Are We Unraveling?
John M. Bernard
National thought leader in transparent, accountable government. Author of GOVERNMENT THAT WORKS. A business leader who has taken the lessons from great businesses into government at the federal, state, and local levels.
(This is my ninth letter to those who serve us by working in state government. You are in a unique and critical position to support all Americans in their pursuit of happiness and to ensure our nation prospers. My hope is to inform and inspire you in your work.)?
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?Letter #9
?Open Letter to State Government
To Our State Employees,
I was recently listening to a radio program when I heard a word that captured a lot of what I have felt these past couple of years – and lately, very strongly. No doubt the pandemic, Putin’s actions in Ukraine, and the $74.48 I spent to fill my gas tank at Costco have all contributed. Oh, and the story on the news Tuesday about a panic-driven hoarding of toilet paper for fear of a shortage blamed on disinformation coming out of Russia. And, as if that list is not long enough, word coming for China that Shenzhen, considered to be China’s Silicon Valley and a major source of components for companies including Apple, was shut down due to a big uptick in Covid-19.
The word I heard on the radio that really resonated with me was, “unraveling.” To put it in context: It seems like our world is unraveling.
Homelessness, teenage suicide, political polarity and its paralyzing effect, the attack on our Capitol on January 6, the growing racial divide, the hate crimes against Asian-American women occurring in New York City, the hate crimes across the nation in the LGBTQ+ community, the impact on our kids of two years of disruption to their education, the long-term impact of student debt, long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns, the shortage of workers and The Great Resignation, the shortage of parts for cars that is driving costs up, inflation, police conduct and racial profiling, and the growing widening gap between the rich and the poor.
Should I go on?
I am not trying to be an alarmist. But the unraveling seems real, and it seems to be accelerating.
This is not to say some aspects of our society don’t need to be unraveled. But, if a whole lot of things start unraveling out of control – all at once – could get ugly.
In the history of humankind, five nations have climbed to dominate the world: 1. The Roman Empire lasted 1,000 years and grew to include 60 million people; 2. Genghis Kahn's Mongols Empire lasted about 150 years and was the most brutal in human history killing an estimated 40 million people; 3. The British Empire was history's largest and wealthiest
lasting 400 years and including 1/5 of the world's population with vast control on every continent; 4. The Soviet Union lasted a mere 69 years and was born from the union of 15 countries. and; 5. The United States which came to life 246 years ago today is the world's superpower - and the longest running democracy. It has thrived because it was designed to adapt to meet the needs of its people.
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I have been writing this series of letters to state government employees with a motive.
Government, in our society, plays a key role in addressing needed change and in keeping our nation from unraveling.
I believe we all have to do what we can for our country and our families. And I believe the more we can do to address the issues we face the more likely we can avoid change getting messy and disruptive.
If you work in government, you play a critical role. You play a critical role in whether or not people believe our government is capable of doing its part to make the changes our society needs.
Even with the political side of government continues to be polarized, particularly in Washington D.C., ?those of you who run government day-in and day-out can drive a great deal of change with existing programs and existing dollars.
There is so much that needs to be done and so much room for improvement in government.
Be the change. Learn about the best practices in government today and put them to work in your department.
Please. Please and thank you for holding things together for us.
John
FREE WHITE PAPER________________________________________
Get a copy of John’s latest white paper: Level Three Government, Evolving State Operations from Reaction Driven to Results-Driven to Social Good Driven. Click the link:
FREE PRESENTATION________________________________________
If you run an agency or functional area or program in state government, in March, I am doing a limited number of?private presentations: Level Three Government, From Reaction Driven to Results-Driven to Social Good Driven.?Click?here?to schedule time with me to discuss or send me a note at?[email protected].
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