Managing Government Employees

CHAPTER 1

Overview

Introduction

I came to work for the federal government in the summer of 1974. I did not want to work there, but it felt as though I had nowhere else to turn. I had graduated from college with a degree in fine arts and quickly learned that there was little demand for someone with my limited business skills.

Prior to entering government service, I floated among a variety of unsatisfying jobs, ranging from a private investigator to a taxi driver to a stereo salesman. Finally, at the urging of my wife, I took several civil service exams and eventually secured a civilian job with the United States Army as a personnel intern.

I kept looking for better jobs in the private sector, but my education and background always seemed to ...