Introduction
My name is Dan Lyndall and I am passionate about public sector management. More specifically, I am passionate about making public management better. Rarely is management in the public sector seen as laudable or something to be proud of by the general public. In fact, it is more often seen as joke. I am on a mission to change that mindset and this blog will document my personal journey of understanding about what makes government good and what makes it bad. It will be full of my personal insights as well as scholarly articles highlighting empirical evidence of the leadership characteristics I find most appealing. Thanks for reading and welcome to my blog! By the way, if you found this blog through a search engine, save this URL (http://gegwblog.blogspot.com) as the permanent link.
This post will be the first of many more to come on a weekly basis and I wish to take this opportunity to tell you a little about myself and how I came to be so interested in blogging about public sector management and leadership. First, why would I name this blog, "Good Enough for Government Work?"
Good Enough for Government Work is Not Good Enough for Me
The phrase, good enough for government work, tidily sums up the pervasive public perception of inefficiency and wastefulness in the operations of public sector agencies. It is a phrase underperforming government employees often hide behind and is used as an excuse by public sector management to defend disappointing effort and subpar results. As a career government-sector employee, it is also a phrase that I find repugnant! I was raised by parents who spent their entire careers in public service at the federal, state and municipal level of government and I have worked in the public sector for the majority of my career. I find it personally offensive that my efforts, my parent’s efforts, and the efforts of many hard-working individuals are so often reduced to a joke.
I have been in the workforce for the past 25 years and am currently serving as the general manager for a municipal utility in Alabama. In this role, I am responsible for the day-to-day operation of this public sector agency providing water, wastewater and natural gas utility services to more than 25,000 residents of this community. Upon coming to this agency, I saw an under-performing organization with workers exhibiting a typical "public works mentality." Having worked at all levels of organizations (front-line hourly, supervisory, middle and upper management) in both the public sector and private industry during my career, I have been struck by the extreme differences in attitudes of management towards overall employee development and motivation. This disconnect led me to pursue a cultural change within my organization through the adoption of management principles within my public agency which resulted in operational efficiencies and motivated employees willing to give 100%. In addition, because of our more motivated and engaged employees, we were recognized as a “Best Small Workplace” by both Inc. Magazine and the Wall Street Journal in 2010 and 2011.
In addition to my professional career in public sector management, I was determined to pursue a parallel career in academic study to better understand the specific organizational and managerial factors which are most important to motivating public sector employees. Consequently, I returned to college to pursue a field of study with a concentration on management in public and private organizations. I graduated cum laude from the University of South Alabama with a BS in Interdisciplinary Studies with concentrations in business management, political science, and environmental science. My senior research capstone project, Good Enough for Government Work: Motivating Public Sector Employees, was awarded the highest recognition by the University: Outstanding Senior Research Thesis.
Having completed my undergraduate work, I am now pursuing a Masters of Public Administration at Troy University. My long-term goal is to continue my career in public sector management specifically at the local level (municipal or county government). My interest in public sector excellence remains strong and advanced studies on the subject at Troy University will only add to my dedication.
Dan,
ReplyDeleteAs a fellow student in your Leadership in Public Administration course and National Park Service employee it pains me to hear the phrase "Good Enough for Government Work." While I have experienced underperforming government employees giving a bad name to government workers, I have also worked with those that dedicated their lives to service. I have been offered jobs in the private sector that would have paid a great deal more and utilized the same analytical, people, and curriculum writing skills that have made me successful in my job. Like you my parents instilled the importance of public service in me.
I share with you the hope that by working in government in higher echelons of our organizations that we can through education, leadership, and hard work make American government productive and great.
As a National Park Ranger working in Interpretation and Visitor Services my job affords me the opportunity to work with incredible people; while being a steward of cultural and natural resources that would not be preserved if it were not for the federal government. I have even had a few opportunities to fight wildfires with hardworking and dedicated firefighters from multiple agencies.
I believe some of the disconnect with the American public simply stems from taking things that work well for granted. When the FAA directs planes to the right runways, the air and water are clean, and our food is safe do we question why? As government agencies how can we communicate what is working well and strive for agency improvements at the same time?
David Albert