The importance of providing high-quality service to customers – which is essentially everyone we encounter every day, both externally and internally – is a given in public sector agencies. We all understand the value derived from making great impressions on the customers we serve, although our reasons could be different depending on the situation. For […]
Fiscal Literacy for Everyone on the Government Ladder
Imagine a small child tugging on his mother’s arm in a department store. The child is asking if he can buy the toy clutched in his hand. When the mother denies the child’s request, the child questions why. If the mother chooses to provide a response, she will likely say the toy is priced too […]
Beyond Raising the Rainbow Flag: Opportunities for Municipalities to Build Capacity Around Diversity and Inclusion
Rainbow flags flew high in front of city halls across California for the month of June in honor of pride month. This act of acknowledgment and solidarity is comforting to the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Queer (LGBTQ) community and particularly welcoming for LGBTQ municipal employees. However, year-round acceptance and support for employees within the […]
Career Compass No. 38: Your Staff Meetings Don’t Have To Be Dreary
CAREER COMPASS I supervise an operations group in a community services special district. Our district has a lot of responsibilities and is always trying to address the demands of our service recipients. Because we try to move fast, I hold a weekly staff meeting to keep the 15 operations staff people informed and, hopefully, engaged. […]