1. Employ the Golden Rule.
a. When working with colleges, citizens, and potential clients ensure that you are acting respectfully, professionally and kind. Treat each interaction as a reflection upon yourself as well as the organization.
2. Maintain a healthy work-life balance.
a. In order to deliver the best services possible promoting and maintaining a healthy work-life balance is critical. One should only be working overtime when necessary and it must be approved before the overtime may take place. As well set boundaries and take stock of what is most important to you to ensure you are not violating these boundaries.
3. Be accountable.
a. Strive to produce work that reflects upon the organization positively while also promoting the organizations mission. When issues arise or mistakes are made take responsibility, be accountable in order to find a solution to the problem. Be not only accountable to the organization but also to yourself.
4. Be Self Aware
a. Continually perform self-analysis and be aware of any conflicts that arise. If conflicts arise reach out to those within the organization that can provide help to find a solution to the issue. This also pertains to your passions, if the organization ceases to fit your passions, be aware and willing to make a change it necessary.
5. Always be truthful.
a. Every action reflects on the organization and those who work within it. Therefore, ensure that you are acting truthfully for it is your duty to those you serve to be truthful and it is a duty to yourself.
6. Be fiscally responsible.
a. No acceptance of bribes, under the table agreements, or endorsements will be prohibited. To correctly represent an organization, one must ensure that their financials are in order and are their own. This also applies to any and all resources entrusted to you and ensuring that you efficiently and effectively use them.
7. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
a. Be openminded to cultures and differences that are not your own. Be committed to always being friendly and open when greeting people and ensure that biases or stereotypes are not coming before the organizations mission and embrace these differences and learn from them.
8. Be open to improvement.
a. For each project, plan, community involvement that you do being open to comments from superiors and outside parties is a must. To go with a first draft of something without taking the time to look it over and improve upon it would be a mistake and would not fully showcase the expertise of the organization.
9. Carefully weigh evidence.
a. Whether it be evidence that supports your mission and claims or if it goes against what you’ve been promoting, all evidence must be given equal consideration and attention. Parties outside of the organization should also be consulted to ensure no bias is occurring.
10. Take advantage of Coaching/Mentoring
a. Seeking feedback from superiors and colleges is encouraged and one should take advantage of asking for feedback, for it is the main way to enhance learning and growth and fosters the sharing of information.
11. The “Do’s and Don’ts” of Public Service
· Do strive to help improve your local community and its members.
· Do ensure the wants and needs of the community are considered.
· Do not make decisions without consulting the community or those within it.
· Do ensure good and sufficient communication.
· Do not limit communication to only those making decisions.
· Do provide multiple options in concerns to projects, ie, implementation, design, who’s involved etc.
· Do not create and implement projects without considering all options.
· Do promote new and fresh ideas in your area, ie sustainable/green options, increasing the minimum wage, etc.
· Do not allow your organization to remain set in its ways or stagnate.
· Do look into and take advantage of Government funding where applicable.
· Do not take Government funding that would compromise values or other projects already in the works.