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PORT OF
SEATTLE
2016 CEO
EVALUATION
Survey of Commissioners and
Executives
I. Background 1
Overall Leadership 8
Strategy 13
Integrity 16
Succession Planning 19
Transforming Organization 21
Performance 24
Stakeholders 26
CEO-Commission Relations 28
The Commission for the Port of Seattle reviews the performance of the Chief Executive Officer
to:
Maintain an ongoing dialogue between the Commission and the CEO about
governance matters.
The Commission, under the leadership of John Creighton, is responsible for designing and
overseeing this review.
Tom Albro
Stephanie Bowman
John Creighton
Fred Felleman
Courtney Gregoire
One of the purposes of using an independent, outside consultant is to ensure the confidentiality
of the evaluation process and the anonymity of the respondents. McReynolds Associates sends
and receives all evaluations directly and prepares this report for Commission information and
use.
This section of the report describes the process through which Port of Seattle Commissioners
and Executives evaluate Ted J. Fick in his role as Chief Executive Officer.
To provide background for the evaluators, the CEO prepared a comprehensive self-evaluation
along with: a report on progress toward the Ports 2016 goals and other accomplishments and
his CEO-proposed goals for the Port for 2017.
1 = BELOW Performance needs to be improved in several major areas. Did not meet
all standards.
In addition to providing a rating, evaluators were asked to offer written comments to amplify
their rating.
The response rates were as follows: the Commissioners (100%), the Executives (83.3%).
This section of the report provides a brief condensation of the performance ratings and selected
written comments offered by Commissioners and executives of the Port.
Ted Fick is producing many of the results that the Port Commission wanted when he was hired
2 years ago, based on the feedback from the Commissioners and executives in the second
annual CEO evaluation survey. Examples cited by individual Commissioners:
The organization performed well in 2016 and Ted did provide the leadership that
enabled it. He has been pushing financial discipline and forcing greater scrutiny of
wasteful processes and expenses.
His One Port strategy has helped break down silos which needed to happen.
New executives are consistently of high quality. They are well received by the
Commission. I am excited by the new energy that the new people have brought to the
Port.
He has really adopted the Commissions Century Agenda that was developed before he
joined the Port and is working hard to accomplish the goals much sooner than we had
planned.
There has been good progress on certain tactical/operational areas: airport capital
program (IAF, NorthStar, baggage optimization), Pier 66 renovation, bio-fuels study
completed, remote baggage handling at P91, reduction in TSA wait times.
Executives agreed in terms of rankings and positive comments about accomplishment of goals.
As one executive wrote:
Ted is focused on achieving the defined goals. The good news is that he really drives
the organization to achieve the goals.
Overall, his composite average rating from the Commissioners is up over last year (3.80
compared to 3.58). On the individual elements, his ratings were up on nine of the twelve
compared to a year ago. From the Executives, his composite average rating is down slightly
from (3.56 compared to 3.65) but his individual ratings were up on five of twelve elements.
However, Fick has two elements that he needs to address based on the feedback from both the
Commissioners and the executives: CEO-Commission Relations and integrity.
This years lowest rated individual item by the Commissioners was CEO-Commission Relations,
which was also the lowest last year but the rating dropped even further, from 2.75 to 2.50 on
the scale of 1-5. But the biggest decrease in the Commissioners ratings was on the Integrity
issue. It was the highest rated element last year at 4.50 and dropped this year to 2.60, making
it the second lowest rated item by the Commissioners. The Executives also gave Ted a low
rating on Integrity, their lowest rated element this year at 2.93. Last year it was the second
highest rated element at 3.76.
Ted needs to internalize that leading a public agency is living in a fish bowl.
He (Ted) doesnt understand the public and political nature of his job and the political
implications of what he is proposing to do.
In terms of areas of improvement for Fick, the element for CEO-Commission Relations
needs attention as the lowest rated item again this year. The Commissioners offered comments
and suggestions as well expressing their frustrations about the working relationship. Executives
also offered comments of concern. An example of a comment from one Commissioner:
We have seen some improvement over the past year. As stated in Teds personal
assessment, I do believe he put renewed energy and time in more communication with
the Commission. My concern is the quality of some of those communications, and
whether Ted has deep grasp of the proposals to understand nuances that impact
strategy. Recent facts brought to light indicate a lack of complete transparency over
important ethical questions/issues and unfortunately, that speaks to a more fundamental
of issues---trust.
The commission shares equal blame for any tension in CEO-Commission relations.. I
believe the Commission has a lot of work to do on how we collectively view our roles
and responsibilities as a board and as board members.
Several Executives in their responses to a number of questions expressed concern about the
CEO-Commission Relationship. As one Executive commented:
There is a lot of room for improvement here.on the both sides of the aisle. Ted and
the Commissioners need to figure out how to meet half way.especially on the small
stuff.
Secondly, the dramatic drop in the rating for the Integrity element warrants immediate
attention. Four of the five Commissioners provided written comments expressing concerns and
cited several different examples to illustrate lack of transparency and failure to seek approval.
Two of the comments:
His actions relating to the December 2015 one-time payment and changes to the gift
policy to allow his acceptance of event tickets without clear, timely, over, and explicit
disclosure to the Commission and authorization by it violates the Port ethics policy in my
opinion.
Executives also significantly lowered Ficks rating on the Integrity element but cited different
reasons. One executive wrote:
He doesnt always walk the talk. He is ethical, and doesnt cross the line---but
sometimes doesnt appreciate that standing close to the line is less acceptable for a
public agency leader in the eyes of many.
The composite average ratings for all elements were as follows: Commissioners 3.80 and
Executives 3.56.
2016 RANKING
COMMISSIONERS EXECUTIVE
Rank Element Composite Composite
Average Average
COMMISSIONERS EXECUTIVE
Rank Element Composite Composite
Average Average
COMMISSIONERS EXECUTIVE
Rank Element Composite Composite
Average Average
OVERALL LEADERSHIP
1. CEO leads the Port with a vision and philosophy which is well understood,
consistently applied and effectively implemented.
1 2 3 4 5 DNK Composite
Below Marginal Meets Exemplary Exceeds Average
Commissioners 1 3 1 4.00
Executives 2 4 9 3.47
1 2 3 4 5 DNK Composite
Below Marginal Meets Exemplary Exceeds Average
Commissioners 2 2 1 3.80
Executives 2 8 4 1 3.27
Commissioner comments:
In general, Ted and the Commission are on the same page on tactical issues.
However, strategic issues are coming up. Example: the recapitalization of the fishing
fleet. We could be facing a disagreement with Ted. He needs to engage us earlier in
the decision process than he has in the past. He should be doing that on the other big
issues as well.
The Commission is generally working as a team. Were all trying to go the same
direction. We have our silos as individuals, but no one is bringing us together on
issues. Ideally the CEO would be helping us do to that as he drives strategy.
Ted is doing well. He is hitting his stride after going through the transition period. He
has been on a steep learning curve as he moved from the private to the public sector.
Hes not a port lifer and as a result, brings out-of-the-box thinking to the job which
has helped more than it has hindered him.
His One Port strategy has helped break down silos which needed to happen. There
has been anxiety among staff because his approach is new and different. Some Port
leaders have been reluctant to go along but they are beginning to see the advantage.
Leadership is buying into his approach. Now we need continued evangelizing from him
to get the rank-and-file employees to understand and buy-in to his approach. Thats a
slower process.
Ted takes direction from the Commission well. He considers the Commission as a
partner, which is different than his predecessors who looked at the Commission in
many ways more as a hurdle. Prior CEOs couldnt take constructive criticism, but Ted
does. Ted understands his role and the role of the board. He is passionate about the
Ports role and its role in the community. He is learning that being the head of a public
agency is a lot different than the private sector.
After two years on the job, the Commission has approved his request to sit on a board
of a private company and be compensated. Its a small private company in New York
and he is paid $25,000 a year. The company is in the trucking business, which aligns
with Teds experience at PACCAR. He takes PTO to attend board meetings. The
Commission took more time to approve his request than Ted had expected even
though a board position was allowed in his contract, but as a public agency board and
with past public scrutiny of CEO board positions we needed to do our due diligence.
Ted recognizes who is boss. POSITIVES: 1. He has really adopted the Commissions
Century Agenda that was developed before he joined the Port and is working hard to
accomplish the goals much sooner than planned. 2. When Ted presents a proposal to
the Commission and gets over-ruled by the Commissioners, he accepts the
Commissions decision and moves to implement it. Example of an issue: Security
screening jobs at the airport. (I have since learned there has been push back). I was
impressed. 3. He has done a remarkable job in his hires, especially recruiting Lance to
run the airport.
I know that some of my fellow commissioners have buyers remorse in their hiring of
Ted. I think they are getting what they should have expected in bringing in someone
from the business world with no public sector experience. Teds major problem is that
he is not attuned to the political aspect of the Ports role and its decisions it has to
Areas Ted needs to work on: How to deploy the Commissioners in dealing with
external issues. I think he should be using elected officials to deal with elected
officials, especially when Commissioners know the other elected officials. Ted needs to
know how and when to use politicians, not the bureaucrats. In my case, I am one of
the few Commissioners who can have constructive conversations with Mike OBrien
and Kshama Sawant.
Ted acknowledges that the Commissioners have a time problem because we are
serving on a part-time basis. Its a limitation in trying to use the Commissioners to
make political contacts at key times but that does not need to stop him from inquiring
as to our availability when making appointments.
In 2016 Ted solidified the ports implementation of the Century Agenda and
operationalized it through the creation and commission adoption of the five years Long
Range Plan (LRP). This and the One Port approach have been very positive steps
toward driving Teds and the Commissions vision and philosophy into the daily work of
the Port. If we build on it by continuing to emphasize centers of expertise (part of
the One Port organizational approach) and annual refinement and updating of the
LRP, then over time the vision and philosophy will be very well understood,
consistently applied, and effectively implemented.
I dont have a sufficiently transparent view of the work dynamics of Teds team to
I am concerned with Teds ability to motivate his team in particular and all port
employees generally. I have come to the realization, brought into focus by the new
knowledge I received last month about ELT pay that Ted relies heavily on
compensation as a motivational tool. I certainly agree it is an important one, but
believe that there are many others and that helping the organization see the
importance of the work (individually and collectively) is the most effective tool of all.
Ted has made good progress in the past year. He is open to constructive criticism. He
is constructive in how he approaches challenges that have been identified. He took last
years evaluation and comments to heart and has focused on areas where he needed
to improve. Example: more and expanded communications with the Commission.
However, he continues to fail to communicate effectively with the Commission
including several examples of misinformation and what may have been intentionally
omitted information. Additionally, there are too many examples where he fails to heed
Commissioners advice and counsel.
Teds has also dedicated significant time to culture change towards a true OnePort
approach with many positive results. However, my concerns over the incentive pay
program have grown participate in 2016 when staff have presented incentive pay
goals that I would consider standard performance requirements, and by no means
exceptional performance. If we are going to move an organization from good to
great, clear definitions of minimum requirements, good performance, and
exceptional performance are needed.
Executive comments:
Teds style sometimes clashes with the Port culture. He rarely praises, and often is
critical. Longtime Port staff in particular have a hard time with this. This style
sometimes can inhibit team building and motivation.
Vision is well understood, implementation and team building needs improvement.
Example - in some cases, COEs and matrix reporting have caused confusion and
unclear roles and responsibilities. Collaboration has improved in some cases, but not in
others.
1 2 3 4 5 DNK Composite
Below Marginal Meets Exemplary Exceeds Average
Commissioners 1 2 2 3.60
Executives 1 7 5 2 3.53
1 2 3 4 5 DNK Composite
Below Marginal Meets Exemplary Exceeds Average
Commissioners 1 2 1 1 3.40
Executives 8 6 1 3.53
Commissioner comments:
Teds OnePort Strategy is the right for us at this time. Ted and I do not work directly
very often but it does appear that he does with the President. Other Commissioners
seem to initiate more direct dealings with him. I do not know the degree to which they
feel they have been able to shape policy. The recent incident involving his salary
increase bodes poorly on his sense of transparently and was a lapse in ethical
behavior. Ted has effectively organized the Port to implement strategies and hires
good people to make it work.
Ted is settling in. Were not going to get a big vision or strategy out of him, but he will
do a good job of implementing what we decide to do on issues. In terms of balance,
the bigger question is how he will handle long-term strategy because short-term is
tactical and he likes that.
SODO arena issue --- 100 percent commission engagement but Ted not involved at all.
He hasnt attended meetings but it is a significant strategic issue for the Port. He is
more involved with pushing the incentive pay program.
The overarching strategic objectives for the Port were established prior to Teds hiring.
That said, he has embraced them fully and set in place key initiatives to help focus
work within the Port to bring them to reality (LRP, One Port, etc.).
Ted would benefit himself, the Port and Commission if he took some time to identify
the key strategic themes and bring forward recommended principals to be applied for
Commission consideration and endorsement.
Ted certainly keeps his schedule full and in that way he has good time management
skills but my observation is that his activities lack cohesion and often are not
synergistic as a group or with other Port priorities. This comment may be a little
unfair, because my view is less that complete. Still, his work style seems overly
frenetic, going from task to task, and insufficiently contemplative and collaborative. I
get the feeling that the daily To Do list is over emphasized and a good day is
determined by how many items get checked off. If this remotely accurate, it would
greatly undermine his ability to provide strategic leadership (especially over time) and
appropriately balance the short and long term moves he needs to be identifying and
leading.
Well done for both commercial and financial aspects of the Port. Count me in as a
supporter of a growth plan for the Port as a way to expand our economic impact. We
should be a partner in regional economic growth. As a Commission, we are
bombarded by project ideas and the Port needs to be able to respond. Ted should be
asking himself the strategic direction he needs from the Commission when he meets
with them. He needs to allow enough time with the Commission to have a meaningful
discussion with him that focuses on the strategy, not the tactics.
Question #3: In 2011 we developed the Century Agenda, which is our 25-year
strategic plan. Mid-course corrections were always contemplated however. Ted came
in and thought we could accomplish the plan in 10 more years after the original 5
years, or a total of only 15 years. So we are making progress faster than we had
planned. The need now is to prioritizewhats most importantand then help Ted to
focus on these highest priority items. In addition to the Century Agenda, Ted has
moved ahead in developing a real estate strategic plan, a Fishermans Terminal
strategic plan and a growth plan of finance. The next step is to tie all this together
into one strategy and vision.
Question #4. Commission has encouraged him to step back and focus on strategy and
not so much on implementation. He has lots of balls in the area.
5. CEO sets the tone for the organization by exemplifying consistent values of
high ethical awareness, honesty, fairness and courage.
1 2 3 4 5 DNK Composite
Below Marginal Meets Exemplary Exceeds Average
Commissioners 1 2 1 1 2.60
Executives 5 7 2 1 2.93
Commissioner comments:
Comments on Question #5
Unfortunately, my concerns in this area have grown significantly over the course of the
year. Ted still fails to recognize the ethical standards to which we hold all Port
employees, and of which I believe our public demands and deserves from public
leadership. Teds decision to extend the one-time payment authorized by the
Commission to address rank-and-file employee concerns related to
leadership/administrative changes implemented to himself and the ELT strains logic,
and the record reflects a failure to provide full and complete information to the
Commission. [The record also reflects rushed decision-making by CEO Fick and his
leadership team including cut corners that are deeply concerning]. New facts have
come to light that Ted also took gifts from entities that have direct dealings with the
Port with rise to the level of an appearance of conflict if not an outright conflict. I
would have expected Ted to be honest and open about this with the Commission, but
these facts only came to light after directly asking for documentation from our General
Counsel.
Finally, regarding the DUI, Ted did not understand the public implication of his action.
Everyone can make mistakes, but his actions immediately following the citation
indicate that he didnt understand his responsibilities to the employees, Commission,
and public as a leader of a public organization.
This is my greatest area of displeasure. Truthfully, his behavior is completely
unacceptable and has caused me to loose trust in him. For me, it calls into question
his remaining CEO. As a Commissioner, I rely on transparency and forthrightness. Our
processes and Commission oversight depend on it, which is why the Port has a Code
of Ethics and Workplace Responsibility policy.
As a public agency, it is vital that we have the public trust (which is why that is called
out frequently in our Code of Ethics and Workplace Responsibility policy). With public
trust, we can be amazingly impactful. Without it, we risk everything.
His actions relating to the December 2015 one-time payment and changes to the gift
policy to allow his acceptance of event tickets without clear, timely, overt and explicit
disclosure to the Commission and authorization by it violates the Port ethics policy in
my opinion. He clearly had a conflict of interest as both common sense and the Ports
Executive comments:
As with a number of people, he doesnt always walk the talk. He is ethical, and doesnt
cross the line - but sometimes doesnt appreciate that standing close to the line is less
acceptable for a public agency leader in the eyes of many.
The DUI was a lapse, but Teds management of the issue was transparent and
forthright. I believe he maintains good access and availability to the staff and works to
model accessible, direct behavior.
Ted sets high standards of performance for himself and others and generally
exemplifies the Ports values. A few occasions have been observed, however, when he
hast lost his patience with staff in front of others.
Ted is fearless when it comes to making tough decisions. He prides himself in being
decisive and it shows. His courage level is very high. In terms of honesty, he can be
honest to a fault making observations that, while honest, are not tempered with
compassion and therefore can come across as hostel. He struggles at times with
fairness sometimes blaming subordinates for situations they had little or no control
over. His ethics should be a strong point except for the unfortunate DUI episode. That
there was no visible consequence for that mistake and it continues to be a sore point
for many employees.
Ted is conscientious, honest and courageous. He isnt always a consistent role model
for the type of culture he is trying to establish at the Port.
I do not agree with this statement. This is the area that is the biggest challenge for
Ted. He is working on it.
Ted has high expectations for employees and he makes it clear that creative and
innovative (the good kind!) thinking is expected to find new and more effective ways
to do our work. This is part of the tone he has set, as is his approach to working
rapidly without sacrificing quality or values. Operating within these expectations
1 2 3 4 5 DNK Composite
Below Marginal Meets Exemplary Exceeds Average
Commissioners 1 4 4.80
Executives 5 8 2 3.80
7. Pipeline of leaders ensures continuity for the future and the CEO appropriately
addresses succession, continuity and development of talent for the
organization.
1 2 3 4 5 DNK Composite
Below Marginal Meets Exemplary Exceeds Average
Commissioners 1 1 2 1 4.25
Executives 2 5 7 1 3.47
Commissioner comments:
Executive comments:
I rate him exemplary on #7 because he is putting into motion a process for developing
the bench.
1 2 3 4 5 DNK Composite
Below Marginal Meets Exemplary Exceeds Average
Commissioners 1 1 2 1 3.40
Executives 1 5 7 2 3.67
Commissioner comments:
Comments on Question #8
Ted has given the OnePort strategy high priority and its working.
Ted has brought fresh thinking to the organization and set about to change the
organization through the strategic plan/achieving goals/alignment (my concerns about
incentive pay stated above, however, still apply).
The changes that Ted is making within the Port, including breaking down silos
between departments, are making us a better functioning organization.
Usually, in assessing this area of performance I would focus my thinking on elements
like the One Port reorganization, the Ports ongoing Lean efforts, the embracing of
economic development as a core purpose, shifting to the 40 hour work week, and
attempting to accelerate the achievement of the Century Agenda. If these were all I
considered I would give Ted a high mark.
Given what I learned over the last month, however, I am forced to also use a different
lens that of leading the organization to be transparent, forthcoming, and mindful of
how individual actions may impact public trust.
Given that the CEO sets the example for all and needs to be the change himself and
the historic challenges of the Port, his behavior not only jeopardizes public trust and
his ability to lead, it risks leading the organization in completely the wrong direction.
News of personal actions get around quickly and the average employee would be
natural to ask if the CEO can do it why cant I? Thats not the transformation we are
looking for.
Ted is moving ahead with his OnePort strategy, but we are still experiencing silos.
Example: cutting down the trees at SeaTac Airport. It was a very siloed approach and
there was not adequate focus on how the neighboring community might (and did)
respond. As a result this turned into a fire drill with protests at the Commission
meeting, a hastily funded new program and still yet community concerns. In all of this
Ted was not present and instead left it to the Commission to deal with.
Executive comments:
It takes a while to change a corporate culture. The degree to which change has not
occurred is not due to lack of trying on Teds part. It is also hard to change the culture
when the Commission often acts in ways counter to productive change.
The ability for the Port to be transformed remains hindered as long as there are still
so many fire drills that could be avoided with better communication and shared
strategic vision between the CEO and Commission.
Yes, there has been a lot of change. It largely has been well-implemented, and when
the need, goal or vision is consistently communicated, people are able to be a part of
it and feel they can make a contribution. Ted has put an emphasis on communication
around change; sometimes the drivers are not as visible to staff.
There has been a great deal of change within the organization. Some of that change
has been performed effectively, and in other areas, less than effectively. I think the
CEO has the ability to strategize well in the traditional private sector business sense,
but he has struggled in areas related to working in the public sector environment.
Centers of Expertise/Matrix Organization is a good step towards breaking down silos,
but has created some confusion in the organization. Additional work remains to refine
and clarify expectations.
Ted has driven the organization to reflect his priorities. Some of the effort has been
disruptive but, overall effective in terms of fostering a One Port perspective.
Ted has brought a higher sense of urgency to the Port. He has elevated the Ports
focus on customer service and effectively pushed the organization to perform at
extraordinary levels.
9. Port performed well in 2016, meeting both financial and non-financial goals
such as environmental stewardship, diversity and stronger community
relations.
1 2 3 4 5 DNK Composite
Below Marginal Meets Exemplary Exceeds Average
Commissioners 2 2 4.50*
Executives 5 6 4 3.93
* = NO ANSWER
10. Port also made good progress toward goals of its Century Agenda.
1 2 3 4 5 DNK Composite
Below Marginal Meets Exemplary Exceeds Average
Commissioners 1 3 4.75*
Executives 3 8 4 4.07
* = NO ANSWER
Commissioner comments:
Ted has also embraced a greatly expanded and impactful internship program and an
economic development grant program for cities within King County.
Financially the Port did very well in the past year. In terms of community relations, we
are stronger as result of the public affairs restructuring and numerous good hires by
Julie Collins.
Executive comments:
A remarkable list of achievements. Many of which are due to Ted prodding us.
Ted has does a good job of developing a list of priorities (annual goals) for the
organization that are reflective of commission priorities and the long range plans.
These are translated into division goals which helps make sure the organization is
aligned.
Emphasis on century agenda is clear.
11. CEO interacts effectively with the leaders of the Northwest Seaport Alliance,
other governmental agencies, foreign trading partners, the business
community, labor and numerous other stakeholders who are key to the success
of the Port.
1 2 3 4 5 DNK Composite
Below Marginal Meets Exemplary Exceeds Average
Commissioners 2 1 2 4.00
Executives 1 8 1 5 4.00
Commissioner comments:
Regarding Teds other stakeholder contacts, I dont know how to evaluate their
effectiveness because we dont know what has come up in those conversations; he
Executive comments:
Again, a remarkable list of outreach meetings achieved over the year. Many of which
led to connecting disconnected parties, and led to new ideas being implemented.
Ted places significant emphasis on building external relationships and has achieved
good progress in this regard during 2016.
Much more progress than past years. Will always be somewhat of a challenge in how
the Port is perceived and operates in King County.
Ted has made community outreach a high priority, probably more so than any Port
CEO in recent memory.
11. Ted has totally internalized this priority. He expects his executive team to support
this goal (where applicable) and demands results.
Ted represents the Port capably and professionally.
I have a limited view of his interactions with several of those mentioned. For the ones
about which I do know, Ted meets the goal.
12. CEO and the Commissioners have an effective working relationship and have
open communication. CEO keeps the Commissioners fully informed on all
important Issues facing the Port (internal and external).
1 2 3 4 5 DNK Composite
Below Marginal Meets Exemplary Exceeds Average
Commissioners 1 1 1 1 2.50*
Executives 5 4 3 1 2 3.00
* = NO ANSWER
Commissioner comments:
Ted is trying to keep the Commission up to date on all the things going on at the Port.
When I first arrived, I really appreciated his invitation to have lunch with his executive
team. I got a chance to meet them and learn about their issues. It has not happened
since and I believe there needs to be more direct interaction or longer ones when they
occur. To get Commissioners support for what he wants to do, Ted needs to keep
them in the loop along the way. He faces the limitations of our availability as part-time
Commissioners and the open meeting law. Ted should better know each
Commissioners interests and political needs. He should understand the political
realities of their situation.
I had felt that CEO-Commission relations were getting better on balance (varied
somewhat by issue and commissioner). Unfortunately, with the recent discovery of
issues relating to his ethics, transparency, and judgment, we are now at a new low in
my estimation. Speaking for myself, the working relationship between Ted and me is
now completely compromised.
Ted needs to be proactive in communicating with the Commission. He should be
taking the initiative. He should pick up the phone and call us. It doesnt have to be an
urgent issue, but I think it is a way to keep us posted as new issues emerge or there
are new developments on ongoing issues. Current example: the State Auditors report
criticizing some things that the Port has done. I just heard about it from one of the
other Commissioners, but the Audit Committee and staff have been dealing with the
issue for a couple of weeks. A phone call from Ted would have been a great way to
alert us to the State Auditors report and the potential problems it creates for the Port.
Ted seems to think that I am trying to embarrass him by asking probing questions in
front of his staff or the audience at a public meeting, but I just want to get some
information on issues that were addressing. I would prefer to do it in private, but our
private sessions with Ted have been cut out except for those with the Commission
President. My only alternative is to ask the questions in public session.
In my one-on-one with Ted early in the year, he would often start off by saying
something like "here are the five projects I am working on for Commissioner X." I had
to remind him that no matter the force of personality of any one commissioner, he
needs to be working on *commission* priorities, not those of any one commissioner.
I believe the Commission has a lot of work to do on what we collectively view our roles
and responsibilities as a board and as board members.
Recent issues with the SAO I largely attribute to staff moving forward too quickly with
commissioner ideas without first fully vetting them.
Executive comments:
Its not for lack of trying on Teds part. Two Commissioners schedule calls and
meetings and then dont show up or call, and dont even bother to inform us of the
cancellation (this has gotten better toward the end of the year). Its very difficult to
get a CEO meeting with Commissioners. They often dont respond to his emails or calls
or texts. Commissioners tend to treat Ted as an Executive Director doing their bidding
instead of a CEO empowered to run the Port.
My sense is that there is very good communication between Ted and the commission
and that the commissions interests are communicated by Ted to his direct reports and
through them to the organization.
The CEO puts an emphasis on this. It may be hindered by the individual
commissioners interests and relationships, in which the CEO does not participate, so
the full read of an important issue may not seem as fully informed as an individual
commissioner may want, but I think there is a handicap in the commissioners having
very broad agendas beyond what is entailed in the ports daily operations and
activities.
I believe processes are being put into place that allow the CEO to be better prepared
to keep the commission informed. This allowed for a more informed commission and
Commissioner comments:
Our divide between Commission direction and how projects are brought before us.
There has been good progress on certain tactical / operational areas:
Airport capital program (IAF, NorthStar, Baggage optimization)
Pier 66 renovation
Bio-fuels study completed
Remote baggage handling at P 91
Reduction in TSA wait times
Great work on fisherman terminal strategic plan. We should share this with Seattle
City Council through series of briefings. Goal achieved. Good progress on
environmental scorecard, and credit for elevating the role of environmental leadership
at the Port too early to tell, but this has a good chance of strengthening alignment
across the business units on this priority. (Recognizing lots more work will be needed
in 2017 to approve new recommendations in this area).
Executive comments:
Ted has very high standards and is demanding. Ted also sees a somewhat under-
achieving staff, sees the talent we have, and pushes to accomplish more than we think
we can. Many people are not used to this kind of leadership. Ted can be hard on
people who fall short - its sort of a tough love approach; he could deal with people in
a less emotional, confrontation way and perhaps be more effective.
Ted is very focused on achieving the defined goals. The good news is that he really
drives the organization to achieve the goals.
Ted has advanced the goals of the Port.
Appreciate CEOs energy and drive to make progress on multiple goals. Respect for
staff has improved. Appreciate CEOs reflection on racism and white privilege.
I think Ted has kept these goals front of mind and done a very good job of focusing
on these deliverables.
I believe the CEO accurately portrayed the achievements of the organization in 2016.
Much of that achievement goes to the strong staff he has in place. His drive to push
us in a number of areas has been a change that is positive for the organization. He
has us thinking more critically as we make business decisions.
Ted has captured the most significant accomplishments for the year, which are
numerous.
Ted is a talented leader that, while gifted in technical knowledge of executive
leadership, creates more work for himself with the style in which he operates. At times
he is finds he needs to force an issue due to inconsistent leadership. He is, however,
producing results and while not achieving all his goals certainly address them all and
moves the bar in terms of progress forward.
Strong leadership, goals are focused.
14. Are there any other areas that, in your opinion, should receive priority
attention in the coming year?
Commissioner comments:
Executive comments:
Ted has a tendency to focus on shortcomings, and things like typos, and ignore
broader achievements. A well-written briefing paper is called out for a typo, not for
being a good briefing. A little more positive recognition to the troops could go a long
way.
Building strong CEO-Commission relationships should continue to be a priority.
I think its important to understand the relationship between cost-accomplishment-
priority-customer service-values. I dont think the Port can deliver equally on all these
areas, but we often head that direction and then have to compromise when were
faced with conflicting issues. Sometimes that means were responding to the loudest
voices, and we set aside business performance or cost targets. I think this conflict or
choice should be looked at clearly before an issue arises, so that we can understand
what choices were making about our own values. That will help senior managers and
directors to support the direction more consistently.
15. How might the CEO modify or improve on the proposed goals for the coming
year?
Commissioner comments:
Again, Ted deserves credit for driving a rigorous process to link Port-wide goals and
strategies with the Century Agenda. The entire organization would benefit by
continuing to internalize these long-term strategies and directly link
proposals/conversations with executive leadership and the Commission in these terms.
Too often, Im asked to weigh in on a one-off project (waste fuel here, couple solar
panels there) and my impression the team is being reactive and havent spent the time
to link these projects to longer-term strategies (or at least need better
communications skills to explain how they have done so).
Workforce development goals should be aligned with overall strategy the Commission
adopted as presented by Marie Kuroseand directly linked to those strategies including
improved impact of Airport Jobs/University; improved regional collaboration. Goals
should be # of individuals served by our overall program, # of those who advanced
their education/career.
Support changing our goal on small and disadvantaged businesses to better measure
our impact would welcome CEO sharing when new proposal will be delivered.
No comment at this time.
Ted needs to work with management on prioritizing goals. We have work to do in
energizing staff (beyond the executives). They need to understand why the
organizational change makes sense and why the vision make sense and how they fit
together.
I think the proposed goals could be a little more specific. I believe the goals are
philosophically and strategically adequate.
I think we have too many goals in 2016. Having fewer goals would provide greater
clarity of priorities to staff.
The CEO should focus on identifying shared goals with the Port Commission to better
unify the organization.
Diversity and inclusion should start with a deeper personal understanding, not just
rolling out workshops. The inner circle continues to be primarily white men. Appreciate
CEOs interest in improving in this area.
I dont think I have seen the 2017 goals. I will see if I can correct that and comment.
Push to provide depth and substance within the current initiatives.
ELT is currently working on refining the 2017 goals.
I dont know.
I recommend adding a safety goal.
Align goals to Century Agenda/LRP so that it drives congruence with Commission
priorities and public relations opportunities.
I think those goals are challenging and could return real value when achieved.
Continue to engage staff in developing and refining metrics as well as a solid
understanding of the metrics and how we can use them to get better at planning so
that we can continue to do great things for the Ports stakeholders.
16. How is the CEO performing in meeting the overall expectations of the Board?
(FOR BOARD ONLY)
Commissioner comments:
I believe I have covered this throughout.
Ted has met our expectations when it comes to the Ports business but he has created
some serious political liabilities.
Recent facts brought to light raise new questions about the level of transparency
between the CEO and the Commission these absolutely need to be addressed. CEO
Fick gets high marks for increasing the frequency of communication with the
Commission, but the quality remains lacking. Often times, his agenda is highly tactical
in nature and is not seeking strategic advice.
CEO should be completely engaged in the meeting (as Commissioners are). CEO
should be aware, and inform Commission, of any issues of public concern BEFORE the
meeting (ex: protestors re: tree cutting at Sea-Tac; labor protests, etc.)
The Commission has high expectations for Ted. We hired him from outside the port
industry. He has brought more benefits. Out-of-the-box thinking is an example.
Ted needs to internalize that leading a public agency is living in a fish bowl.
Executive comments:
The CEO needs to better respect work styles, professional experiences and
perspectives that differ from his own.
publically own the miss steps as well as the successes it will help break the risk
adverse culture
Tell the employees theyre doing a good job. Ask them questions about their job.
Value them as people - they have a job to do just like the CEO does.
You, as the CEO of the Port are constantly being watched. Your behavior and actions
speak louder than your words.
None come to mind.
Support your people, trust and empower your teams to make decisions and be
consistent.
Aggressively facilitate communication and priority setting with Commission on an
ongoing basis.
Look inward at what is going on in the organization as well as outward to the
communities. There is so much going on here that is so far beyond manufacturing and
some of what is being forced on the organization does not fit.
Walk the building more often. Spend too much time hidden upstairs and not talking to
all levels of employees.
Commissioner comments:
Executive comments:
I think the incentive pay program has done an amazing job of focusing the entire
organization on the importance of certain key initiatives. I give Ted tremendous credit
for driving this.
There is a sharp contrast of experiences in working with the CEO. His level of support
to staff can be both amazing but also extremely disrespectful. It is disconcerting to
experience these extremes - it requires always being on-guard and uncertain of
whether he will back his team in challenging situations.
There are a lot of initiatives, a lot of independent values being acted on, a lot of new
direction on existing work. I think Ted does a good job communicating the priorities
and values. Its important to note that staff are often the recipients of direction that
initiated elsewhere and its not always easy to reconcile the existing work with the new
approach with a new initiative with a new, desired outcome. And sometimes those
desired outcomes are not necessarily in agreement. A stronger alignment between
individual commissioner values and the CEOs direction of it would produce more
cohesive work, I think. Ted seems to work with what he has, and then the initiatives
that he is generating as well, as the leader closest to the daily operation of the port.
Its a lot to reconcile, streamline, lead and deliver on. I think the results are pretty
good, despite the complexity.
No.
Ted has done an excellent job pushing the Port in new directions and producing
results. I hope we can maintain the momentum he has established and realize also
that it will take several years to truly see the benefits of what Ted has started.
There is so much talent here that is seemingly being discounted by the Commission
and Ted. I would like to see what we could do if we were actually resourced to
accomplish what they want.
Way too much hierarchy. Port is managed through an ORG Chart. Great companies
dont do that.