Given all the criticism that has been leveled at public sector workers over the past few years, one would think that these employees are to blame for all the ills that have afflicted government from the state level down—budget shortfalls, a failing educational system, and unstable prospects for retirement, not to mention boils, hail, and locusts. Yet at the same time, citizens continue to expect government to solve some of our toughest and most intractable problems: the economy, unemployment, public safety, affordable housing and health care, and so on. What a surprise, then, to find out that public employee morale and engagement have declined sharply over the past few years. Go figure.

I’ve been wondering how public sector managers have been able to maintain an effective and productive workforce in the face of such challenges. So has Bob Lavigna, whose InFocus Report, “Leveraging the Power of Employee Engagement,” speaks to the need for a formal, continuous process by which to measure and then improve employee morale and engagement. And he presents just such a process: five steps in a circle (it is, after all, a continuous process model), with communication at the core. This really seems like a worthwhile undertaking, given what’s at stake.

Have you found another way to help employees rise to the challenges of their work and maintain their sense of engagement and satisfaction (not to mention their sense of humor)? If so, I invite you to share your system with Knowledge Network blog readers.