Canadian Government Executive - Volume 27 - Issue 04

MIDDLE MANAGEMENT 16 / Canadian Government Executive // July/August 2021 T he search for excellence in pub- lic management is elusive. De- cades of reform point to four enduring dilemmas: 1. Reforms focus on changing rules and be- haviour by design rather than on chang- ing practices during implementation; 2. Reforms rely on brokering the politics of special interests rather than on serving greater interests for lasting results; IN SEARCH OF EXCELLENCE BY JOHN WILKINS EXCELLENCE IS NOT AN ASPIRATION. EXCELLENCE IS WHAT YOU DO IN THE NEXT FIVE MINUTES. — TOM PETERS Henry Matisse (1905): The Valley of Blessing