Foreword by S. Gail Goldberg, Los Angeles Planning Director

Between accepting and starting my new job as Planning Director of the City of Los Angeles, I was inundated with messages and reading material passed along to me from my new friends in L.A. Many folks shared history and personal anecdotes of their native city as they welcomed me north from San Diego. They described the neighborhoods that I might like to live in, the sites of interest and the restaurants that I really must try. Others provided their political perspective and an overview of the business and development environment. But most of the folks I heard from shared with me their stories about a planning department bogged down in case processing and void of long-range planning.

By far, the most popular e-mail attachment, for my reading pleasure, was an audit of the planning department that had recently been completed by the City Controller. The accompanying newspaper articles carried somber headlines, such as “Audit Criticizes City Planning Policies.” My head was spinning with quotes: “an agency cast in a time warp of past practices, old procedures and outdated technology” that was “mired in backlogs,” etc. etc. One can only imagine how excited I was to read this. After all, I had already resigned my position as Planning Director of the City of San Diego.

There was one ray of hope. The audit had been conducted for the Controller by Zucker Systems. And I know “The Management Doctor.” I have seen Paul Zucker many times, in his all-white medical garb, standing in a booth at planning conferences under the ZUCKER SYSTEMS banner with the sign on the desk reading: “The Management Doctor is In.” We all know the true measure of a doctor is not just diagnostic skill but the ability to find a cure.

Beyond the occasional encounter at a planning conference, I also was fortunate to have spent many years of planning in San Diego, the home of Zucker Systems. I have had opportunities to interact with Paul and to assess his work. He is most impressive. He combines a very successful career as a planning manager with a subsequent and equally thriving career as a management consultant. I knew that if Paul had conducted the audit, it would be fair and there would be constructive recommendations.

More than a year has passed since my first introduction to the Los Angeles Planning Department. Dedicated planners joined with me to create a Strategic Plan for the Department that addresses many of the recommendations in the audit and introduces “real” long-range planning to our work program. Our journey is that of all planning departments: to produce great plans, to efficiently and effectively process cases, to be responsive to our stakeholders, to nurture staff and foster creativity, and to fully engage the public.

And we face the same challenges of limited funding that most often results in insufficient staff, which we compound with inadequate training. Of course, nowhere is training more lacking than in the area of planning management. We hire the best technical planners that we can find, and if they are really good, we promote them to managers. After that, we just hope for the best or we buy a copy of Paul Zucker’s The ABZs of Planning Management.

This new edition of The ABZs of Planning Management, and the one that preceded it, delves into the chaotic world of planning departments and, with clarity and humor, identifies our most common challenges and offers best practices and innovative solutions. Reading Part I, The New Environment, challenged my thinking about the nature of organizations today and the role of managers while it expanded my view of leadership. The Vision and Mission chapter was particularly relevant to me as I work to set a new direction in Los Angeles. And I laughed with Paul as he talked about planners who see themselves as somehow separate and apart from the political process. What country do they work in?

Part II, Employees, gently reminded me that “people are our best asset” and then convinced me that nurturing individual growth and creativity in our staff is, quite simply, a survival strategy for today’s planning organizations. Part III on Planning and Development Functions provided practical ideas and examples of best practices that helped me rethink both our planning functions and case processing. And then, of course, I was challenged to fit all of that into a creative and fluid organizational structure.

Thank goodness the doctor is still in the house and that Part IV addresses structural issues. Office Management not only provides examples of effective organizational structures, but also challenges conventional thinking about vertical and horizontal responsibilities. It also offers many practical ways to create that efficient and effective department that we all aspire to have. Finally, Part V, Tools, provides a concise review of key management tools to help evaluate and improve our organizations. Of course, if all else fails and downsizing becomes the tool of choice, the book concludes with a great chapter on Unemployment Blues.

If you are a planning manager or aspire to be one, you will find The ABZs of Planning Management a great read with many “aha” moments. One cannot read it without wanting to share the ideas with co-workers. The book is a wonderful impetus for real dialogue with your management teams. It is thought provoking and inspiring. I can assure you that all of my managers will have a copy.

S. Gail Goldberg, City of Los Angeles, Director of Planning
Spring 2007