Memo to New Agency Heads: Listen to Staff

"Don't view your staff as two distinct camps (political and career)," the book advises. The new executives should avoid meetings with only the political appointees, the suggestion continues, while encouraging the two groups to work as one management team.

One of the best things about this volume is the list of 14 stakeholders, including institutions from the White House (listed first) to the media (listed last).

In the chapter on interagency councils, one of the stakeholders, the authors advise readers to "expect to be viewed as a peer, not as the head of an agency. Get used to being treated differently than you are back at your home agency."

I particularly like the line in the media section that says: "Stiffing them will not work."

One line in "The Operator's Manual" certainly demonstrates how the authors have learned from the experiences of the Bush administration, which has pushed a pay-for-performance system for federal employees.

The book says implementing that system "will require much consultation and engagement with employees within your organization."

That provides a perfect segue to this item about a pay-for-performance system that didn't work.

Under a settlement with the National Treasury Employees Union announced yesterday, the Securities and Exchange Commission will pay $2.7 million to African Americans and employees at the agency whom the union said were unfairly hit by subjective standards used to determine salary increases.

Last year, an arbitrator ruled that the SEC's merit pay system was illegal, saying implementation of the merit pay, or pay-for-performance, operation violated laws against racial and age discrimination. The union estimates that 300 black and 1,000 older employees will share the settlement.

One lesson here -- in addition to obvious ones about fairness -- concerns the importance of involving workers in workplace issues. The union said the pay system was imposed over objections that it "lacked fairness, credibility and transparency."

Agencies should "not try to go it alone," said Colleen Kelley, NTEU president.

Contact Joe Davidson atfederaldiary@washpost.com.