D uring the last year or so we’ve been subjected to automotive recalls and government mismanagement. There’s a distinct difference in how these incidents are handled. In the corporate world, people who have been responsible for misconduct or malfeasance are, in general, summarily fired. In government, people who have misled the public or who have made questionable decisions that have resulted in financial disaster for the agency or city government have either been retained or released with a sizable bonus!

Corporations have goals, strategic plans, and accountability to shareholders and customers. Government agencies rarely have goals, are operated by long-term employees who receive pay increases based on something other than performance, and operate with an array of elected officials whose purpose is to assure being voted in at the next election. Therein lies the difference—corporations strive to achieve high marks in financial performance, benchmark themselves against high industry standards, and operate with a sense of urgency; government entities, on the other hand, are devoid of high levels of customer service, have no need to worry about cash flow, and understand that job security is a given.

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