Internet Explorer 11 is not supported

For optimal browsing, we recommend Chrome, Firefox or Safari browsers.
Babak Armajani

Babak Armajani

Contributor

Babak Armajani was a Management Insights contributor. He was the chair for the Public Strategies Group, where he and his partners focused on transforming bureaucracies into customer-focused enterprises. Armajani previously served as Deputy Commissioner of Minnesota's Department of Revenue, where he led the department through deep and dramatic changes. While serving as the deputy commissioner in the Department of Administration, he helped develop two innovations that were recognized by the Harvard/Ford Foundation Innovations in Government Awards. Armajani taught graduate management courses at the University of Minnesota, Indiana University and Metropolitan State University and co-wrote Breaking Through Bureaucracy with Michael Barzelay, a book that argues for a new approach to funding and managing internal services like data processing, printing, building maintenance, and internal consulting and analysis. He died June 3, 2013 at the age of 66.

A concept called value-cost leveraging can cut the costs of delivering public services while providing better satisfaction.
Done well, it can serve as the centerpiece of an organization’s work, guiding it in ways both large and small.
Savings, improved services can be realized by discarding old, erroneous ways of thinking for new ways of thinking.
Government regulates a lot. Whether checking up on the cleanliness of a restaurant, making sure people don't speed, or ensuring building codes are followed, government...
The first in a series of key lessons on reforming internal support services.
Government culture values getting things done. But thinking -- proactive thinking -- is crucial.
To meet the demands of a changing world, governments need to program themselves for change.
The strongest motivators come from inside a person.
A practical recipe for how a leader translates his or her action into accomplishments.
Admitting mistakes is a risk. But willingness to admit mistakes builds trust.