There are people who look at the whole forest or the big picture and there are people who look at the trees, or the details. These are actual personality types formulated by Myers-Briggs (R). For example a “forest person” would be a writer and a “tree person” would be a copy editor. Luckily in life both exist.

In reading the article in today’s Newburyport Daily News about Mayor John Moak’s approach to the budget, he appears to be a detail or “tree person.” I was impressed that he was having all the department heads “focusing on goals and justification for every account within their department.” That they will be “describing their accomplishments, goals, trends and a three-year analysis of staffing levels.” I’m impressed. As a “forest person” this never would have occurred to me. And I’ll be interested in what the new administration comes up with.

In running a city it would be nice to have two kinds of mayors, a detail oriented mayor and a big picture mayor. According to Myers-Briggs you can’t have both in one person–too bad.

I looked over the Newburyport Master Plan, created under Mayor Lisa Mead. Mayor Mead appears to be a “forest” or “big picture” person. In rereading Newburyport’s Master Plan I was impressed by it’s scope as well as the diverse personalities who helped implement it. It’s very impressive.

To go back to our Planning Director (I know, I’m beginning to actually “harp” on the subject, forgive me), Nick Cracknell is definitely a “big picture”, “forest” person and being a “big picture” person myself, it’s one of the reasons I identify with him.

In managing Newburyport, I hope Mayor John Moak will have a variety of people on his team, “forest” people and “tree” people. It’s hard to mix them, but it makes for a rounded outlook.

I would love it if the City of Newburyport could have a “big picture” planning director, who would appreciate the necessity of detail orientation. And a detailed oriented mayor, who sees the necessity of having a planning director whose strength is in looking to the future as well as dealing with the present.

I would hate to see Mr. Cracknell replaced by someone whose strengths are detail oriented. We already have an excellent Project Manager in Geordie Vinning. I really appreciate that Nicholas Cracknell has obviously taken a long and hard look at Newburyport’s Master Plan, the big picture, and is beginning to implement the vision of Newburyport that so many people had a say in (including, I was interested to find out, John Moak.)

Mary Eaton, Newburyport