Many Degrees of
Separation
National Public Radio
recently featured a story about the effects of waging a war
when the military is an all-volunteer group versus a
draft-based army. The storys main lesson was that while there
are advantages to a volunteer military, self-selecting
servicemen and women present a huge strategic weakness by
opening the door for increasing detachment from the society
and from the greater public.
An army made primarily of
draftees brought the two World Wars, the Korean War and the
Vietnam War into every neighborhood and every home. It made
elected officials more accountable for their stewardship of
the lives of draftees and the families supporting them. It
made the wars daily events top news to families across the
country.
The danger of the volunteer
army is that this detachment is also a separation which, in
the long run, is dangerous to American democracy because not
all Americans will have a connection to the conflict.
True or not, this premise
made the HR Doctor realize that our society is increasingly
the victim of detachment and separation anxiety. We play video
games or watch movies and TV programs that portray violence so
graphically and so frequently that we can easily become
detached from the idea that violence is real and there is no
simple reset button. It should not be a basis for solving
personal interaction problems with coworkers, neighbors or,
for that matter, nations.
It is a particular danger
for local governments if we allow silos to be created where
citizens have to crawl over broken glass to communicate with
their government or to achieve basic transactions such as
applying for a job or getting a drivers license.
When a government agency and
its employees lose sight of their basic roles in direct
citizen service, the result can be increased legal liabilities
and increased human suffering. Imagine what happens when
people work in a culture that encourages covering up poor
performance or behavior, making excuses or blaming others.
Imagine now that you are a
person who dials 9-1-1 with symptoms of a heart attack and a
crew of paramedics arrives who are the products of that
entitlement and I dont care attitude. The result can be
deadly for you and reflect poorly on the organization.
Fortunately, these poor attitudes exist in a small minority of
employees, but the effects rattle around for a very long time
in the minds of those who would cut government resources
substantially.
An agency that tolerates
sexual harassment or bullying behavior and doesnt teach its
supervisors to intervene is not serving the public and its own
employees well. Conversely, a mission-oriented organization
with supervisors who support and appreciate their role in
responding to 9-1-1 calls or making sure that the water or
wastewater is properly and professionally managed, that the
streets are kept safe from debris and that the parks are safe
for children, have an everyday positive effect on the
reputation and the reality of public service.
Separation and estrangement
go hand in hand. Together they form an unfortunate and
dangerous duo. Every elected official, every appointed
official and every employee in government has a duty to
positively represent public service. That is only
achievable when silos are smashed to bits and working together
replaces working for a narrower interest.
It is harder to do that in a
time of cutbacks and budget troubles. Using the subtraction
key on a calculator is much more difficult than using the
addition key. Nonetheless, in times of economic cutback a
deliberate strategy of attacking silo-building becomes much
more important.
The HR Doctor strongly urges
that every county manager or county administrator ask
important questions of their government, executives and
subordinates. Does our organization suffer from an overdose of
silos? How can we make sure employees out there on the front
line are representing effectively? Are we communicating with
residents everyday in a positive way? If not, what specific
steps can we take and by when to measure the success of
that communication and to learn from weaknesses to build
strength?
Communication is about more
than direct written or verbal interaction. Sometimes the
most important types of communications are subtle or
unobtrusive. That is, they are the result of observation
rather than direct interaction.
The public works crew that
appears to be lying down under the shade of a tree for 45
minutes or an hour provokes angry citizen response. Police
officers who are rude provoke a similar response. A lifeguard
who is busy chatting on a cell phone instead of observing the
children in a swimming pool isnt serving the employer or the
children well. Using foul language, filthy uniforms or driving
agency vehicles poorly are also examples of indirect behavior
that communicates the wrong impression.
Working to prevent that from
happening and, in fact, encouraging positive direct and
indirect communication is very much part of the managers job.
Putting a premium on employee behavior such as smiling and
pleasantly greeting citizens, answering questions, going out
of your way to explain processes and procedures to citizens,
or even helping them navigate through government hiking trails
is equally important. This is also the behavior that the
manager needs to display as a role model.
When we separate from each
other we create suspicion and distrust. Local government, more
than any other level of government, needs to reduce separation
and isolation. Instead, our prime directive is to foster
understanding and have a common sense of mission and a shared
appreciation of the fundamental role we play everyday in
maintaining a civil society.
Phil Rosenberg
The HR Doctor http://www.hrdr.net/
|
