public sector Archives - Amanda Bernardo

Celebrating motherhood and milestones

admin — Sun, 12 May 2024 09:04:34 +0000

Ten years ago, I joined the public service as a term employee. Ten years later, I’ve since had the opportunity to work in several departments and roles that have turned a job into a career.

Throughout the last ten years, I’ve had the opportunity to contribute to meaningful work; meet colleagues from coast to coast to coast; be part of incredible learnings and events; mentor 100s of public servants; and, also be mentored by so many incredible leaders.

It’s hard to put into words what the last ten years have meant to me … but if I were to try, I would say this:

Ten years ago I had no idea what my career would look like. The public service was foreign to me, but the desire to make a difference by all those I worked with was familiar. I wanted to challenge the status quo. I wanted to champion new ways of working. I wanted to be proud of the advice and work I led … no matter the role or department. And eventually, I wanted to do all of that in a way that could prove to others that they could do the same by being authentically themselves while doing it. Over time, it was no longer just about making a difference for Canadians, but making a difference for the very Canadians I worked alongside. It was about doing government differently, even if different wasn’t always easy or supported.

I didn’t always fit that traditional mold for what a public sector leader should be, but if the last ten years taught me anything it’s that we need more leaders who don’t fit that mold.

That’s how we do government differently.

Over the last two years of my career, I’ve been fortunate to work as an executive in the public service. And while I sometimes doubted whether I belonged at the table, I’ve seen first hand how different perspectives, different ways of working, and different people are needed at said table if we are to truly change how we deliver services and programs for Canadians.

However, if truth be told, transitioning to the executive ranks at times felt impossible. While I was trying to grow as a leader in the public service, I was also trying to simultaneously grow my family …

… and the two at times felt at odds.

For those following my journey, it’s no secret that my road to motherhood has not been an easy one. In fact, for many women the road to motherhood can feel like a lonely one. And yet, despite the despair that often plagued me, the medicine and treatments I had to navigate, and the uncertain road I found myself on, I still showed up every single day for my team, my colleagues and my organization. Eventually, however, I realized that showing up, even during this chapter – the hardest of my life – meant that I had to show up with strength and vulnerability. And that’s probably one of the greatest lessons I learned as a leader over the last ten years … that we need more vulnerability at the leadership table.

As Brené Brown once said:
“Vulnerability sounds like truth and feels like courage. Truth and courage aren’t always comfortable, but they’re never weakness. To scale daring leadership and build courage in teams and organizations, we have to cultivate a culture in which brave work, tough conversations, and whole hearts are the expectation.”

And so despite the vulnerable road I found myself on, I owned that truth every single day. I worked hard to achieve results, but I worked harder to serve as an example of that daring leadership Brené speaks of.

But today’s post wasn’t intended to just look back on the past and share lessons learned, it was also meant to celebrate the future.

This month, I am not only celebrating my ten year milestone in the public service but I am also celebrating motherhood.

This Mother’s Day, I feel extremely blessed to share that I am expecting my first child this June.

The last eight months have been a rollercoaster of emotions but they have shown me how resilient I am – both in my goal of being a mother and a leader in the public service.

With only a few weeks left before I officially start maternity leave and anxiously await the arrival of our little miracle, I cannot help but feel gratitude for the road that got me here. Yes, it was difficult, but in the midst of all the hardship I’ve endured the past two years, I’ve become a stronger person and leader for it. I’m excited for all the lessons I will soon learn as a mother, and how this chapter will equip me to be an even better leader for it.

So, if you’re still reading this … I hope that this post can serve as a gentle reminder that vulnerability can walk hand in hand with leadership, and that it is absolutely possible to pursue multiple dreams at once – both in your career and life.

Photos by North Saplings Photography

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Delivering change management as a service

admin — Tue, 30 Apr 2024 19:32:22 +0000

Over the last five years of my career, I’ve specialized in implementing complex digital solutions while focusing on the people side of change.

Specifically, I’ve worked with teams to understand and translate the distinct challenges they face in designing and delivering new or existing programs and services to ensure that they are adopted and sustained long-term by relevant stakeholders.

To achieve this, I enable teams to leverage human-centred approaches such as change management and service design to enhance their project/program design. Navigating the use of these methodologies can be, however, difficult, as employees often do not have the training nor the operational experience to enable them. As a result, we’re seeing more and more organizations establish transformation teams to effectively deliver this service.

As a public sector leader in change management and service design, I’ve had the opportunity to develop a Change Management Office from scratch within the public sector. In doing so, I’ve realized how difficult it can be to operationalize change management as a service and frequently meet with others trying to do the same.

This Playbook aims to positions others looking to establish a Change Management Office, particularly in a public sector setting.

It was built with best practices inspired by others in the field, as well as my own personal experiences in leading change across the Canadian federal public service.

It is important to use this Playbook as a guide, as change practitioners will always need to apply flexibility and judgement to their work in order to tailor change management tactics to project realities.

In addition, checkpoints have been added within the Playbook to support the delivery of change management as both a service and program, building in the internal steps needed to position a team of change practitioners for success.

References to external materials have been linked where cited

The Playbook itself is organized into three parts:

Defining your Change Office – here you’ll find an example of what this could look like.
A general overview on change management, including a high level introduction to various change management methodologies.
A step-by-step approach on how to deliver change management as a service – here the section is broken down further into three main areas:
1. Intake – how requests are reviewed and assessed for project support.
2. Project Support – this section is organized in four phases: defining the change vision and strategy; designing and developing change tactics with stakeholder engagement; delivering and supporting on change recommendations; and sustaining project success.
3. Close-out – how change practitioners will eventually close-out support.

My sincere hope in developing and sharing this guide is that it serves as a valuable resource in upskilling change management practitioners across the public sector.

Navigating change is often a constant and difficult challenge in the public sector but by sharing these best practices, I hope to equip change practitioners (new and seasoned) with the tools and insights needed to navigate these complexities effectively.

The reality is, change is hard. But designing your Change Office doesn’t have to be.

Change often demands practitioners to work in the proverbial ‘grey,’ where clear answers may be elusive, and solutions require adaptability. Yet, within this challenging terrain lies the essence of our work—the ability to untangle the mess, find clarity, and guide organizations through their transformation efforts. In recognizing the demanding nature of this field, it’s imperative for change management practitioners to understand the value of their roles. As change becomes a constant in the public sector, our work is not just valuable, it is an indispensable asset in steering successful and meaningful transformations that contribute to the greater good of society.

To download the Playbook:

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