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Director’s visioning for DMV highlights “unique opportunity”

In early December, Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) Director Brian Ness addressed the department’s DMV section, with much of his presentation focused on the “unique opportunity” ahead. Ness repeatedly discussed the opportunity to shape the culture, the customer-service atmosphere, and the overall tenor of the section (and department) for the next several decades.

Ness spoke of the potential loss of half of the workforce to retirement in the next five years, and focused on what it means for the future. “This is a real unique opportunity. Think about that: 50 percent of our workforce is going to leave. Now you can look at every one of those positions and say ‘do we fill it?’, ‘do we not fill it?', If we don’t fill it, where is the best use of that position?”

Retirements are inevitable, but how ITD deals with that can shape the department’s legacy.

Ness also drew a parallel between the superstars on an athletic team and the roles of other players, and how each is important to a highly-functioning team. He paralleled that dynamic with the business side of ITD.

The superstars usually carry the team, Ness said, but on those occasions when they are off or ineffective, “the support players need to be ready to step up.”

Ness said, “There will be some people in here that will take the lead and will be the superstars, and others that will be the support. But those of you that are support don’t underestimate the role you have. You don’t know when you’ll be called upon, but you better be ready to go.”

“We now have a voice in how the agency is going to look and how it’s going to operate for the next 25-30 years,” he reiterated. “It may not happen in every career, so take advantage of this.”