Dear Public Manager: Can We Talk About the Elephant in the Room?

Consider the elephant in the room analogy—those undiscussable topics that plague all organizations. Undiscussable topics in the public sector come in all shapes and sizes, such as: 

• productivity standards for teleworkers

• proclivity of a supervisor to raise her voice to staff members

• unacceptable quality of work produced by an organizational entity

• perception that the boss treats select groups or individuals better than others. 

Most disturbing is that undiscussables often expose a direct conflict between what we say we believe and how we behave. We may indicate our desire for fairness and courtesy, but when those values are violated in the workplace, we may very well be the ones who sit silent. 

Here's the good news: A few simple steps can open the conversation. You can learn about these steps in my article in January 2016 issue of The Public Manager.