At last week’s graduation ceremony at the Anguilla Community College, Pastor David Christmas gave an uplifting commencement speech.
His advice was of wider relevance than to just those sitting in their gowns and mortar boards. He said that success comes not just from hard-earned degrees and qualifications – although those too are important – but from one’s attitude and energies.
Pastor Christmas spoke of the need to demonstrate passion and positivity for one’s work. To be productive and professional at all times, and to deliver with pace. To be clear of your work’s purpose, and to have pride in what you are doing. His speech was a positive plethora of ‘p’s to prevent poor performance!
As we mark United Nations Public Service Day on Thursday 23 June, his advice seemed well timed for all us whose work is in public service, and who are employed to work for the public good.
Over the last four years, I have seen for myself some of the incredible staff we have working as part of the Anguilla Public Service.
I have witnessed individuals who are proactive, responsive and dynamic, who accept personal responsibility and who are willing to be held accountable for their work. I have seen how they influence positively the delivery of public services in Anguilla. I have seen how they accept that not everything always goes to plan, but learn from when things do go wrong, listen to what their customers are saying, and use that to deliver a better service. They have remained professional and polite, even when delivering a difficult message or having to say ‘no’. They deliver change often with minimal resources, and perhaps not always with the senior support they might want. I have learnt from having had the privilege to work with them, and thank them all.
Yet I believe there is a way to go before these behaviours are reflected throughout the public service. There are still those whose preference is to protect turf and position, or who use unprofessional language and behaviours as a way of avoiding difficult questions or being held accountable. Some who just find it easier to keep quiet when they know something is not quite right, because silence is easier than taking a stand. And there are perhaps also those who avoid the difficult discussions that would help their staff deliver a better service, or who turn a blind eye to poor performance and poor attitudes, because it easier to do so. Such behaviours lose sight of the bigger picture and let down Anguilla; they put the public servant’s own interests ahead of the public who fund us, and who we are here to serve.
So it is right that we continue to celebrate excellence in the Anguilla Public Service and use UN Public Service Day – just as we have done for the past two years – to celebrate more than twenty outstanding public servants who have been nominated for awards in the annual Anguilla Public Service Recognition Awards.
These individuals have been nominated by their colleagues as representing the best talent in the Anguilla Public Service over the past year – going over and above the call of duty, demonstrating innovativeness, working collaboratively, and projecting a positive image of the public service.
Each of the nominees are winners. Each of them can teach all of us something about how better to serve the public.
And if we listen and learn, then the values that underpin public service – equality, fairness, impartiality and upholding the rule of law – will be well served, and all of us will truly benefit.
