Strengthening agency management capabilities, collaboration, and coordination.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nStates and cities have also committed to goal setting and evidence-based decision making. The website, Results for America, summarizes the initiatives in several states. \u00a0Employees are never mentioned.<\/p>\n
The argument for goal-based management is well founded. A survey found goal setting ranked #1 in importance among 73 management theories. It\u2019s based on a decades old argument, first discussed in the book,\u00a0Goal Setting: A Motivational Technique That Works!<\/em>, by Gary Latham and Edwin Locke.<\/p>\nBut something is missing.\u00a0 It\u2019s 20 years later and the performance problems continue.<\/p>\n
Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast<\/h4>\n
That phrase was attributed to the prominent management consultant, Peter Drucker, and gained attention about the same time as Locke\u2019s argument for goal setting. Its meaning is clear \u2013 a performance plan cannot be fully successful if it\u2019s not compatible with the culture. That happens all too frequently in government when newly elected leaders are from an opposing party.<\/p>\n
Business writers generally focus on improving performance and how in highly successful companies, employees are motivated to produce business results. Unlike the common performance metrics, culture cannot be measured \u2013 or as a psychological construct even defined \u2013 but it\u2019s an issue in every workplace. \u00a0<\/p>\n
It\u2019s significant here that the HR communities in the public and private sectors are effectively separate.\u00a0 Each has its own association, publications, conferences, etc. In late 2024 the private sector HR group, Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), issued a report \u2013 The State of Global Workforce Culture of 2024 \u2013 that \u201cexplains the profound impact of workplace culture\u201d on employee performance.<\/p>\n
\u201cA positive organizational culture is a competitive advantage. When employees feel that their company values them, respects them, and provides them with meaningful work, the results are clear: higher loyalty, better productivity, and lower turnover.\u201d<\/p>\n
Poor work cultures have both a financial and a human cost. The human costs include higher turnover, difficulty recruiting, and the family problems triggered by stressful work experience. The history of labor-management relations has endless stories of disruptions related to poor work cultures.<\/p>\n
According to the SHRM report, \u201cWorkers in positive organizational cultures are almost four times more likely to stay with their current employer. For workers who rate their organizational culture highly, they are often strong promoters of their company. Over 8 in 10 employees at organizations with a positive culture say they\u2019re likely to recommend their organization to people looking for a job. Conversely, for employees at organizations with unfavorable cultures, only 4% say they are likely to recommend their organization to people looking for a job.\u201d<\/p>\n
Among employees working in poor or terrible cultures, the top reasons cited for leaving a job are:\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n- ineffective managers<\/li>\n
- unfair treatment<\/li>\n
- inadequate pay<\/li>\n
- lack of empathetic leadership<\/li>\n
- insufficient regard for employee well-being.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
To highlight the obvious, culture is about the way employees feel about their manager, leaders, their pay, etc. They perform better when they feel good about their work experience \u2013 and the difference results in better performance. As their efforts show better results, their commitment and the culture grows stronger.<\/p>\n
There are no reports of comparable research in government agencies. A search failed to find reports of culture studies in government. Books on improving government\u2019s performance are silent on the subject. There are a few columns advocating the improvement of the work culture. If the website discussion of the federal performance framework (cited earlier) is indicative of what \u2018matters\u2019, employees are not seen as important in improving government performance.<\/p>\n
The most prominent reason is that few elected officials have had recent experience working in larger organizations where culture was an issue. When improved government performance surfaces in an election, its often seen as a \u201csystem\u201d or an accountability problem; the work culture is rarely mentioned. Promises to reduce the cost of government focus on downsizing, not ideas to improve worker productivity.<\/p>\n
Steps to Address the Culture Problem<\/h4>\n
Gallup\u2019s research on employee engagement shows that employees are capable of performing at significantly higher levels. The\u00a0Great Places to Work<\/em>\u00a0website also highlights organizations that attribute their success to an \u201cexceptional workplace culture\u201d. That idea prompted numerous professional and local media groups across the country to develop similar lists of the best local employers. Best \u2018places\u2019 lists are now posted for states and cities and virtually every industry, including hospitals and colleges.<\/p>\nOne company best illustrates why this is important. Wegmans is a family owned, regional supermarket chain that started as a produce cart in upstate New York. Today it operates over 100 stores and is consistently in\u00a0Fortune<\/em>\u00a0magazine\u2019s top places to work (#6 in 2024) and also on the lists of the best supermarkets.\u00a0 Newsweek ranked Wegmans as the 3rd<\/sup>\u00a0best grocery chain in the country. Shoppers at Wegmans find employees always take that extra step to help.<\/p>\nThe potential to create high performance workplaces in government was demonstrated in the Clinton\/Gore years of \u2018reinventing government\u2019. It\u2019s also been observed endless times in response to crises. Winning sport teams do that every season. A common thread is employees will support and promote planned changes when they anticipate it\u2019s going to be a win-win for them and their organization.<\/p>\n
The goal is creating a high performance culture although defining what that is varies across the very different operations that comprise government. The first step is reaching agreement that better results are needed. \u00a0The focus is naturally on ways to better organize and manage what needs to happen.<\/p>\n
Change is always necessary for progress but it can upset the status quo and potentially trigger a conflict. That\u2019s less common in business because there is a shared understanding that profitability is the key goal. To avoid problems, the experience in the private sector shows that following an 8-step change model developed by Harvard\u2019s John Kotter has the best chance for success.\u00a0 It\u2019s discussed in his book,\u00a0Leading Change<\/em>.<\/p>\nFrom his\u00a0website the steps are:<\/h4>\n
\u201c01. Create A Sense of Urgency<\/em>. \u00a0Inspire people to act \u2013 with passion and purpose \u2013 to achieve a bold, aspirational opportunity. Build momentum that excites people to pursue a compelling (and clear) vision of the future\u2026 together.\u201d<\/p>\n\u201c02. Build A Guiding Coalition<\/em>.\u00a0 A volunteer network needs a coalition of committed people \u2013 born of its own ranks \u2013 to guide it, coordinate it, and communicate its activities.<\/p>\n\u201c03. Form A Strategic Vision.<\/em>\u00a0 Clarify how the future will be different from the past and get buy-in for how you can make that future a reality through initiatives linked directly to the vision.\u201d<\/p>\n\u201c04. Enlist A Volunteer Army.<\/em>\u00a0 Large-scale change can only occur when massive numbers of people rally around a common opportunity. At an individual level, they must want to actively contribute. Collectively, they must be unified in the pursuit of achieving the goal together.\u201d<\/p>\n\u201c05. Enable Action By Removing Barriers.<\/em>\u00a0 Remove the obstacles that slow things down or create roadblocks to progress. Clear the way for people to innovate, work more nimbly across silos, and generate impact quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n\u201c06. Generate Short-Term Wins.<\/em>\u00a0 Wins are the molecules of results. They must be recognized, collected, and communicated \u2013 early and often \u2013 to track progress and energize volunteers to persist.\u201d<\/p>\n\u201c07. Sustain Acceleration.<\/em>\u00a0 Press harder after the first successes. Your increasing credibility can improve systems, structures and policies. Be relentless with initiating change after change until the vision is a reality.\u201d<\/p>\n\u201c08. Institute Change.<\/em>\u00a0 Articulate the connections between new behaviors and organizational success, making sure they continue until they become strong enough to replace old habits. Evaluate systems and processes to ensure management practices reinforce the new behaviors, mindsets, and ways of working you invested in.\u201d<\/p>\n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ background_color=”#f7f7f4″ custom_margin=”-641px|||||” custom_padding=”0px||0px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”Section” _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”0px||0px|” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”2_3,1_3″ use_custom_gutter=”on” gutter_width=”1″ make_equal=”on” column_padding_mobile=”on” module_class=” et_pb_row_fullwidth” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” width=”100%” width_tablet=”100%” width_phone=”” width_last_edited=”on|desktop” max_width=”100%” max_width_tablet=”100%” max_width_phone=”” max_width_last_edited=”on|desktop” custom_padding=”0px||0px|” make_fullwidth=”on” custom_width_px=”680px” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”2_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/2-scaled.jpg” alt=”A woman sits at a desk in a modern office, focused on her computer. Her hand rests on her chin as she analyzes data to boost performance. The bright workspace features large windows and other desks in the background.” title_text=”A woman sits at a desk in a modern office, focused on her computer. Her hand rests on her chin as she analyzes data to boost performance. The bright workspace features large windows and other desks in the background.” show_bottom_space=”off” force_fullwidth=”on” align_tablet=”center” align_phone=”” align_last_edited=”on|desktop” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ custom_margin=”-1px|||||” animation=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ background_color=”#efefe9″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Howard-scaled.jpg” alt=”A hand arranges wooden human figures in a row, with digital business and technology icons overlaying the image, symbolizing concepts like teamwork, performance, management, and innovation.” title_text=”A hand arranges wooden human figures in a row, with digital business and technology icons overlaying the image, symbolizing concepts like teamwork, performance, management, and innovation.” show_bottom_space=”off” force_fullwidth=”on” align_tablet=”center” align_phone=”” align_last_edited=”on|desktop” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ animation=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text disabled_on=”off|off|” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ text_font=”PT Serif||||” text_text_color=”#818178″ text_font_size=”24″ text_line_height=”1.4em” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” text_orientation=”center” module_alignment=”center” custom_margin=”5.7%|10%||10%||” custom_margin_tablet=”|10%||10%” custom_margin_phone=”” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|desktop” text_font_size_tablet=”” text_font_size_phone=”” text_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
Employees want to contribute to their organization\u2019s success, but they need to believe their ideas and efforts are valued.<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ text_font=”PT Sans|on|||” text_text_color=”#888888″ text_font_size=”12″ text_letter_spacing=”2px” text_line_height=”1.2em” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” text_orientation=”center” module_alignment=”center” custom_margin=”20px||20%|” custom_margin_tablet=”20px|||” custom_margin_phone=”” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|tablet” global_colors_info=”{}”]HOWARD RISHER[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row use_custom_gutter=”on” gutter_width=”4″ column_padding_mobile=”on” custom_padding_last_edited=”on|tablet” admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” max_width=”1200px” custom_padding=”0px||0px|” custom_padding_tablet=”0px|||” custom_padding_phone=”” use_custom_width=”on” custom_width_px=”1200px” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ text_font=”PT Serif||||” text_text_color=”#363636″ text_font_size=”20″ text_line_height=”1.4em” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” custom_margin=”19px||0px|||” custom_margin_tablet=”40px||0px|” custom_margin_phone=”” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|tablet” hover_enabled=”0″ text_font_size_tablet=”” text_font_size_phone=”” text_font_size_last_edited=”on|tablet” global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n
The Clinton\/Gore Reinventing Government years (1993-2001) demonstrate the potential for employees to point out changes that pay off. Over Clinton\u2019s eight years, federal employees proposed over 1,200 ideas to \u201cserve customers better, relieve businesses of unneeded regulations, exploit technology to widen access to federal services and information, encourage plain English documents, improve coordination with state and local governments, cement community relationships, build new labor-management partnerships and empower front-line workers.\u201d<\/p>\n
The changes resulted in eliminating 426,200 employees. Over 75,000 managers lost their jobs, supporting worker empowerment. The first annual report in 1994 claimed that, pending Congressional action, likely savings would amount to about $12.2 billion, and by 2001 the estimated savings totaled $146 billion (or $285 billion today).<\/p>\n
As so often happens, when George W Bush became President in 2001, his administration took a different direction, triggered in part by the 9\/11 terrorist attacks, and the expanded role for workers was downplayed. Empowerment was a prominent principle in the reinventing government initiative but since then the idea is rarely found in discussions of government workforce management.<\/p>\n
An example of a successful change strategy follows the steps (summarized in the exhibit) that enabled the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) to create a strong performance culture. Employees were involved at each step. The exhibit was extracted from a longer article I co-authored in 2009 with the manager of the NGA pay program. He was involved in the later years of NGA\u2019s transformation. NGA won awards as a \u2018best place to work.\u2019<\/p>\n
The strategy NGA followed is outlined in the exhibit that follows.<\/p>\n
Overcoming the Workplace Contradiction<\/h4>\n
Government agencies are wasting a potential valuable resource \u2013 employee knowledge and urge to solve problems that could improve performance. Over the past decade in business, the argument that employees should be managed as assets has gained support. Since the COVID crisis, it\u2019s been a frequent theme on business-related websites. The idea is that investing in employees and their work experience pays off with better results.<\/p>\n
That argument is dominant in healthcare as well. ABC Evening News<\/em> quoted a new nurse graduate, \u201cI learned when I worked as a custodian that every employee working in a hospital is important to patient care.\u201d Hospitals today often have prominent signs on walls promoting the importance of workers. The American Nurses Association recognizes Magnet hospitals for the excellence of their nursing program.<\/p>\nThe argument is contrary to the \u2018employees are a cost\u2019 view promoted in the 1980s by GE\u2019s Jack Welch and practiced for years by leaders of small businesses. It continues to be popular with conservatives.<\/p>\n
But research from the McKinsey Global Institute found that:<\/p>\n
. . . People + Performance Winners manage to create opportunities for their employees to build skills while consistently clearing a high bar for financial performance. . . achieving these dual goals requires effective organizational capital\u2014that is, the management practices, systems, and culture that make a workplace unique. When this organizational fabric works effectively, it creates a productive workplace that becomes a magnet and an incubator for talent.\u201d<\/p>\n
Source: McKinsey, \u201cPerformance Through People\u201d<\/p>\n
The core problem is that transitioning to a performance culture takes time \u2013 this is behavior change. The changes have to be advocated by leaders and operationalized in day-to-day management. Managers often find it more difficult than employees to accept their redefined roles.<\/p>\n
Employee teams played prominent roles at every stage of the NGA transformation. Their involvement assured the project had employee input and they kept co-workers aware of what was unfolding.<\/p>\n
When newly elected Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam initiated civil service reform in 2011, the state invested more than two years in training and coaching for managers, along with feedback from employees, before switching to SMART goal management and pay for performance. Now Tennessee is listed as one of the best employers in the state. The state could be a model for transforming government.<\/p>\n
When workers believe that cannot trust management, they withhold feedback and concerns. Worker silence does not signify agreement or worse disagreement or fear. Psychological safety \u2013 mutual trust \u2013 is a key to the open exchange of ideas. As with NGA, workers want to play a vital role in planning and carrying out change initiatives.<\/p>\n
Workers in every function have valuable ideas for improving performance. The reinventing government years made that clear. Employees want to contribute to their organization\u2019s success, but they need to believe their ideas and efforts are valued. The research is solid \u2014 It\u2019s an investment that will pay off.<\/p>\n
Performance-based pay at NGA: involving managers and employees from the outset is critical to workforce acceptance and sustained success<\/strong><\/h4>\nExtracted from article in The Public Manager<\/em> by Andrew Smallwood and Howard Risher<\/p>\nOne of the most successful federal pay systems was created by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA). The pay and performance management system helped the agency win several awards, including a presidential award for management excellence, the President’s Quality Award, and Workforce Magazine’s Optimas Award. NGA was also named as an employer of choice in St. Louis.<\/p>\n
When NGA was formed in 1996, the agency developed totally new systems for managing people. A contractor was hired for a best practices benchmarking study. In addition, the HR team conducted focus groups to understand manager and employee concerns and needs. Finally, the agency established a steering group composed of employees from across the agency to develop recommendations.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe emphasis on high performance prompted the team to focus on practices that promote excellence and the continuous development of employee capabilities.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201c. . . deliberations led to a decision to develop a new salary system to support the people goals. It was based on five salary bands.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201c. . . one advantage of pay bands is that jobs and salaries can be effectively slid from the old system to a new one without change, so the immediate impact is small.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe focus groups and steering team were the starting point for continuing employee involvement. When the framework for the new system was agreed upon, the HR team asked one hundred additional managers and lower-level staff members to participate on eight teams to flesh out new HR practices.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis involvement from inception helped garner “buy-in,” or ownership, across the different groups. Individuals who played a role often became champions of the new system.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201c. . . the team set up a project management office (PMO) to guide planning. Staffed with HR specialists who worked with leaders across the agency, the PMO elevated the initiative’s prominence and coordinated planning activities . . .\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPay for performance depends on two separate–but linked–decision systems: the process governing performance management and the mechanism for determining salary increases. NGA supervisors made rating decisions (after approval was granted by reviewing officials), but panels, usually composed of supervisors and managers, determined salary increases and bonuses.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSalary increase and bonus recommendations from the panel deliberations were then reviewed by senior management, approved by the director, and communicated to employees.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of the tools of this evaluation was an annual survey to assess employee attitudes toward the system and the resulting payouts. NGA also conducts a comprehensive performance pay review each year.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNGA overcame early concerns by planning broad employee involvement, furnishing a rigorous program assessment process, and persistently working to improve the process over time.\u201d<\/p>\n
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The Forgotten Key to Improving Performance: Culture Change - Careers in Government<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Employees want to contribute to their organization\u2019s success, but they need to believe their ideas and efforts are valued.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/gov-talk\/about-gov\/the-forgotten-key-to-improving-performance-culture-change\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Forgotten Key to Improving Performance: Culture Change - Careers in Government\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Employees want to contribute to their organization\u2019s success, but they need to believe their ideas and efforts are valued.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/gov-talk\/about-gov\/the-forgotten-key-to-improving-performance-culture-change\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Careers in Government\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/CareersInGovernment\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-09-05T20:58:17+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-09-21T17:58:33+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/3-scaled.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1708\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Howard Risher\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@careersingov\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@careersingov\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Howard Risher\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"13 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.careersingovernment.com\\\/tools\\\/gov-talk\\\/about-gov\\\/the-forgotten-key-to-improving-performance-culture-change\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.careersingovernment.com\\\/tools\\\/gov-talk\\\/about-gov\\\/the-forgotten-key-to-improving-performance-culture-change\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Howard Risher\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.careersingovernment.com\\\/tools\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/939405595f31ebac97267cf869a3f394\"},\"headline\":\"The Forgotten Key to Improving Performance: Culture Change\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-09-05T20:58:17+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-09-21T17:58:33+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.careersingovernment.com\\\/tools\\\/gov-talk\\\/about-gov\\\/the-forgotten-key-to-improving-performance-culture-change\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":4220,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.careersingovernment.com\\\/tools\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.careersingovernment.com\\\/tools\\\/gov-talk\\\/about-gov\\\/the-forgotten-key-to-improving-performance-culture-change\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.careersingovernment.com\\\/tools\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/09\\\/3-scaled.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Government trends\"],\"articleSection\":[\"About the Public Sector\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.careersingovernment.com\\\/tools\\\/gov-talk\\\/about-gov\\\/the-forgotten-key-to-improving-performance-culture-change\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.careersingovernment.com\\\/tools\\\/gov-talk\\\/about-gov\\\/the-forgotten-key-to-improving-performance-culture-change\\\/\",\"name\":\"The Forgotten Key to Improving Performance: Culture Change - 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