http://www.nation.co.ke/oped/blogs/dot9/ndemo/-/2274486/2826064/-/b1g8vz/-/i... The Japanese have what they call Monozukuri with Hitozukuri, which means "production or manufacturing excellence achieved through people excellence". In a similar manner we want service excellence achieved through people excellence in the civil service. Without happy people, we shall forever be complaining why things aren’t working, even with the best ideas floating around. *FRUSTRATING BUT VITAL* I have sat in meetings where a Minister walked in with a 12-item agenda and talked through it, without any input from senior civil servants. Some, if not most, bureaucrats are completely inaccessible, even to their senior staff. The little that we achieved at the Communication Ministry was due to the fact that there was constant interaction between industry, the general public and the Ministry. *We leveraged technology to gather information from platforms such as KictaNet <http://www.kictanet.or.ke/> (where the public vented their anger towards government and we responded to each and every question).* *Some of the issues raised on the platform led to policy statements. We need such a window in every Ministry. It gave me a chance to regularly write and explain our actions, and how much we had incorporated ideas from the public.* Granted, it is a frustrating thing for a leader to do, but it is the best way to gather ideas that will change our current status. This is the age of collaboration. Every idea has its place in creating change. Humility does not cost anything but, in my view, it is the missing link between what the public expects and the goals that the government wants to achieve. Leaders need time to listen and actively learn from others since no one has the monopoly of ideas. But even as this sounds simple, it rarely happens. When we crafted the Vision 2030 with the help of McKinsey, a team of consultants led by a young Kenyan, Dr Gachao Kiuna, encouraged the free flow of ideas. It is because of that kind of openness that the document remains relevant today. Even though the firm had a global network, it relied on local input to come up with a comprehensive vision. It is a lesson most of our leaders need, because sustainable solutions will only come from within and we cannot afford to ignore input from those we work with ______________________ Mwendwa Kivuva, Nairobi, Kenya "There are some men who lift the age they inhabit, till all men walk on higher ground in that lifetime." - Maxwell Anderson