Public Service Week

Last week, offices across the country celebrated, "the importance of our federal public service employees and give each and every one of us an opportunity to reflect on the many contributions we make to our Canadian society through our professionalism, resourcefulness and hard work which enables us the quality of life we all enjoy." (Link to federal public service week website.)

However, I find this imagery of the public service lacking. Professionalism has been restricted by executives and unions negotiating, resourcefulness restricted by policy and red-tape and hard work - well... depends on who you are. In comparison, if we are to observe the police force, the mantra remains "to serve and protect" - doing their job for society.

My problem: I believe in people. To to believe in what they do and to make the right decisions. When you put restrictions on people to the point government tends to do, people revert into a self-serve culture. A good parent teaches a child responsibility by holding them accountable for their actions but also giving them the opportunity to make mistakes.

In the "celebration" of public service week, I found a culture expecting more for themselves instead of being the representatives of the Canadian public. It will take a generation to change the culture, but the result will be an organization that can really serve the public .

When this occurs, we will really have something to celebrate!