Effectively managing when government budgets are tight
Public sector budget cuts are taking a toll and forcing managers to maximize efficiency. In addition to tightening their fiscal belts, managers have to be innovative and call on a dual skill set of public sector experience and practical business knowledge to accomplish the same amount of work with a shrinking workforce.
I called upon both skill sets when I served as deputy police chief of a 400-person police department that was represented by four different labor unions and had a $27 million annual operating budget. Strong business management skills were essential to my ability to be successful and to the overall performance of my department.
Now more than ever before, public sector managers must make wise budgetary, personnel, operations and other business decisions. The following six tips can help department managers organize their operations wisely.
Read the entire viewpoint item from American City & County, our sister publication.
