Cyclical quadrennial elections are written into the Constitution, and when parties switch control there is always change, often significant. However, the disruption that is likely to be engendered by the Trump administration is likely to be the most wrenching since FDR’s in 1933. These disruptions are going to be most deeply felt in the DMV: there have been pledges of mass workforce reduction, slashes in federal government contractors, and possible Department closings or relocations, among others. These will require impacted workers to make potentially wrenching adjustments to their lifestyles.
But another type of change that has so many area employees upset is a philosophical one. The focus of the Biden administration was “strengthening and empowering the Federal workforce and delivering excellent Federal services and improved customer experience,* along with major initiatives to combat climate change and encourage DEI (diversity/equity/inclusion). The government was to play a larger role in American society.
The Trump administration will place its emphasis on deregulation, tax cuts, and streamlining government operations – in other words, reductions in the scope and role of government.
The promise of such a wrenching shift has left a large portion of our area’s workers really upset, often despairing. Here’s some advice, which I urge you not to dismiss as bromides or cliched:
Look at the glass as half full. Make lemonade out of lemons. See the silver lining.
The federal deficit has been climbing – it was roughly 1/3 of our GDP in 2000 and today stands at over 120%. The rise is clearly unsustainable, but nothing serious has been done to restrain it until, perhaps, now (the jury will be out for a while). If we can start to get the debt under control and ultimately decreasing there will be rich dividends in the government’s ability to tackle the many issues that most government employees are pledged to address.
That’s the big picture. On a more micro level, do what you can to push back against initiatives that will harm key accomplishments and groups of stakeholders (e.g. increased access to health care, improvements in environmental protections). But lean into the efforts that may be harder for you to embrace but that are likely to also provide significant benefits. You can make a difference – perhaps not the one you signed up for, but a significant one nonetheless.
In the meantime, prioritize reaching out to identify work opportunities that could provide a landing spot for you if you’re downsized, moved, or so disheartened that you have to make a change. That doesn’t mean just applying to a lot of posted positions. It means placing an emphasis on leveraging your key contacts, doing so with the right messaging and “ask.” I’ll be more than happy to help you do it!
*from the 2021 Biden Harris Management Agenda Vision
