Preface
THIS BOOK IS INTENDED as a companion piece to my
last book, Managing Government Employees: How to Motivate Them, Deal
With Difficult Issues and Produce Tangible Results (AMACOM, February
2007). Whenever I gave presentations about that book, people remarked
that it was about time someone wrote a book dealing with the problems
that are unique to the government. It seems that the book has struck a
nerve, and I continue to hear that officials in different sectors of the
government are using it to help them manage their employees.
For example, Managing Government Employees is the one book that
the state of New Jersey recommends for all candidates who are taking the
Sheriff’s Promotional Exam. I am truly grateful for the reaction to this
book, since my goal in writing it was to improve the way government is
managed.
After completing it, I had no intention of doing a follow-up book.
However, since the first book was written from a ‘‘top-down’’ perspective
and many people were urging me to write one from a ‘‘bottom-up’’ point
of view, I finally decided to tackle the subject of Managing Your Government
Career.
This book is organized into three parts. Part 1 addresses whether
working for the government is right for you and, if it is, how to get into
the government. Part 2 discusses how to get off to a good start, build a
good relationship with your supervisor, and develop some perspective.
The last part is for people who have been with the government for a while
and are trying to make the most of their career. It is the most philosophical
of the three parts, and it talks about looking down the road, deciding
whether management is right for you, balancing your work and family
lives, and personal growth. Feel free to read the book from beginning to
end, or to start with the part that best corresponds to the current stage of
your career.
If there is one overriding theme of this book, it is you need to be in
charge of both your career and your life. I firmly believe that the choices
you make ultimately determine how successful you will be. Moreover, I
also believe that the best way to make sound choices is by (1) being aware
of the ramifications of those choices and (2) living your lives (business
and personal) according to a consistent set of core values.
Of course, that is easier said than done, because life is not simple,
and neither is working for the government. However, if you follow the
guidance contained in this book, which is supplemented by many realworld
examples, I am certain that you will have an excellent career and
avoid the mistakes that so many other people have made and continue to
make.
Stewart Liff
California
April 26, 2008
Excerpted from Managing Your Government Career by Stewart Liff. Copyright © 2009 by Stewart Liff. Published by AMACOM Books, a division of American Management Association, New York, NY. Used with permission.
All rights reserved. http://www.amacombooks.org.