Getting It Done: A Guide for Government Executives

Please click on a topic and add your illustration, example, or comment based on your own experiences. Anonymous comments are fine.

  Manage the politics. ()

  Manage the stakeholder relationships, but save your personal time for the most important ones. ()

  Meet regularly with your senior political/career management team on agency programs. ()

  Don't take too long to fill important jobs or let key decisions slip. ()

  Don't manage your agency's operations on a day-to-day basis, but make sure someone with the right skills is doing it for you. ()

  Empower your team, stay current with what they are doing, and focus on the big picture. ()

  Maintain a results-oriented climate and a sense of urgency. ()

  Reward innovation, collaboration, and success. ()

  Make sure your mission-support executives (chief financial, acquisition, information, and human capital officers, as well as the general counsel) are focused on program results, not their fiefdoms. ()

  Keep the discussion on measurable results. ()

  Manage the crises. Plan for unpleasant surprises, act quickly when they happen. ()

  Take steps to minimize leaks, but expect them to happen anyway. ()

  Manage yourself. Don't let your calendar manage you. ()

  Find people who will tell you the truth. Listen to them. ()

  Embed your legacy in the career bureaucracy, not your political subordinates. ()

  Maintain a sense of proportion. ()

  Do the job, don't be the position. ()

  Don't burn your bridges. ()

Manage Your Stakeholders

In addition to our six "to dos," there are also many stakeholder groups you will encounter while in government. Understanding the relationship with each stakeholder will be useful in achieving your goals.

Your Bosses

• The White House by Thurgood Marshall, Jr.


• White House Policy Councils by Paul Weinstein, Jr.


• Office of Management and Budget by Bernard H. Martin


• Congress by John J. Callahan

Your Colleagues

• Interagency Collaborators by David F. Garrison


• Interagency Councils by D. Cameron Findlay


• Office of Personnel Management by Solly Thomas

Your Constituencies

• Citizens by Carolyn J. Lukensmeyer


• Unions by Robert M. Tobias


• State and Local Governments by Robert J. O'Neill and Elizabeth K. Kellar


• Interest Groups and Associations by Stan Soloway

Your Overseers

• Government Accountability Office by Judy England-Joseph


• Inspectors General by Gaston L. Gianni


• Media by Lawrence J. Haas

About the Editors and The Center