Canadian Government Executive - Volume 26 - Issue 03

18 / Canadian Government Executive // May/June 2020 MIDDLE MANAGEMENT Speaking truth to empower By John Wilkins A pessimist is a man who tells the truth prematurely. — EDMOND ROSTAND (1897): CYRANO DE BERGERAC I n March 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. addressed a civil rights audi- ence at Grosse Pointe High School in Detroit. He professed that freedom is the bonus received for telling the truth. The best kind of happiness comes from the freedom found in accepting the truth. It is the way to a full and satisfying life. It sets you free. There are different versions of truth and freedom. Exculpatory evidence is incom- plete and open to interpretation. Knowing the truth is an act of faith that is not fool- proof. Speaking the truth is an act of cour- age that is sometimes fool-hardy. But once spoken, the truth-teller feels free from guilt or blame. Truthing The difference between what we want and what we fear can be the width of an eye- lash. Learning the truth means living with conviction and holding true to firmly held beliefs. Convictions are the truths that take hold of us. Having the conviction of our words and actions can transcend reality. Truths are timeless messages worth tell- ing. Believing and doing the right thing strengthen the spirit. Respecting others’ personal choices and discerning and shar- ing the truth go hand in hand. Sometimes the truth hurts. It bruises egos, causes discomfort, and calls for change. True friends care too much to hurt or deceive. They point out what we may already know but find it hard to ac- cept. They tell us what we need to hear. Their advice marks a watershed of integ- rity in our lives. People dread and try to avoid the pain of being hurt. But it is inevitable and ac- cumulates, to the extent of compromising our mental, emotional, spiritual, and re- lational health. Pain identifies that some- thing is wrong. We fear its consequences. For the truth to liberate, we must be healed. We cannot remain slaves to fear. We must overcome fear with truth. Advising Most citizens hope for good government. They vote, serve, and speak for fair and just causes. But political solutions remain pow- erless to change conditions without people’s voice and support. Canadians embrace this ideal so much that the phrase “peace, order and good government” was written into sec- tion 91 of the British North America Act, now the Constitution Act, 1867 . Former Privy Council Clerk Michael Wernick identified the pace of policymak- ing, technological change, and growing demands on the public service as factors integral to the evolving context of Cana- dian federalism. He also recognized three traditional challenges: 1. Solving big problems with policy ad- vice on what to do and how to do it; 2. Adapting the role of the public service in governance; and 3. Calibrating perpetual reform beyond the same outcomes and latest fads. The Public Service of Canada is renowned for fearless advice and loyal implementa- tion of the policy. ‘Speaking truth to power’ are thewatchwords for giving objective, non- partisan advice to policymakers. Political-ad- ministrative leaders know the consequences of choices and are prepared to respond to central agency challenge functions. John Halligan’s 1995 matrix parses the dynamic of public policy advice (see table below): Speaking truth in an age of disinforma- tion, deception, and distraction is hazard- ous. Suspicious politicization and undue influencing of advice by third parties com- promise policy outcomes. Governments are called to let the public interest rise above political difference and societal in- difference. Public servants may struggle with speak- ing truth to power. Some see the catch-22 of being punished for trying to do the right thing, no matter how improbable. They claim that a penchant for quick fixes im- pedes culture change. Others contend that innovation cannot survive scrutiny by the chain of command. They blame manage- ment by committee, nepotism, and self- indulgence for intransigence. Speaking truth is also about managers being empowered to make a difference. It means engaging, emboldening, and eman- cipating people to take action. This is the essence of leadership. J ohn W ilkins is adjunct F aculty in P ublic M anagement at Y ork U niversity . H e was a career senior public servant and diplomat . ( wilkins @ yorku . ca ) High Senior departmental policy advisors Central agency advisors and strategic policy units Political advisory systems Temporary advisory policy units Head of government and ministerial offices Parliaments (e.g., House of Commons) Private sector and NGOs on contract Community organizations and consultants International organizations Low Statutory public service appointees Permanent advisory policy units Statutory authorities Legislatures (e.g., Congress) Trade unions Special interest groups International communities LOCATION Public Service Internal to Government External to Government GOVERNMENT CONTROL