WashingtonExec 2015 Market Outlook Series
We look forward to a new year and new opportunities for innovation and growth in the government contracting community. This past year, we experienced an increased emphasis on cybersecurity, the government’s procurement process and a perpetual focus on doing more with less.
WashingtonExec reached out to those most knowledgeable and experienced in the federal contracting space. We asked executives in and around the beltway for insight regarding where they see the government contracting community headed in 2015. Topics discussed include M&A activity, cloud computing, privacy issues, data collection, healthcare IT, defense and more.
The Ken Blanchard Companies Vice President of Federal Solutions Paul Wilson believes that government officials need to understand what is causing their employees disengagement in order to be able to make lasting changes and improvements.
Paul Wilson: A perfect and comprehensive plan for federal workforce engagement may not exist, but best practices for employee engagement do. With the 2014 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS) and Best Places to Work in the Federal Government results revealing a critical and fundamental need to address the dissatisfaction trends plaguing federal employees, we have an unprecedented opportunity to make lasting and significant change government-wide — starting today. As we embark on a new year filled with fresh opportunities (and challenges), we must consider the following paths to achieve enhanced satisfaction and commitment from our nation’s public sector leaders to embrace the challenge and opportunity.
Diagnose the root causes of disengagement. Disengaged federal employees significantly cost government and the public that depends on its services. With the realities of expanding agency missions compounded with growing budget constraints, it is critically important that the human capital solutions we choose to invest in are highly efficient and effective in improving engagement and satisfaction. Therefore, moving forward, we must be sure to utilize a diagnostic tool that provides a clear understanding of the root causes of the disengagement and dissatisfaction we are facing. Only once an accurate diagnosis is received, can the most effective and efficient interventions be developed and implemented.
Implement a leadership ecosystem based on a common leadership language and framework. Once an agency has a clear understanding of why employees feel the way they do, it is vital to get everyone on the same page in order to produce, measure and sustain desired and necessary change. By utilizing and emphasizing a common leadership language and framework across government, agencies will harness the power of human capital, strengthen communications across all teams and elevate overall organizational performance.
Develop leaders at all levels, from entry-level to Senior Executive Service. We have to remember that it is not always what happens at the Cabinet-level that makes a difference. That is, the way in which leaders lead is the most critical element of workforce engagement. This is because leaders — especially frontline managers — communicate assignments, determine the workplace mood by their actions, create an environment of trust and generally inspire by what they do or do not do. Leadership is a critical ingredient in the engagement recipe and we must cultivate this element with new, continuous training. This can take place in the classroom, with continued reinforcement on the job and through learning frameworks that emphasize continuous improvement and accountability.
Now is the time to fully commit to building sustainable leadership capacity and improving employee engagement in our nation’s largest and most critical workforce. Let’s make 2015 count.
