Skepticism, Inertia and That Memo From the President

The central piece of news in today's memo from President Obama and Chief Performance Officer Jeffrey Zients to senior federal executives is that the administration will be conducting "regular, data-driven reviews" of progress on implementing management initiatives.

But the other news worth noting is that Obama is choosing to communicate directly with the Senior Executive Service. It's rare for presidents to do that. In fact, I can't remember the last time one did. (Anyone care to help me out?)

And I should note, the president is not simply communicating a get-with-the-program message. Sure, Zients makes it clear that the administration will be monitoring executives' progress in implementing the administration's goals. But he also exhorts them to show leadership in the face of cynicism about yet another reform effort:

The members of the Senior Executive Service play a pivotal role in executing this agenda. As individuals, you serve as the link between your agencies' political leadership, front-line managers, and employees. Your experience, expertise, and passion must drive the implementation of performance improvement efforts within your organizations. As a group, you set the tone and expectations for what the federal workforce can accomplish. For us to succeed in overcoming skepticism and bureaucratic inertia, we need you to spread the belief that performance improvements are not only critical, they are well within our reach.