This February marks 12 years in the Canadian Public Service for me. Perhaps it is the pandemic that has provided ample opportunity for reflection or the fact that I am coming to the end of my maternity leave, but this particular anniversary is hitting a little different.

I’ve been thinking a lot recently about my career, the naïve optimism with which it started and how that has, over time, transformed into an awareness of the realities of life. There have been many people that I’ve met over the length of my career so far – supervisors, employees, colleagues who became friends, coaches  and mentors – and each have contributed in a different way to the kind of manager, employee and colleague I have become. They’ve helped me develop a style of management and collaboration I can truly call my own. I’m also grateful to a career that has allowed me to use my engineering skills in a creative way to advance projects and initiatives that have improved the lives of Canadians across the country.

So to mark this milestone, I wanted to share 8 truths that I’ve come to learn about public service, leadership, trusting your instincts and what it means to me to truly serve Canadians.

1. Innovation isn’t just about the newest and latest technology – it’s about having the courage to introduce new ways of thinking, working and collaborating to an organization with hard-set ideals and procedures. I’ve come to learn that it takes only one person to catalyze organizational change, be the source of increased productivity and shatter the way things have “always been done” towards achieving operational excellence. Be that person.
2. “The culture of any organization is shaped by the worst behaviour the leader is willing to tolerate” is a quote that encompasses the true consequence of toxic behaviour in the workplace that goes unchecked – it becomes a toxic culture that can have long lasting consequences for an organization. Addressing interpersonal or team conflict head on with support from professionals such as the Office of Workplace Conflict Resolution or the Ombudsman for Mental Health is crucial to maintaining a healthy work environment. Also important is encouraging dialogue among colleagues, establishing open door policies (that are actually open) and setting the standard for courteous disagreement are cornerstones of a well functioning team environment. This is true irregardless of which industry you work in and is as applicable to the private sector as is it is to the public sector.
3. Convince the people who believe in you the least – it’s the quickest way to organizational change and should be one of the first places to start. Understanding those who oppose change is the key to understanding how to successfully bring about significant change, without overlooking those who oppose it.
4. True leadership is about empowering others to lead. It’s not about the title to your role but the heart you put into it. Some of the supervisors I have had over the years have shaped the leader I have become based solely on how they empowered, enabled and encouraged me to grow and learn and lead.
5. GEDS is your best friend (so is LinkedIn) when it comes to finding new opportunities in the public service and connecting with new colleagues. Cold calls/emails DO work and can lead to at-level assignments or other opportunities where you can contribute to the public service in a new way and develop your skill set.
6. Sit at the table and encourage others to do so too. Countless times over the past few years, I’ve witnessed administrative assistants, students, and new recruits opting out of sitting at the table when it comes to attending senior management meetings. The unfortunate part is that often, these voices represent some of the most important perspectives in an organization. Encouraging these groups to get involved means pulling up a chair and inviting them into the conversation and is something we should do any chance we get.
7. Serving Canadians is at the core of what we do and everyone’s contribution counts. Regardless of where you are in your career, you have an opportunity to define what it means to you to serve Canada and to contribute to the improvement of our national and global communities. The work we do every day impacts programs across the country and provides an opportunity to evolve and innovate and improve, regardless of where you are in your career. It can be as simple as improving an administrative task so it’s done more efficiently or developing a complex national program that impacts various industries – the magnitude of the task matters much less than the intention with which you undertake it.
8. Trust your gut and uphold your boundaries – This one has been hard for me because I inherently hate confrontation. However, a key lesson for me (and it’s a lesson that keeps giving) has been that often in order to avoid confrontation and conflict, you have to stand your ground and speak your mind. If something doesn’t sit right with you, if you are witness to an injustice (to yourself or others) speaking up and taking space is the most important thing in protecting your own integrity and that of your organization. True organizational transparency is only possible if everyone has the courage (and the support they need) to speak their truth.

Photo: @RobWalsh0 (via Unsplash)