When Census Bureau leadership brought up the idea of changing the way we work by transforming, I was skeptical. As the Census AFGE Council 241 President, I have lived through many versions of Transformation. I was not interested in the topic because I did not believe the Census Bureau was truly committed to change. What changed my mind was that they included people from all locations and levels within the Census Bureau. That concept was important to me because the people who did the work were going to have a seat at the table.
I was confident that the Census Bureau employees could play a huge part in the Transformation. We have fantastic employees, and I have seen how they handled COVID-19 within their offices as well as in the field. I believe that if you can have success with transitioning during a pandemic, anything is possible.
For Census Bureau employees to play a significant role, they must embrace diversity; the diversity of thought. In my opinion, the first step to Transformation is changing your mental model. In practice, we will have to challenge peoples’ deeply held internal image of how the Census Bureau should work. Employees and managers have to be open to a different tomorrow. In addition, leaders and employees from across the nation are going to have to change how they view the future. All areas of the Census Bureau must move to a collaborative approach to rethink how we work together across silos. For example, instead of looking at the Census Bureau through the lens of divisions, regions, and directorates, we must see ourselves as one agency with one mission.
The great thing about the Transformation Vision Workshop was that participants were able to imagine a different Census Bureau. I had the opportunity to think about Census Bureau in my private moments. My vision was we would bring different types of jobs to Bureau. We would invest in employees and managers to develop their skills in new areas. The average grade of employees would go from GS4 to GS9 and up across the Census. We will give people a legitimate chance to embrace change by giving them the resources to change themselves.
The Transformation vision workshop I attended in November was unique because that was the first time I participated in something agency-wide and felt it was inclusive. Everyone could bring their ideas to the table. More importantly, people could dream of what is possible at the Census Bureau in the future. For three days, you got to hear people bring their vision of how we would serve the public and treat our employees in the future. The conversation got me excited because we took time to address our future.
If COVID-19 has taught us anything, it’s that we must always be prepared to make a shift. The world is changing before our eyes, and we are going to have to change with the times. The world is going digital and will impact how we conduct surveys. Let’s lead the change, instead of waiting for change to happen to us. When I think about change and Transformation, I often think about the mistakes organizations like Sears and Blockbuster made. They did everything right when it came to managing their day-to-day and getting their products out, but they failed to reposition themselves and understand the external forces of the world in real-time.
For many decades, the Census Bureau has been a special place for the employees who have worked there and are still here. People have raised their families and businesses near all our facilities, have grown, and thrived. As employees of the Census Bureau, let us make sure the Census Bureau is around for the next ten decades and beyond. The choice of what is next is up to the Census’ employees and managers. I hope that everyone, regardless of their position or grade, will embrace Transformation and bring their ideas to the table. Like me, some of you may have seen your ideas ignored in the past, but we need to make sure that we do everything to embrace change. As a Union, we are committed to the Census Bureau and will do everything that we can to make sure that all voices are heard and that everyone can come together to make Transformation a priority. I’m more confident today than ever that Census Bureau can meet the moment.
In Solidarity
Johnny Zuagar
President AFGE Census Council 241
Johnny Zuagar
I joined the Union not long after my employment in Census around 2002-2003, at that time, I was encouraged by my fellow colleagues who were members and I wanted to see what the union was all about. Fast forward to 2023 and I’m still part of a great team of people who are very engaged and dedicated to helping out its members in any way they can. A highly trustworthy and loyal group that know when to take it to the table and also have fun during our many yearly events both online and in person.
As a member of AFGE, I feel like I have a voice to make a difference and continuously improve the workplace for my fellow colleagues and myself!
I choose to be a member of my union because I need the support and ability to fight for our rights. Without the union, there would be no protection.