Original article published on Linkedin by Dustin Lanier, CPPO
(For the related recording, give a listen here!)
Today marks exactly two months since we announced that Civic Initiatives would be joining the Public Knowledge family — extending their long-standing public-sector focus and success with our team of full-time public procurement professionals and our commitment to public procurement success across the county.
And, if you happen to have noticed from my near-total disappearance from social media since then - except for Five for Friday, of course - know that it has been quite the whirlwind.
So I wanted to take a moment to update you on what's been happening, share a few things I've learned about myself along the way, and talk about what's coming from us through the rest of the year.
Bringing two fairly mature companies to operate together is no small thing, even if they are comparatively small. There are a hundred operational details that have to get done — integrating back-office systems, novating contracts, communicating the change and the opportunity to clients and partners. All of that has been a major part of my focus and the focus of my team.
And of course, in parallel, you still have to deliver for current clients, onboard new ones (which we've done several times over since the acquisition), and continue building products like our askCivic platform. It's a lot. A good kind of a lot, but a lot.
I'll share a more personal reflection - have you read What Got You Here Won't Get You There? Its core premise is that the habits and traits that drove your success - that you identify as part of your personality - can sometimes be the very things that hold you back at the next level. I've tried to bring that kind of honest, mature lens to how we are looking at our processes, our teams, and what we can learn from the Public Knowledge organization and their experienced team, and about myself.
We've already made changes that I believe will have a significant downstream impact - and equally, there are things Civic Initiatives does well and in a unique way that we're bringing to the larger path in the future. Two months in, the reasons we came together have only been reconfirmed. It's been genuinely great.
For myself, I can feel I'm moving away from a very short-term, transactional mindset that naturally takes over during a transaction and its aftermath, and returning to where I've always preferred to be: longer-range thinking, thought leadership, and meaningful contribution to the public procurement community.
The fact that I'm writing this article - after a long time away - is itself a reflection of that shift. I've also been developing two updated presentations: one on AI in procurement, and another on reformulating socioeconomic programs in the current environment. Both feel sharp and ready, and I'm looking forward to getting back out to procurement conferences with renewed energy.
So here's the bottom line: we are back to cover all things "Public Procurement on Linkedin." I'll have a regular content rhythm through the end of the year, and I wanted to share the schedule so you can look forward to - or hold me accountable to - what's coming:
I'm happy with these commitments, and it's good to be back in gear!
