One Team Gov’s one big goal for 2022 (and a few smaller ones)
We want to maintain some things we’ve already done, and to aim for a goal which needs coordinated, sustained effort over time.
Drafted by Nour Sidawi and DavidBuck and reviewed by the ever generous Sam Villis on behalf of everyone at One Team Gov.
Why we’re writing this
“[One Team Gov is] a desire for positive change, a belief in the possibilities of better people-centred public services, a will to share and collaborate…and, most of all, an appreciation that we are all stronger when we work together”
- Kit Collingwood, One Team Gov UK
One Team Gov is a public sector reform movement whose aim is to take practical action to improve public services and reform the way we work. This blog post is from the team who coordinate the overall movement, but is for the benefit of anyone from any country who feels part of One Team Gov.
One Team Gov has been going for about four years, and we’re really proud of what we’ve achieved so far (you can read about it here and here). The One Team Gov community has done some awesome things across the world. We believe in the power of creating spaces that bring people together.
Our work has gone way beyond creating safe spaces for reformists to connect with each other. We’re growing to an extent that no single person knows everything we are doing, particularly as we believe reform happens through micro actions. This means we need to get better at helping people to both start and get more involved in One Team Gov. So, we’re aiming for a goal which needs coordinated, sustained effort over time and maintaining some things we’ve already done. Some are underway, but many of them need additional volunteers to help us to achieve them.
We’ve had two meetings recently which have helped us express what we’d like to achieve over the next year (you can read about the format here). In the sessions we considered what had been achieved, what held us back, and what we should commit to.
One of the things that came up is that it’s a funny time of year to be thinking about goals, but any time of year is a good time for a retrospective. Those that attended the retro covered the broad spectrum that is One Team Gov, from people closely involved in developing new things and running meetups, to people who hadn’t been to a One Team Gov event for a while, to someone who was curious to find out more about One Team Gov having gone to a recent event.
Though the session was structured, the conversation ranged from the practical day-to-day to the long term. It considered who we are and how we break down borders, and how we balance both those things with the day-to-day practicalities of organising things. As ever, there was kindness and trust in each other and a desire to reform. At no point did we question the principles that underpin how we work, but one thing seemed clear in terms of a big goal.
Our one big goal
Carry on delivering our strategy: One Team Government
We want the One Team Gov movement to spread wherever it’s needed. Changing the public sector is hard, and we want to make it accessible to any reformers who feel lonely or disempowered. This year we will work to break down borders, make access easy for anyone, provide safe harbour for those who need it, reflect and hold ambiguity, and provide structure. We want to continue to work in the open, so that anyone anywhere, at any point in time, can do what we do.
To do this, we’ll focus on:
- giving people a voice (and helping them find their own)
- creating opportunities for people to connect between, and with, us
- holding space for people to sense-make, reflect, and learn
- taking action on, supporting, and amplifying those who are seeking to resolve shared challenges such as climate, inequality, and more
We’re not expecting all those things to float your boat or be up your street, one might be and you might want to start a conversation about it in Slack with other people of One Team Gov, or more openly on Twitter. You can write a blogpost to help start to put structure in place or provide your first thoughts on something you would like to do. You may not want to do any of that, you may simply just want to continue to do the One Team Gov thing you have been doing. All that we ask is that you tell people about it and you tell as many people as you can; if that’s just one friend, or if it’s using the hashtag #OneTeamGov, or tagging One Team Gov on social media. Because when you do, maybe we’ll hear your ripple in the pond, and maybe others will too, and maybe just maybe they’ll reach out, but the very first step is yours to take. Just know there’s a whole globe of One Team Gov people out there, who have all been on this journey recently (some of whom lost touch a little during the global pandemic and are going through it all again) and when you’re ready, we’ll be here waiting for you.
This is our big goal — the one that needs to be expressed and tracked to make progress on them. But there’s a lot going on in One Team Gov all the time, and these activities also form part of our year commitment.
We will:
- maintain our website and online communication — if you would like to join the team building the new website you can find them in Slack (channel: #one-team-gov-around-the-world)
- continue to work in the open, holding ourselves to account for our principles — we will stop doing things openly and document the learning
- run another global event in January 2022
- run regular meet ups, and help others be created — we’re launching the monthly Global Community meet-up
- make ourselves accessible to anyone who needs help building their own One Team Gov community
Want a microaction?
How to help us achieve these goals and get involved with One Team Gov:
- tell us if you disagree with us on something (we want to avoid groupthink)
- come along to one of our events, bringing someone who’s not like you
- write something new that aligns with our principles
Reflections
“What change do I most want to see, and what is one thing I can do to contribute?”
For One Team Gov, the journey is the destination, one in which people may step back and step forward. It looks different everywhere, and we will need to do different things to meet people wherever they are on their own journeys. No one never knows where things are going to go once they do them or end them, and any ownership is fleeting or temporary. This deliberate looseness is one of One Team Gov strengths. It is also a weakness as it provides space for people to step in and lead, but excludes people who don’t know where to start and want to contribute to something.
The looseness of One Team Gov can be prohibitive to people who prefer structure, but the ambiguity can give space for growth. Ambiguity provides space and support (to a point of getting going, but not driving or directing); structure provides legitimacy, credibility, and permission. The question is about how much of both you can handle and how much of both should One Team Gov provide and maintain if it has the energy to do so.
One Team Gov is a space to do things, for people to hold themselves to account, and provides the opportunity and ability to lean in. It has been a safe harbour for people during the pandemic, a space to let go and reflect with others on what has been and what is yet to come. In revamping the website we will start to provide more visibility of those spaces and help people find others to connect and start new things with. We will also follow on with a blog post about what you can do and how you can get involved.
Because of One Team Gov there exists the hope of will be — the future of multifarious possibilities. We’re impatient, hopeful, and ever curious reformers. So, have an unexpected conversation today, you never know where it will lead you.
Thanks for your time!
One Team Gov
You can read the EasyRetro board from both retro sessions, which contains some thoughts from everyone in the sessions that helped in crafting this blogpost.
