The outcry is loud and clear: public agencies must be held accountable! It follows that if the agency is going to be held accountable, employees who make up the agency should be held accountable too. As a result, public sector leaders are considering accountability...
I’m part of a volunteer organization that went through a bit of a slump in the past few years. We found ourselves begging for board members and scraping by financially. Attendance at events was at an all-time low. The leadership team struggled to agree on a...
We all have an "attitude" problem at times. You’ve probably even had employees who you’ve described as having a bad attitude. However, focusing on the attitude of an employee while trying to influence his/her work performance is a bad idea. No one wants to be labeled...
Have you ever received the "inheritance surprise?" No, not the one that comes after probate proceedings. “Inheritance surprise” is the surprise you get you get a new employee and find their performance is not up to expectations. Managers inherit employees in two...
The reality of today’s job market is that workers are expecting more from their employers and are not afraid to move on if their needs are not met by your organization. How do great public agencies maintain low levels of turnover and high levels of employee...
Study after study has proven that engaged employees, employees who care, lead to increased productivity, better customer service, and increased commitment to the mission. As a result, efficiencies increase, waste decreases, and citizens are happier. If you don’t...
Every organization has a set of beliefs, or norms, that guide day-to-day interactions and processes. Organizational beliefs help to frame our decision-making and allow us to be consistent and efficient. In local government, there are a lot of them. Sometimes,...
Pension reform, budget cuts, restructuring, doing more with less. . . all of these modern-day public sector realities have had a tremendous impact on the level of trust in our organizations. Gone is the era of lifetime employment. Today, organizations consider...
All the practice, preparation and knowledge in the world cannot prepare you for an audience who does not like you or your message. Many of my clients face public audiences who are hostile or who do not want to hear the message that is being delivered. At City...