Steven L. Katz is the author of the book Lion Taming: Working Successfully with Leaders, Bosses, and other Tough Customers. He served in senior positions on Capitol Hill and in the Executive Branch.
The public is all too familiar with stories of “men behaving badly” in the political arena, where the press and public share a mutual fascination with a blend of scandal and lack of accountability. One day when music is used to teach this chapter in our history, the lyrics that concern 50 years of such scandals will go something like this:
From tragedy, to mystery, the blowback of getting caught
When Mary Jo Kopechne went off the Chappaquiddick Bridge
Ways and Means Chair Wilbur Mills held the Tidal Basin towel for Fanne Fox
Gary Hart taunts “follow me” and Donna Rice gets to “meet the press!”
Bill Clinton does it in his own house, the White House
Gingrich impeaches Clinton, while he’s getting his own way too
South Carolina Gov disappears, into the arms of Argentina, don’t cry for him
Oregon’s Packwood, female staff harassing, but the plea of actually doing it is Mayor Filner’s epithet
Idaho’s Larry Craig wins for being arrested as and in the john
Petraeus’ gave Paula Broadwell his all, but the secret he really leaked is DC’s – where it’s the paybacks that are hell!
No one goes to jail
Just a lifetime sentence of embarrassment — that’s what sells.
Yet there is nothing lyrical to the pernicious, unprofessional or illegal acts of men behaving badly in the ranks of the Secret Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, or parts of the military that are becoming as common as reports of political scandal. For too long officials have excused this as locker-room behavior, or that it “goes with the territory.” More recently it has been rationalized in debates using such terms as the cohesion strategy of a “band of brothers,” compared to mission-focused effectiveness. Either excuse is an insult to the many hard-working and upstanding men and women in law enforcement, the military and elsewhere.
Government has a locker-room culture, not just behavioral incidents. It also exists well beyond the agencies in the news. It must be addressed openly and directly. The National Football League – the home of locker room culture – is finally addressing sexual violence as well as related issues surfacing for the league, players and families. Certainly Congress and government can drop the pretense of manhood and tackle the locker room culture in their midst.
Demanding the resignation of an agency head each time a serious crisis emerges is itself a problem in Washington. The Secret Service is on its third agency head in as many years, and deep problems persist. DEA Administrator Michele Leonhart is resigning in May. Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki’s resignation and even new laws making it easier to fire career government executives have not stopped the culture of whistleblower retaliation.
On April 10, 2015, outgoing Attorney General Eric Holder implicitly reminded Department of Justice employees that laws and rules that already exist are not self-executing. This came in his memo reminding them that solicitation of prostitutes is prohibited.
Changing culture comes from the top and requires more than a bumper-sticker campaign of zero tolerance.
- Openly define and describe locker room culture as a visible, unprofessional, unacceptable, and risk-filled part of the present government culture. This includes behaviors beyond reported misconduct, such as intimidation, harassment, bullying, and discrimination.
- Culture change is not a consulting project.
- Leadership must immediately gain the trust, participation, insights and assistance from their existing employees who work hard and strive to fulfill the mission and represent government with integrity. Only then and with time, can employees be assured that it is safe to be honest and assist. Employee councils, task teams, or individuals can be assembled to start the process of including people in the process.
- Identify the specific high-risk sectors, jobs, and ultimately the individual members and influences in the locker room culture. Congress can ask the Government Accountability Office (GAO) for help because GAO is experienced in identifying high-risk programs and activities, and framing steps to reduce and stop them. Meanwhile, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must work with agencies to prioritize and expand the roles and positions for social scientists and experienced experts in psychology, human behavior, and cultural change.
- New screening processes at recruitment must be created that go beyond background checks and tests to determine whether recruits are a fit for the agency or the job.
Concrete steps are required in management, supervision, and specifically in performance management. Strict legal and career consequences must be established and enforced without exception.
Contrary to the instincts of most officials in the government, the contours of the culture will begin to emerge as steps are taken to do something about it. Administrative steps that strike a positive rather than a punitive result will isolate the bad actors and begin to change the climate and culture of the agency.
Culture change is not easy or pretty. It is necessary.
