![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blog.piercecountywa.gov\/executive\/files\/2022\/06\/kinder.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
With the Executive out of town on an adventure I am sure we will all hear about, I have been asked to be this week\u2019s guest blogger! \u00a0And if you know anything about me, I am my least favorite subject, but I am also a rule follower who drew the short straw.<\/p>\n
To my knowledge, I\u2019m the only Pierce County employee to ever serve at the leadership level in the Legislative and Executive branches. I was former Chair Richardson\u2019s Council Assistant for 7 years, Executive Dammeier\u2019s Executive Assistant for 2 years and now sit on his team as the Legislative Affairs Advisor.<\/p>\n
In these roles, I\u2019ve seen policy development, strategic planning, budgeting, and public engagement from an initial idea to implementation. What I get asked the most is, \u201chow do you work with so many competing interests and personalities?\u201d \u00a0People are intrigued by the world of politics and the perception of constant gridlock and fighting. Fortunately, at the local level, the reality is far less juicy. I learned very quickly that the secret to getting things done is by dropping assumptions and bringing back kindness.<\/p>\n
I have a sign in my office that says, Always be kinder than you feel<\/strong>. It\u2019s like a good bottle of wine because the advice seriously gets better with time, especially in this post-pandemic era.<\/p>\n Kindness is especially important in our work because everyone has a story. The customer in tears at the Clerk\u2019s Office, the frustrated person contesting their property tax statement at the Assessor-Treasurer\u2019s office, or the obviously flustered person in the elevator trying to find the right courtroom. They all have a backstory and a reason to be having a hard day or moment or year. And now there\u2019s a COVID story to add on top.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blog.piercecountywa.gov\/executive\/files\/2022\/06\/Alice_M.png\")
<\/p>\n