We the Possibility

Can we solve big public problems anymore? Yes, we can. This provocative and inspiring book points the way.

The huge challenges we face are daunting indeed: climate change, crumbling infrastructure, declining public education and social services. At the same time, we've come to accept the sad notion that government can't do new things or solve tough problems it's too big, too slow, and mired in bureaucracy.

Not so, says former public official, now Harvard Business School professor, Mitchell Weiss. The truth is, entrepreneurial spirit and savvy in government are growing, transforming the public sector's response to big problems at all levels. The key, Weiss argues, is a shift from a mindset of Probability Government overly focused on safe solutions and mimicking so-called best practices to Possibility Government. This means public leadership and management that's willing to boldly imagine new possibilities and to experiment.

Weiss shares the three basic tenets of this new way of governing:

• Government that can imagine: Seeing problems as opportunities and involving citizens in designing solutions
• Government that can try new things: Testing and experimentation as a regular part of solving public problems
• Government that can scale: Harnessing platform techniques for innovation and growthThe lessons unfold in the timely episodes Weiss has seen and studied: the US Special Operations Command prototyping of a hoverboard for chasing pirates; a heroin hackathon in opioid-ravaged Cincinnati; a series of experiments in Singapore to rein in Covid-19; among many others.

At a crucial moment in the evolution of government's role in our society, We the Possibility provides inspiration and a positive model, along with crucial guardrails, to help shape progress for generations to come.

"The impact of COVID-19 has raised public expectations on the government's role in problem-solving and innovation, making them more significant than ever and providing an opportunity to redefine what's possible. We the Possibility offers an actionable framework to inspire and equip public-sector leaders ready to begin this journey." &#8212 Porchlight Books

Advance Praise for We the Possibility:

"We need government to be more innovative and inventive, and in We the Possibility, Mitchell Weiss shows that achieving it isn't a pipe dream. It's within our reach." &#8212 Michael R. Bloomberg, 108th Mayor of New York City; founder, Bloomberg LP and Bloomberg Philanthropies

"In We the Possibility, Mitchell Weiss offers a myriad of examples that show how to make our government operate better at a time when we most need it. This compelling book is well worth a read." &#8212 Penny Pritzker, entrepreneur; former US Secretary of Commerce

"In a sector crying out for innovation but where politics punishes failure, Mitch Weiss shows us how and why thoughtful risk-taking in public policy and government is the path to a hopeful future." &#8212 Deval Patrick, former Governor of Massachusetts

"We the Possibility is an important book for bending the arc of progress toward public good. A must-read for public-sector leaders looking to build bridges between government and top innovators in science and technology." &#8212 Ash Carter, Director, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School; former US Secretary of Defense

"Innovation is hard. Innovation in government is a lot harder. Mitch Weiss, one of the leading experts on civic innovation, has written an inspiring and practical guide to the art of the possible, of actually getting new things done in government." &#8212 Dan Doctoroff, founder and CEO, Sidewalk Labs

"This extraordinary book vanquishes the idea that government innovation is an oxymoron. Through deft combinations of public-sector adventure stories and thoughtful analysis, Weiss leads readers out of the dead ends of binary thinking and into a world in which government is as flexible, imaginative, and hopeful as the people it serves." &#8212 Jennifer Bradley, founding Director, Center for Urban Innovation, Aspen Institute

Autorentext

Mitchell Weiss is a Professor of Management Practice and the Richard L. Menschel Faculty Fellow at Harvard Business School. He created and teaches the school's course on public entrepreneurship. Prior to joining HBS in 2014, Weiss was chief of staff to Boston's Mayor Thomas Menino. During this time, he cofounded the Mayor's Office of New Urban Mechanics.You can find Mitchell Weiss at:
hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/profile.aspx?facId=183463
Twitter: twitter.com/mitchwei?lang=en
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/mitchellbweiss/

Klappentext

"Public entrepreneurship is not an oxymoron. During his years as a public official, Mitchell Weiss was told that government can't do new things or solve tough challenges--it's too big and slow and bureaucratic. Sadly, this is what so many of us have come to believe. But in the wake of the Boston Marathon bombings, he and his city hall colleagues raced to support survivors in new, innovative ways. This kind of entrepreneurial spirit and savvy in government is growing, transforming the public sector's response to big problems at all levels. In this inspiring and instructive book, Weiss, now a professor at Harvard Business School, argues that we must shift from a mindset of "Probability Government"--overly focused on performance management and on mimicking "best" practices--to "Possibility Government." This means a leap to public leadership and management that embraces more imagination and riskier projects. Weiss shares the basic tenets of this new way of governing in the book's three sections: Government that can imagine. Seeing problems as opportunities, and designing solutions with citizens. Government that can try new things. Testing and experimentation as a regular part of solving public problems. Government that can scale. Harnessing platform techniques for innovation and growth; and how public entrepreneurship can reinvigorate democracy. The lessons unfold in the timely episodes Weiss has seen and studied: a heroin hackathon in opioid-ravaged Cincinnati; a series of blockchain experiments in Tbilisi to protect Georgian property from the Russians; the U.S. Special Operations Command prototyping of a hoverboard for chasing pirates, among many others. At a crucial moment in the evolution of government's role in our society, We the Possibility provides both inspiration and a positive model to help shape progress for generations to come"--