Day One

Out with the old, in with the new.

Never more appropriate for our fair haven. 

The biggest challenge to be faced will in fact be determining what "old" things should be tossed, and what "new" things must be accepted.

Right on the heels of that will be how accepting many in this town will be regarding the changes to come.Yes politics will still be in play. No system eliminates that side game.  But the expected system should curtail at least a bit of what has transpired in the past.

Anyway ... once it happens, which according to the newspaper, it happens today!.

It is a brand new year folks.  Can you imagine that?

More importantly, a brand new beginning.

Last year, we went through the winter from, well you know. What was it? Five solid weeks of snow and cold. A pattern we often don't see.  Usually have a storm or two, some thawing, some recovery period before the next event.

This year, we start out wondering if we will have a replay.  Possibly, or Possibly not.  Makes you wonder what tomorrow is going to bring though.

Lots of that going on. Wondering.

I won't wander with the wondering thoughts. Locally, the wondering is really not all that large a mystery at this point.

For example, the biggest wonder of it all has nothing to do with a roll of a dice. It has a heck of a lot to do with smoke and mirrors, It has a whole lot to do with wondering how parochial attitudes manage to prevail. It has even more to do with trying to figure out just exactly how the wheels on the old bus never fell off.

I might ponder that one more, but since one way or another a new bus is coming, why bother, right?

You might be wondering at this point about the point that is trying to be made here. As is the case often as I tap the keys, the mind wanders around a bit to get from point to point, or to make a point.

The newspaper article announcing the start of the new era mentions two of the biggest points that the new TA will need to address.  The first being the silo-like manner of departmental operation.

That is I think going to be a simpler task to deal with. The silos were were created not so much  by the departments as by the method of administration. Despite the long laments about lack of coordination and cooperation there has never really been any serious plan to connect the dots which would create the bigger picture.

This was in part due to the lack of more centralized authority. It also served a purpose.

Now such a set up has benefits if there is really a need to spread out resources.  Kind of the don't put all your eggs in one basket concept. Great concept for investment, not always so great if you want to foster cooperation and community.

It also prevents an operation from "Fully utilizing the considerable talents of staff, establishing high performance standards and maintaining staff morale". Think divide and conquer.
Despite what some may think out there, there is in fact some considerable talent being under utilized. There has also been some great conflict as to what high performance standards should be, and if you have been involved with the inner workings, you know exactly all about the various levels of staff morale.

Whether the new TA is in fact able to follow through on some of his pronouncements during his interview will in large part be dependent on whether the considerable talents of existing staff include the ability to understand the fact that there is in fact a new hierarchy.

Some are going to further need to understand that whatever past favored nation status they may have held no longer exists. That however they were allowed to operate in the past, they may be required to change their operations.

The pyramid structure of government only works when you dismantle the silos. I can envision a few whine and cheesy sessions all ready.

I can imagine some complaining about the fact that they never had to do something before. Complaining about the fact that they were allowed to do something before. Complaining about the loss of their silo.

And you know what? I honestly hope that every such vision is completely wrong.  I doubt it, but I do hope so.

I can see the people who are going to shine, and I can see the people who are going to whine.

I also can see a new system where communication and cooperation can flourish.

There are points in time folks where we actually do face new beginnings.   We should all be looking at this new beginning as a completely fresh start on a great many things, but not as an opportunity to rewrite the past.

Anyone who does not like a change, does not agree with a policy, does not wish to comply with a directive best have a reasoning other than that's not how we use to do it, or I don't want to. the days of the fiefdoms should be over.

Everyone should be clear about one thing, we aren't doing things the way we use to do them.

Certainly point out why you think something won't work. Discuss why you think something else would be better. Suggest what you feel would be a better alternative. But save the whine about not being able to see why you have to change things or follow directives.

Unless you can come up with an argument other than you don't like it, reality is life has in fact changed and your silo is going to be dismantled, so learn to deal with it.

We have some quaint little habits in our fair haven.  We have some quirky habits also.  We love to live in the past. While there is no denying that our past has a great deal in making our haven as fair and appealing as it is, the past is not going to be the guiding light on the path to our future.

Here is to a new beginning. One long overdue.

Until next time.