It is no secret that today’s climate is difficult. Mistrust and uncertainty are unwanted qualities of our relationships, and there are times when communication is difficult even with the best of intentions. Our COO has expressed a desire to change this environment, even if it means rebuilding relationships one at a time. If we are to truly change the dialog and lead our workforce through the challenge of the years to come, we have to be unafraid to travel new ground, both in content and methodology. We have to explore new ways of connecting with our people – blogs, webcasts, messaging – while at the same time rediscovering the lost art of one-on-one communication.

We have an opportunity and a responsibility to reach out to our new employees. We have to have relationships with them that allow for trust and flexibility during the time of change that the next twenty years will be. We owe it to a generation of employees nearing the end of their public service to have them walk out the door with pride and to leave a legacy for the new employees to aspire to continue. Our people are our greatest resource and we need to cultivate that resource.

With the Leading Edge 2.0 initiative, we are attempting not only to encourage that cultivation, but to also give the informal leaders of the ATO some tools. Too often we task individuals with outcomes without giving them the educational background — be it information or skills — needed to attain the end goal. By making the investment of time and resources, we create an environment where the norm will be success and where the ATO can realize its goals.

The Leading Edge 2.0 matters because people matter.