Can-Do in Local Government

Part 1, Principles of a Can-Do Attitude in Local Government

More and more the term “can-do” is migrating its way into government circles. Those distant from the inner workings might rant that bureaucracy and can-do cannot live in the same arena, somehow thinking the inherent nature of government is to unduly control and influence its citizens. Nothing could be further from the truth in a highly-effective government.

Why then do some municipal employees believe trained and educated professionals know best what people want and that their regulations, rules and policies are the only means of understanding community values? Do not be sucked into their old-school web. Today’s progressive municipal employees seek a different path with a positive customer-focused attitude, working hard every day to eliminate red tape and see happy customers leaving with a smile.

Notwithstanding, there must be a reason for all the jokes, political innuendo, ridicule and populist opinions about governments. Just as in any business, whether it be an international conglomerate like Google or a solopreneurship trying to carve out a living, there are good governments and there are those that need to change. And within them, just like businesses, are individual employees collectively driving the culture.   

The purpose of this article is to provide practical steps one can take to embrace an inner can-do attitude and be a better employee. Like many of my articles there is a bent towards municipal government.

This is one of two articles on can-do attitude; the first providing principles and the next one diving into examples of can-do local government services.

What is a Local Government?

In the simplest terms a local government exists to provide on-the-ground services such as roads, sewer, water, solid waste, fire, police and leisure activities. They protect people, economy and the environment through rules and incentives. And they guide community growth and livability.

By virtue of the above list, a municipal employee’s attitude influences:

1. Providing good services and planning for both today and the future,
2. Having laws that are fair, legal, practical and enforceable, and
3. Having long-range plans that steer community growth and livability, using policy, laws, grants and tax incentives to influence desired outcomes.

What is a Can-Do Attitude?

This is where readers must fill in the blanks for as much as the term can-do is heard in government circles, it does not have a true definition. The best I can find is it means having a positive attitude and providing customers with a positive experience.

Digging individually into positive attitude and customer service provides more guidance. Karl Jung said attitude is a “readiness of the psyche to act or react in a certain way.” Therefore, a positive attitude is readiness to act in a positive way. When one is positive they control their mood by thinking “I can”, by avoiding negative people, using positive language, challenging irrational thoughts and practicing resilience. A person with a positive attitude works on self-motivation by rewarding oneself for being positive, developing a sense of urgency to learn from failures, having a big picture view and building self-efficacy. For some more than others, this requires work to become instinctual.

If a person with a customer service attitude says they will, then they do. Rather than using a phrase like, “you cannot do that” they say to their customer, “let’s talk about another way we can accomplish your needs”. Customer oriented people always seek ways to be helpful and to meet client’s needs. Learning your customer’s motivation helps in separating needs from wants, opening the door for the possible. Customer service involves flexibility, innovation and creativity to find win-win solutions, and sometimes even work-arounds.

Putting a positive attitude together with customer service defines a can-do attitude and provides the framework for a predisposed state of both the conscious and subconscious mind. A can-do person has confidence to deal with problems or tasks rather than complaining and giving up. They are resourceful in the face of a challenge being purposeful and efficient. If you have ever seen someone grab hold of a challenge with enthusiasm and a sense of motivation, you have found a can-do person. On the receiving end, it is a high compliment to be praised for having a can-do attitude.

How does Can-Do Attitude Fit into Local Government?

All of this talk about positive attitude combined with customer service surely has a place in government, or does it? This rhetorical question sets the stage for the obvious. As mentioned earlier, local governments provide services and they have customers—citizens, businesses, partners, stakeholders, organized groups, sports teams and the like—so yes a can-do attitude is required of every bureaucrat. Drilling further into the municipal mandate, it is important to provide a positive experience even when implementing enforcement and drafting legislation.

By way of example, imagine a time when the water line breaks outside your home while you are washing your linen and within an hour a city employee shows up on your doorstep handing you a note that explains the situation, acknowledges your inconvenience, provides a solution and timeline. Or imagine you show up at City Hall for a building permit and the inspector helps you understand how you can amend your plans to meet the building code. Or you want to develop a subdivision and on the city’s website is a clear outline of the process, timeline and legislation, all written in easy to understand language. Lastly, imagine a situation where your non-profit group wants to construct a new clubhouse and a municipal employee says, “your proposal will likely not gain council’s approval but if you make these changes your project better aligns with the community plan. Let’s work on it together”. 

How do I Improve my Can-Do Attitude?

A government employee with a positive attitude towards customer service, combined with some technical training will rise through the chaff and wind up on top. Those that do not hone these skills will rise only to their level of incompetence. A well-tuned, practiced and perfected can-do attitude is by far the greatest skill one can have to remove red tape from getting in the way of bona fide community needs.

Here are ten skills to help develop your inner can-do attitude and become a better government employee:

1. Have confidence you can help the customer,
2. Put yourself in their shoes and listen to understand,
3. Be open, flexible and work towards a win – win end goal,
4. Respond with "how to......" not "how not to.......", even if the solution differs from their request,
5. Do not compare yourself to others but instead build confidence in yourself,
6. Portray confidence and continually improve your self-image and self-esteem,
7. Remember the times when you were noticed for providing a positive customer experience,
8. Focus on your strong points, do not give in to a negative inner voice and stretch your comfort zone,
9. Chill, have fun and be enthusiastic about life, and
10. Instead of saying no, seek ways to say yes.

Conclusion

To close out this article I will dispel a common belief that for some government functions we do not provide customer service but rather we regulate and enforce. Although the latter is true, good regulating and good enforcement is done with a positive attitude and through a customer service lens.

Good employees do what they should do; great employees do what they can do. Do you have daily habits of being a positive person ready to take on any customer challenge no matter how insurmountable it may seem? Well then you have a can-do attitude.

One final note for managers. Your job is to train municipal employees in the art of having a can-do attitude. If successful, Mayor and Council‘s emails will not be plugged with complaints and you will not be spending time on unproductive investigations and explanations.

Next up

Part 2 of the Can-Do Local Government series will provide real-life examples of the principles of positive attitude and customer service in the many functions of municipalities. Stay tuned for this second post.

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