Few people have experience managing both federal and commercial operations, but those who do - such as Robert Bratt - know that there are some important differences that everyone should know about before they get started in a career like this. If people know what to expect, they can do a better job once they get into their new management position, limiting mistakes. If they do not look into it beforehand and they just try to learn it all as they go, they are going to make mistakes along the way - this is only natural - and those mistakes could end up costing them some money.
The Similarities
Of course, there are some similarities as well. In both positions, you have to manage other people, so you need to know how to connect with them and get the most out of them. You have to walk that line between being kind and understanding and letting them know that you are always in charge, that your word is the final word. You also have to know how to judge people and look at situations so that you can put people in the best positions to use their skills and abilities. If you do this, you get more out of your employees and the company or organization is going to have more success overall.
The Differences
The key differences, though, are what you really need to be prepared for as you start your career or as you move from one career to the other. For one thing, commercial programs are driven entirely by the bottom line. If you are not making money - or making it possible for the company to make money - then what you are doing is not worth it. Programs will be cut because they are not lucrative. Production and income rule everything because, after all, a company's number one goal is to make money.
A Federal program is also driven by results, but they do not always relate to money. Many government programs actually spend a lot of money without making anything, so your success is going to be measured by other types of accomplishments. For example, perhaps your office is responsible for setting up a program to help get aid to those who need it in the wake of things like natural disasters. This will cost millions of dollars and not make you a thing, but you can still see if it was successful based on how many people were helped, how fast the response times were, and things of this nature. There is still going to be a production-based model to follow, but the type of production that you have to create is going to be different than it would be if you were working for a company.
Before you take your new job - or shortly after you get into it - make sure that you find out exactly what you are expected to do or to produce. Find out how your work is going to be measured and judged. Once you know, you can take action that will push your division to that end at all times. As long as everything that you do is working in that direction, you will be able to have success and move up the ladder to better jobs.