other managers who are struggling, or hearing from managers during meetings of the various regional groups. The cancellation of this year’s Summer Workshop took away an opportunity for our members to step away from the “rat race” and seek rest, relaxation, and opportunities to network and commiserate with our fellow managers who truly know what we are going through and can help us learn new ways to cope with all of our current challenges.

The MME is compiling a list of support services that are available through the MME, ICMA, and perhaps other organizations to provide assistance to our members, and I will look to provide this to you in a subsequent listserv post. The MME Board will also explore other ways to provide support to members. In the meantime, here are links to information on various mental health topics.

Even though the Summer Workshop has been canceled, the Professional Development Committee has been hard at work developing a mini virtual workshop with training sessions that you will find highly relevant in today’s unpredictable, stressful, and challenging times.

Work is continuing on our efforts to update the MME’s Strategic Plan. Our consultant, the Nonprofit Spot, is hard at work incorporating the feedback from our focus groups, surveys, and meetings with the MME Strategic Planning Committee in order to develop a series of objectives and tactics that would support the overall strategic goals of the updated strategic plan.

Since we are “Ready for Anything,” we must find new ways to cope and respond to these challenges. It is important to remain connected with your fellow members even during these physically distant times. Please reach out to your fellow managers, attend the regional meetings even if they are held virtually, and maintain the human connections that are more important than ever. Even more radical, go on vacation for the first time in a very long time and come back a new person, as one member recently noted on the listserv.

As I work through this “virtual” year of leading this great organization, I cannot help but be grateful for all of the assistance, new ideas, and support that I have received from board members, committee chairpersons, and our fellow members. It is truly an honor serving this great organization.


John Shay
President, Michigan Municipal Executives
Deputy Administrator, Ottawa County

John Shay’s career in municipal management began in 1998 when he became village manager in Almont, located in Lapeer County. He then spent over 15 years as Ludington city manager before becoming deputy county administrator in Ottawa County in 2018. He’s been very involved with MME throughout his career by serving on various committees and is also a member of the International City/County Management Association. You may reach him at jshay@miottawa.org.