The Mayor’s Corner
“Looking to the Future”
I was honored to be appointed as Hudson’s 57th mayor, and after serving on the city’s architectural & historical board of review for the last year, I have enjoyed my expanded role as your mayor. One of my first actions was to attend several community events as well as walk around town to say hello and meet as many new people as possible. With the nice weather and continued community events, I truly look forward to being both visible and accessible to all residents.
Several people have asked me “How can you help” and “What will you do differently?” As you may have heard or read, my passion is helping people. With that, I was talking to some residents during one of my “walking tours” through downtown. In that conversation, a phrase captured me and I thought it was an excellent summary of one main item I plan to achieve. The phrase was “provide new perspectives but only if they add value to a conversation or discussion.”
To further delve into this thought process, I want to share something that I created and rolled-out in my professional business career over a decade ago and to the global teams that I managed and led. That catchphrase was called the 3-Cs. The 3-Cs were something that I asked my staff and teams to keep in mind whenever they were having an internal discussion, working with a customer or vendor and when approaching a business deal, document or agreement. The 3-Cs – Communication, Collaboration and Compromise – were key to creating or maintaining a healthy culture.
Communication: In my experience, professional and healthy communication is a cornerstone to many facets in life. Without it, obtaining true success can be more challenging, and a discussion can break down quickly before it even begins.
Collaboration: A true willingness to come to the table and listen to other’s views or perspectives, pause and reflect. Without this, walls can go up, and the process can stall or not be very productive. I have already said publicly that “balance” is something you may hear from me often moving forward. Balance is necessary, so that all voices can be heard, with the goal of trying to achieve the most optimal solution.
Compromise: Once the above has taken place, often changes or adaptations are identified. Sometimes a perfect solution is not possible, but often one that is acceptable to many, if not most, can be found. That usually cannot happen nor be discovered without healthy communication and a willingness to collaborate.
In summary, I plan to bring a calm and professional demeanor and attitude to everything I do as I represent our city of Hudson. I then hope that the 3-Cs can be recognized and reflected upon by all residents. It does not cost anything nor burden anyone to be respectful and kind. ∞