Of Service to Whom?

As HR professionals in the government sector, we often times have many competing commitments. We have to keep abreast of what seems like never-ending changes to rules and regulations that govern our industry. We have to balance the work we must do, with the work we want to do. We want to provide assistance and service to our clients, and we want to further the mission of the agency.

But at the end of the day, what is it that makes us want to do the best job possible? What is IT that has caused us to choose a career in the field of human capital? What do we do, on a daily basis, that truly makes a difference for the people we work with, in the agency we work, and in the bureaucracy that we’re sometimes forced to navigate?

I believe the answer to all of these questions is service. We have selected a career in the human capital arena to serve others. We’re serving other people who have dedicated their careers to the public interest. We’re serving veterans, from conflicts we studied in the history books, to conflicts we watch on our evening news. We’re serving mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, spouses and significant others, children and grandchildren, as well as a host of others who are related to-connected to-those primary customers of ours.

We’re serving ourselves (as professionals, and as taxpayers). We’re serving our families, by the work we do, by what our profession provides us, and by the benefits it affords us.

So what does service, as a government HR professional, mean to you? Do you view yourself, your work, your day-to-day activities, as being in service to someone or something? On those bad days when things aren’t going your way, what if you were able to reframe your thinking, just a bit, to “How did I serve someone today?” Or better yet, “How can I better serve others tomorrow?” Would that notion of “my job is one of service” instead of “my job is a job” cause you to think, act, behave, or perform differently?

I’m curious to hear your thoughts.