AWWA JTMGT61362

Utility managers encounter a wide variety of challenges in the course of their routine business and over their careers. When the foundations of what you believe in come into question, it demands careful and thoughtful consideration before deciding what actions to take. A person's conduct during these challenging times can have long-lasting effects on self-esteem. Staying true to one's own principles, while being open to change that doesn't violate those principles, can be extremely effective in guiding one through difficult periods. Every utility manager, including those who are considered to be "at the top" of their organizations, has at least one boss, regardless of where we work, we all report to someone. When the expectations of those for whom we work change, it presents a challenge as to how we will conduct ourselves in the face of a new environment. A person's response to these new circumstances can have a large impact on the interaction, as well as the aftermath that follows a subsequent, inevitable change. This paper is primarily about those who work for someone else in an employee relationship, although the issues relate similarly to those who work for others on a contractual basis. In the employee-employer relationship, the "boss" could be one person or it can be an appointed or elected governing body. In either case, a working relationship is created at its outset and develops over time. When the participants mutually enter the relationship, expectations are typically laid out, and these adjust as the relationship continues. An effective relationship is solidly constructed within the team as common goals are pursued.