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Getting Motivated and Involved

By Kristy Varda posted 02-23-2017 15:43

  

Public Service is no laughing matter, but it is the little things we do that does matter.  The average, everyday citizen rarely knows the level of work and commitment that goes on behind the scenes to provide them with services they use daily.  Many times the public servant's role is thankless.  So how do you motivate others?  How do you get others involved? 

I have heard a time or two that the characters in the Winne-the-Pooh stories represent different emotional and social conditions that people face such as depression, OCD, and ADHD.  I guess you could say, no, I KNOW you could say that Tigger is a representation of my personality.  Hyper, energetic and most of the time positive and forward thinking.  By portraying those traits, I hope to motivate others to be as excited or committed to public service as I am. 

I was recently elected to the Virginia Association of Governmental Purchasing (VAGP) Board of Directors as a Second - At - Large member.  In this role I have been assigned to complete the implementation of our Champions' Program.  The core of this program is to reach out to those areas of our state that are possibly more isolated than the metro areas of our state to find someone in their area that can be a conduit between their needs and the offerings of our organization.  So today my ever active brain is storming trying to figure out ways to promote VAGP, procurement education and active involvement. 

Sadly, after a recent public meeting I got to read how a former government employee called all other public employees "Thieves".  I wondered if that person really took a moment to realize all the services in their life that were provided by these so called "Thieves" and why they thought that they should not be paid a reasonable wage that kept up with inflation?  How do you combat this negativity and encourage others to join and stay in public service?

I do it for my fellow man, fellow citizen and I feel that "We're All in This Together"!!  Keep it real and let me know how you stay motivated or motivate others!

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