When Loyalty Gets Complicated in Local Government

Summary: In this thought-provoking episode, Brandon, Dave, and Eden tackle the complex topic of workplace loyalty in local government. The hosts debate what loyalty means in practice, whether it’s connected to tenure, and how it differs from professionalism. The conversation takes an unexpected turn into residency requirements, sparking passionate disagreement about whether living in the community you serve impacts your work. As they wrap up 2024, the hosts announce exciting changes coming in 2025, including guest appearances.

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"Younger professionals are more mobile. The era where you grew up in the town you work for and you spend your entire life there is not necessarily the case." - Brandon

"A number of years ago I worked for a small borough where the governing body said, 'Actually, we'd rather you not [live here]. We think there's gonna be a lot of pressure in this community with the things that we wanna accomplish... We don't really want you to be influenced by your neighbors, the friends you'll make, the social environment.'“ - Eden

"I think if you can live in that jurisdiction, it helps you to cultivate that loyalty, that commitment... It gives you a little more skin in the game…To say that it's not different is just not the way the world works. If you live in that jurisdiction, it's going to have an influence on how you navigate the challenges that you're faced with." - Dave

Show Notes:

* What does workplace loyalty mean in local government?

* The connection (or disconnection) between loyalty and tenure

* ICMA’s two-year standard and generational shifts in career mobility

* Professionalism vs. loyalty: which matters more?

* The heated residency debate: does living in your community change your recommendations?

* Small town dynamics vs. larger municipalities

* Looking ahead: Generation on the Rise adds guests in 2025!

Timestamps:

* 00:00 - Cold open: ICMA’s two-year standard discussion

* 01:00 - Holiday gift assembly war stories

* 05:00 - Defining workplace loyalty in local government

* 08:00 - The role of personal affinity in job selection

* 11:00 - Measuring loyalty: what does it look like?

* 15:00 - The two-year standard and its implications

* 18:00 - Why managers move more frequently now

* 22:00 - ICMA’s two-year standard revisited

* 27:00 - Loyalty vs. professionalism in difficult decisions

* 31:00 - The residency debate begins

* 40:00 - Does living in your community affect recommendations?

* 46:00 - Generational differences in mobility and commitment

* 50:00 - Episode wrap-up and 2025 announcement