Let's Be the Best!
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We all like to think we make a difference. When it comes to our jobs, rest assured we do! Every one of us has something to contribute, even if sometimes it’s tough to see where our piece of the puzzle fits. We now have a new plan to show how those pieces come together to create the big picture.
Every employee, no matter what the job, is part of the County’s audacious goal to become the best county in the nation while living up to our motto – the noblest motive is the public good.
For example, let’s say your job is to help homeless veterans find housing, recycle tens of thousands of gallons of used oil, or book inmates into the County jail. These three job descriptions are wildly different but they all have an essential place in the County mosaic.
No matter what your work is for the County, it helps meet goals: your department’s, cross-departmental and enterprise-wide. Those goals support strategic initiatives that lead to realizing our overall vision.
This stuff doesn’t just happen. If you’ve been with the County for any time at all, you know excellence starts with our business model called the General Management System (GMS). We’ve used it for 15 years now. It works. The County is considered one of the best-managed in the nation.
While GMS has made us successful, could we do better? Always! With that in mind, a new vision, a new strategic initiative, a new strategic plan, a new strategic framework and an improved GMS page for InSite were all developed in recent months.
Maybe you’ve heard bits and pieces about the new changes. Here’s the scoop.
Our vision incorporates more than just the county now. It includes the region and the vision incorporates a new tag line – Live Well San Diego.
The strategic plan has been streamlined and now includes a new strategic initiative. Operational Excellence has been added to Healthy Families, Safe Communities and Sustainable Environments.
The strategic framework ties the strategic initiatives to the County’s vision, mission and values. In essence, the four strategic initiatives help us achieve our:
Vision: A region that is Building Better Health, Living Safely and Thriving - Live Well San Diego
Mission: To efficiently provide public services that build strong and sustainable communities
Values: Integrity, Stewardship and Commitment
“Everything we do as a County falls under this strategic framework,” said Asst. Chief Administrative Officer and Chief Operating Officer Don Steuer. “The GMS is the County’s foundation and business planthat upholds the strategic framework.”
So why is this important to you? You may be an expert at your job but that doesn’t always mean you’re an expert on the County, how it works and is connected to you. Understanding that will help you create personal goals that mesh with those of the County overall. Employees who want to get ahead benefit by knowing how the GMS operates and why it’s successful. Just the basics will give you a better sense of the driving forces behind the County’s goals and why they matter.
It’s easy to get this information. There is a tab for the GMS on InSite. The revamped webpage comes with a newly created GMS owner’s manual. Check it out.
The more you understand how your job fits in the greater County puzzle, the faster we’ll become the best county in the nation. Let’s be the best!