Field Notes (Non-Academic)
December 2025
December always reminds me that institutions rarely change in a single moment. Most transformations happen quietly through small adjustments, evolving routines, and shifts in how people interpret their roles. I see this especially in the context of transparency. It grows gradually, through everyday practices rather than dramatic reforms.
New Institutionalism gives language to this slow movement within stability, but at the end of the year I simply notice how much has changed without noticing when it happened.
September 2025
Every so often, I am struck by how people can surprise – with depth, with generosity, with ideas I could not have imagined. Expanding circles of colleagues and acquaintances reveal not only fresh perspectives, but also a reminder that the world is far wider and richer than any single bubble. It is
both humbling and inspiring.
July 2025
Problem-solving often involves drawing on established solutions from prior experience, which can enhance efficiency but also create path dependency. At times, however, entirely new approaches are required, and the central challenge lies in balancing accumulated expertise with the uncertainty of innovation
July 2025
During crises and emergencies, it becomes clear how much stronger and more responsive local governments are compared to national institutions. Their closeness to people, familiarity with local needs, and understanding of the community enable them to act more quickly and with greater empathy. While national systems often get caught in complexity and delays, local authorities deliver practical solutions. It is a constant reminder that investing in local capacity is not just smart policy, but essential for real resilience.
June 2025
Every time I give a lecture, I discover something new – not only about the subject matter, but also about myself. Audience questions, spontaneous phrasing, or examples that come to life as I speak create a space for mutual learning.
For me, a lecture is not merely a tool for conveying knowledge, but an ongoing process of reflection, discovery, and professional growth.
May 2025
In my work in public service and academic research, I find myself repeatedly drawn toward the field of leadership—not through a declared intention but as a natural outcome of engaging with decisions, responsibility, and influence.
Still, this proximity doesn’t quite turn into full identification. There is contact, interest, and, at times, even resonance—but not a complete merging with the language or sense of “leadership”. It feels like a domain I orbit—sometimes from within, sometimes from the edges—without fully entering its core.
This reflection is part of a broader observation on how leadership operates in public administration—sometimes visibly, and sometimes quietly, embedded in the background.
April 2025
In public administration, decision-making often balances data-driven knowledge and professional intuition. It is not always easy to distinguish when to lean on one or the other—or whether that distinction is even possible.
Early in my professional journey, I relied heavily on numbers and measurable indicators. Over time, partly due to my doctoral research and especially my growing familiarity with qualitative methodologies I had not previously explored, I have realized that judgment often requires more than data alone.
This realization didn’t arrive as a dramatic insight, but rather as a quiet shift in how I approach my work. While many might take this understanding for granted, for me, it emerged gradually, shaped by years of practice, reflection, and exposure to complex real-world decisions.
Created by DigitalArts