It has become commonplace to disparage public servants who “can’t break out of their silos”.
But current efforts by Minnesota child welfare managers tell a more positive story.
First, consider that many government jobs break down roughly into thirds:
- 1/3 manipulating your computer into accepting your input so you can move on with your day
- 1/3 making sure every stakeholder has input into every decision
- 1/3 documenting every action so there are no adverse audit findings
The other half of the time staff actually do their work, which shows up in emails and calls from them at 9 PM or on Saturdays.
Details are still unfolding, but we wanted to share now that we have recently experienced above-and-beyond efforts where staffers pushed through bureaucratic constraints, brought constituents together, and got the job done despite, well, their jobs.
Here’s to the silo-busters.
Why is breaking down government silos so incredibly hard? Listen to our podcast here or wherever you hear your favorite shows or read the transcript here.