GovLove Episode #716: Building a People-Centered Workforce with Alex Lawrence, Boston, MA

Podcast: GovLove - A Podcast About Local Government
Host: Ben Kittleson, Engaging Local Government Leaders (ELGL)
Guest: Alex Lawrence, Chief People Officer, City of Boston, MA
Date: February 20, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode celebrates 10 years of GovLove with a forward-looking conversation on building a people-centered workforce in local government. Ben Kittleson welcomes Alex Lawrence, Chief People Officer for Boston, to discuss transformative trends in local government HR, the impacts of the "silver tsunami" of retirements, post-pandemic workforce changes, lessons in organizational resilience, and Boston’s commitment to human-centered organizational culture and practice.

Lightning Round: Getting to Know Alex Lawrence

First Concert [02:00]

• Alex's first concert: Brandy (with 702 opening).
• "I feel like that is maybe aging me a little bit, but if you know, you know, that's awesome." – Alex ([02:04])
• She’s a fan of nostalgia and recently saw the Backstreet Boys: "It was like me and 20 other moms and it was great." – Alex ([02:43])

Current Reading [03:08]

• "I read thrillers generally as like the way that I escape. I'm currently reading The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware." – Alex ([03:11])
• She rates thrillers in her notes app and offers to share recommendations.

Finding Inspiration [04:25]

• Alex finds inspiration in "walking around your city and living your life" and seeing collective community effort, especially during emergencies.
• Context: Boston recently experienced the 10th biggest snowstorm in its history, with staff and neighbors working together. "Getting around the city is a collective challenge that we all have to work together to complete." – Alex ([05:31])

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Ten Years of Local Government Change

Post-COVID Workforce Shifts [08:06]

• COVID spotlighted the urgency of workforce challenges in government.
• Other areas (procurement, civic tech) have advanced ecosystems, but “government talent” as an ecosystem is still maturing, with best practices still developing.
• "I do think in this weird way, we are a little bit at the vanguard in thinking about workforce challenges at the local level." – Alex ([09:54])

The Silver Tsunami and Succession [11:57]

• Many key, long-serving staff retired around the same time due to COVID and generational shifts.
• Their departure reveals how much these individuals held together (“glue, tape, and scissors”).
• "Every time a person who is like an institution...leaves, it's a frankly huge challenge." – Alex ([12:02])
• Importance of succession planning, documentation, and challenges in prioritizing these amid day-to-day demands.

2. Organizational Memory & Continuity

• The loss of long-time employees doesn't cause immediate collapse but leads to gradual realization as their "invisible work" is missed ([15:18]).
• Large events (e.g., snowstorms) highlight differences when experienced staff are no longer present.

3. COVID as an Accelerator of Change

Workforce Flexibility & Empowerment [18:12]

• COVID forced a reevaluation of workforce policies, including flexibility and remote work.
• "If you treat people like adults, they'll act like adults." – Alex ([19:08])
• Emphasizes leading with trust and allowing employee-driven problem-solving.

Making Institutional Change, Not Just One-Off Heroics [21:20]

• Importance of building crisis-driven lessons into standard operating practices.

• Alex gave an example of Boston’s approach to implementing a hybrid policy via a “pilot” model:

  • Pilot Approach: Policy drafted with a sunset (six months), employee/manager feedback gathered, and policy adjusted before being made permanent ([22:01]).
  • Addresses unique needs of various unions and roles for nuanced, inclusive implementation ([23:56]).
  • "It allows us to use, what do you say, like a scalpel instead of a hatchet." — Alex ([26:49])

4. Human-Centered Design: From Civic Tech to HR

• Influence of innovation offices (like Boston’s Mayor’s Office of New Urban Mechanics) on Alex’s approach: “Pilot before we scale,” “take on risk responsibly,” and “continuous improvement” culture ([28:29]-[32:36]).
• "Start as an innovator, live long enough to become the crusty bureaucrat." – Alex ([29:41])
• The organization is shifting from innovation being the purview of one tech team to a citywide, cultural expectation.

5. Recent Structural Changes in Boston’s HR

Focus on “How” Over “What” [34:28]

• Bringing in talented professionals, improving employee relations, and training management are key points of pride.
  • Example: Many managers had little to no formal management training prior to these initiatives.
  • New programs aim to clarify policies, government structure, and the political context for all staff ([35:15]).

Timely, Plain-Language Communication [38:46]

• The launch of an internal communications arm with staff dedicated to translating complex policy into accessible, timely updates—especially critical during emergencies and pay/benefit changes.
• "Getting those sorts of things right in a timely way...restores employees faith that the institution is there to look after them." ([38:46])
• A recent union message praised an HR email for its clarity and timeliness.

Talent Acquisition Project [40:44]

• Overhauling the applicant and onboarding experience via a new system, using human-centered design—extensive user research with both applicants and hiring managers.
• "How you do the project, who you talk to, and how you get that work done is a million times more important than what platform you choose." ([43:05])

6. Organizational Memory, Physical Space, and Long-Term Culture [44:21]

• “Events” (like moving a department out of central HQ) leave deep organizational memories and impact culture for decades.

7. Internal Comms: Tools & Tactics [46:43]

• HR has a dedicated internal comms person (rare in local govt).
• Uses Hemingway App to keep all employee materials below an 8th-grade reading level ([48:49]).
• “Sometimes it’s helpful that [the comms staff] don’t know a lot about HR policy” because it forces clear, simple explanations ([46:43]).

8. Succession Planning: Status and Challenges [50:49]

• Boston is realistic about not having a perfect solution but is increasingly intentional:
  • Emphasizing documentation
  • Building deputy/assistant roles for knowledge transfer
  • Encouraging departments to always think about, “Who can do this job tomorrow?”
• "People have to be realistic and realize...people are going to come in and out...everything is baked into not doing it that way." ([52:01])
• Example: A legendary director’s retirement led to shadowing, documentation, and duplicating knowledge ([52:01]-[53:58]).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "If you treat people like adults, they'll act like adults." – Alex ([19:08])
• "It's funny. I often joke: start as an innovator, live long enough to become the crusty bureaucrat." – Alex ([29:41])
• "Getting those sorts of things right in a timely way...restores employees’ faith that the institution is there to look after them." – Alex ([38:46])
• On the power of pilot policies: "It allows us to use, what do you say, like a scalpel instead of a hatchet." – Alex ([26:49])
• "How you do the project...is a million times more important than what platform you choose." – Alex ([43:05])
• "You have to have the capability of understanding it, but not knowing it from the outset is sometimes a feature, not a bug." – Alex ([50:04])
• On organizational memory: "Every time ... it always started in 1986. The Inspectional Services Division moved to 1010 Mass Ave." ([44:21])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Lightning Round & Inspiration – [01:48] to [07:24]
• 10 Years of Local Government: Silver Tsunami, Succession – [08:06] to [18:12]
• COVID's Impact on Workforce Culture/Policy – [18:12] to [21:20]
• Case Study: Boston’s Hybrid Work Policy – [22:01] to [27:48]
• Human-Centered Design, Innovation Journey – [27:48] to [34:11]
• Structural Changes & Internal Training – [34:11] to [40:44]
• Talent Acquisition System Redesign – [40:44] to [43:05]
• Organizational Memory & Change Management – [44:21] to [46:13]
• Internal Comms Practice & Challenges – [46:43] to [50:24]
• Succession Planning Approaches – [50:49] to [54:19]
• Looking Ahead: Elections, Talent System – [54:29]
• GovLove DJ: Song for the Episode – [55:56]

Final Segment: The GovLove DJ Pick

Song: "Man in the Mirror" by Michael Jackson ([55:56])
"If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and make the change." – Alex
Her rationale: Focus on what’s within your control; organizational change starts with individual effort.

Summary Verdict

For practitioners and observers of local government, this episode offers a rich, practical perspective on managing immense change—balancing innovation with resilience and tradition, and foregrounding people-centered policies as central to government’s evolution. Alex Lawrence’s insights—as a “crusty bureaucrat” admiring the need for continuous improvement—deliver a grounded, empathetic, and strategic playbook for public sector HR in a post-pandemic era.