Government Organizations are Focused on Self-Protection, Not Impact. And, That’s Damaging.
Government’s Self-Protection Attitude is Not Working
Let’s be frank. our government organizations are set up to fail, and we’ve stayed silent about it for far too long.
On the morning of the U.S. election, I published this blog post to highlight three critical principles government organizations should focus on—regardless of the election results: Impact, Equity, and Communication and Trust Building.
I chose to publish this post before the election results were known to stress that our government organizations must shift how they operate and make policies, irrespective of political leadership.
In the following video, I focus on the first principle: Impact. Drawing from my experiences working for the State of California, I’ll share how our government organizations often fail to drive meaningful change. I understand that some of these observations may be uncomfortable for my dedicated colleagues still working in government. But raising awareness about these issues is a necessary step toward finding solutions.
A Few Important Disclaimers:
I deeply believe in the value of strong, functioning government organizations. Bureaucracy, when efficient, is essential for any society to thrive. Our government agencies are filled with intelligent, hardworking professionals committed to serving the public.
Unfortunately, the current system does not create a supportive environment for these individuals to excel. Instead, it fosters a culture that not only hinders progress but often demoralizes even the most dedicated employees. We need to rethink how we design government processes and policies to enable these teams to deliver the outcomes our communities deserve.
More in the video.
