Policy & Practice February 2015

services. None of this happens without them. I have throwna lot at people over thesemonths— information, policy and procedure changes.

did right away to let everyone know thatwe are here and thatwe are launching something newandbetter. Staff members were not the only people who Monahan connected with during the transformation. She success- fully engaged multiple constituencies including; the general public, the union, legislators, advocates and welfare rights organizations, and the media. Her open communications style was the key to strengthening union and legislative relations. Monahan worked tirelessly over nine months to gain the support of the union, which was previously skeptical of the first worker assignment model. She established credibility with the legislature by implementing a new law well ahead of schedule and under budget. She part- nered with the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles to upload photos to EBT cards. Monahan reached out to citizens in new ways too, holding client recognition events to celebrate people’s steps toward self-sufficiency. Monahan’s consensus-building com- munication style is rooted in her rich political skills. It is a good reminder that successful public administration requires a blend of program knowl- edge, management skills, and political savvy, a combination that is often hard to come by. 3. Accountability: People may resist it, but they hunger for it SM: Accountabilitywas not there at first, and I knew that had to change. People aremore successful—they feel better and theirwork life ismore manageable—when they know what’s expected of them. It’s away to create order indisordered times. One of the reasons that all of these stakeholders were willing to align with Monahan was because she held herself and her staff accountable to timelines, processes, and promises. For example, the leadership team acted fast to develop a 100-day action plan and completed all 20 initiatives ahead of schedule. Daily morning meetings were established to triage problems. Over time as the crisis mode abated,

Monahan also worked to foster a much-needed culture of account- ability across DTA. Her emphasis on data integrity, and investments in rebuilding the data warehouse and creating data dashboards helped staff get a data-driven view of the work they were doing, unlike what they had before. SM: I have ahigh bar for perfection. One ofmymentors taughtme that you can’t let perfect be the enemy of the good, and that’s beena life- changing philosophy forme. I believe inmoving things forwarduntil we get themright, and that some of the best improvements comewhen you create a test-and-learn environment. A self-proclaimed perfectionist, Monahan has forced herself to ignore this inclination, and approach the latest phases of the rollout as a realist. While the launch of the first worker assignment model was a success, Monahan and her team are not stopping there. DTA will continue to review and enhance systems and solu- tions to make the system better. COMING OUT THE OTHER SIDE A moment of clarity stands out for Commissioner Monahan amid all this challenge and change. It’s a moment when she knew that the agency was making the progress she’d envisioned for it when she arrived. About a year into her time at DTA, Monahan gave a presentation to the legislature reporting on the agency’s accomplishments to date. The legisla- tors had no questions, but their silence told her all that she needed to know. DTA had turned the corner. Commissioner Monahan has brought more change to DTA than it experi- enced in decades. While there are few absolutes when it comes to leader- ship, Monahan’s story confirms that an honest approach that empowers program staff with quality standards, accountability, and that communicates a vision effectively at all levels can bring positive results. 4. Continuous Improvement: Good is good enough—for now

I knowhowdifficult working through change can be. I am

amazed at howwell people have done. It has beenawe-inspiring to see people bringing their best selves towork every day under difficult circumstances. I amproud to be their commissioner. Good leaders are never isolationists, and Monahan certainly is not. From the earliest days, she spent a lot of time with staff, which included a listening tour of all 22 offices. Monahan wanted to ensure that caseworkers’ authentic voices and frontline experiences informed the solutions that she would ultimately pursue. She discovered that caseworkers felt overburdened and were hungry for new ways of working that would make them more effective in their jobs. Monahan did not stop connecting with staff after soliciting their feedback. She made change manage- ment and training top priorities so that staff members had the tools necessary to work differently. Monahan brought a trainer to each office to discuss the “soft skills” side of the business process redesign. And after program imple- mentation, she completed a “gratitude tour” of the local offices to build staff relationships and provide opportuni- ties for direct feedback. 2. Communication: At the end of the day, it’s about making connections SM:We hosted30 listening sessions after hours.We hosted somewith members of the legislature and some just ourselves.We took public testimony, summarizedwhat we heard, and answered questions during these forums. These sessionswere very successful— more than500people attended— and the localmedia coveragewas positive. These are things thatwe

these meetings became effective forums for proactive planning.

February 2015   Policy&Practice 23