Breaking the Silence: The Hidden Potential in Your Municipal Team

The most effective municipal teams didn’t start that way. They became exceptional by acknowledging an uncomfortable truth: surface-level harmony often masks deeper dysfunction.

In today’s episode of The HaltingWinter Podcast, we explore what I call the “municipal mask” – that professional facade we feel compelled to maintain in public service. Drawing from Patrick Lencioni’s “Five Dysfunctions of a Team,” we examine how this mask impacts everything from council meetings to departmental collaboration.

Consider a typical scenario: Your department heads nod agreeably during meetings, but crucial conversations happen afterward in parking lots and hallways. Projects move forward with apparent consensus, only to stall through passive resistance. These aren’t signs of bad leadership – they’re natural protective responses to the unique pressures of municipal governance.

This pattern shows up in three critical ways:

1. The “Perfect Department Syndrome” where departments struggle silently rather than risk appearing vulnerable by asking for help.
2. The “Meeting After the Meeting” phenomenon where real discussions happen in unofficial channels, eroding team trust.
3. The “Silo Survival Strategy” where departments focus on avoiding blame rather than pursuing collaborative opportunities.

The cost? More than just efficiency. When we prioritize appearing competent over being authentic, we create what I call the “competence trap” – a pattern particularly challenging in municipal leadership where public scrutiny makes vulnerability feel risky.

But there’s hope. The most transformative moments in municipal leadership often come when teams learn to balance professional competence with authentic engagement. Throughout this week’s deep-dive series, we’ll explore practical strategies for breaking these patterns and building truly exceptional teams.

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• The complete 5-part podcast series on team transformation
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Seth Winterhalter is President of HaltingWinter Municipal Solutions, dedicated to making stronger cities through stronger leaders. Through executive coaching, results-based consulting, and the Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC), HaltingWinter helps city managers and municipal leaders transform their leadership impact and their organizational culture.