3 lessons from my first 45 days as an Entrepreneur in the Government of Canada
My very first day as an Entrepreneur in the Government of Canada was action-packed. I had just returned from my honeymoon in Sri Lanka and I was ready to get to work. It felt like I had only been home for a few hours when I found myself walking up to the Associate Deputy Minister’s Office at Innovation, Science, and Economic Development Canada (ISED). This was to be my new home for the next year.
My exact job description was not yet clear. As my friend and fellow Entrepreneur Anthony Jaz wrote in a recent blog post “our job is so new that we have no job description”. I did know that as an Entrepreneur I would get the opportunity to sit on the Deputy Ministers Task Force on Public Sector Innovation. The task force is responsible for addressing outdated systems / processes (i.e. grants and contributions, procurement, human resources) and experimenting with disruptive technologies (i.e. artificial intelligence, blockchain, machine learning).
My first day on the job was caffeine-fueled and full of inspiration:
- I attended a meeting of the DM Task Force. We discussed the merits of procurement modernization and heard from Statistics Canada on their innovative use of data. Agendas and presentations from all task force meetings are available for download here.
- Following the Task Force meeting, the Entrepreneurs had the opportunity to speak with Michael Wernick, Clerk of the Privy Council. Our new jobs as Entrepreneurs were created at Michael’s request so naturally we had plenty of questions.
Three key lessons have emerged during my first 45 days as an Entrepreneur:
1. Horizontal teams can and should be the way of the future
Over the next year I will help launch and execute projects with (at least) three different groups of newly-minted Entrepreneurs. With support from the Impact and Innovation Unit of the Privy Council Office (PCO), Nesta’s States of Change team, and departmental project teams from across the federal government, I will get to work on blockchain, artificial intelligence, and innovative staffing projects that cross departmental mandates.
To deliver these complex projects under such tight timelines, we must find new ways of working collaboratively in a highly distributed environment. We have very quickly adopted collaboration tools (Trello, Slack, Sharepoint, and GCPedia for now) to help us organize and execute quickly. We are eliminating low-value activities and operating with almost zero e-mail traffic. We have a bias-toward-action, working quickly, and scaling-up the solutions we find effective.
I hope to bring this approach back to my own department and support as many projects at ISED as I can. My personal focus will be on pilot projects that are manageable in size and can be executed quickly for maximum benefit to Canadians.
2. Choosing your own adventure is fun but it is far from easy
As the first cohort of Entrepreneurs, our new world is nebulous and filled with opportunity. We have been granted the flexibility to design our role within the Government of Canada (by thinking hard) while simultaneously launching tangible projects (by working hard).
We are coming up against some interesting challenges, like how to build consensus in a group of 17 entrepreneurs that are not subject to a formal hierarchy (hint: shared values and face-to-face conversations go a long way). I think we will look back at some of these early challenges as some of our greatest “ah-ha” moments.
3. Public sector innovation is not (and should not feel like) an exclusive club
I have never worked in an Innovation Lab or been an active participant in the #GCDigital community. Coming into my role as a GC Entrepreneur, I was unsure whether I would be able to contribute to the mandate of the Task Force in a meaningful way. I have quickly learned that a diverse team with a shared objective and proper support is more powerful and capable than any expert. This is especially true when individuals are empowered to pursue their passions and apply their unique skills to a team project.
I have also been reminded of the power of vulnerability. Hearing entrepreneurs that I admire share feelings of ‘imposter syndrome’ has been empowering. We are facing similar challenges (i.e. multiple steep learning curves at the same time) and can lean on each other for support. These conversations helped remind me that each of us, whether we hold the title of accountant, student, policy officer, entrepreneur, or Deputy Minister, are all just human beings doing our best each day. It is not worth pretending to be an expert in all things. Being vulnerable and honest cuts us down to size, brings down facades, and allows us to connect as human beings. We can then roll up our sleeves and get started on meaningful work without fear of asking for help where and when we need it.
I know that our biggest impact will come from connecting with and amplifying the work of the many public servants already working to improve the Government of Canada. Here is a highlight of some of the conversations I have had since starting my new gig:
The Entrepreneurs are committed to sharing our stories openly so that others can learn from and (hopefully) be inspired by our experiences. All public servants, citizens, and friends are encouraged to touch base via Twitter @GC_Entrepreneur.
Ismar Fejzić
