"Cowardice asks the question...is it safe? Expediency asks the question...is it politic? Vanity asks the question...is it popular? But conscience asks the question...is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular but one must take it because it is right." ~Dr. Martin Luther King

Monday 14 June 2010

Therein Lies a Difference.

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Next Went The Public Works Director":

The Public Works Director sounds too fragile and delicate. He would not survive in my private organization.

Believe me my colleagues and I have dealt with a 100 times worse single situations, many times over.

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It's a common assumption , and inaccurate, the private and public sector are the same.

There are many differences. Most obvious is the job is public not private.

Publicly denigrating a professional in the municipal sector is not wise. Especially in a small town. Especially in the GTA.

A Director has options.

Head-hunters prowl the corridors like predators.

A competent director is a precious commodity indeed.

Any sensible politician knows the value of a director who takes professional pride in doing his job well.

At the time the Mayor decided to blame the Director for a problem not of his making, he apparently received a phone call inviting his interest in another opportunity.

He didn't need to go looking.

He would have already understood the potential liability of staying.

In the public sector, a director acquires a reputation. A good one becomes sought after in his field.

A municipality acquires a reputation too. It can be good, bad , indifferent or just plain bloody awful.

The Mayor's response to news of the Director's departure was ; "There are plenty more out there"

Well, you know ....

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

For a person with 10 years HR Experience and elected Mayor entrusted to be a team builder to dismis the departure of the highly regarded Wayne Jackson with "There are plenty more out there" speaks volumes as to how unfit Ms. Morris is for the job of Mayor in Aurora. Actually Mr. Jackson's departure points to the options good solid employees have out there.Who would want to work in such a poisoned atmosphere led by a Mayor whose resume is grossly embellished when it comes to qualifications.

Anonymous said...

Of course some who work as government staff know that they are not accustomed to being held to close account until the mud hits the fan... especially if they've been around for a length of time.

I speak from personal experience.

Broderick Epps said...

Anon 10:06.

Not sure what you are trying to say.A recent episode at council serves as an example of how staff get pissed off and ultimately quit. Walter Mestrinaro (Evilina's former running mate)appeared before council and was able to accuse staff of incompetance and some sort of conspiracy as to why his bid for a town job was rejected. The issue of not qualified and an incomplete bid proposal not withstanding he was allowed to disparage staff in front of the cameras to the point that CAO Garbe actually got angry strayed from script and said something.This type of embarrassment of staff is the type of behaviour that has become synonymous with Mormac.It is one of the major reasons staff have said "I can do better" or "what do I need this for" and left the town.