How to thrive in the new civil service

The government's civil service reform plan wants civil servants to be part of a pacier, more unified, more skilled professional service. Here are ten tips for those seeking to thrive in the civil service of tomorrow: 1. Be a specialist (but not too specialist). The plan states: "The old idea of a civil service 'generalist' is dead". The government wants specialist skills, particularly in change management and commercial skills. Still, as one civil servant noted on the Facebook debate about the changes, being too specialised constrains both individuals and an organisation's ability to respond flexibly. 2. Get some experience outside the civil service (but not too early on, and don't move jobs too often). The plan says: "Secondment of the ablest civil servants is sometimes discouraged for fear that they will not return. This is best addressed by ensuring that they have interesting and demanding jobs to return to, and that their careers will be enhanced rather than held back by a spell outside government." Sir Bob Kerslake, head of the civil service, said external experience is valuable at any level, but it is especially important to have breadth of experience at the top. However, the plan also states: "High turnover in critical posts at the centre of government can lead to a lack of collective corporate memory and a possible tendency towards orthodoxy". 3. Get ready to step on the heads of those a couple of grades above you (but don't expect extra pay for the extra work you'll be doing) The plan states: "Structures need to be flatter, with less focus on whether people are the right grade for the job, and more on whether they are the right people to do it...As a default, all jobs available on promotion should be open to those best placed to fill them, irrespective of their current grade." This has been broadly welcomed, but as one civil servant pointed out, many members of staff are already taking on work above their pay grade. "That's great for the challenge but very unfair, I want the promotion please!" 4. Hone your skills in crowdsourcing (but don't forget that the buck stops with you). The plan has a new "presumption in favour of open policy making, with policy developed on the basis of the widest possible engagement with external experts and those who will have the task of delivering the policy". At the same time, however, "clear accountability" is to be increased across the civil service and has already started, with the naming of those in charge of major projects. 5. Get ready for "rank and yank" Performance management is to be strengthened, with a tougher appraisal system to identify the poorest 10% of performers. As Steven Toft, who blogs at Flip Chart Fairy Tales , points out poor managers will make a hash of a forced ranking system just as surely as any other sort, and such a system can lead to expensive legal appeals. Moreover, "the major flaw in forced ranking is that it individualises the problem of corporate underperformance and downplays any contributing systemic factors". 6. Make sure your CV includes operational experience and get out of Whitehall The plan states: "In future the leadership of the Civil Service will need to have greater operational experience and ability". As one civil servant asked: "What does "two years operational / commercial experience" for top Senior Civil Service appointments actually mean? I completely support the principle that those leading should have experience of having rolled up their sleeves and delivered, but how will this be defined?" 7. Brush up on your impact assessment skills The plan acknowledges that the centre of government lacks good,comparable, accurate and reliable management information; it also wants more evaluationg of the impact and cost-effectiveness of policies. "Ministers and departments need to be more selective about what policy makers spend their time on, and get better at stopping areas of work which are no longer a priority." 8. Blog, tweet and get on Facebook (but stick to posts about your labrador) In the new "digital by default" world of the future civil service, not only will you need to deliver services digitally, you'll need to communicate about them digitally, too. Kerslake was being flippant when he said his highest Twitter traffic came from posting about his labrador, but he had a point - finding bland, but positive things to say could be a real career-enhancer. 9. Get to know your Whitehall neighbours The plan wants to streamline central government departments and ensure that more services are shared. There's no enthusiasm for major machinery of government change - the brass plates on the outside will stay the same, said Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude - but shared services will become "the norm" - once some of the security issues have been sorted out. 10. Practise what to say to Margaret Hodge. The chair of the Public Accounts Committee has been determinedly demanding a change in the accountability of departments, which could result in more civil servants, rather than just permanent secretaries, appearing in front of Commons' hearings. This article is published by Guardian Professional . Join the Guardian Public Leaders Network free to receive regular emails on the issues at the top of the professional agenda.