This article is written by Shainaz Firfiray, associate professor in the organization and human resource management group at Warwick Business School, University of Warwick.

Working in government isn’t like working in the private sector — and it shouldn’t be. As such, it is widely acknowledged that the public sector should avoid adopting the commercially driven imperatives that businesses apply in their day-to-day operations.

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Given the constant tussle between the public sector ethos and commercialism, public servants often deal with challenges that can stop them from becoming highly productive.

Adopting flexible approaches may help public servants achieve higher productivity in an environment characterised by complexity and disorderliness.

It is important that public servants cultivate long-term, high trust relationships to commit effectively to policy objectives, understand each other’s goals and bring about critical service improvements.

Nonetheless, there are considerable difficulties in building and sustaining trust in public services. And effective collaboration typically requires political competences that go beyond a public servant’s leadership skills. They involve sound judgement on when to mobilise different stakeholders to invest their knowledge, energy and resources to ensure effective policy outcomes.

Some of the things governments do are cumbersome for a reason. Because, for example, we want to protect our people, environment and societies from quick decisions and unintended consequences. However, adopting flexible approaches may help public servants achieve higher productivity in an environment characterised by complexity and disorderliness.

Public servants should be given the opportunity to reflect on the long-term emotional impact of their work as this can affect their performance and productivity on the job.

Here are four areas every public servant can and should invest in to raise their productivity:

Identify areas that need change. Evidence suggests that public servants derive meaning from their work by bringing a positive change in the lives of the citizens they serve. Finding meaning in the job is also a precursor to better efficiency and performance. However, many public servants are only able to engage with citizens partially, making it harder to find meaning in their work. For example, someone who works with social care at City Hall may not see all the good their work does for citizens. We need procedures to identify issues that public servants want to change and devise methods to bring about those changes. The satisfaction derived from a job well done can ultimately help in improving productivity levels.

Prioritise tasks. Public servants often have competing work commitments that call for their attention. Making the right choices when it comes to setting priorities can be a critical factor in determining a public servant’s productivity. With respect to this, public servants can prioritise those areas of their jobs that they feel most passionate about and where they can truly make an impact. Such an approach noticeably improves peoples’ focus and reduces the stress that comes with being preoccupied about several tasks at the same time. This doesn’t mean they start neglecting monotonous tasks but ranking tasks according to their importance can allow public servants to be more efficient and productive.

Building soft skills. The rising importance of emotional regulation and compassion in public services calls for investment in soft skills which include interpersonal, analytical and collaborative skills. Compassion seems difficult to align with the values of neutrality and objectivity that are characteristic of public administration. The current reforms in public administration require public servants to show greater responsiveness to political superiors and identify emotionally with certain policies. While technical skills are still valued, public servants’ proactive engagement with people requires skills training in reflective questioning, facilitation and teamwork. In the absence of good collaboration and communication, productivity can suffer. Hence, ensuring better levels of productivity will increasingly depend on public servants’ interpersonal skills and the relationships they build with others.

Dealing with emotions. Public servants should also be mindful that the work they carry out can be very taxing emotionally. Occasionally, interacting with people to resolve complex problems can cause emotional exhaustion. In light of these inherent emotional demands, public servants should be given the opportunity to reflect on the long-term emotional impact of their work as this can affect their performance and productivity on the job.

Although humane approaches in which a genuine connection is built between the users and providers of services are valued, preserving distance and restraint are also an important part of a public servant’s self-care and wellbeing, and can help avoid burnout. Moreover, strong attachment with a work role may exacerbate the psychological impact of job stressors or performance failures. The more public servants internalise their organisational roles, the more distressed they feel when they fail to meet their role obligations.

In fact, a more detached public servant may be better positioned to distance themselves from the emotional risks associated with their work role. Mentally disengaging after work hours can help public servants restore emotional and cognitive resources lost due to work demands. It is important to remember that their self-identity does not comprise merely of their job. Embracing other roles and relationships can enhance a public servant’s ability to detach from work and take charge of their well-being. — Shainaz Firfiray

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