It's Okay to Wake Up Sleeping Dogs

Transparency, the act of making information easily accessible and understood to the public, is an essential civic virtue. But transparency is passive; it responds to, but doesn’t drive, participation.

As a civic leader, it’s your job to inspire public participation in the affairs of their community. That means calling attention, making introductions, raising concerns, being welcoming, and above all, providing a meaningful process of engagement that leaves participants feeling that their voice was heard and their time was well-spent.

“Let sleeping dogs lie” is a lousy maxim for community leadership. Sure, civic engagement can be a loud and messy affair. But local government is supposed to be participatory and that requires leaders who relish their role as champions of community engagement.