The Top 7 Traps When Moving from Business to Government

From GovCentral | Peter Daly and Michael Watkins - Monster.com

Are you considering transitioning from
business to government? According to government human resource
professionals, you'll need to watch where you step.

A recent survey of senior public-sector HR executives conducted by
us - Peter Daly and Michael Watkins, coauthors of The First 90 Days in
Government: Critical Success Strategies for New Public Leaders at all
Levels - found that in contrast to business, performance failures can
have consequences measured not only by financial standards but by
embarrassment and political defeat.

To ensure success, you will want to avoid what more than 100
surveyed senior government HR officials report to be the seven most
common traps business people fall into when they move to government.

Trap 1: Failing to Understand Government's Fishbowl Nature

Many new arrivals are "not able to adapt to the political climate
and being in the public eye where you are scrutinized when you make
decisions," says one senior public-sector HR professional in the
survey. Leaders in businesses often are shielded from the sort of
public, media and political scrutiny and second-guessing that
accompanies high-profile government appointments. The admonition that
new arrivals hear - "imagine how this will seem on the front page of
tomorrow's newspaper" - is no jest.

Trap 2: Thinking Too Narrowly About Stakeholders

Satisfying everyone is impossible, so creating coalitions is
essential. In business, there are shareholders, Wall Street analysts,
customers, regulators, partners and employees. In federal government,
there are almost 300 million citizens, 535 elected representatives,
3,000 or so members of an elected administration, thousands of
special-interest constituencies and lobbyists, unions, regulatory
bodies and many others.

Trap 3: Not Grasping How Performance Is Measured

In government, finance is but one measurement to devising a
strategy. The bottom line, if one even exists in government, is always
trumped by political crises, public policy or constituent pressure.
Success often entails tolerating financial conditions that would never
be entertained in business.

Trap 4: Underestimating the Constraints

Many new arrivals "attempt to make changes that simply can't be made
because of statutes and regulations," says another HR professional.
Leaders in government do not have the option of selling off an agency
that performs poorly. They must change and improve it. Private
companies are constructed with change in mind, while government is
designed for just the opposite - to remain stable. Agencies are
governed by complicated regulations, staffed by people doing narrowly
defined tasks and overseen by managers whose responsibility often is to
assure that rules are followed.

Trap 5: Overlooking Nonmonetary Incentives

One of the starkest contrasts between business and government is the
differences in incentives for motivating workers. "The biggest trap for
successful individuals entering government, is not understanding the
structured nature of pay in government," notes one HR professional in
the survey. "Pay raises can only be given based on certain criteria, at
a certain time and within the confines of a merit system. This is often
a shock to former private-sector employees." In business, motivation
often means sharing in the financial benefits of a successful business
plan. In government, financial incentives can conflict with the concept
of professionals who carry out policies to best serve the public, not
for personal gain. Leaders, therefore, must rely on other tools - a
compelling vision, a culture that values and recognizes success, the
potential for development and advancement, and the reward of engaged
teamwork - that are more difficult to design.

Trap 6: Overestimating Control Over Critical Resources

Acquiring resources in government is heavily regulated by Cabinet
agencies and Congress, creating a competitive environment where
agencies not only vie against each other but must engage the political
process and gain the support of allies. Even when support is strong,
acquiring quick infusions of people, facilities or technology is
unlikely, given complex personnel and procurement rules. Most new
government leaders must start off largely with the resources they
inherited.

Trap 7: Expecting Government to Move as Fast as Business

New arrivals from business "believe they can make change happen
quickly," says another survey respondent. "When they find out that they
cannot make that change as quickly as they'd like, discouragement sets
in." Government's rhythms are different from the quarterly and annual
reporting deadlines of business. So for new leaders, getting up to
speed could take longer than six months, which is typical in business.
Still, they are not insulated from the impatience of stakeholders and
are likely to face pressures for early wins. Targets for such wins
should be selected wisely, despite insistence from some quarters for
rapid action, because when they are met, they increase credibility and
build momentum for success with longer-term changes.

Success in avoiding these traps will position you to get off to a
good start and build personal credibility. If you fall into one,
however, it will set up a vicious cycle that will consume your precious
time and energy; it could even contribute to derailment.