Retain and Gain: Career Management for the Public Sector Playbook

Public sector managers are in the driver’s seat of a leadership journey. Guiding a team to serve the public interest is not straightforward. It’s no small task for any leader to invite creativity, and support resilience and results. The circumstances for public managers are especially challenging. You are navigating obstacles, changing conditions, roadblocks, speed limits and frustrating traffic signals. The directions can sometimes put you on the wrong path while at other times they are ambiguous. Managers are maneuvering the heavy traffic of competing priorities in a vehicle whose dashboard offers limited information. The brakes are sticky. Your budget can offer fuel but maintenance or an upgrade can be tough to justify. What’s more, your passengers are with you but can get frustrated, restless and even car sick. This Playbook is designed to support your journey with compassion for your reality. The travel guide format satisfies a hunger for bite-sized, practical advice to super-charge relationships in a way that mobilizes progress. These tips will help you succeed by engaging the full capacity and talent of a diverse team. Whether you’re a veteran or beginner, you’ll find ideas to build your confidence and competence for the road ahead.