The Manager’s Musings
Warren Master
Learning to Collaborate
In my review of Russ Linden’s book Leading Across Boundaries: Creating Collaborative Agencies in a Networked World (Spring 2010), I encourage
public management practitioners to avail themselves of the many
case illustrations and user-friendly tools the author provides for navigating beyond customary bureaucratic boundaries. Yet, if there’s one topic that gets only scant mention, it’s the strategic role that training and development
plays in these otherwise exemplary collaborative fixes.
This is true of both Linden’s many and varied case studies, as well as the spot-on lists of critical elements, factors, and principles that track with
each collaboration challenge. Whether training’s absence is due to the
failure of project managers to include the training community in their planning
efforts, or simply an oversight in adding it to the toolkit, I don’t know. Consequently, I’ve posted several blog entries on
The Public Manager and ASTD websites highlighting examples of how government organizations are indeed aligning training with their agencies’ priority outcomes.
Also, Russ Linden and I have been chatting about how to insert workplace
learning into the formal strategic planning process, particularly as it concerns working across boundaries. And recently, we’ve added a new joint blog post on GovLoop’s website exploring the question: How can the training community (within agencies or through outside sources) add measurable value to achieving priority results? Hopefully, you’ll be able to add your own views and examples to these initial thoughts.
Strategic Workplace Learning
This issue’s feature articles offer an illuminating array of public sector experiences in aligning training with priority outcomes. First up,
Irene
Connelly details a transformational effort at the National Park Service that won The Graduate School’s 2010 Edwards Deming Award. Next,
Nancy
Nee shares another successful effort to significantly and measurably improve
business analysis through integrated learning in the New York State Office of the State Comptroller.
Similarly, Ernest “Bub” Kovacs and William Toms head down the pike (so to speak) and relate how scenario-based training is improving state trooper performance in New Jersey. Finally,
Preston “Tim” Brown caps off this best practice exploration with some thoughts on making training strategic in the learning organization.
The Changing Workplace
In our continuing coverage of the changing public sector workplace—
people, budgets, technology, and more—Peter Levine gives us a heads-up on the timeliness of strengthening civic skills and, indirectly, our nation’s democracy. Also,
Thad Juszczak offers a primer for budgeting
federal labor costs.
Marnie Green peers into her crystal ball and ponders the government
workplace environment of the future. And Linda Kiltz offers new insights and highlights examples of service-learning through colleges and universities.
Managing the Change
Two articles offer ideas on what’s being done to manage change through thoughtful human capital endeavors.
Pat Galagan finishes up her two-part recitation on bridging the skills gap, and
Richard “Rick” Koonce writes about how leadership development in the federal government
is getting a boost from executive coaching.
On the topic of performance management, Jonathan Breul weighs in with six strategies to improve government performance, and John
Mullins explores “the performance imperative.“
Shifting to budget and financial management, David L. Baker revisits user fees in challenging fiscal times. Meanwhile,
John Moore reminds us about what more can be done to prevent and detect fraud, waste, and abuse in the public sector.
Other Considerations
In the commentary piece on innovating the future, Terry Buss cogitates
over American Government 3.0. William Baker reflects on how to making measures work in his review of
Leading Performance Management,
edited by David Ammons. Finally, Grimaldi turns off the lights with his ruminations of how reconciliation—the process employed
by the U.S. Congress to pass landmark healthcare legislation—
could work in other walks of life.