Q: The head of my agency surprised everyone and tendered her resignation after a historic snowfall brought our subway line to a halt. We read in the newspaper that our agency will be reorganized and the “fat trimmed.” It’s not fair; what can I do?
A: I agree, it isn’t fair. But if I am reading your situation correctly, it sounds similar to the recent situation the director of our MBTA in Boston confronted. Correct? If yes, you may know from reading my book that “politics” isn’t about fairness. More often, it is about cliques, factions and sometimes murky leadership.
It seems like the most basic of management lessons: When customers, clients or the public come after your employees without justification, you defend them, lest other employees lose confidence …
Politics are like the weather—wait for the thaw and spring. Here are a few questions to consider:
- Is this the first time that your agency has been under pressure to reorganize and reduce the number of employees? If no, what happened? How did you weather the storm?
- Is your agency “high profile”? If yes, is it likely to remain in the political spotlight or will another political issue push your agency out of the limelight?
- Has your department recommended productivity or process improvements that were not implemented? If yes, now may be a good time to bring these ideas to the attention of the acting or newly appointed director
- What is your backup plan? Is your resume up to date? Are your skills transferable? What opportunities exist in other agencies?
With shrinking state revenues and climbing costs, be prepared and adopt “private sector behavior”: network, have a distinct professional brand and always keep your skills current.