"The choice of personnel, perhaps the most important choice (because 'people are policy'), never proceeds according to plan, but there have been some successful transitions that upheld high standards"
About this Quote
The quote’s real work happens in its double move: first, elevating personnel to “perhaps the most important choice,” then puncturing any fantasy of managerial control. “Never proceeds according to plan” isn’t just a shrug; it’s an indictment of the transition myth that competence and spreadsheets can tame politics. In Washington, personnel is hostage to confirmation battles, patronage expectations, loyalty tests, donor networks, media narratives, and the simple scarcity of qualified people willing to be publicly flayed for a mid-level post. The subtext: even serious administrations get dragged into compromise, improvisation, and occasionally self-sabotage.
Allen’s closing clause - “some successful transitions that upheld high standards” - reads like both reassurance and warning. It implies a benchmark that is frequently missed, and a belief that standards are a choice, not an accident: you can staff for expertise and integrity, but only if you’re willing to forgo easy loyalty picks and endure the political costs. Coming from a public servant shaped by the Reagan era, it’s also a quiet defense of institutional professionalism against the recurring temptation to treat government as spoils.
Quote Details
| Topic | Leadership |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Allen, Richard V. (2026, January 17). The choice of personnel, perhaps the most important choice (because 'people are policy'), never proceeds according to plan, but there have been some successful transitions that upheld high standards. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/the-choice-of-personnel-perhaps-the-most-81352/
Chicago Style
Allen, Richard V. "The choice of personnel, perhaps the most important choice (because 'people are policy'), never proceeds according to plan, but there have been some successful transitions that upheld high standards." FixQuotes. January 17, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/the-choice-of-personnel-perhaps-the-most-81352/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"The choice of personnel, perhaps the most important choice (because 'people are policy'), never proceeds according to plan, but there have been some successful transitions that upheld high standards." FixQuotes, 17 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/the-choice-of-personnel-perhaps-the-most-81352/. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
