Amid a rough month for public service, recognition and the silver lining

Let’s face it; it hasn’t been the best few weeks for federal government. Between the GSA scandal, the Secret Service scandal, and the dishonorable acts of a few soldiers in Afghanistan, public servants are getting a bad rap. Luckily, we know 98% of federal workers are hard-working, mission-driven people focused on efficiency. Christopher Dorobek of
DorobekINSIDER sat down withTom Fox, Vice President for Leadership and Innovation at the Partnership for Public Service to talk about the silver lining of the past month and how to recognize all the good that public servants do, despite the acts of a few.

People often think the best approach to dealing with criticism is to leave it at bay, but these situations really need to be confronted. Employees at agencies like the GSA and Secret Service need to be able to voice their concerns, all while staying mission-oriented. Workers can get distracted by these stories, so their questions must be answered candidly to help the organizations move on.
TOM FOX CLIP 1 by cdorobek

There is silver lining, and that’s the opportunity to create change. Martha Johnson said it herself that the GSA has a complex organizational structure; why not take a look at what can be done to make sure efficiency hasn’t been lost in complexity? Maybe if the GSA was broken up a little bit, it could be more nimble and effective.
TOM FOX CLIP 2 by cdorobek

On top of all of the scandal, it’s almost time for Public Service Recognition Week (May 6-12). Though it seems that the “squeaky wheel gets the grease”, there are opportunities for public servants to be recognized – such as the Service to America medals and the recognition week – even if they don’t always get a ‘thank you’ on their way out the door.
TOM FOX CLIP 3 by cdorobek

To listen to Tom’s full interview you can catch the full radio show at GovLoop Insights or your can subscribe to our itunes channel.