Transformation continues to be seen by noted practitioners and 21st century federal leaders as a compelling description of the essential change that is needed throughout the federal government. In the future, transformation will be a joint-ownership enterprise that spans boundaries and involves constituencies in unprecedented ways. This emerging characteristic alone will require the successful leaders of future transformations to adopt a more democratic management style and build on the work of pioneers who have gone before.

The publication of this report is particularly timely. The summer of 2011 was dominated by negotiations between Congress and the president concerning the deficit of the United States and the need to dramatically reduce federal spending in the decade ahead. There is little doubt that agencies across government will need to cut costs while maintaining, if not improving, the performance of their operations.

It is within this context that we’ve assembled a varied group of government executives and thought leaders who are focusing on these problems and working to mitigate their effects. They offer their insights, lessons learned, and recommendations on these topics. It’s about connecting research to practice--crafting smart approaches that tame immediate demands without losing sight of the iterative nature of problem solving. This goes to the core of the Center’s mission: linking theory to practice as a way of shaping the business of government.

The summer of 2011 was dominated by negotiations between Congress and the president concerning the federal deficit and the need to dramatically reduce spending in the decade ahead. There is little doubt that agencies across government will need to cut costs while maintaining, if not improving, the performance of their operations. The challenge thus facing government executives will be whether to use this unprecedented opportunity to transform their organizations while also making necessary spending reductions.

In our last post, we introduced two of the five Cs for effective change, credibility and communication. Today, we will discuss the remaining three C's. Comprehensiveness

We’ve all heard it: Change is hard. I’m too set in my ways to change now. Can’t we just go back to the old way of getting our work done? The truth is—yes, change can be hard. It is widely reported that more than 80% of projects fail to accomplish their intended goals, mainly because of change “issues.” But change is not bad—in fact, when changing for the right reasons, change is good. Often, change is what is absolutely required for organizations to thrive, stay competitive, cut costs, and even survive. And while change may be hard, it is by no means impossible.

“Synergy” is thought by many to be merely a buzz word reserved for cantankerous discussions on business news radio, but with little literal meaning. When applied in an appropriate context, however, “synergy” can have both significant meaning and significant value for organizations in the public and private sectors alike.

NOTE: Today I've invited a colleague, John Bordeaux, to be a guest blogger.  Hope you enjoy his insights as much as I do!

  Periodically the IBM Center staff steps back and reflects on the insights provided by its authors of more than 300 research reports and by some 300 senior government executives interviewed over the past 13 years.  Through our research and interviews, we identified several broad societal trends that we believe are changing the game for successful leadership at all levels of government.

That insight led to the creation of both Hammer Awards and Reinvention Labs as ways to both convey reinvention principles and engage people in their day-to-day workplace.