I’ve worked in both public and private sectors and they both have their cultural paradoxes. As a public servant, if you actually try to get anything done and take responsibility for your decisions you show up other people for their lack of productivity. You soon get labelled a “trouble maker” and get passed over for promotion. Promotion in most government agencies is not dependant on productivity but rather on “playing the game” ie. making eveyone happy.

Similarly in private enterprise, every KPI can be scammed, schemmed and gamed to abuse the long term interests of the organisation.

Culture is set from the top. Period.

Try to set it from the bottom and you will forever be answerable to people less qualified, less experienced and less productive than you – but a whole lot better at “playing the game”.