Return to Article: Career officials called key to management reform initiatives
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44922
Career federal managers did not embrace the ideals and ideas of the PMA. Business acumen, even though a requisite executive core quality, does not easily translate in a non-business world that does not manage to the demands of investors. PMA established the base upon which to manage the federal "business" world so that the investor (American taxpayers) could understand what products are available to them for the investment made. Each administration will put in action its brand of lines of business and measures. Career federal managers will not embrace new methods because they are unwilling to change, even though they realize that change is inevitable. I believe that the PMA is a valuable set of tools and federal career managers should offer PMA to the next administration.
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44557
Having good managers is knowing the job that your subordinators are doing.The goverment keeps trying to reinvent the wheel. It's been done let it go.NSPS is not something new it's been tried and it failed.We've been through TQL and numerous acromyns for ways of managing people. We've had rules in place for years to rid ourselves of those who refuse to do the job hired, the managers don't want to spend the time and enery to do so. If you want the best people for the job treat them like adults and pay them like the hard working Americans that they are. Clinton wrote and executive order to pay federal workers equal or greater pay to those in the public sector, they have yet to receive it. Fast tracking those who can quote seminar lingo does not a manager make. Career officials need to look at the bottom a little closer and quit thinking every new public sector think tank scenario(like ISO 14,000) will improve government efficiency and productivity. They start too many programs with thinking them through fully which creates more problems than they solve and lots of litigation. These are wasted legal hours which with more research and planning could have been avoided. A career official making 6 figures is basically trying to retire with all their bennies intact. Has anyone ever questioned those (career officials)who believed in our government only to leave in disappointment at the way we do business?
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44536
After the recent "generalization" articles, I continue to see these exact generalizations made below; but then I expected nothing less because when you're down the ladder and looking up, you seldom see anything but bottoms.
Having studied management techniques and having had more leadership classes than I care to remember, IMHO it is more of a fine art than a science. I come from the old school that says the boss should intimately know what is going on to better direct the troops and yet, looking around my office, I am currently observing a rising young star who knows little detail but is a consummate manipulator; still, he is effective. I see lazy folks and vain strugglers; I see numerous co-workers who are highly proficient, knowledgeable, but have little wish or tolerance for directing others. Succinctly put, people are problems; or opportunities if you believe the literature. Yes, much of our problem is managerial skills and guidance, but what is the fix? Not so long ago it was lean Sigma 6, more recently it was MaxHR and/or NSPS; and I've heard horrid things on all.
If we are to generalize, then I shall... the problem is the size of the problem. The US government strives to be the "Big Brother" to any and all, directing traffic and solving problems with the wave of its only magic wand, the green kind. Politicians, by their nature, wish to please people. It's the sound bite promise that causes the most difficulty. They say what they think we wish to hear. And into all this you stir human self-concern, greed, personalities, and territoriality and you have a volatile mix.
The citizen is tired of Uncle Sam's hand in their pocket; but insists on more services. Civil servants, by their charter and oath, are here to uphold the Constitution, our elected representatives, and the people of these United States. They can be charged with or sued for negligence if not doing their jobs. Government contractors (the companies), as currently employed by this administration, are there for profit. Their employees are there to provide product; a situation that is sometimes contradictory. Suits against these are harder, but gaining favor in Congress. I don't know the solution, but sound-bites and going off half-cocked are not solutions.
Oh, BTW Skeeter, the vast majority of us are hourly employees with strict accounting of our schedules.
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44532
Despite a couple of cynical and stereotypical posts about federal employees and federal unions, the truth is that career federal employees want the same thing that everyone - political appointees, career managers - want from their work: a sense that their work has meaning and makes a contribution to the greater good, provides a level of personnel enrichment, and offers subsistence (although the order of those priorities may differ among employees). Since we're all the same in this regard, the likelihood of true management reforms being successful will improve once the politicals start working with the unions versus against them, as the W administration did almost the first day out of the gate. Unions and management won't agree on everything, but success in negotiating a lasting change and improvement will only come when both sides, employees and management, realize their responsiblities to work together to improve government.
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44503
I have been in government for 20 years and 4 agencies and 90% of the employees and first line supervisors want to do a good to great job and believe in the mission of their agency. The break down comes at the middle to upper level management where they are more worried about their bonuses and promotions than the agency mission. The clean up government needs to start with middle to upper management, these are the folks that abuse travel by going first class or bad expense vouchers etc, and make the rest of us suffer. You can get rid of bad employee in the current system you need two things - Know the system before you start, and support of management. When bad employees escape termination it is because the manger didn't know the system or upper management didn't support it.
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44476
The reform will continue. Unfortunately, the article wrongly implies this can only happen if career officials continue to push the PMA goals. The truth is the underpinnings of the mgmt reform today are much deeper than the administration's PMA goal setting and the PART exercise. The reform will continue because of the fundamentally sound managment principles driving the reform are embedded in law, particularly the GPRA. Too bad the conference focused on promoting a narrow, seemingly political view of a revolution in fed management that began in 1990, continues today, and likely will gain momentum in the future.
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44465
I have read the many comments already posted and I tend to agree with the comments such as; all you need to do is look at your immediate and upper level management. Can you honestly say they are the cream of the crop? Over the last 20+ years I have worked in many areas of the Government from D.C to California and I can count on one hand the number of managers I could honestly say were true leaders and truly understood sound management concepts. And the barrier to good management and good decision-making is the utter lack of incentives. Worse, the Federal managers that any executive must call on to implement change share the same incentives for change as the unions - which are to say they have none.
As the administration changes so do the appointed upper level managers that run the agencies. With that change comes the new circle loyal to the new agency or division heads and the cycle starts over again. New managers bring new visions with no concept how that affects the field. Experience and job knowledge are not major criteria for advancement as is the familial relationship path that is the current path to advancement as displayed in DHS. Many second and third line managers would seek advancement if they thought they independent thought would be embraced as opposed to being discouraged and harassed.
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44446
Fred I couldn't agree more, unfortunately the fix requires a complete house claening and a new pay program. The current is broke and has been for a long time. Non of the medicine takes and major surgery is needed
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44438
Trying to lead in the Federal Gov is like trying to corral a bunch of cats gov is not a career. The employees don't want to be there. Their idea of a career is a pay check. These folks all need to be hourly and time clock in/out
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44413
All you need to do is look at your immediate and upper level management. Can you honestly say they are the cream of the crop? Over the last 20+ years I have worked in many areas of the Government from D.C to California and I can count on one hand the number of managers I could honestly say were true leaders and truly understood sound management concepts. The Government management selection and qualification process is broken. It was not fixed with this administration and it will not be fixed with the next. Why would the Government wish to hire managers that think independently and cannot be manipulated by political appointees?
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44409
The barrier to good management and good decision making is the utter lack of incentives. Worse, the Federal managers that any executive must call on to implement change share the same incentives for change as the unions - which is to say they have none. It is not the union's job to improve government. It is their job to protect current Federal employees and do everything else possible to see that that population grows (dues pay salaries). For most Federal managers the status quo is in their interest too. Unless and until an executive comes along that incites the need for real change, its just more of the same. The last great effort to change the incentives through the performance evaluation process failed miserably. Can't imagine why (see above).
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44406
Please, don't be stenographers. When writing an article - don't just quote senior officials' talking points only. Andm, please offer some thinking of whether the talking points are true or not.
For example, this is clearly a talking point of of questionable veracity: "What we have seen in this administration over the last seven years is the most sustained high-level management reform effort in history," said Breul, who also is a former high-ranking official at the Office of Management and Budget. That effort, he said, has "remained focused surrounding a set of five coherent, interconnected initiatives."
Really, the color-coded effort was more sustained than Gore's NPR efforts? And the 5 were coherent and interconnected? Like competitive souring and HR? They were?
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44396
You cannot make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. Thank god for unions. We all know that the reforms were just an attempt to turn civil servants into slaves.
All the sexy young things would get the gravy. The gravy would come from the hides of the co-workers.
TAgain, hank God for unions.
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44394
While management challenges certainly will continue into the next administration, they are not the type of high-profile public concerns that will translate into political support ... "You will never get a vote for spending your time on this stuff" ... "It needs to be done because it needs to be done. No president has won an election because of this and no president will get reelected because of this."
With the majority of Americans recognizing that the federal government is "broken" on so many levels and in serious need of reform across ALL levels, I am not sure how Jonathan Breul can proclaim that "this stuff" doesn't translate into votes; more than ever, many Americans appear to want a government that works better and delivers on promises and are prepared to vote that way ... or am I missing something?
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44390
Leadership in Govt ? Are you kidding me ?Just take one look at the White House. How is that working for you ?
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44389
The definition of "management reform" being first to obey law or not obey law?
Your statement, "over the last seven years is the most sustained high-level management reform effort in history" is very accurate with regards the former. Lets hope this type reform is in fact forgotten and we embrace the laws of the land, learn to add/subtract and face up to the truths so vital to our children's future.
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