Leaders truly embrace the practice of treating employees as the most valuable resource – above all else. Leaders will assess the emerging challenges of conservation and strive to recruit and develop employees that possess the tools and resources needed.

Supervisors and managers must encourage leadership at every level and value a diversity of thought. They must ensure that the Service is known as a workplace that welcomes employees from all backgrounds. The Service will be the premier employer of choice because its workplaces will be professional, collaborative, constructive, welcoming, creative, and fun places where people from all portions of the citizenry can find a home. By creating this culture, the Service will attract and retain employees that represent the diversity that exists in the American public.

Recommendation: Mandate enrollment in the Project Leader Academy for all new national wildlife refuge or complex managers within their first 12 months.

Recommendation: Invest in and mandate coaching and conflict management training for all supervisors.

With a diverse and committed workforce, the organization will be able to capture the diversity of thought and perspectives that may be uniquely presented by different cultures, experiences, and backgrounds – better positioning the organization to embrace all cultures in its mission and ensure that it remains relevant to the public. The Service must work together with the state and federal agencies and organizations that share a conservation mission to create this professional culture and to implement successful recruiting efforts that will ensure the collective conservation workforce represents Americans from all walks of life.

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