When something doesn’t make good business sense, something should be done about it.

It doesn’t make sense that no clear career path exists for field management.

It doesn’t make sense that there are not enough supervisors in SSA’s field offices and teleservice centers to effectively supervise staff personnel.

It doesn’t make sense that half the people in field management do not have supervisory authority.

It doesn’t make sense that field management personnel frequently supervise or direct staff personnel who are paid more than they are.

It doesn’t make sense that supervisors in SSA’s field offices and teleservice centers are paid on average about $20 less when working overtime than the people they supervise.

How did this situation arise? It is a direct consequence of the so called "delayering" of field management in the 1990’s combined with the upgrade of thousands of Claims Representatives to the GS-12 Technical Expert (TE) position in 2000.

"Delayering" has long been discredited as a smoke and mirrors exercise in organizational sophistry precipitated by political meddling.  The negative impact of the delayering initiative still lingers in SSA’s field management structure long after the mandate, as far as we can see, has evaporated.

SSA’s field management ranks were depleted by a net total of over 1400 positions even after the application of the MSS gambit which was necessary to stop the bleeding. Those 1400 positions were never replaced and it shows every day in diminished service to the American public.

This was compounded by the wholesale upgrading of thousands of CR’s to the TE position. The TE position at the GS-12 effectively devalued field management positions. It is an absolute joke, albeit a sad one, that field management people are often paid less than those they supervise or "direct". Why would anyone want the more demanding management position when they can make as much or more in the TE position? The answer is they generally wouldn’t.

Moreover, the general upgrading of regional office staff positions has made those positions more attractive vis-à-vis field management jobs and further contributes to difficulties in attracting and keeping people in field management jobs.

The current management grade structure in SSA’s field offices and teleservice centers simply does not make sense from a business perspective. As currently constituted it makes effective supervision very difficult, has a negative impact on service delivery, and makes it very hard to attract people to the supervisory ranks.

While there is general recognition of these problems there appears to be a reluctance to tackle the issue head on. Beating around this bush and nibbling at the fringes will only perpetuate and exacerbate the situation.

When something does not make sense, it is by definition nonsense and all of this nonsense relative to the management grade structure in FOs and TSCs combines to undervalue and demoralize field management and diminishes the level of service provided the American public.

Unresolved, the present dilemma will continue to erode the management function in SSA’s field component.

A few months ago, I was working a job fair at a local university with a fellow manager, Teri Snook from Findlay, Ohio. As we were setting up our display and materials, Teri and I were approached by one of the other recruiters from across the aisle. This other recruiter looked a little nervous, then spoke, "I want to thank you for saving my life." She swallowed hard. Her emotion was clear. She continued, "Many years ago my husband died. We had two sons, ages two and four, at the time. It was a horrible, horrible time in many ways and finances were not the least of it. The social security payments I received for the boys and myself made the difference between us keeping our home and becoming homeless, between eating and not. Social security allowed us to survive in some semblance of ourselves through this terrible time. It saved my family." She went on to explain that her two sons were now out of college and on their own and doing well, with families of their own. Her pride beamed through her smile and her eyes.

She wrapped up, "I better get back to my own table and get ready for the students. I saw the social security material and had to come over and say something." We expressed our appreciation for her comments. As she walked away, she pointed to our recruiting information and admonished, "Make sure your recruits understand how important the work is. Make sure you get the best and brightest. Tell them they’ll be helping rescue lives."

Over the next three to five years, SSA will experience tremendous and unprecedented turnover in the management ranks. Significant resources will be directed to training and developing future leaders. While various developmental programs will help, participation in these is limited by budget constraints. Another way to help develop management people is membership on regional and national workgroups, but again these opportunities are limited.

Your regional management association offers numerous opportunities to develop your leadership skills by working on issues of importance to SSA management and employees and that impact on public service. Active participation in your regional association allows you to work with regional and national leaders on workgroups, special projects, and planning activities. An active role helps expand your network of contacts. You have opportunities to work with different leadership styles in crafting solutions to agency problems. Management association input and participation on initiatives at all levels of SSA has a positive and constructive impact on decisions that help define agency direction.