Let’s review the 10 time-tested rules for surviving “Political Body Checks.” Summarized from W.D. (Rusty) Russell in Governance, Leadership, Magazine
 
1. Learn to listen with interest
 
When talking to another councillor, “listen up” and listen carefully. Too many councillors get in a hurry to inject their personal thoughts and get in their “two cents” worth. Do not rush it! Discipline yourself to listen attentively and with interest, and look the speaker right in the eye.
 
2. Learn the skill of asking questions
 
If learning to be a good listener is a step in the right direction, learning how to converse by asking questions.  It encourages the speaker to get to the issue.  Avoid direct confrontation.
 
3. How to get someone to stop talking
 
You can often end a conversation by asking the speaker to summarize their points.
 
4. When addressing council, get your facts right
 
If you decide to go out on a limb and call “a spade a spade” that is fine, but make sure you have got all your facts straight.  Otherwise, your credibility will take a disastrous fall.
 
5. Do not waste your gun powder
 
Occasionally, councillors will attack the mayor or other councillors in the belief that they are standing up for their constituents.  Nothing could be further from the truth!  Electors want you to call it as you see it, but they do not want to see a personal vendetta on council.  You were not elected to carry on a feud with your colleagues.  You were elected to govern responsibly, not criticize indiscriminately.  There is a difference.
 
6. There are times you should apologize
 
If you make a statement before council that you subsequently learn to be incorrect, or false, immediately, at the first opportunity before council, apologize to the mayor and council. If you do not, your credibility is on the line.
 
7. Be prepared to compromise
 
As a councillor, you quickly discover a wide diversity of opinion among fellow councillors. Look at the facts. Councillors come from all walks of life and they have a broad range of backgrounds. “A municipal council is a collection of diverse individuals applying their variant opinions to a multiplicity of complex problems.”  Democracy is a compromise between opinions.
 
8. Do not use profanity
 
Your objective is to convince the other members of council of the soundness of your argument. To do this, you must learn the art of persuasion and diplomacy.  Trying to drive something down another person’s throat is not going to succeed. Using profanity to emphasize your point is shooting yourself in the head.
 
9. Remember, you will be in the media spotlight
 
As mentioned earlier, as a councillor, you are in the spotlight and what you do becomes local news. You must be prepared to pay the price of this publicity, and in many instances, bear the burden.  A newspaper can be a double-edged sword.
 
10. Respect your municipal staff
 
Your CAO, and the senior staff are your key resource people. These senior people are very capable, having learned their trade by coming up through the ranks. They all have the scars on their back from the school of hard knocks.  Make use of staff.   Your municipal staff can help you get the facts straight.