Calabasas City Council has another session with facilitator





By Michael Picarella
Acorn Staff Writer

The Calabasas City Council met as a group for the second time last week at the Agoura Hills/Calabasas Community Center with facilitators to enhance the council’s organizational performance. Delia and Arnie Horwitz of Business Relationship Consultants in Beverly Hills conducted the session and afterward, Delia said the council had come a long way since they first met.


Delia and Arnie previously worked together with the council and emphasized positive thinking while concentrating on a specific goal. The council went off the path a few times and became bogged down in details, but according to Arnie Horwitz, that’s normal.


Last week, the group discussed ways to enhance the council’s performance at city council meetings. Councilmembers agreed that they should use their time more effectively. A sub-committee will help make the agendas more efficient, according to Delia.


Major items will be dealt with earlier, so that the big decisions aren’t coming up later in the meeting when people are already tired and grumpy.


"They were much easier to work with this time," Delia said after the session. The previous week, the council wandered off track and got negative a few times, but last week they stayed focused and positive, she said.


"We have some momentum and they’re getting used to some new behaviors," Delia said.


The council identified priorities for the next six months, Delia said. She’s confident, she said, that the councilmembers have the tools to work together and accomplish their goals.


"They can expect that there will still be times when the council meetings go sideways," Delia said. "The key is to get it back on track –without making anybody wrong–and stay strategically focused on the city’s business."


Delia said she thinks the council will sometimes remember to use the tools she’s provided them. But occasionally, she said, they probably won’t.


"The key is to not make a big deal out of it and recognize that it’s normal to fall into old habit patterns," Delia said.


"Each councilmember should take accountability to—in a supportive way—get the group back on track."


The councilmembers said they were happy with their work with Delia and Arnie Horwitz.


"Most of them said they were impressed at how much they got done," Delia said.


Another council session with Delia and Arnie Horwitz is possible, but wasn’t yet scheduled.



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