+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| **REMARKS FOR**                                                       |
|                                                                       |
| **Ventris C. Gibson**                                                 |
|                                                                       |
| **Assistant Administrator for Human Resource Management**             |
|                                                                       |
| **Federal Aviation Administration**                                   |
|                                                                       |
| **Before the**                                                        |
|                                                                       |
| **Department of Interior HR Conference**                              |
|                                                                       |
| **Theme:**                                                            |
|                                                                       |
| **QC² = E**                                                           |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| **[Q]{.underline}**uality, **[C]{.underline}**onsistency and          |
| **[C]{.underline}**ompliance                                          |
|                                                                       |
| The Building Blocks to Excellence                                     |
|                                                                       |
| in Human Capital Management                                           |
|                                                                       |
| September 20, 2006                                                    |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+

Good Evening:

In a vase filled with roses, I bring you greetings from the Federal
Aviation Administration, where we ensure the safety of the flying public
through a highly professional and dedicated workforce of nearly 50,000
employees.

Thank you for all that you do in protecting America's treasures and our
natural and cultural heritage. I was born and primarily reared in
Central Virginia where the Blue Ridge Mountains and the highlands are my
home and my personal treasures.

After a career that spans many years, there are just a few places in
this great nation that I have not seen. For those that I have seen, I
marvel at how after hundreds of years in a highly technologically
advanced nation, we can still go back to basics in beauty and serenity.
Thank you for a job well done!

When I read your purpose statement for this conference, three key words
stood out "community of practice." I applaud the use "Community of
Practice" in its most simplistic meaning is a phrase coined by
researchers who studied the ways in which people naturally work and play
together. In essence, communities of practice are groups of people who
share similar goals and interests. In pursuit of these goals and
interests, they employ common practices, work with the same tools and
express themselves in a common language. Through such common activity,
they come to hold similar beliefs and value systems.

In a Department where you are the principal conservation advocate for
our nation and the stewards for land, water, recreation and cultural
opportunities, fish and wildlife, geological, Native American land and
needs, and the U.S. energy needs, community of practice is critical
within the human resources and civil rights community because of the
decentralized structure of the Department. In laymen's terms, human
capital, civil rights, and occupational health and safety is a distinct
and separate line of business from which mission critical organizations
and staff offices obtain services for people, and we must, at our core
-- speak the same language, apply the same principles, bring innovative
and creative solutions to our customers in a timely, accurate, and
tailored manner.

As such, our collective responsibility is to accomplish the DOI, or for
me, the DOT mission. What we do touches the lives of the American people
everyday. In our profession, our mission is people. From attracting them
to public service, to developing talent, measuring performance, ensuring
diversity, rewarding and recognizing superior accomplishments to
offering a professional, fun, dynamic, challenging-family friendly
environment that is free of unlawful discrimination, people are the key
to our success.

Unlike years past, we are called upon to do more than post an
announcement, classify a position, process a personnel action or provide
benefits information. Our task is to be the experts in human capital.
Thus, we must be highly skilled in areas that we never entertained
before. Think about it for a moment? Aren't we different than 20 years
ago, 10 years ago, 4 years ago? Now, in addition to providing day to day
services, we are now change agents, strategists, mediators, planners,
analysts, economists, forecasters, and my newest phrase "solution
providers" to the most senior level officials in our respective
Departments. We ensure that we have the talent we need today, tomorrow,
and in the future.

To achieve management excellence, we must remain cognizant to market
conditions; reengineer outdated processes, for the most bold and
determined leaders and shed old traditions and habits. We can no longer
afford to be only compliance and process gurus but to be value-added and
outcome-driven, knowing always that our customers are those we serve and
they deserve the best possible service we can give.

We must remain alert to best practices and innovative thinking and find
a way, within our respective cultures, to affect change, manage change
and advise on change. We must be flexible and energetic and know that
what we do. How we do it defines us as an organization. If we fail, the
seat at the table is taken away and an advisory service comes from
another source, or service comes from another provider.

To survive, we must broaden our knowledge base of the labor market, what
others are doing, what we are doing in pursuit of personal mastery.

To create and enhance a community of practice for Department employees
in human capital management, I offer the following guidance.

First and foremost, DOI is in a unique position, being a service
provider of payroll and personnel services through NBC. To be one of the
4 Federal providers to the entire Federal government is a noteworthy
accomplishment and speaks volumes of your quest for excellence.

To remain competitive, "service excellence" is key. I am now a customer
and have high expectations of services DOI provides. In this regard,
accountability and responsibility is what drives excellence at every
level. We must always ensure that we embrace and practice
accountability.

We must have clearly defined roles and responsibilities so as to avoid
duplication, redundancies, and processing nightmares. This is confusing
to the customer and inefficient as an organization that fosters
management excellence.

We must know our customers business. Some plans work for one
organization but not the others. Understanding priorities, business
drivers and expectations will further our goals in human capital
management.

We should always embrace teamwork and customer service. This is the
hallmark of success.

I leave you with these thoughts often referred to as the seven ups of
success.

Wake up! Decide that today is a good day.

Dress up! The best way to dress up is to put on a smile.

Shut up! List and learn and learn to listen.

Stand up! Stand for something or you will fall for anything.

Look up! When the going gets tough, the tough get going.

Reach up! Strive, continuously for excellence in all that you do.

Lift up! Celebrate success and reward accomplishments.