_This article is written by Denise Grant, Public Servant and Legal Assistant at the Ministry of the Attorney General. _

The views of this author are their own and do not represent the views of Ministry of the Attorney General

  • The problem: Over time a risk-averse culture can have a negative impact on employees. Employees become hopeless and feel powerless as a result, and struggles that emerge include low morale, lack of employee engagement, reduced productivity, increased absenteeism and fear of standing out becomes the norm.
  • Why it matters: Public servants are left believing that the organisation’s risk-averse culture is the reason why they are not bolder. False! It is common to wait for someone else to make the needed changes and create opportunities to have a safe space to be bold. However, the truth is, you are the reason you are not bolder.
  • The solution: What you think means everything when it comes to whether you take risks. If you think there is no hope for you to take some level of risk, then you will simply take no risk at all. Being bold requires you to take risks, there is no negotiating that fact. It is up to you to determine how much risk you are willing to tolerate and that will determine whether you show up ‘bolder’ in your role.

According to Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace report, only 23% of employees are engaged in the workplace. The remaining 77% of employees are not engaged on the job. How did the public service get here and how do we dig ourselves out to create a more creative work environment? This is a job for all public servants, no exceptions.

When taking bold action, I prefer to envision ‘faith’ rather than ‘risk’

The term ‘risk-averse’ is a bias that favours safety, certainty, and predictability. On the other hand, uncertainty, the unexpected, and different can feel like the enemy, which generally leads to inaction and a lack of boldness. The opposite of a risk-averse workplace culture is the presence of risk-takers.

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What’s your story?

Each public servant has a different story. Too often, some look at your present story, and judge your progress based on previous attempts and failures, and you tend to stay focused on what went wrong. Future dreams become invisible, and failure becomes how you show up for work. If this does not describe you, it certainly described me.

Up until the Covid-19 pandemic, my career had been a risk-averse journey. I completed high school then attended college to obtain my legal assistant and law clerk training. After working for a few years, I attempted the law school admission tests twice and scored poorly. Eventually, I applied to law school and was unsuccessful. By my definition, my academic career ended, and I settled for a low-income administrative role.

I believe that public service senior leadership would share a far different story. Using my imagination, generally senior leaders have set goals, worked hard, and acquired desired accomplishments with personal and professional development.

To simplify matters, at the heart of public service are two opposite sets of thinkers, senior leaders, and employees, who are left to co-exist and find ways to succeed together during a time when demands for change are loud. The necessity to adapt to a new workplace environment has become the focus.

How I changed my narrative

Fast forward through the eight years I have been with the public service, I behaved as if the past few years of not being able to secure a secondment in a role that allowed me to advance further meant the end. This poor self-evaluation changed during the Covid-19 pandemic. I used the opportunity to author articles for my fellow public servants to inspire them to pursue their dreams.

Article #1 – My long crawl to success

Article #2 – A guide to self-care in action

Article #3 – Why job fulfilment is all about perspective

George Floyd’s death during the pandemic gave me the courage to mobilise a group of colleagues and together we confronted the union and senior leaders through letters I authored. We attended meetings and communicated the areas related to racism in the public service that required immediate attention. This went on for three years.

You can see from my story how I used the changing circumstances, got creative, took some risks, and stepped out into what felt unfamiliar. To take a risk means the situation involves exposure to danger, such as fear of job loss, being singled out as a troublemaker or even being labelled as insubordinate.

When deciding to take any risks in the workplace you will feel unprepared. When taking bold action, I prefer to envision ‘faith’ rather than ‘risk’. According to the Bible, faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1). Scripture’s definition is to have complete trust in something that it will all work out even though it is not visible now. As an advocate for racial justice, I chose to believe that no person is superior or inferior. All races, white, black, or brown are vital to society, with unique qualities to make the world better.

How to become a bolder version of you

There are actions that will boost your confidence and help you to mature in your faith that will motivate you to step into the bolder version of yourself:

  • First, seek volunteering opportunities within your community, inside or outside of the workplace, starting with small roles and growing into taking on leadership positions.
  • Second, do things outside of your comfort zone in your daily routine practice, such as drinking a glass of water first thing in the morning or taking a different route to work.
  • Finally, find a positive role model who has achieved what you desire and learn from them.

Become intentional to move in small increments and do what is uncomfortable for you. Any of these tips will assist to reduce your fears and build your confidence. Start today and practise doing things that feel different. Take baby steps if you must. The future is in your hands - what will you do with it?

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