Topic of conversation for every government entity after the election has been on how to cut costs.  The Wall Street Journal constantly prints articles about cutting spending and debt in government . . . this is not a partisan issue.  Legislation will do little to reduce costs and counter-intuitively can increase them.

We have been brain-washed into believing that setting targets for reduction in business and government is a smart thing to do.  It is not, it becomes the defacto purpose of government.  But there are more than just the visible costs that we see involved in running a government and when we ignore this fact we get lots of unintended consequences in increased costs.  The damage is debilitating.

The move to “plan on how to cut costs” is such a move.  The plans will be built with millions of taxpayer dollars because we know a plan is the answer . . . it is logical.  The problem is we lack knowledge of the actual work that is being done in some of these agencies.  Without knowledge, the step of making a plan is fruitless.  We need to get knowledge and act on the system that is either creating waste or provides value to recipients.

We can learn what the purpose of the system is intended to be and provision that service without all the attempts to legislate change by setting targets.  What each of these agencies do is of great importance to understand.  Some have little or no demand, yet continue to be funded year after year.  This provides no value to taxpayers or constituents.

The advice is simple let’s quit developing tons of wasted effort without knowledge.   We can’t afford to keep doing the wrong thing in legislation or government management.

Leave me a comment. . . share your opinion!  Click on comments below.

The Vanguard Method for “getting knowledge” that has transformed UK and other European governments.  We are testing the Vanguard Method’s 3-day program for getting knowledge here in the US.  Here you can learn the scope for improvement for government services.  To learn more click this link – Vanguard Method Test program.

Make the new decade a profitable and rewarding one, start a new path here.  Download free from www.newsystemsthinking.com “Understanding Your Organization as a System” and gain knowledge of systems thinking or contact us about how to get started at [email protected].  Reach him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/TriBabbittor LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/trippbabbitt.

Tripp Babbitt is a columnist (Quality Digest, PSNews and IQPC), speaker, and consultant to private and public service industry.