Management & Careeers
Reboot the Mission
How Popular Culture, Constructive Indifference,
Intolerance, and Self-Interest Make a Better
Finance Officer
By Kent R. Austin
Drawing on life lessons,
even those learned from
television, movies, and
history, can help sharpen
your management skills
by focusing on what
really matters.
A
famous management handbook, first published in 1946
and reprinted continuously
since then, opens with this memorable
sentence: “You know more than you
think you do.”
This simple yet profound statement
is found in Dr. Benjamin Spock’s Baby
and Child Care; it is intended to comfort first-time parents who feel overwhelmed in their new role. The same
concept holds true for finance officers
— they know more than they think they
do. Learning, or acquiring knowledge,
and gaining experience are continuous
processes, resulting in an enormous
aggregation of memories, thoughts,
feelings, likes, and dislikes.
Whether in government finance or any
other line of work, individuals are hired
to be problem solvers. Consequently,
what an individual brings to a job is far
richer and deeper than simply specific
technical knowledge in a given field.
An individual possesses a lifetime of
information and emotions that come
from an untold number of sources; the
sum total of your life’s experience comprises every book, magazine, comic
book, and newspaper you have ever
read; every family member, friend,
coworker, and acquaintance you have
ever met; every movie, TV show, and
Internet video you have ever watched;
every vacation, business trip, and daily
commute you have ever taken; and
56 Government Finance Review | February 2013
every class, seminar, training session,
and workshop you have ever attended.
So why limit on-the-job problem solving to the technical knowledge and
skills required by the job description?
Each of us knows so much more than
we think we do, and harnessing this
huge base of knowledge in the service
of achieving a unit’s mission can be
extremely powerful. To begin making
sense of everything and developing a
mission focus, think of three traits traditionally considered undesirable — indifference, intolerance, and self-interest.
Turning these negative traits inside
out provides a way of renewing one’s
approach to life and work — a personal
and professional mission “reboot.”
INDIFFERENCE
Traditionally, indifference refers to a
lack of interest or a disdain for the
importance of specific ideas, places, or
people. Around 1530, Ignatius of Loyola,
founder of the Roman Catholic order of
priests known as the Jesuits, developed
a radically different interpretation. To
him, the purpose of man’s existence is
to love and serve God. A Jesuit would
thus seek to be “indifferent” to all else—
he would consider everything else as
secondary to the central goal. This
“Ignatian indifference” gave the Jesuits
tremendous clarity and focus that drove
them to accomplish incredible things in
the service of their goal.
While theological concepts from the
16th century seem far removed from
local government challenges of the 21st
century, the Jesuit emphasis on mission is instructive for today’s finance
officers. It is easy to become consumed
with an increasing number of tasks,
which seem to accumulate with each
year. We become busier and busier,
never feeling caught up and never
spending enough time on planning.
Press, 2004). This book concisely
describes the energy and enthusiasm that are unleashed once a clear
mission is embarked on.
n
One could liken this phenomenon to
the attachment of barnacles to a ship’s
hull. Over time, the accumulated barnacles increasingly act as a drag on the
ship’s ability to move through the water
and maintain direction. Although everything looks fine above the water line,
more course corrections and engine
power are required to maintain the
proper heading and rate of speed. And
predictably, it is almost impossible to
remedy these impairments while trying
to sail on as before. Periodically, then,
the ship must be taken to dry dock so
that the barnacles can be removed,
new marine paint can be applied, and
the engines can be overhauled.
Similarly, finance officers need to
pause and reflect on the essential mission of their organization. This does
not require lofty vision or mission statements, elaborate goals and objectives, or
detailed action plans. With the mission in
mind, the obstacles — the “barnacles” —
impeding quality service delivery can be
identified and remedied.
Popular culture and history are filled
with examples that reinforce the importance of appropriate indifference and
unwavering focus on the mission. Some
notable illustrations include:
n
he Power of Full Engagement by
T
Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz (Free
n
oneyball (2011) and Twelve
M
O’Clock High (1949). These movies
have a common theme: the protagonist of each movie understands
deeply that only one goal must be
pursued above all else, and that
all behaviors and actions must be
aligned with that goal. In Moneyball,
Oakland A’s General Manager Billy
Bean realizes that the traditional
methods of evaluating baseball
players are unreliable. He decides
on one measure of player performance — on-base percentage —
and uses it to build a playoff-caliber
team with one of the league’s lowest
payrolls. In Twelve O’Clock High,
General Frank Savage relentlessly
pushes his B-17 bomber squadron to
focus on the destruction of German
targets during World War II. All
other concerns — friendship, fear,
doubt — are made subordinate to
the central mission.
istorical figures Abraham Lincoln,
H
Ulysses S. Grant, and Vince
Lombardi. Lincoln famously knew
that the one absolutely necessary purpose of the Civil War was
the preservation of the Union. He
was willing to delay the abolition
of slavery, and even suspend the
Constitution, to further the goal of
preserving the Union. He promoted
General Ulysses S. Grant because of
his single-minded dedication to the
same mission: to preserve the Union
by winning the war, no matter how
long it took or how many casualties were incurred. Finally, Green
Bay Packers football coach Vince
Lombardi (1959-1967) famously said,
“Winning isn’t everything; it’s the
only thing.” The statement has been
widely misunderstood as a “win at
all costs” or “the ends justify the
means” mentality. Instead, Lombardi
would say, it was intended to illustrate the single-minded concentration on the one central overriding
goal: winning football games and
the national championship.
INTOLERANCE
Good leadership and good management require a specific type of intolerance. Not intolerance for the ethnicity,
culture, or race of others, but rather
intolerance for mediocrity, unproductive behavior, and suboptimal performance.
Profound theories aside, management
can, unfortunately, require inflicting
pain, in service of the unit’s mission. Few
managers want to discipline, reprimand,
or terminate a likable but underperforming employee, but continued tolerance
of subpar performance lowers workplace morale and harms the standards
and effectiveness of an entire work unit.
Ultimately a “this hurts me more than it
hurts you” conversation is often appropriate to address the situation.
The manager’s inner confidence is
essential for confronting and correcting poor performance. Managers may
hesitate to correct employees because
they know their own example is not
what it should be. How can a manager
who is often late punish a chronically
late employee? Punishment without
credibility communicates hypocrisy
and erodes trust.
Alternatively, banishing fear and selfdoubt can unleash energy and a height-
February 2013 | Government Finance Review 57
ened sense of constructive intolerance.
Asking “is this the best we can do?”
unleashes energy that can be used
to make improvements. Managers are
able to do their jobs better when they
resolve to take full ownership of everything within their domain.
Constructive intolerance can be
summed up in one simple word: “pushback.” While the term is an informal
synonym for “resistance,” it also suggests a more active, assertive response
— figuratively pushing back against
statements or actions that go against to
the unit’s mission. Amazing things can
happen when people believe things
need to change.
Once again, popular culture is instructive. Even punk rock — something most
of us are aware of, if not conversant in
— is a strident example of “pushback.”
Punk grew directly out of the economic
malaise and social unrest of mid-1970’s
Britain, coupled with a vehement rejection of the perceived pretentiousness
and consumerist nature of contemporary rock music. The punk spirit advocated a do-it-yourself approach that
eschewed tradition in favor of change.
The pushback of punk music changed
popular culture in ways still felt today.
Other popular culture examples that
reinforce constructive intolerance/willingness to initiate change include:
n
he Empowered Manager: Positive
T
Political Skills at Work, by Peter
Block (Jossey-Bass, 1991). This
book insightfully analyzes the culture of dependency found in most
organizations. The author makes a
persuasive case for acting on one’s
own conscience and choosing
autonomy over dependency — a
freedom to initiate (appropriate)
58 Government Finance Review | February 2013
change without waiting for someone
else’s sanction. As Block says, this
autonomy is simultaneously “heavy”
and liberating.
n
n
ocky (1976). The story of aspiring
R
boxer Rocky Balboa risking all for a
chance at success and redemption
is pure inspiration. Rocky resolves
to abandon his dispiriting Mob
enforcer job and develop himself
into a serious boxing competitor. He
refuses to be limited by his history
and circumstances and pushes back
at a transformational level.
S partacus, St. Thomas More, Martin
Luther King, Jr. all reached a point
at which they could no longer abide
the status quo and the direction
events were taking. Spartacus led
an ultimately failed but audacious
slave uprising against the Roman
Empire. St. Thomas More chose to
be executed rather than bow to
King Henry VIII’s plan to divorce his
wife and remarry, in clear violation
of church teaching. Martin Luther
King Jr. famously led non-violent
marches, protests, and sit-ins to challenge the segregated systems of the
United States in the 1950s and 1960s.
SELF-INTEREST
The traditional meaning of self-interest is putting one’s own welfare above
that of others . Once the concept of selfinterest is broadened to include one’s
work unit, employees, and organization, however, self-interest becomes a
productive, desirable quality that furthers one’s mission.
Closely allied with self-confidence,
constructive self-interest may be
summed up in a simple two-word sentence: “I want.” A manager who can
say “I want _______” on behalf of his
unit takes actions that dovetail with
both indifference and intolerance. The
willingness to stand up for one’s department or employees, to acquire resources that help them do their work, and to
protect them from threats, is positive,
productive self-interest in service to the
unit’s mission.
Once a manager takes initial action,
an upward spiral of change and confidence begins. Using mathematical
notation, this formula captures the
phenomenon: E=f(ex + a), where personal energy (E) is a function of selfexpression (ex) and action (a). More
than physical fitness, adequate sleep,
or a healthy diet, authentic expression and taking action generate energy
and confidence.
Conversely, suppressing expression
and avoiding action drain energy and
increase self-doubt. Eventually, the
individual becomes a candidate for
health problems like ulcers or depression (sometimes defined as “anger
turned inward”). Speaking out and taking action can be tremendously liberating. The more authentic and genuine
an individual can be in their communication with others, the more connected
the feeling to others. The book, Difficult
Conversations (Douglas Stone, Bruce
Patton, Sheila Heen, and Roger Fisher,
Penguin Books, 2010), provides effective techniques for initiating conversations that must be had but are often
suppressed or avoided.
Feeling connected to others increases one’s willingness to communicate
candidly with them, which can boost
productivity by promoting the behaviors and goals that lead to high performance. Connectedness relies on good
communication, which takes forms
much broader than most managers
realize. In some ways, everything managers do is communication — the way
they dress and present themselves, the
way they manage time and prioritize
their actions, the way they organize
and maintain their offices, the way
they expresses themselves in speech
and writing.
Productive self-interest is also linked
to constructive self-awareness. Having
a centered, solid sense of self--of your
purpose in life, of your intrinsic value,
accepting imperfections but also taking pride in your abilities--is vital for
a successful manager. Managers who
lack deep self-awareness will find difficulty leading their employees. Selfawareness and self-confidence lead to
better communication; better communication leads to more understanding;
more understanding leads to clarity of
goal; and clarity of goal leads to a willingness to act and initiate change.
Prominent popular culture examples
that reinforce productive self-interest
include:
n
n
ully Human, Fully Alive by John
F
Powell, S.J. (Thomas More
Association, 1978). The author
makes many insightful observations,
including, “A good self-image is the
most valuable psychological possession of a human being,” and “the
full and free experience and expression of all our feelings is necessary
for personal peace and meaningful
relationships.”
oy Story (1995). A poignant scene
T
in the movie occurs when “Space
Ranger” Buzz Lightyear falls to the
ground while attempting to fly. He
then realizes he is in fact a child’s
toy, not a Space Ranger, and undergoes a struggle akin to a nervous
breakdown — but then accepts who
and what he is, and returns stronger
than before.
n
S t. Ignatius of Loyola, George
Washington, and Winston Churchill
all had a clear sense of “I want” on
behalf of a larger cause. Ignatius
would say, “I want to establish an
army of men wholly committed to
the gospel and willing to give their
lives, teaching, serving, and evangelizing.” Washington would have
said, “I want my country to succeed in its drive for independence,
despite all odds.” And Churchill
might have thought, “I want to rally
the inhabitants of my native land to
defend it to the end against the tyranny and terror of the Nazis. I want
this so much that I will expect nothing less. We will never surrender —
never, never, never.”
CONCLUSIONS
Many of the original Star Trek episodes ended with Captain James T.
Kirk easing into his command seat on
the bridge of the starship Enterprise
and casually instructing the helmsman,
“Ahead, warp factor one, Mr. Sulu.”
This image captures the mission driven, action-oriented, and self-possessed
demeanor that finance officers may
aspire to — one more example of
how the accumulation of experience
and the illumination of popular culture
may be drawn on to make a better
finance officer. y
KENT R. AUSTIN, CPFO, is finance director
Government Finance Review
Editorial Calendar
June 2013
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The Road Well-Funded: Infrastructure Overview
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Getting the Most from Your Technology
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Taking another Look at Shared Services
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February 2013 | Government Finance Review 59