As the founders of companies dedicated to transforming the operations of local government, we have always believed in thinking outside the normal public sector MO and enjoy experimentation. On New Year’s Eve 2022, we set aside time to just sit in a city park, embracing an unseasonably warm day, for an ‘hour of silence’ — a reflective practice we’ve come to embrace.
This hour was set apart to just ‘get bored,’ with no technology or other people to distract. And we did it together to keep each other accountable. After settling in, we just let our thoughts wander. As our silent hour lapsed and we began to share our thoughts, we were struck by the complementary nature of our ideas (a synergy that defines our partnership).
Ben had been pondering the interplay of structures (think manufacturing companies or software) and organism (as in the people that make up an ecosystem). Good structures do not live but they serve the purpose of enabling others to live well, whether that’s a pavilion in a park or an ERP system in county administration. The systems we use to organize our tasks, our teams, and our goals are important because they can enhance or detract from the living organism aspect of our organizations.
On the other hand, Lisa had been contemplating something equally vital — the essence of freedom for employees from the mundane and often overwhelming stresses of public service.
Our discussion led us to a profound realization: the core purpose of meticulously documenting policies and procedures is for the sake of liberty — freedom from stress, the confidence for employees to know they are doing the right thing, at the right time, in the right way, for the right people, and for the right reasons.
As we kept talking, we kept circling back to one central theme: “operational excellence” for the sake of public sector flourishing.
Today – a year later – we were reminded of that discussion as we started reading Happier by Tal Ben-Shahar together. We’re reading it as we think about our human resources consulting and how to help our clients create environments where their employees are joyful, even amidst hard jobs. Perhaps we shouldn’t have been too surprised that chapter 1 alludes to excellence and its relationship to structure and habit. The book references Will Durant: “We are what we repeatedly do… therefore excellence is not an act, but a habit.” This resonated deeply with our understanding of operational excellence and how good work habits lead to excellence, and excellence to freedom.
‘Excellence’ has to do with the full realization of potential or inherent function. The Greek philosophers saw excellence as the pinnacle of potential. As Aristotle said, virtues “are formed in man by his doing the actions … The good of man is a working of the soul in the way of excellence in a complete life.”
Excellence is not a one-time act but a way of living. It’s foundational, akin to an operating system where the code is habit.
We’re fans of the stoics (in case you can’t tell). Epictetus aptly said: “Capability is confirmed and grows in its corresponding actions, walking by walking, and running by running… therefore, if you want to do something, make a habit of it.” This philosophy underpins our approach Bureaucracy That Works. We aim to instill habits that lead to excellence — not just in ourselves but in the entire fabric of local government operations.
This understanding is liberating because it suggests that significant transformations can occur through small, yet consistent adjustments. It’s about the systems we set up, the processes we follow, and the daily habits we cultivate.
We’ve witnessed the power of good habits and the drawbacks of bad ones, not just in our lives but in the various government entities we’ve worked with. We know it isn’t easy, but it will be transformational. We are committed to building systems that not only promote excellence but also instill the freedom that comes with it. This, we believe, is the path to true operational excellence — a journey we’re excited to embark on with our clients and partners.