C'mon, Be Flexible

Don't miss Karen Rutzick's story today on pay and personnel reform legislation, pointing out that you can lead federal managers to the water of human resources flexibilities, but it's difficult to make them drink. The list of underutilized flexibilities already on the books is long indeed. (Like the ability to fire poor performers during the probationary period, for example.) There may be some value in enacting governmentwide human capital reform legislation, if only to send the message to agencies and managers that now's the time to change the way you do business. But given the history of these things, I'm skeptical at best.