Page 119 - Managing the Mobile Workforce

98 � mAnAgIng the moBIle workForCe

` how to moVe the shIp oF stAte

When you think about it, a national government competes with ev-
ery other national government on earth to be the most cost effective,
the most talented, the best equipped to act, the quickest to respond
to external threats, and the most strategic thinking about future op-
portunities. Telework is a key strategy to gain sustainable competitive
advantage by attracting, motivating, enabling, retaining, and deploy-
ing top-notch personnel to accomplish critical work. If other govern-
ments are more effective at doing this, one’s own national government
workforce becomes comparatively less talented, less responsive, and
less motivated—which becomes a decided disadvantage over time in
key arenas.
In this sense Berry, then, is leading the telework charge at least in
part to create and maintain sustainable competitive advantage for the
United States. If you’ve ever tried to manage change in your own of-
fice you can imagine the challenge of trying to swing a huge bureau-
cracy in a different direction. Let’s look at his strategy for moving the
ship of state in the direction of a more mobile workforce.
First, he walked into office prepared. “I came in on day one with my
team in place. I was the only one in federal government that the day
I was sworn in by the First Lady on April 13, I turned around and
swore in the rest of my team.” He had decided to hit the ground run-
ning. He declared on day one what his objectives were and made sure
he had a strategic plan for their accomplishment. One of the long-term
performance goals in the 2010–2015 U.S. Office of Personnel Man-
agement’s strategic plan is “by fiscal year 2011, increase by 50 percent
the number of eligible federal employees who telework over the fiscal
year 2009 baseline of 102,900.” It’s a measureable, stretch goal that
carries accountability. Impressive!
Second, he acts as a missionary for telework by addressing employ-
ees, pushing the agenda, being an advocate with agency leaders and
policymakers, and building support with key constituencies. “We’ve
started what I call the ‘Apostolic Work’” he told us, “trying to make