Profession

Profession: Public Servant offers glimpses into the federal government's corridors of power during a decade of profound change and underscores the importance of learning for individuals, groups, and organizations in today's fast-paced world. It sets out a former deputy minister's take on the "burden of office" of the role and in the difficulties of staying out of one ditch--excessive concern with safeguarding a few key principles--without sliding into another--being too anxious to please or too tempted to put personal interests first. The story emphasizes the constructive contribution of experience and imagination, especially when it is enriched by on-the-job reflection.