The government is known for its bureaucratic ways. Because of this, people don’t really expect good service. Rather when they do transact with government they expect red tape, long lines, longer waits.

This is the reason why Mike Merrill, the Hillsborough County (Tampa) administrator earlier this year, had to take action. He didn’t want bureaucracy to get in the way of good service.

According to Merrill, his goal is to empower employees at all levels to act independently when customers need help. Merrill is also pushing for the “shopping mall mentality,” where it’s easy for people to find shops. In this case, people will find it easy to find departments or agencies in government, and when they do, they are served well and in real time.

He further says,

Replicating that attitude at the county level won’t be too hard, Merrill predicts. Many employees enjoy helping people, he said, and given more latitude to do that will make their jobs more satisfying.

“They’re not just sitting there grinding out work day after day,” he said. “There’s a connection.”

Read: Merrill wants Hillsborough to emphasize customer service