• **The problem: **Working in government is often challenging, and it’s easy to feel disheartened and overwhelmed.
  • **Why it matters: **Honing a positive mindset is vital to keep you going when times are tough - and it can initiate change and inspire others.
  • **The solution: **Learning an optimistic attitude to navigate through difficult periods and celebrate the small wins.

Being a public servant is tough. It is a career with a unique set of pressures and frustrations. It’s also not an especially easy time to be a human in general. With so much going on, it’s hard not to feel overwhelmed.

Whilst it is important to respect and support people when they are feeling down, there are tangible benefits to having an optimistic mindset. Fortunately, optimism is something that can be learned.

Erica Lavecchia, a senior policy analyst in Ontario, shared an inspiring speech on how to stay optimistic in government — using The Lord of the Rings as inspiration. You can catch her 10-minute talk here:

Here’s Erica’s advice for staying positive:

Remember that there is always hope

We may feel depleted, we may not be able to see a light at the end of the tunnel, and we may be at a loss for what comes next. But there is incredible power in remembering — even against the odds — that there is always hope. Nothing is permanent, and nothing is irrevocable. It might sound trivial, but remember that there is always hope and it can be a powerful tonic to protect you from pessimism.

Inspire people

Tap into your ability to inspire people. It can be hard to convince others to make changes, but it is a vital skill for kickstarting the positive change ←→ optimism virtuous cycle.

A quick rubric for inspiring people to action is to ask:

a. Why?

To motivate people towards making a change, you first need to be clear and convincing on the reasons _why _taking on a new challenge will be beneficial to them, their team and the people their team serves.

b. How?

The key to unlocking inspiration is to become intimately familiar with what motivates other people. For example, if you’re meeting resistance to a new project, ask yourself “who wants to learn this skill?”, “who can advance their career through this project?” or “what team-wide goal can this make progress towards?”.

c. Make a clear example

To turn movement into momentum, you’ll need to evaluate and communicate your outcomes. Continuously communicate the story to bring others along with you. ** **

Reimagine processes

In government, more so than in other professional contexts, inefficient structures frequently throw friction into the wheels of progress. Many processes are in place in the name of transparency, trust and accountability — but it is often possible to make improvements without amplifying risks.

Revisiting processes is tough. It starts with asking questions like “this is a bottleneck, why do we do things like this?”. Often you’ll find that little more than status quo bias and a lack of attention holds rusty systems in place. Once inefficiencies are identified, we can ask what it might take to do things differently, and start testing changes.

Transform culture

Politicking, silos and internecine rivalries are endemic in government. Even when you see problematic ways of working all around you, you have the opportunity to act out the change you want to see.

Actively engage with your colleagues. Share learnings, updates and data, and keep an open mind and a collegial spirit towards people across government. More often than not, the time, energy and enthusiasm you put into transforming culture in government come back to you many times larger.

Do you want to learn how your fellow public servants around the world keep their heads up in the face of adversity? Ask a question on our Q&A.

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