There are many lessons to learn from the recent dual resignations of our ex-Governor General and her secretary. The ex-GG, a former astronaut with celebrity status, was appointed in 2017. What happened?
Following anonymous concerns of inappropriate conduct, worn-out staff and record turn-over were raised by the media last year, the government requested an independent review of the Office of the Secretary of the Governor-General (OSGG). The consulting company, which did the review, based their report on 92 interviews with current and former employees. It revealed indeed a toxic environment as evidenced by screaming, aggressive conduct, demeaning and disrespectful behaviour, belittling and public humiliation of staff, etc., and finally led to the resignation of the GG. While the report documented what was already known and cost taxpayers a whopping $395,000, it had value in terms of leading to an action and a decision. Bureaucrats are slow in deciding, and always need plenty of documentation. Let’s say the investment helped close a chapter on a poor appointment.
All Canadians know that the head of our government is the Prime Minister, but many may not know that the head of our country is the Queen. She is represented in Canada by the position of the Governor General. The Queen appoints the GG on the advice of the PM. The position is mostly for ceremonial duties. Without going into many details, the role of the GG is to represent the Queen, and as such, is predominantly one of good public relations.
The GG does many things, but the core job includes making speeches at ceremonial events, including swearing-in ceremonies, attending certain graduations, presenting national medals and decorations, issuing letters of credence for Canadian ambassadors, hosting state visits, etc. Let’s say, it is a “nice job”. I would suggest that the position requires a short list of “must haves,” such as good people skills, decent communication ability, patience to follow protocol, a friendly smile, a straight posture, and a firm handshake. I am not belittling the position, which I believe is particularly important for Canada, but I am trying to describe in layman terms the handful of core prerequisites. So how can you botch such a seemingly straight selection?
Filling key positions of leadership is never easy, no matter how simple they look on the surface. I am always amazed by the fact that while the world population of 7.8 billion people have the same parts, two eyes, a nose, a mouth, two ears, etc. no two people have the same iris and fingerprint. Our creator must have wanted to underline our uniqueness. We do not come out of an assembly line, but have unique specific gifts, abilities, and strengths. If we work in a position that uses those strengths, we shine and succeed. If we work in a position that does not use our natural gifts, we fail miserably. I am sure that our Ex-GG was a good astronaut. But what makes you a good astronaut does not qualify you to be a good GG!
Smart job recruiters are careful to do two things very well:
- Match job requirements with specific attributes, and
- Never cut corners on the recruitment process
Here is a short list of five lessons learned the hard way:
- Qualifications and experience, of course, are important, but character is number one for leadership positions. Leaders must be able to build trust. It is said that “reputation is what you do when everybody is watching. “Character is what you do when nobody is watching “. Good recruitment when hiring leaders seeks to identify the character first.
- Never hire without a thorough references and background check. How we behave on the job tells others everything they need to know about our values and commitments. Simply ask and listen. It was reported in the media that the vetting process for the GG was not in any measure thorough (I will not go into the details that were reported in the newspapers).
- Never allow the hiring of friends. As you lead and work with a team, you may develop friendships, that’s okay, but do not hire friends for the simple reason that you may—one day—need to chosebetween performance and friendship. A most difficult choice to make.
- Leadership positions, especially government ones, require a great level of accountability and transparency. Processes carried out "behind closed-doors" in which no one quite knows how someone is chosen are totally unacceptable for key leadership positions. The word “public servant” says it all. Transparency and clarity form a powerful moral backbone.
- Ethics and morality have less to do with the head than with the heart. Job descriptions, position profiles and compensation packages are all HR essentials, but serving with a passion for the vision or the purpose of the organisation is what makes great leaders.
Five simple recommendations, but apparently, not necessarily easy to follow.