An Epigram in Consistency and Thoughtful Communication
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The prompt for this round of the FEDforum is team morale. This week, hear from the National Academy of Public Administration.
The National Academy of Public Administration (the Academy) works frequently with government (Federal as well as state and local) entities to conduct comprehensive organizational assessments and address management and governance challenges. These studies provide findings and recommendations that lead to improved performance and ultimately, higher levels of service to the American public. Often, the request for assistance comes after the review of the Federal Employee Viewpoint survey (FEVS) or a local employee engagement survey equivalent. The scores measuring employee engagement provide insight into the climate, culture, and morale of the organization. Academy Panels of Fellows and Study Teams work to identify process and structural improvements with a goal of improving morale, which is a key indicator of organizational performance.
The Academy’s work allows for the exploration of organizational dynamics that impact team morale in many ways and with a variety of teams or group affiliations. For example, the Academy has conducted a comprehensive assessment of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy as well as assessing the cultural competence of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. Both studies have included analysis of key elements of organizational culture and the role it plays in impacting team morale. These two organizations possess similarities as they both are service academies providing education and training to cadets who will be supporting national naval priorities. The Academy has also conducted assessments of other federal organizations including the Office of Personnel Management and U.S. Secret Service with a goal of identifying key opportunities and challenges related to organizational alignment, performance, and ultimately, the ability to provide the highest levels of service to both internal customers (other federal employees) and the American public. While these agencies are quite different than the service academies when it comes to strategic vision and mission, there are several findings related to morale that have emerged from all these evaluations.
These common themes include the importance of consistent and thoughtful communication strategies to ensure all members of the organization or team are informed, strategic investment in the technological tools that enable employees to do their work effectively and efficiently, and ongoing and deliberate efforts to connect employees to the overall mission of the organization. Since the COVID 19 pandemic has relocated so many employees to virtual work environments, the new reality has tested some of these paradigms and has required all of us to rethink what an engaged team looks like. But it has also enabled some reimagining of what is possible. This has informed not only the findings and recommendations that the Academy has provided to agencies, but it has also guided how we at the Academy have shaped our own internal efforts to support employees and “practice what we preach.” We continue to invest in technology enablers that allow for extensive collaboration within geographically dispersed teams, and we meet frequently (albeit on a video conferencing platform) to discuss the Academy’s strategic goals and objectives and connect that to the work products and convenings focused on the tenets and promising practices of good government and exceptional performance.
We look forward to continuing to assist teams of varied sizes, with different missions, and across all sectors of government and providing guidance for building and improving morale. First and foremost, this can expand the impact of public sector products and services. And additionally, it helps inform how we look internally to build on our own positive morale and imagine new ways to harness the talent and momentum for future opportunities.
*The National Academy of Public Administration (the Academy) is an independent, nonprofit, and nonpartisan organization established in 1967 to assist government leaders in building more effective, accountable, and transparent organizations. Chartered by Congress to provide nonpartisan expert advice, the Academy’s unique feature is its over 950 Fellows—including former cabinet officers, Members of Congress, governors, mayors, and state legislators, as well as prominent scholars, business executives, and career public administrators. The Academy helps the federal government address its critical management challenges through in-depth studies and analyses, advisory services and technical assistance, congressional testimony, forums and conferences, and online stakeholder engagement. If you would like to find out more about how the Academy can support your organization, please visit us at www.napawash.org.
The column from National Academy of Public Administration is part of the FEDforum, an initiative to unite voices across the federal community. The FEDforum is a space for federal employee groups to share their organizations’ initiatives and activities with the FEDmanager audience.
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