New Series: Simple Secrets to Success From Execs Who Know
WashingtonExec reached out to area executives to gain insight and share local “secrets to success” stories.
Today’s “secrets to success” comes from John M. Gilligan, former U.S. Air Force CIO and SVP of the Defense Sector at SRA International, and now President of the Gilligan Group.
Gilligan: I entered Federal service in 1981 expecting to stay for a year or two, I was in government for 24 years. Through this journey I learned quite a bit, including lessons on how to get things done in government.
LISTEN UP: A “top five” are described below.
1) Don’t accept the status quo. Many leave government because they find it hard to get things done. I stayed in government because it was clear that I would never have the opportunity to accomplish so much outside of government service. I found that government provides many opportunities to make a large impact, if one is willing to tackle the challenge.
2) People are motivated by appreciation. I found that a simple “thank you” goes a long way. I will never forget the day a new assistant remarked to me that in her 20 years in government, no one had ever said “thank you” to her for just doing her daily job as I just had. That statement made a big impression on me.
3) A bad contract deal is bad for both government and industry. Business relationships must be mutually beneficial to the government and industry. The notion that only one party suffers from a “bad contract” is wishful thinking and short sighted. If a contract is not, to use a common phrase, a “win-win” situation, the quicker that one can make it mutually beneficial, the better the chances for success even if that means renegotiating the contract. Likewise, I have found that, in almost all cases, poor contract performance is the result of shortfalls or failures on both government and contractor sides. Both parties must hold one another accountable for performing their respective roles.
4) Choose your bosses carefully. As I neared retirement, I reflect that since I had never planned to stay in government for a full career, I critically assessed each new job opportunity, including my potential bosses, to determine if it was time to go back to private industry. As a result, I have had a string of superb bosses and owe much of my success to their support. I preferred bosses who gave me lots of freedom to pursue my responsibilities with a high degree of independence, but who were available when I wanted advice or needed support to resolve a problem.
5) You can accomplish great things if you don’t care who gets the credit. This was a favorite maxim of one of my bosses. I found it to be true, especially in government, where the rewards are not measured in monetary terms. “Credit” for an idea or a result can become the reward that is sought after. However, pursuit of credit is self-defeating as one’s motivations are generally transparent. Subordinates and co-workers can be motivated to support a worthy mission, and there are an unlimited number of worthy missions in government service. However, people are usually reticent to support an individual whose primary objective is seeking personal recognition or credit.
*Featured in the 10/5 issue of the Fairfax County Economic Authority online magazine E-Bird.