Last time we called out to our Rebels. Welcome back!
Since I was an intern in Congress, a question I’ve heard over and over is ‘Do you ever stop and pinch yourself and ask, am I really getting paid to do this?’
What does this question actually mean? I’d contend that it means that people that work in and around the government just don’t like what they do–they love it. In a world consumed by fear, GR professionals take the stand everyday that as a country and a people the future is literally and figuratively in our hands. And yet, the public are becoming more and more disconnected and frustrated by the outputs of the government. Polling shows some of the least trusted professions have to do with government. This should give everyone working in the policy world pause.
What is the public telling us? What is the takeaway for us personally after we see demonstrations due to racial pain and struggles, chaos surrounding school curriculum, and fears over economic uncertainty? These issues are merely symptoms of a larger problem we all face.
“You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ‘I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.’ You must do the thing you think you cannot do.”
- Eleanor Roosevelt
We cannot begin building our future without being clear-eyed about our purpose. That starts with where we believe our power lies.
When you give into fear you give up your own power.
This seems pretty obvious right? The choices become binary and get scary. As a GR professional you ask yourself: How can I balance self-service while being a public servant? I NEED this job. Will this policy benefit others or me? If they only knew what was good for them, this is the best we could do.If you work in and around governments, you’ve had these ethical predicaments daily since you’ve begun down your chosen career path. It doesn’t make you wrong, it makes you human.
Do a Self Audit
Given that those who practice the art and science of government are faced with these ethical predicaments every day, is it crazy that people are distrustful of the process? But if they only knew what was good for them.Have you ever made that assertion? I have and I bet you have too.
Given the struggle with these contradictory thoughts and ambitions, what if we began to look at the system and our place in it differently. The existing system may never change, but if the one we have isn’t working, then isn’t it time to design a different one or to look at how we do it differently? As a new generation takes the helm of government and how decisions are made, it is incumbent upon us to improve these systems rather than steal our little sliver just to win a race to the bottom.
At Terrapin, we’re casting a different vision. We’re building future focused products and services not to reinforce existing barriers to entry. Rather we are charting a different path that gives you tools no one else has to do jobs no one else understands. Our obsession is to recast you as a decisionmaker, knowledgeable and in control. There will always be layers of power and control, the only question left should be what will you do with yours?
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