http://washingtonindependent.com/19135/maybe-a-demoralized-civil-service-is-a-good-thing National News in Context Thu, 26 Nov 2009 11:57:56 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 http://washingtonindependent.com/19135/maybe-a-demoralized-civil-service-is-a-good-thing/comment-page-1#comment-37390 Eric Wed, 03 Dec 2008 09:21:35 +0000 http://washingtonindependent.com/?p=19135#comment-37390 The first task for a newly appointed Obama Administration manager will be to change the culture of his/her department. Fundamentally, we elected Obama to make government work - for us if it can - but work. We have every reason to expect that getting things done efficiently, reliably, and with minimal drama will be expected. That will be a significant cultural shift for the Bushies and their hires. So, the new Obama managers will need to do what tough administrators do: set clear, measureable goals, assess performance against those goals, and discipline or terminate those who don't perform. The incompetent or counter-productive employees need to move their careers elsewhere. The bad employees need the fear for motivation. But most importantly, the good employees (which will be the majority) need to know that their bosses can tell good work from bad, will reward good work, and won't make good workers carry the load for the bad ones. Termination is part of the tool kit for good managers, we should worry if we don't hear howls from the burrowers and their Republican base. The first task for a newly appointed Obama Administration manager will be to change the culture of his/her department. Fundamentally, we elected Obama to make government work – for us if it can – but work. We have every reason to expect that getting things done efficiently, reliably, and with minimal drama will be expected. That will be a significant cultural shift for the Bushies and their hires. So, the new Obama managers will need to do what tough administrators do: set clear, measureable goals, assess performance against those goals, and discipline or terminate those who don't perform. The incompetent or counter-productive employees need to move their careers elsewhere. The bad employees need the fear for motivation. But most importantly, the good employees (which will be the majority) need to know that their bosses can tell good work from bad, will reward good work, and won't make good workers carry the load for the bad ones. Termination is part of the tool kit for good managers, we should worry if we don't hear howls from the burrowers and their Republican base.

]]> http://washingtonindependent.com/19135/maybe-a-demoralized-civil-service-is-a-good-thing/comment-page-1#comment-13394 Eric Wed, 03 Dec 2008 01:21:35 +0000 http://washingtonindependent.com/?p=19135#comment-13394 The first task for a newly appointed Obama Administration manager will be to change the culture of his/her department. Fundamentally, we elected Obama to make government work - for us if it can - but work. We have every reason to expect that getting things done efficiently, reliably, and with minimal drama will be expected. That will be a significant cultural shift for the Bushies and their hires. So, the new Obama managers will need to do what tough administrators do: set clear, measureable goals, assess performance against those goals, and discipline or terminate those who don't perform. The incompetent or counter-productive employees need to move their careers elsewhere. The bad employees need the fear for motivation. But most importantly, the good employees (which will be the majority) need to know that their bosses can tell good work from bad, will reward good work, and won't make good workers carry the load for the bad ones. Termination is part of the tool kit for good managers, we should worry if we don't hear howls from the burrowers and their Republican base. The first task for a newly appointed Obama Administration manager will be to change the culture of his/her department. Fundamentally, we elected Obama to make government work – for us if it can – but work. We have every reason to expect that getting things done efficiently, reliably, and with minimal drama will be expected. That will be a significant cultural shift for the Bushies and their hires. So, the new Obama managers will need to do what tough administrators do: set clear, measureable goals, assess performance against those goals, and discipline or terminate those who don't perform. The incompetent or counter-productive employees need to move their careers elsewhere. The bad employees need the fear for motivation. But most importantly, the good employees (which will be the majority) need to know that their bosses can tell good work from bad, will reward good work, and won't make good workers carry the load for the bad ones. Termination is part of the tool kit for good managers, we should worry if we don't hear howls from the burrowers and their Republican base.

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