A guide to grief in public administration

One of the important questions to address when one considers the governance and bureaucracy of the future is: What about the individual? Traditional governance and bureaucracy focuses on rational features of organizations and groups, rather than the idiosyncrasies and essentials of being human, with hearts, desires, ambitions, emotions, perceptions, feelings, and life experiences that, ultimately, shape all that we do, say and feel. I urge readers to consider the specific needs of human beings--with all that they bring to organizational life--and speak specifically about the need to recognize grief and loss in the world of administration. This paper talks about grief: what it is; the forms it can take; what might spark it; and how organizations currently respond. The need to support grieving individuals in public administration (PA) organizations is discussed.