This article was originally published on March 17, 2025 for Double Haul Solutions (DHS). For more information, visit the DHS LinkedIn page.
In Michigan and across the country, we’re facing a loss that’s difficult to quantify: the disappearance of institutional knowledge.
Since the 2008 recession, municipalities have seen waves of retirements, layoffs, and restructuring, leaving behind a generational gap not just in technical expertise but in the deep, intangible wisdom that comes from experience. The professionals who once knew how to connect the dots between departments, build partnerships with community leaders, and gain the public’s trust are no longer here to guide the next generation. And the next generation? We are left to figure it out on our own.
This impact extends beyond efficiency and technical know-how. When institutional knowledge isn’t passed down, we lose relationships, trust, and the foundation of effective governance. Municipal government thrives on the wisdom accumulated through years of engagement, understanding, and navigating complex community dynamics. Without that transfer of knowledge, each new wave of professionals is forced to start from scratch, piecing together fragments of history and experience that should have been handed down.
The Generational Knowledge Gap: More Than Policy
For decades, institutional knowledge in municipal government wasn’t solely about expertise—it was about having conversations and developing meaningful and productive forms of public input. It meant knowing which community members to call for insight, understanding the history behind local resistance to change, and fostering trust with residents who had felt ignored by their government for years.
I know this loss firsthand. When I started in municipal communications a decade ago, I stepped into roles that had long histories but no one left to explain them. The knowledge of why things were approached in a certain way, the relationships with key community members, and the insights that made processes more effective had all walked out the door with the people before me. I wasn’t just learning my job; I was trying to reconstruct history. The more I struggled to fill those gaps, the more I realized that governance depends as much on communication and relationships as it does on policies and procedures.
When experienced government professionals left, they took years of relationships, networks, and a nuanced understanding of how to connect with people. Today, many young professionals stepping into municipal roles learn governance from textbooks but are not always being taught the most critical part of the job: how to tactfully communicate and build trust with communities.
Why does this matter? Polarization is growing, and local governments are at the center of it. Public administrators are increasingly caught in the crossfire, lacking the tools to navigate conflict and find common ground. The ability to engage in constructive dialogue has eroded, replaced by reactive decision-making and rising frustration. More and more, public administrators are expected to simply endure hostility—to be yelled at, berated, and dismissed. But that is not our role. We are not obstacles; we are facilitators. We should be the people residents turn to when they need help solving problems. We should be the bridge between frustration and resolution, the first step toward guiding communities through their most pressing challenges. Without effective communication, local government becomes disconnected. Without strong relationships, governance becomes reactionary. Without meaningful engagement, communities stop believing that government is listening.
Communication is the Tool for Rebuilding Institutional Wisdom
We need to acknowledge that we are in a new era of governance, one that demands stronger communication skills. Public administrators today must navigate communities where frustration toward government is at an all-time high, and thanks to the internet, we are more aware of these frustrations than ever before. Social media and digital platforms have given people an outlet to voice concerns instantly, amplifying discontent and making it impossible to ignore. If we fail to equip the next generation with the knowledge to communicate effectively—if we do not teach them how to diffuse tension, build trust, and steer conflict toward resolution—we are setting them up for failure.
How do we rebuild this lost knowledge? It begins with meaningful conversations—both within the halls of government and directly with the community. Instead of relying solely on top-down messaging, we need to create opportunities for open dialogue that strengthens trust and mutual understanding.
Capture Stories, Not Just Procedures
So much of what made past municipal leaders effective wasn’t written down in a handbook, it was learned through experience. Municipalities need to document more than policies and best practices but the stories behind them; how the trust was built, how opposition was turned into collaboration, and how community projects gained support.
Why It Matters? If we don’t share these stories, every new generation is forced to reinvent the wheel, leading to inefficiency and lost opportunities for meaningful progress.
Build Community-First Communication Strategies
We often approach communication as a one-way street. Issuing statements, responding to complaints, and holding press conferences. However, effective municipal leadership is about anticipating and communicating long before issues arise.
Why It Matters? When communication is proactive, trust grows. And when people trust their government, they engage with it.
Strengthen Cross-Generational Collaboration and Mentorship
It’s easy to see the divide between seasoned municipal professionals and the new generation as a problem, but it’s also an opportunity. The experience of senior professionals combined with the fresh perspective and technological fluency of younger employees can lead to a more engaged model of governance. However, knowledge transfer must be intentional. We cannot assume that experience will be transferred naturally—we must facilitate it, encourage it, and create the space for it to happen.
Why It Matters? The future of municipal government depends on people who know how to engage with the community, are skilled in conflict resolution, and understand that communication is not just about sharing information—it’s about creating solutions.
Looking to the Future: A Return to Human-Centered Governance
Municipal government is not just about keeping the lights on and the roads paved. It is about people. It is about trust. And it is about ensuring that knowledge—the kind that lives in relationship development and experience—doesn’t disappear with every wave of retirements or restructuring.
If we don’t invest in communication and engagement now, local government will continue to drift further from the people it serves. We will see more disconnected decision-making, less informed policies, and an erosion of trust in public institutions. Worst of all, we will lose the connections that make governance meaningful.
I’ve experienced this loss firsthand in my career, and I know I’m not alone. Too many of us stepped into municipal roles only to find that the knowledge, relationships, and guidance we needed had disappeared with the generation before us. We were left to piece things together on our own, learning through trial and error what should have been passed down intentionally. That cycle cannot continue. It is our responsibility to ensure the next generation is not left in the same position. We have the opportunity—and the obligation—to rebuild by prioritizing communication and engagement at every level. This ensures institutional knowledge becomes a resource that actively shapes both policies and the people responsible for carrying them out. Local government thrives when we commit to mentorship, relationship-building, and fostering a culture of learning.
If we want the next generation of municipal leaders to succeed, we must do more than hope they figure it out—we must equip them to lead. That starts with communication. That starts with us.