th<\/sup> century. The owners in the early factories maintained tight, top-down control, making all decisions. A new practice then was \u201cscientific management\u2019, a phrase that refers to the application of supposedly scientific principles to improve economic efficiency and labor productivity. Workers were managed as extensions of machines. (Charlie Chaplin highlighted the role of workers in his 1936 movie, \u201cModern Times.\u201d)<\/p>\nThat approach to management relied on industrial engineers to analyze workflows and worker physical actions. Every worker\u2019s action was dictated and documented, resulting in lengthy job descriptions. (That explains government\u2019s multi-page job descriptions.) Workers who failed to follow orders were fired. It triggered the violent labor\/management clashes depicted in movies. It was the dominant management philosophy until the 1990\/91 recession. It continues as the norm in the millions of small businesses.<\/p>\n
That way of managing naturally influenced the legislative bodies that drafted the early civil service laws. The federal system was formalized in the Classification Act of 1923 and largely continued in the 1949 Classification Act. State and local government civil service laws were also enacted in that era. New York state, as an example, created the Department of Civil Service and the Civil Service Commission in a 1925-26 reorganization. Maryland\u2019s \u2018merit system\u2019 was created in 1920; California\u2019s system in 1934.<\/p>\n
A common thread of civil service systems at all levels of government is that they were adopted to address the same concerns and reflect the same workforce management philosophy.<\/p>\n
The laws introduced bureaucratic and time-intensive administrative requirements. They are the reason \u201cPersonnel\u201d offices are seen as barriers to change. Civil Service Commissions also support compliance cultures. Every time a commission rules on an employee complaint, it reinforces the argument for continuing the past. It also confirms now outdated practices. Regulations similarly lock in the past.<\/p>\n
In today\u2019s \u201cchange is the only constant\u201d environment, laws are out of date soon after they are passed. The COVID crisis and working remotely changed boss\/worker relationships. Now it\u2019s the impact of technology. The world of work in all sectors is clearly not the same. Notably, civil service systems are rigid and unresponsive to dynamic labor markets. In hindsight, it\u2019s clear \u2013 the systems were not conceived for today.<\/p>\n
The Business Shift to Performance Cultures<\/h4>\n
The \u201890\/91 recession prompted companies to delayer \u2013 eliminating layers of management \u2013 to enable them to respond quickly to market developments. That increased a manager\u2019s span-of-control, giving workers more autonomy and more discretion to make job-related decisions. The decade also saw the rapid growth of knowledge workers who are most productive when they are trusted and empowered. Personal computers and cell phones exploded in use, supporting increased worker autonomy.<\/p>\n
Now it\u2019s taken for granted but in many fields, workers are fully productive with little, if any, direct supervision. \u00a0\u00a0Self-managed workers know what they need to accomplish. That\u2019s always been true in fields like medicine and the law. The COVID crisis and working remotely made it clear many workers prefer it.<\/p>\n
The decade also marked the beginning of three now prominent workforce trends \u2013 high performance organizations, great places to work, and employee engagement linked to performance. A key point is that each trend contributes to better organization performance. The trends are based on evidence that in a supportive environment workers are more productive. Each trend is associated with supervisory practices that are very different than the typical government work environment.<\/p>\n
As the NAPA report argued, public agencies need to make the \u2018transformation.\u2019 That word has been used in the past \u2013 Don Kettl\u2019s 2002 book, The Transformation of Governance<\/em> is an example \u2013 but in too many jurisdictions, the transformation has yet to begin.<\/p>\nThe research on employee engagement, started almost three decades ago by Gallup, makes two key points \u2013 (1) engaged workers perform better and (2) it highlights the importance of effective front line managers. They are the keys to engagement and improved performance. That explains recent articles like, \u201cThe Importance of Good Managers: The Linchpin of Success,\u201d a Forbes <\/em>column posted in August.<\/em> When workers are not engaged, their productivity, innovation, and retention decline. Government agencies now report engagement scores but it\u2019s rare to find analyses linking engagement and performance.<\/p>\nAll of this contributes in the private sector to what is seen as a performance culture. One source defines it as a \u201csystem that engages, develops, and inspires a diverse, high-performing workforce by creating, implementing, and maintaining effective performance management strategies, practices, and activities . . .\u201d It\u2019s a holistic approach to management that supports employee careers and well-being. Both workers and customers benefit. The DOGE initiatives have taken government in the opposite direction.<\/p>\n
It Starts with Leaders<\/h4>\n
Companies have a decided advantage \u2013 business competition makes performance an issue at all levels, from executives to front line workers. Companies are always looking for ways to improve year end results. It\u2019s somewhat different but also true in healthcare and higher education. Improving performance is the mantra of every CEO. It\u2019s shared by all executives. The obvious point is they stand to benefit financially as a team from better performance.\u00a0 Countless consultants are ready to help.<\/p>\n
Government is different in one key respect. Elected and appointed leaders have rarely worked as leaders in large organizations \u2013 that is companies with thousands of employees. Many are lawyers. That\u2019s true for leaders from both parties. In their election campaigns, and early in their time in office, their focus is rarely agency performance, except for conservatives working to limit government.<\/p>\n
Holding elections every two years adds to the problems. Candidates are normally critical of current office holders. They advocate for new policies and argue for change, claiming they have better answers to current problems. Appointees often come and go even more frequently. Again, many do not have the experience needed to understand and effectively address management issues. Since it typically take months to build support for policy changes \u2013 and even longer to gain employee commitment and develop requisite skills, the regular transition to new leaders is a barrier to improving results.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s common, at least initially, to find a level of mutual distrust shared by new leaders and employees. The history of labor\/management disputes has been the theme of movies. When government unions won legal support starting in the 1960s, it added a new barrier to changing workforce management practices. The unions and labor laws that gained prominence now half a century ago created cultural barriers to agreeing on change initiatives. Today surveys show workers do not feel the psychological safety needed to propose new ideas or to cooperate when the impact on their job or careers is uncertain. Not surprisingly, until employees are convinced proposed changes will not hurt their careers, their cooperation is unlikely. It\u2019s a barrier that cannot be ignored.<\/p>\n
Clinton\u2019s Reinventing Government Shows the Potential<\/h4>\n
The Clinton\/Gore \u2018reinventing government\u2019 initiative, enabled agencies to realize highly publicized performance gains. The announced goal was \u201cto make the entire federal government less expensive and more efficient, and to change the culture of our national bureaucracy away from complacency and entitlement toward initiative and empowerment.\u201d<\/p>\n
The first report was released six months after the initial announcement and already there were 384 recommendations promising to save about $108 billion. The initiative continued and eventually eliminated around 426,000 jobs and cut \u201cthousands of pages of regulations.\u201d \u00a0The reward for employee suggestions was a $6 Hammer award, a symbolic award highlighting the $420 absurd accounting cost in DOD reports.<\/p>\n
The savings, along with a tax increase, enabled government to realize a budget surplus in the last four years of Clinton\u2019s presidency. \u00a0In FY2000 the surplus was a record $237 billion. (The inflated savings were $445 billion.) That\u2019s only the second time the budget was balanced since 1960.<\/p>\n
John Kamensky, who was a deputy director leading the reforms, summarized the reason for the broad success: Enabling \u201ccivil servants to see themselves as part of the reform can be a huge force-multiplier in getting action from all corners of the government.\u201d To emphasize the point, the intent was to \u201cinvent a government that puts people first.\u201d One of the four operating principles was, \u201cEmpowering Employees to Get Results.\u201d<\/p>\n
But when George Bush took office, the country had other priorities: the 9\/11 terrorist attacks, the invasion of Afghanistan, the AIDS epidemic, creation of the Homeland Security Department, and in 2003 the invasion of Iraq. He also signed a tax cut in his first term that affected budget. That highlights how new leaders often take government in new directions.<\/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\/11\/2-3-scaled.jpg” alt=”Two professionals stand by a glass wall covered with colorful sticky notes, discussing ideas in a modern office that reflects a collaborative culture. Other people are working at desks in the background.” title_text=”Two professionals stand by a glass wall covered with colorful sticky notes, discussing ideas in a modern office that reflects a collaborative culture. Other people are working at 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\/11\/3-4-scaled.jpg” alt=”A group of people in business attire discuss charts and graphs spread on a conference table, using pens, papers, and laptops, reflecting a culture of collaboration with data visualizations displayed on a screen in the background.” title_text=”A group of people in business attire discuss charts and graphs spread on a conference table, using pens, papers, and laptops, reflecting a culture of collaboration with data visualizations displayed on a screen 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″ 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
Compliance cultures were the norm in all sectors decades ago. The phrase emerged recently but the related practices originated early in the 20th<\/sup> century.<\/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” text_font_size_tablet=”” text_font_size_phone=”” text_font_size_last_edited=”on|tablet” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
Tennessee\u2019s Proven Strategy to Improve Government Performance<\/h4>\n
The Tennessee approach to civil service reform should be the model.\u00a0 The state\u2019s success is attributed to leadership at the highest levels and a multi-year commitment to building broad employee support.<\/p>\n
When Governor Bill Haslam took office in 2011, he initiated civil service reform. The state\u2019s civil service law dated to 1939 and was known as a laggard in moving away from archaic practices. At the start of his two terms, 40% of the state workforce would be eligible to retire within five years. State hiring was mired in extended delays. The skills shortage, declining interest in government careers, and an aging workforce portended future performance problems.<\/p>\n
Significantly, Haslam had years of relevant prior experience, first as an executive in business and then two terms as mayor of Knoxville. Several of the state\u2019s department heads previously were business executives.<\/p>\n
One of Haslam\u2019s announced goals was to build a \u201cwinning\u201d workforce.\u00a0 As he commented in a speech, \u201cWhether it\u2019s in business, government or sports, the team with the best players wins. Unfortunately, in Tennessee state government . . . the rules don\u2019t allow us to go out and recruit great players.\u201d Today, state agencies are recognized as one of the best employers in the state.<\/p>\n
Haslam\u2019s Cabinet undertook two initiatives that reinforced the need for reform and led to passage in 2012 of the Tennessee Excellence, Accountability and Management (TEAM) Act.<\/p>\n
First, each Cabinet member undertook a top to bottom review of his or her agency, asking first if there were services that could be provided more effectively and efficiently by the private sector and second, if government should be providing the service, is it being provided effectively and efficiently? In each agency ineffective employment practices were high on lists of barriers to improved performance.<\/p>\n
Second, the deputy governor and human resource commissioner, Rebecca Hunter, went on an employee listening tour, traveling to major cities in Tennessee to hear how to recruit and retain the best employees. Many of the practices addressed in the civil service overhaul surfaced in these meetings.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s important to highlight Commissioner Hunter\u2019s role. Elevating her to be a member of the Cabinet is a significant change from the more typical reporting link to a chief administrative executive. It also reflects an argument promoted by several HR experts.<\/p>\n
In combination the initiatives sent an important message – in Tennessee civil service reform was a priority and the goal was to improve government performance. The HR commissioner is a member of the Cabinet and took the lead in gaining support for new workforce practices, but it was clear from the start that the governor was the champion for reform.<\/p>\n
That was reinforced by an unusual strategy, specifying in the TEAM Act a requirement that performance management be based on S.M.A.R.T. goals and outcomes. The Governor\u2019s intent was to have a system that reinforced employee accountability.<\/p>\n
Relying on S.M.A.R.T. goals has several advantages:<\/h4>\n\n- Provides clarity and focus: Having specific goals in mind, individuals can work more effectively, knowing exactly what they need to accomplish and how to measure their progress.<\/li>\n
- Helps to track progress: Measuring progress is an important aspect of achieving success. It minimizes any conflict in discussions with their managers. It facilitates coaching discussions.<\/li>\n
- Increases motivation: By having specific goals in mind, individuals feel a sense of accomplishment when they make progress towards their goals, which can be a powerful source of motivation.<\/li>\n
- Increases productivity: S.M.A.R.T. goals encourage individuals to use their time and resources more productively, by focusing their efforts on specific tasks that are aligned with their objectives.<\/li>\n
- Aligns their efforts with agency goals: It enables all employees to see how their efforts contribute to their employer\u2019s success. \u00a0Throughout the year, employees and their managers can track progress.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
At first the Tennessee State Employees Association opposed the law but after weeks of negotiations the group was able to secure enough amendments to support it.\u00a0 Association leaders stood behind Haslam at the signing ceremony<\/p>\n
After the Act was passed in 2012, the state invested three years in training and coaching managers, and in securing feedback from managers and employees so there was broad support for the planned transition to pay for performance. That recognizes the importance of everyone developing comfort with the change in policy and the time needed to develop a new mindset and new skills.<\/p>\n
Overall, in Haslam\u2019s two terms, the changes transformed the state\u2019s HR policies and systems. Relevant here is the manager training and coaching prior to the transition to pay for performance.<\/p>\n
Looking back at the strategy supporting the transition, the state made several important decisions:<\/p>\n
\n- The initiative was championed by the governor and the members of his cabinet.<\/li>\n
- It involved active roles for leaders of state government. That sent an important message.<\/li>\n
- The HR staff played central roles in preparing managers and employees for change.<\/li>\n
- They solicited input from all levels of government.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Officials reached agreement with the employee association.<\/li>\n
- They relied on a proven, widely accepted approach for planning and managing performance.<\/li>\n
- Ratings were based on individual accomplishments, and not compared with others.<\/li>\n
- The focus was on creating a positive work environment.<\/li>\n
- They invested heavily in training.<\/li>\n
- They allowed the time managers needed to develop new skills and change behavior.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
From a practical perspective, the changes Tennessee initiated made sense, were easy to understand, reflected employee career interests, and highlighted the public service motivation. It\u2019s a model for other public employers.\u00a0 Adopting a policy that is logical and intuitively reasonable is a key.<\/p>\n
Tennessee is the most recent and possibly the most comprehensive reform. Tennessee shows major reform is fully possible when there is broad involvement. It reinforces the argument that investing in reform is a win-win for employers and employees, and when the public is considered, it\u2019s a win-win-win.<\/p>\n
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Compliance cultures were the norm in all sectors decades ago. The phrase emerged recently but the related practices originated early in the 20th century.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3346,"featured_media":50512,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_cbd_carousel_blocks":"[]","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[35],"class_list":["post-50511","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-about-gov","tag-government-trends"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
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