By Betsy Adams, FDA

July 10-12, 2000

Government Executive Editor Tim Clark welcomed attendees and acknowledged the many sponsors of the 2000 Conference.

NPR Director and Gore Senior Policy Advisor Morley Winograd said this year’s conference was about showcasing successes, as evidenced by the first government-wide customer satisfaction survey that showed some agencies surpassing the best in business and the government-wide employee survey that showed high levels of satisfaction in agencies with reinvention strategies. However, there is still room for more work and improvement.

Ned Powell, chief financial officer of the Veterans Administration, said that coming from private industry the good things happening in government opened his eyes to fine work being done by civil servants. He introduced Joel Barker.

Futurist and independent scholar Joel Barker presented the Keynote Address, Lessons from the Ecosystem, about what we need to learn to be better leaders in the 21^st century. You are a leader if someone will follow you to a place they wouldn’t go by themselves. A leader’s responsibility is to find, recognize, and secure the future. Ecological studies provide us with insights into complex systems and their principles: (1) Systems in energy-rich areas of the universe always become more complex; (2) The driver of complexity is the single individual (i.e., leader); (3) the advantage of diversity is more than a moral issue because diverse systems are more sustainable under adverse conditions; (4) power of immediate response – ability to take advantage of immediate opportunities (i.e., first mover advantage); (5) importance of mutualism – strengths based on differences instead of similarities – mutualism is vital to innovation; (6) innovation at the verge (i.e., the marketplace) – America is the greatest collection of verges in the world – American wealth is the direct result of freedom/diversity; (7) the role of mutualistic leadership. Our differences are our greatest strength!

Customer Satisfaction: What the Public Thinks of Government Programs – Mary McIntosh of Princeton Research Associates gave background on recent surveys of public perception of government and introduced panel members John Kamensky of the National Partnership for Reinventing Government, David Von Amberg of the University of Michigan, Ira Goldstein of Arthur Andersen, and Robert Barr of the Internal Revenue Service, who provided a case study.

Kamensky summarized the history and accomplishments of NPR. He proposed that SES standards be changed to include customer satisfaction, employee feedback, and business results. He cited the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) – in which the recent government-wide survey by the University of Michigan includes large portions of the Federal Government for the first time – as the "gold standard." He encouraged more agencies to participate in the year 2000 ACSI survey and for last year’s agencies to include additional segments.

Von Amberg described how the ACSI model used in for-profit organizations was modified to fit non-profits like the federal government. Some federal agencies faced challenges in defining their customers. It’s important that results arising from the model be specific enough to be actionable. It was an additional challenge to identify desired outcomes. The results showed the government index number to be as high as the private sector side as applied to service organizations, which are most comparable. Agencies were divided into groups, within which they can benchmark against each other.

Goldstein discussed ways to use the ACSI results: to define customers; understand their needs; align capabilities with customer needs; to measure processes early; benchmark the impact of actions; and give feedback to customers. He doesn’t believe in using surrogate groups, which tend to be lagging indicators. For more information, he suggests visiting www.customersurvey.gov.

IRS’s Robert Barr provided a case study of the usefulness of ACSI data. IRS found that electronic tax filers were much more satisfied with the IRS than paper filers because they got refunds faster, they got an acknowledgement that their return was received, and their returns were more accurate. But IRS found there was still room for improvement and has taken actions based on this to provide better customer service training to employees. They are also encouraging firms to provide free electronic filing. He feels ACSI is making a real difference in IRS processes.

James Lee Witt, Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency gave an inspirational address on lessons learned about rules of service:

1. Never lose focus on the customer – your business is service, not programs.

2. State your mission clearly – FEMA re-focused its mission on natural disasters, as opposed to nuclear disasters which predominated thinking during the Cold War.

3. Structure your organization around your mission.

4. For political leaders – Work with your career employees, your most valuable asset.

5. Give your employees the tools they need to do the job.

6. Communicate your message – repeatedly!

7. Secure support from your constituents. Include state and local partners in decisions.

8. You cannot succeed alone. Reach out. Share information. This fosters commitment.

Never say, "We’ve never done it that way before." If you’re not planting trees for the future, you don’t deserve to stand in the shade of the trees of the past.

In his session, "Different Thinking for Different Results," retired Air Force Colonel Rolf Smith showed how "out of the box" thinking can lead to creative problem solving. As a consultant, he leads groups on what he calls Thinking Expeditions to explore issues and come up with solutions. He described the "7 Levels of Change" necessary for real innovation, from level 1, Do the Right Things – i.e., focused thinking, to level 7, Do Things That Can’t Be Done, which utilizes imagination.

In "Knowledge Management: An Emerging Success Factor for Organizations," Larry Pruzak of IBM explained how knowledge differs from information. Through knowledge management, organizations can’t guarantee innovation, but they can create circumstances and increase the likelihood that it will occur.

Steven Denning of the World Bank discussed "communities of knowledge" and the importance of effective storytelling in getting across the idea of knowledge management.

The Navy Department’s Alex Bennett also gave examples of stories, explaining the practical advantages of stories and storytelling.

Author and consultant Peter Block said business is not necessarily the best model for government. He contrasted business models with the government and bemoaned the current contempt for government service. He said conflicting messages from Congress, lobbyists, and media make it hard for civil servants to do their jobs. People who suggest that government be run like a business forget that the government has a CEO (the President) who generally has run for office against the "business," that business can choose which customers to serve while government serves everyone, that business can automate at will, etc. He said citizens are partners, not customers, and that they have responsibilities. He said people who want change don’t have to wait for support from top management, although support helps. A culture of accountability is required for real change.

Admiral James Loy, commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard gave an outstanding presentation on Integrating Resources and Results to Achieve Agency Goals. He recommended the movie, "The Perfect Storm," as being generally true to life, and a tribute to the men and women of the Coast Guard. It demonstrates the importance of team work in rescues. The character of the people was a major factor, but people must also have resources to do their jobs. He emphasized the importance of looking beyond the immediate in order to do effective strategic planning. "Strategic planning turns tax dollars into services" and keeps short term circumstances from interfering with long term goals. The Coast Guard reoriented from activities to results. Greater accountability was demanded. Their goal is to be part of a lean, purposeful government providing services that others cannot (from GPRA).

Breakout Session IV

To illustrate his topic, "Establishing and Maintaining a Culture of Innovation," Joseph Slye of the Federal Consulting Group showed a video taken from "Nightline" of an outside-the-box Silicon Valley firm that encourages wacky behavior but also gets results. They call it "constructive chaos." The foundations of innovative culture (which also apply to Federal employees) are: no judgments, time to think, openness to accept new ideas, being relaxed and comfortable, and providing "toys" and "play." He described the two kinds of thinking necessary for results. First comes divergent thinking – free and uninhibited thought that produces many alternatives, defers judgment, promotes wild options, and exhibits child-like humor. At some point in problem-solving – but not too soon – this needs to shift to convergent thinking, which is focused and evaluative, selects from among set alternatives, is deliberate, checks objectives, eliminates unwanted ideas, and stays focused.