September 30, 2019 news headline: “Kansas federal judge reprimanded for sexual misconduct.”[1] The Judicial Council of the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals issued the public reprimand (the most severe sanction it could impose) after an extensive investigation of employee complaints. Closer to home, a local court administrator was terminated recently after many years of inappropriate … Continue reading Workplace Civility — How is Your Court Doing?
Fulfilling the Public’s Trust: Accountability
Like all governmental institutions, courts are accountable to the public they serve for their performance. What is accountability? It is being responsible for the fulfillment of obligations and being called to account for actions in the discharge of duties. The work courts do to fulfill the public's high expectations in the delivery of justice is the key to public trust and confidence in the courts.
From Trust to Courage: reflections on the NACM 2019 Annual Conference
Last week I attended the annual conference of the National Association for Court Management (NACM) in Las Vegas. Once again it was a great experience, filled with wonderful education sessions as well as meeting and networking with colleagues, and a bit of fun on the side. Here are a few things I learned during the … Continue reading From Trust to Courage: reflections on the NACM 2019 Annual Conference
Workplace Civility and Leadership
Workplace Civility and Leadership -- treating each other with respect and a positive approach goes a long way to creating the kind of workplace we all should strive for.
Fulfilling the Public’s Trust: Public Service and Accessibility
As public servants we have an obligation to fulfill the trust placed in us by the public. This the first of ten intermittent posts sharing key professional values; the first value is "Public Service and Accessibility."
Risky Business, part two: Internal Control – how do you do it?
The five key elements of Internal Control have many key principles to follow in order to have an effective program. It helps to think of internal control as strategic planning with a focus on risk assessment, avoidance, and remediation.
Risky Business, part one: Who needs “internal control?” Everyone does!
Every court needs to have a comprehensive approach to the critical area of internal control of operations. Horror stories about internal control failures demonstrate the need. In part 1 of 4, this post covers the five key components of internal control.
Great New Publications on Social Media Marketing and Plain Language Usage
Two recent publications have caught my eye: First, the Joint Technology Committee of COSCA and NACM has issued another quality “Resource Bulletin,” this time on Social Media Marketing for Courts (https://www.ncsc.org/About-us/Committees/Joint-Technology-Committee/Publications-and-Webinars.aspx). As readers of this blog know, I have paid a lot of attention to social media in the courts for many years (most recently, … Continue reading Great New Publications on Social Media Marketing and Plain Language Usage
A Court Leadership Question for You…
How Do You Effectively Manage Critical or Negative Feedback? Weigh In with Your Tips and Lessons! This question has to do with how we as court leaders respond to less than positive information about our performance. Norman Meyer has written about “Breaking Through Verbal Communication Deadlocks” (see the October 2, 2018 posting on http://www.courtleader.net .In … Continue reading A Court Leadership Question for You…
A Few More Thoughts About Mentoring
Mentoring can be great. Here are a few tips on how to find a good mentor, as well as avoiding the mistake of establishing a mento:mentee relationship in the same organizational unit.
