I think my July blog post jinxed me. Just as I became comfortable in my current role, I was offered a federal civil service position.
I applied only because a friend asked. My personal combination of autonomy and compensation was high enough that I was open to better opportunities, but wasn’t actively seeking them. I used AI to tailor a two-page résumé and submitted the required documentation, putting less thought into the application than I had into most applications since retiring from the military. I wasn’t surprised to make the certificate of eligibles and first round of virtual interviews, but I was surprised to be one of two to make the second round in person. The commute would be too long and I reminded myself on the drive that I did not need this job. The office exterior was attractive, and the administrative assistant was welcoming. As I walked in, I smelled curry, and she explained that it was this week’s themed lunch. I was escorted to a modern team room to wait for the two senior executives. The interview was scheduled for 60 minutes but lasted only 45. Most of the discussion focused on the future vision for the office I would lead, and they candidly answered my questions about the political dynamics. I could keep my current commute and agreed with their vision. If selected, my next step would be to meet with the undersecretary. Over the next few days, I pieced together who the other candidate most likely was and thought he had a much better chance. Then I received a phone call at 10:15 one morning asking if I could meet with the deputy undersecretary in 45 minutes.
Why am I doing this?
50%: It’s directionally correct
Luck is the intersection of preparation and opportunity. Opportunities parade past all of us all the time. The key is that you must be paying attention to see them, you must be willing to take risks, you must expose yourself to the possibility of massive failure and you must believe in what you are doing so much that you do it anyway.
– Richard Garriott
I tried running away from the government last year and ended up as a self-employed consultant to three government contractors. I swore I wouldn’t fill a lowest-priced technically acceptable contract line item, but ended up filling a best-value contract line item instead. We plan, and God laughs.
I was never attracted to the senior executive path; instead, I admired the elders who remained in my specialty. They were the ones who usually became 30-year “iron captains” and could communicate directly with the admirals they’d known for decades to push good ideas up bureaucratic hills. After retirement, they continued from various positions inside the government or industry, but now used their networks and expertise to pull from higher up the hill. Their perspective was one of relentless forward progress over decades. They could ride out the twists and turns along the way.
My next role will certainly provide me that opportunity, and I don’t think I would have been selected without the unplanned path of the past 15 months. Before last July, I didn’t recognize my ability to inform technology development. Before last September, I hadn’t worked in government contracting or business development from the supply side. Before last October, I had no experience managing unmanned systems. Before February, I hadn’t worked directly within a major systems acquisition or executive aircraft program.
I don’t think this will be the perfect job, but it certainly builds on my career capital, and I’m interested to see where it leads.
30%: A functioning government is worthwhile
They went into their vocation for the immediate aesthetic pleasure of some activity, but over time, they realize they are most fulfilled when they are instruments for serving an institution that helps address a problem.
– David Brooks
I’m an arranger by nature and appreciate a well-organized system of any size. Concepts such as 5S, lean, optimization, and the Theory of Constraints resonate deeply. I enjoy experimenting professionally and personally, sometimes to the annoyance of those involved. My oldest now works in a distribution center and recently said that my questions sometimes feel like one of his industrial engineering exams. I bought him a copy of The Goal by Eli Goldratt, which he hasn’t read, and I’m slowly summarizing it for him over the phone.
Each step of my career has involved improving the system for which I’m responsible. From field maintenance to international supply chains, and from industrial production control to headquarters knowledge work, I’ve learned how to synchronize ever-larger groups and focus finite resources on the highest collective priorities.
My current role breaks from that trend. I’ve improved how my small team manages its day-to-day work, of course, but I’m responsible for supporting its priorities, not setting them. I have almost three decades of knowledge and experience, but no positional authority to, as David Allen says, “get things done.”
Still, this experience taught me to rely on influence and the power of ideas. I’ve learned that adding “I recommend” to an opinion changes how it’s received. I’ve learned to connect decision-makers so they can shape how their teams move forward together. I’ve learned the power of a three- to five-page issue paper and simple infographics. I’ve learned to pitch a process improvement, rapidly develop a first version, and iterate through user testing. I’ve learned to build accountability through shared expectations instead of direct confrontation. I’ve learned that I can mentor peers and superiors without even realizing it.
Both of these approaches will be key to integrating priorities across agencies with their own authorities and cultures.
I think most can agree that our government is an extremely large system that could be improved. It increasingly lacks the capacity expected to deliver on many of the promises of our founding documents. If I have the skills to lead in one area of urgent need, perhaps I should.
20%: AI is replacing the repackaging of information
That’s because the further downstream a piece of information is, the easier it is for AI to replicate.
– Tiago Forte
I find AI a very useful technology and am excited to see it [slowly] being implemented across government. I joined at least three different beta test groups the past ten months and was granted early access to models and harnesses, which gave me a taste of what will soon be possible. I introduced my team to AI-generated meeting minutes, improved our knowledge management, and created intelligent Q&A agents.
Lessons from Rachel Woods and Tiago Forte taught me to distill complex issues insightfully and provide accurate updates to leadership faster than ever. I began to think my workload was decreasing, when in fact my efficiency was increasing. I had time to dig deeply into issues and write issue papers. Then one day, it hit me: much of what I was being asked to do could be replaced by a live dashboard and access to our team’s agents. I was now searching for what I wanted to do.
To be clear, I don’t think AI can or should replace human relationships or judgment. LLMs must be paired with subject-matter experts to capitalize on the strengths of each. Also, most organizational knowledge isn’t yet structured for AI to understand, so humans still have to connect information across siloed applications and storage. However, we can shift from pushed presentations to pulled discussions…today. From static PowerPoints to dynamic wikis and dashboards…today. From hyperactive hivemind to intentional coordination and execution…today.
Each AI model release extends AI’s strengths beyond the testable environments of math and coding, where it performs so well, into the more ambiguous office environment. I should keep moving upstream to stay ahead of it.
Conclusion
In aviation, each day begins with fuel sampling. Typically, the most junior person crawls beneath the aircraft, trying not to get fuel on themselves. Most people see it as one of those tasks that must be done before the team can start the real work of the day. Yet I remind people that one of the first things done after an aviation accident is to secure fuel samples as evidence.
No one cares about fuel samples until there’s an emergency. Bad fuel can cause an aircraft to crash. Bad process can prevent investigators from learning why.
The same can be true of our government.
I’ve always been drawn to the unglamorous side of maintenance and logistics—the day-to-day, behind-the-scenes processes that are necessary but not sufficient for success. I hope to bring that same curiosity to my next role.
