Commitment to the Public Good

Nancy Daniels, Jaime Gaggero, Tom Langer, Margaret Zillinger 

Kansas public servants respect individual commitment to the public good. The significance of public service is strengthened by each employee and their commitment to the public good.  Indicators of that commitment include:

• Responsibility to the public and to those whom they have elected.
• Efficiency and effectiveness through the service provided to every constituent.
• Integrity by assuring that every constituent’s rights are observed and their needs are served fairly, honestly and equitably.
• Stewardship by protecting, preserving and wisely utilizing the resources of Kansas.
• Cooperation by providing service in a collaborative manner for the greatest good of all constituents. Constituents include the private and public organizations and companies that serve the state.
• Communication with stakeholders by exercising deliberate, open and honest dialogue on important matters.
• Resolving conflicts in a skillful manner that legitimizes differing perspectives and restricts interpersonal tensions.
• Risking personal comfort, in exchange for trying to do what is innovative and best for the citizens of Kansas.

To the extent that we are successful in exhibiting our commitment to the public good, constituents will honor us with legitimacy and trust.

Jay Schalansky, Britt Nichols, Jaime Shew, & Mark Millikan 

“Commitment to the public good” is not easy to define. 

Public service is like a painting, a song, or a poem – no two people define, approach, or take in its meaning the same way. 

Our focus is not to tell people what we think commitment to the public good means because they might not wholly agree with our version and would, instead, spend their effort dissecting what they agree and disagree with instead of taking away the spirit of our message. 

Among the many definitions, and preconceptions that people hold about public service, there are common terms that seem to come up again and again while trying to define their individual commitment to the public good.  There is value when public servants, as well as those served by public servants, consider these terms as well as the above statement and what commitment to public service means to them. 

In order to really be a valuable public servant and policy maker, one needs to find and test their own compass. 

Public Good or Common Good, the Commonwealth

• Commitment
• Public Responsibility
• Accountability
• Ethics
• Moral Obligation
• Sacrifice
• Compromise
• Collaboration
• Inclusion and Diversity
• Excellence

Bertha Jackson, Roger Moore, Lise Ullery

Commitment to the public good means delivering an efficient service to the public in return for their legitimacy and trust.  The decisions public servants make should be based on values and quality while focusing on cost savings.  Functioning in the best interest of the public good requires a trained, dedicated, and professional civil service, which must be reinforced by institutions that reward public-spirited behavior. A true commitment to public good is to take the gifts you have been given and help make other’s lives better.

Patrice O’Hara, Elenor Buffington, Joyce Ridgeway, Tony Weingartner 

When considering the phrase “commitment to the public good” there are several interpretations of what it may mean.  Commitment to the public good may be more easily understood if each word in the phrase is examined. 

Commitment involves trust, obligation and a promise.  As public managers we are entrusted, obligated and promise to serve the public.   Commitment also involves exhibiting decisive leadership, achieving goals with integrity and effectiveness and achieving ethical, dependable service for the public.  

The public refers to the people as a whole - the community.  As a public servant, we serve the people who share a common interest.  In serving the public, more emphasis must be place on the whole than on the individual. 

Good, in this context, means a benefit or advantage.  As a public servant, we contribute to the benefit provided to the public. 

The competence and skills required encompass global skills including integrity, personal effectiveness and valuing diversity.  But as a manager or leader, one must also possess a set of skills beyond that of workers or staff.   

Skills such as:

• effective communication (both listening and speaking)
• problem solving (identify what is wrong and develop a solution)
• project management (setting goals and objectives along with following a timeline and meeting deadlines)
• critical thinking (analyze the issue logically and develop a solution) and,
• employee development (managing people with their interests in mind, but with the ultimate goal of human resource management for the agency).

Commitment to public good is the dedicated and efficient service provided to benefit the people in the community.