FC Morissette Consulting

Honoured to join the Institute on Governance and to contribute to their mission for good governance and leadership development across public sector teams!

GoC leaders are managing a lot right now: workforce adjustments, return-to-office, high expectations on government priorities, and teams that are mostly tired or discouraged.

It’s normal for many leaders to focus entirely on their people and files but forget about themselves. That’s why they chose to lead – because they care.

To survive and to lead well, you need to pause, recharge your batteries, and maintain your perspective.

That means investing in yourself and your resilience for the marathon you are in.

I often discuss what that can mean in practice with coaching clients, for example:

✅ Protecting a bit of thinking time each week
✅ Setting realistic expectations about what you can get done
✅ Sharing the load with peers and delegating to your team
✅ Being honest about your own energy and limits

Looking after yourself is key to the job. Yes, good leaders take care of their people in difficult times. But they also remember to take care of themselves.

Thousands of GoC employees and leaders are now receiving workforce adjustment notice letters. That’s a lot of anxiety landing all at once (compounded by world events....).

But these notices are part of the process, not the outcome. Most people will get through this with their jobs intact.

If you're a leader, make the next few months as boring as possible (in a good way):

✅ Replace rumours with regular updates - What you know, what you don’t, what’s next, no surprises.

✅ Focus on core priorities - Be clear on what can't stop and what's expected. Pause or slow everything else that you can.

✅ Support your people with empathy - Expect and accept normal human reactions to stress and fear. Support them wth EAP and other tools.

✅ Be kind to yourself as a leader - Accept your limits, pace yourself for this leadership marathon.

The Public Service has been through this before.

The leaders who do best are the ones who stay steady, tell the truth, and keep a tight focus on outcomes—without forgetting the people who do the work.

Saw this earlier. Worth sharing with colleagues and friends. Take care!

You can't work hard at something without passion. It's not sustainable.

Kirsten Dunst's character reminded me of this recently on an old episode of Fargo (Season 2 - highly recommend!!).

Yes, sometimes you have no choice. And yes, you may accomplish some good things.

But you can't fake enthusiasm and energy for very long - especially when the pressure never stops or you're worried about your job.

Energy and passion come from doing something that matters to you.

Leaders - This is true for everyone in your team and you as well.

As leaders, our job is to help our teams connect their work to purpose, to stretch into areas they care about, and move to something else than it's time.

This is why I advocate for robust performance management, talent management, and succession and retention planning with my clients.

You need the right people in the right position with the right skills and with the passion to succeed.

This way, everyone wins.

Need a hand or need to talk? Reach out!

The worst, laziest leadership I saw during the 2012 workforce reduction period? It's a colleague that said “They’re lucky they have a job.”

It came from a mid-level executive advising an ADM about how to handle a trivial branch management issue during this difficult period of uncertainty.

It wasn't even about how to handle the cuts. It was a minor support thing.

It was laziness, pur and simple. And it reflected a larger pattern of behaviour as an EX on their part.

I think that's why this moment stayed with me.

It showed a complete misunderstanding of leadership, morale, and how to treat others - don't bother making an effort because you don't have to right now...

Fortunately, I remember the ADM didn't listen.

The way you lead and treat people always shapes their trust and performance - especially during difficult times. It's a two-way street.

The people going through cuts aren't "lucky.” They're trying to stay professional and do their job despite being overwhelmed and anxious.

So don’t stop leading properly. It will absolutely shape how your team looks and delivers moving forward. People will remember.

Need a hand? Some advice? Reach out.

I'm seeing a lot of stress on social media by GoC managers and executives and it's worrying me. Too many doubt the value of leading and feel hopeless.

Just look at GoC-related groups on Facebook, Reddit, etc. It's not good. It's worse than even a year ago - there is more:

❌ Anonymous posts for fear of speaking the truth
❌ Loss of faith in the ability to get things done
❌ Admissions of burn out
❌ Counting the days to retirement
❌ Talented people regretting a promotion or refusing them outright

A disgruntled minority?? Maybe to some.

To me, these discussion groups are the canary in the coal mine. Where there is someone complaining online, there are plenty more feeling the same but not saying a word.

And the negativity and hopelessness is clearly on the rise.

If you're one of those tired folks:

✅ Be a bit more “selfish” if your energy is gone. You don’t need to always push through. Take time to pause, to protect what matters, and get real about what you can control and accomplish.
✅ You don't need to go up the ladder to be successful. Saying no, or no not right now, is not failure. It's knowing what matters to you and choosing it.
✅ You don’t need all the answers. But you do need a way to reconnect with your purpose, or move to something that fits better.

And as a senior leader:

✅ Deal with toxic leaders and under-performers. Including at the senior levels. This sends the strongest message on what’s expected and acceptable.
✅ Seriously re-align expectations with reality. Set real priorities (i.e. also decide what to stop). Let people do fewer things—better.
✅ Reduce the red tape in your shops. You know it’s there. Take real risks.
✅ Create space for people to lead from where they are. Reward the ones who choose not to climb.
✅ Talk to your people. People burning out won’t say it until it's too late.
✅ Support the people who quietly hold the place together. And celebrate them!

Reach out if I can help.

The new government has set out a few priorities in a single mandate letter. It expects all federal organizations to align with them.

This is a good thing.

But for those areas that aren't a priority, PS leaders will have to lead their teams through freezes, re-allocations and cuts. Not easy, even for experienced leaders.

One risk is that some will try to push through without reducing expectations, i.e. same objectives and promised outcomes, but with "efficiencies". That rarely works.

Yes, you should find efficiencies and cut red tape, etc..

But "doing more with less" is not a strategy.

The real breakthrough will be by those leaders who say - "Here's what we're going to stop doing. Here’s what we’re going to do differently.” And then advising loyally, supporting their teams through change, and being forthright with partners, stakeholders and clients.

Clarity of vision is a benefit for everyone. Focus beats stretch.

What are some things your team can stop doing?

Who can help you? Reach out.

Feedback like this always makes my day.

“Hi François, I made the (EX-3) pool!!!! Thank you so much for your support. Your sessions were incredibly helpful, and I truly appreciated the mock interview and your valuable feedback. During a particularly challenging period at work, your guidance helped me stay focused and boosted my confidence. I am deeply grateful for your assistance. Merci!”

You or your team need a hand? Reach out. Maybe I can help.

GoC Executives - Your team’s looking to you during the election period.

This is the first election as public servants for many newer employees. The rules may feel fuzzy and the stakes high. And the caretaker convention isn’t actually light reading for most people - see below.

Your department should have a coordinated approach in place during the election period. But you will make the real difference to steady your team. Here is my take on the critical points:

🔹 Requests from Ministers' offices
Ministers are still Ministers — but the bar is higher for what public servants can support. If a request feels political, or just off, pause. Double check. It's not about saying “no” — it’s about ensuring neutrality.

🔹 Social media
Employees can post on personal time — but neutrality matters even more than usual. A quick reminder goes a long way: if it’s political and public, it reflects on them as public servants and can reflect on your organization. Encourage caution.

🔹 Spending
No new spending commitments, no high-profile announcements. Routine stuff? Probably ok, but check with your boss, the CFO and Comms for anything new or unusual. If it needs to go forward, there’s a process.

🔹 Stakeholders
Maintain relationships where critical, stay professional. When in doubt, double check. It’s fine to say, “We’re in the caretaker period — let’s reconnect after the election.”

You don’t need to be the expert. Just give your team clarity, calm, and the good judgement to double check when something feels off.

That’s what good leadership looks like right now.

Need a hand? Reach out!

Here is the convention -

Guidelines on the conduct of Ministers, Ministers of State, exempt staff and public servants during an election - Canada.ca In Canada’s form of democratic government, the legitimacy of the Government flows from its ability to command the confidence of the House of Commons. Following the dissolution of Parliament for an election, however, there is no elected chamber to confer confidence on the Government. Given this fac...

My GoC clients are dealing with a lot of change right now - in leadership, changing priorities and mandates, and in resourcing.

But how change is managed makes all the difference.

Resilient teams adapt to change. Making them resilient takes effort. The healthiest, most resilient teams I’ve worked with have three key strengths:

🔹 Strong day-to-day management – They focus on both short-term ex*****on and long-term team health. Leaders provide clarity, stability, and a sense of direction.

🔹 A leadership table built on trust – Leaders are engaged, open, and adaptable. They tackle issues head-on and foster a culture of transparency and collaboration.

🔹 Methodical change management – They make change a priority, not a distraction. They balance project management (the "what" and "how") with change management (supporting people through the transition).

Resilience isn’t about avoiding change—it’s about being ready for it. Government leaders who build this strength into their teams see better results and less burnout.

How will you help your team stay resilient through change?

Reach out. Maybe I can help.