The credo of “people over process” is probably the cultural Netflix norm most adoptable by government at all levels. It starts with giving people more say in their work, the information they need to make good decisions and candor about group and institutional performance – at all levels of the organization.
The public sector will never have the “no strings attached” freedom of a genius grant. But finding solutions to increasingly complex challenges demands that we foster conditions for dynamic, creative approaches to today’s problems.
Robert Gates’ “A Passion for Leadership” truly belongs on the nightstand of today’s public and private sector leaders. Our institutions and their long-needed reform will be the better for it.
Active listening means being both physically and mentally ready to listen. It also means exploring the other person’s words by drawing them out through the use of open-ended, thought-provoking questions.