Rebels with a Cause
By Mary Lestage, Service Canada/ESDC
“I want answers now. I’m not interested in what I’ll understand ten years from now”. Jim Stark (“Rebel without a Cause”)
What the heck is OTG (@OneTeamGov) anyway?
Like its Twitter profile description says, OneTeamGov (or OTG) is an ‘International community of policymakers, service designers, digital people & others working to reform government and make public services better’.
OTG is a movement that originally started in London June 2017, where people met to discuss how to work across disciplines to make government more effective. A trending quote by James Reeve (one of the founding members) reads, “Don’t bring policy and delivery closer together – make them the same thing”. You can learn more by reading his original article, in which James says, ‘OneTeam is a mindset, not a structure’.
Hence OTG (and all its stickers) was born!
For more details on the OTG background and where it is as of June 21st, 2019, check out this great new article by Sam Villis.
How did OTG get started in Canada?
The Canada Global event was inspired by the first global event in London in June 2018. Several federal and provincial employees attended from Canada, which led to sharing openly on Twitter and other platforms. This sparked a simple exchange between two federal public servants, and that set the rebel with a cause train in Canada in motion. The result: planning got underway to host the #OneTeamGovCan event in Victoria, BC (intentionally far away from Ottawa) on May 21st, 2019.
For more info on our chapter, check out the ‘about us’ section of OneTeamGovCanada’s site. A full re-cap of the Victoria Event has been published as of June 28th, thanks to Emma-Rose Beauchamp. It highlights these two key themes on everyone’s mind (along with all details and practical actions for 32 big ideas):
- Improved communication, and
- Effective talent management
What does it take to plan an OTG event?
For the Victoria event, there were about 14 people involved from a planning perspective, and about 55 volunteers. The planners worked together as a self-managed, distributed (virtual) team. Jurisdictions covered both BC government and federal government levels, and exemplified the principles of OneTeamGov, as well as agile leadership. The team members were passionate advocates, igniting people’s curiosity.
OTG events are coordinated entirely by volunteers, and not sponsored by any one entity. Planning for the Canada event was an exercise in cross-government collaboration. Federal, provincial and private stakeholders are approached to support the event – everything from procuring a venue, supplies, swag, and promotional items, to offering up the small army of volunteers needed for the day to run smoothly.
Check out the six OTG articles, brilliantly written and posted on Medium by Emma-Rose Beauchamp, which provide insights shared by some of the planners in the weeks leading up to the big event.
What happened at the Victoria OTG event?
The event itself was well-attended with close to 300 participants representing 19 Government of British Columbia ministries, 19 federal departments, 4 foreign governments, 2 Government of Ontario ministries, city and municipal governments, as well as universities, think tanks and interested 3rd parties.
Aside from the learning gained by observing the OneTeamGov Principles in action (before, during and after the event), attendees had the opportunity to meet and network with peers and leaders. There were many conversations, new connections and relationships formed, all resulting in learning and sharing. This continues for many participants until present day.
Attendees included senior leaders, policy analysts, and front-line staff. Appreciation for the style, process, and approach used that day came through in the enthusiasm for breaking silos. The ability to move from session to session seemed odd, but was embraced by everyone with genuine interest.
A liberating structure approach was used, with this question posed to all attendees to help set the agenda for the day: “What is one super bold, super ambitious thing we need to do to shift government towards an open approach?”
Each participant was given a card (as shown in the graphic below) with facilitated instructions to complete each of the 3 steps.
We were told to bring our heads, hearts, and minds to the event. This was evident in the ideas generated on the 100s of these idea cards! There were only 40 slots available for facilitated discussions in the breakout rooms. Each facilitator had a note-taker.
Again, for a thoughtful recap of all sessions, please check out this summary of the Victoria Event.
How does someone in Canada get involved in OTG?
Were you not able to make the event in Victoria? Not to worry – because the rebel with a cause momentum is building! On June 6th, 2019, a virtual Canada-wide OTG Meetup was initiated, and is expected to continue on a regular basis. Be sure to watch out for the next one!
There are also bi-weekly OTGCanada Meetups in Ottawa, and OTG Meetups in Victoria (note – Victoria uses an app called “Meetup” with a huge following). There are new meetups being organized by folks in in Toronto, Winnipeg, and Vancouver. Follow @OneTeamGovCan and stay current on where a meetup might be taking place near you!
Can you organize your own small OTG Session?
Of course you can! At the Pacific Innovation Fair in Vancouver (held May 23rd, just two days after the Victoria event), Ioana and Colleen ran a fantastic OneTeamGov session. This is not the same thing as a full unconference agenda-setting event like Victoria’s. If you are looking at running sessions with up to 30 people, this type of meeting works great. Here is a recording on how to run a OTG breakfast/lunch/after work session, along with this helpful tool that provides step-by-step tips.
Remember, OTG focuses on radical reform through practical action using these 7 principles:
How can managers support OTG interest?
Think about how you personally practice and emulate being open, responsive, and resilient to change. How do you empower people to tackle problems? Is it being done mostly off the sides of people’s desks, or is it supported by you and the organization?
How do you respond to suggestions related to changing the environment, processes, and/or how people interact with those elements (or each other)? Is it automatically assumed that training people to act in a different way is the solution, or is there dialogue about doing things a different way?
Everyone, at every level of an organization, can see ways in which things might be improved. They probably think of things they could try, if only they felt safe to do so. How can you provide that safety? A few simple tips:
- set up processes with regular check-in points so that feedback can be given easily
- model ways that staff can learn how to deliver feedback in a kind but honest way, from a place of care
- encourage psychological safety so that team members feel able to take interpersonal risks, ask questions or make suggestions that might otherwise seem silly or naive
- help people to draw out the uncertain, complex aspects of their work so they know how to ask for feedback more easily
- help people find ways to get feedback on their work in ways that are safer, with fewer people, in shorter time, or for less cost
- Encourage and support staff willingness and excitement expressed in participating/facilitating OTG sessions or events
What business value does OTG bring?
OTG can be seen as a meaningful step forward in supporting service transformation, innovation, and public service engagement. The OTG model epitomizes the three pillars of Beyond 2020, and supports the desired outcomes of being a Public Service that is more agile, more inclusive, and better equipped. Leaders want a common language and framework to create new ideas within the context of limited resources. How can we achieve this? By tapping into resources that we have in new ways.
OTG is about how we work, or how we can work better. This can be as simple as looking at our everyday actions and thinking about how we can make a difference. It is about taking a fresh approach at how we tackle complex problems. Taking risks to try different ways of doing things, seeking out fresh perspectives, and being as inclusive as we can. Constantly learning and growing.
Change, as described by Beyond 2020, requires substantial energy, and the effort of employees at every level, to bring about. That energy is created when employees are encouraged and trusted to share ideas, and to connect with others to take practical action. Events like the OneTeamGov Global unconference, and the OTG meetups, are tangible ways to achieve that sharing of ideas and energy. These activities help in developing networks and amplifying the qualities of a modern, equipped workforce.
OTG is about sharing knowledge, increasing awareness and reducing duplication. OTG is about creating sparks of innovation that can only occur when different perspectives are shared. OTG is about making all levels of government work better.
What stood out for me in Victoria was the excitement deliberately aimed at creating value for citizens that goes beyond position or team. The event modelled the words set out in ESDC’s Service Strategy – everyone there shared a common commitment to Service Excellence. In order for all of us – as individuals and as a collective – to continue to innovate and meet new standards of excellence, we need to be engaged.
I believe collaborative efforts in identifying new opportunities for modernization and service transformation are (or should be) the new way forward. Public servants need the space, opportunity, and support to be active and engaged, in as many places and formats as we can get.
Are there simple ways to continue the OTG momentum?
It’s not just a ‘one and done’ kind of experience, folks!
We can continue to think about the small things we can do. These are being shared on Twitter daily, as OTG MicroActions. If you want to know more about MicroActions, here is the original 2017 article by James Reeve and Kit Collingwood (another OTG founding member) that describes how change can be achieved through the aggregation of thousands of small things, which we can do everyday.
We can continue to build networks, and participate in healthy dialogues on Twitter, Slack and GCcollab.
We can think in terms of ‘what is my 15%?’ This includes focusing on collaborative and innovative ways of working that are within your span control and capacity.
We can collaborate with colleagues to help build greater awareness of the OTG facilitation techniques in our organizations, and within our teams. Please check out Chenai Tukiso Muzondo’s awesome PowerPoint deck (a GCcollab link), which is geared to supporting ESDC in future planning goals.
What were my learnings from the OTG experience?
As a volunteer and participant at the event, I learned what I can take away, and apply to my daily work as a public servant. Like-minded people, including introverts, can openly share perspectives on common issues and potential solutions.
I now feel a sense of confidence and renewed aspirations to help bring about change and look for ways to make things better. I have hope that by sharing positive practices, such as working in the open, and including passionate people in the conversation, the values of OTG can spread like wildfire.
Time to Explore for Yourself (some easy first steps)!
Try out a new-to-you digital tool: GCcollab, Twitter, Slack, Google Docs, KanBan, GCmessage.
Search and follow on Twitter these hashtags (and the people using them): #OneTeamGovCan, #OneTeamGov, #OTG, and #LeadersGC (see below for more on this last one).
Follow OneTeamGov on Medium (load the App onto your phone to get notified about articles of interest to you).
LeadersGC – Read, Follow and Participate!
In closing, I want to include a plug for the LeadersGC volunteer Collaborators who host monthly Twitter Chat events. On April 25th, the OTG topic was hosted by LeadersGC, with guests Ioana Finichiu and John Kenney.
You can get the full experience of that Chat by reading this Wakelet Summary. This chat has been noted as one of the most engaged sessions held this year, with participation from around the globe!
Follow and Participate in #LeadersGC Twitter Chats – which take place monthly (normally the 3rd Thursday) for one hour, starting at 8 pm ET (Note: the Collaborators are on summer hiatus July/August and will resume activity in September).
