Transcript
Transcript: Deputy Minister Leadership Reflections Series: Wisdom for Young Public Servants
[00:00:00 Video opens with CSPS building blurred in the background. Text on screen: Deputy Minister Leadership Reflections Series. Inspiring music plays.]
[00:00:03 Louis Ranger, Malcolm Brown, Cassie Doyle, Anil Arora, Yaprak Baltacioğlu, Margaret Bloodworth, Daniel Quan-Watson, Jocelyne Bourgon, Walter Natynczyk, Susan Cartwright, Rob Fonberg and David Dodge are blurred in the background. Text on screen: Wisdom for Young Public Servants]
Cassie Doyle: One thing I'd tell them is, there's no more important work you can be doing and no more fulfilling work you could be doing. And the really important thing to cultivate is your own curiosity. That there's so much to learn, horizontally and also just from a depth perspective, that I would encourage them to learn as much as they can. And to value the contribution they're making. That you are part of the democratic process.
Jocelyne Bourgon: You join the public service today, and therefore you bring skills that were not there before. And you bring a view of the world that was not there before. And you will be the architect of a profound realignment. You will have to think about, how do we bring together economic prosperity, social solidarity, and the capacity to preserve the life staying power of the planet? Not one or the other working in isolation. You will have to be the architect of how they come together in all aspects of the work of government in society.
Malcolm Brown: Public service in particular is a place where you can at times in your career, very early, have very significant impact. But one of the unique things, is that as you work your way through the organization, and that doesn't necessarily mean up, but as you deepen your knowledge and expertise, you may decide that you want to stay focused in a particular subject area, the breadth and scope of the influence you can have in the public service rivals anything you can have in any other occupation. And so, I think it's about understanding, and it's not for everybody, but understanding that if you really want to have profound impact, a positive impact on the lives of Canadians, there's no better place to work.
Daniel Quan-Watson: If anybody tells you that you can plan your career out to the end, walk away from the conversation. If you had told me at the beginning when I was a PM-01 in the downtown east side of Vancouver, that I was going to finish my career as a PM-03, I would have thought, "Okay, you know, that's just the way it is and let's have a great time doing it." And I would have. If you had told me that I'd make a director one day, I wouldn't have believed you. If you had talked to me about being a director general, I would have walked away and not listened to anything else. And if you had said I was going to be an ADM or a deputy, I probably would have wondered what you had had for lunch. But a lot of that came from taking on the unexpected, just being in a position where there was something interesting that came up, and followed it, and just taking it where it went. I think if you follow the work that is interesting, that is different, that other people aren't necessarily trying to do, you will by definition have a very successful career.
Margaret Bloodworth: Well, I put my caveat by saying, be careful what words of wisdom you listen to from people like me. But I would say I don't think it's changed. That there is still a huge array of interesting, challenging jobs to do. And if the first one you get is not as interesting and challenging as you want, look around, you'll probably find some others. I guess the other thing I would say is, be ready to take a chance. Trust a bit your gut instinct, but don't be afraid to take some leaps of faith because there are some interesting things out there that you may not know and may not have thought of before you try them out.
Rob Fonberg: I think my answer would be, understand what the institution is fundamentally about and what it's responsible and accountable for. Whether you're doing operations, whether you're doing communications, whether you're doing policy work. Take as much of it as you can and internalize it and think about why you're doing it and whether you're passionate about it. Because if you're not, you may as well be somewhere else.
Susan Cartwright: Probably two or three things. The first is that it offers a remarkable experience, a remarkable life experience, and the variety of jobs which can be accessed within the public service is unparalleled. I don't think there's another organization in the country that offers that breadth of experience. The second thing is… and I know it's extremely difficult with the speed at which things move, but it is really important to make sure that recommendations and advice that we give has a solid foundation. It takes time, and time is sort of one thing that nobody has, but that's a challenge we have to confront.
Louis Ranger: It is a fantastic place to be. I am the product of the public service. All the opportunities that I had were created by the public service. One success leading to another. Just putting your head down, working hard, people eventually recognize you. It worked for me, and I had this strong bias that the public sector was far better than private sector, but really didn't know what I was talking about. But in the last ten years or so, I have spent time in the private sector, and I'm convinced more than ever that the public sector has so much more to offer. The subjects are more complex. It's much more difficult to get results. But once you achieve that in a complex environment, it's far more rewarding.
David Dodge: It doesn't matter whether you decide on a business career, or a public service career, or an academic career. In all those areas, you're always striving to make a mark that will leave the country, your institution, your company stronger and make the world better, in some sense.
Anil Arora: There is something to be said for actually having delivered, done, actually made a difference. So, I think we do undervalue that aspect. And so, I give the advice. Could somebody stand up for you and say, "This person did this and that was not something that was there prior to that person?" So, do you have that sense of accountability where you take pride? Yes, you could be part of a team, but what did you deliver? What was your narrative? And will others be able to speak for your narrative as somebody who actually delivered something of value? So, that's the second piece of advice. So, don't just be a talker, don't just be part of the furniture or whatever it is, establish that and actually deliver something concrete that you can be proud of and others will actually recognize.
Yaprak Baltacioğlu: Never be cynical because I think Canadians deserve better from their public service. Never be cynical. Never take your work for granted and just do it halfway. Always go the extra mile and do more because you work for Canadians. And it's an honour to be a public servant. Not every day will be great. But you're there to do a job. And it's not just the job, it's a job that could make a difference. Never forget that.
Walter Natynczyk: There are many ways to serve Canada. Some people put on the uniform of the Canadian Armed Forces. Some people become a police officer, firefighter, other first responders. Some go into the medical field, some go into private business and they make this country stronger economically, and some provide leadership and essential support to Canadians coast to coast to coast. We're all serving, every one of us. And I must tell you, I followed the public service values when I was deputy, and I would speak about those values because no matter where you are in the structure, if you abide by those public service values, you will provide extraordinary support to Canadians. The notion of respect for democracies, respect for people, integrity, excellence, and stewardship. And certainly, at the Space Agency and Veterans Affairs, I would speak about those values to the most junior employees, who by the way, I would walk around in their office flats and sit in their cubicles and shoot the breeze and thank them for their service, and that's what I'd like to do today. Well done.
[00:09:35 The CSPS animated logo appears onscreen. Text on screen: canada.ca/school.]
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