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Ottawa Citizen

How John Hannaford led the public service through transition and turmoil

If John Hannaford had a superpower, it might have been his ability to help a team reach consensus. Article content Rather than rule with an iron fist, he would engage in what former colleagues called 'deep listening.' Article content Recommended Videos Article content 'He really was thoughtful about that, and I think purposeful, right?' said Marta Morgan, a former colleague of Hannaford and retired public service executive. 'He wanted to pull out the best in people, and one way of doing that is making people know that they're heard and they're part of the discussion.' Article content Article content Morgan recalled that when Hannaford led meetings, he would prioritize listening and ensure that everyone in the room was given a chance to share their thoughts. Article content Former colleagues have said those listening skills served him well in his career as he navigated turbulent times. Hannaford retired in early July as his successor, Michael Sabia, took the reins of the federal public service. Article content Before he became clerk of the Privy Council, Hannaford was deputy minister at Natural Resources. In that role, Hannaford led a team of government executives on a tour of Western Canada when that part of the country was feeling particularly alienated from the federal government in Ottawa. Article content Daniel Quan-Watson, another former colleague and retired public service executive, said the tour embodied Hannaford's 'commitment to listening and genuine interest and fascination.' Article content Article content 'I think it's such an important signal of Canada's public service, being there, even in difficult places, difficult listening, difficult conversations and being present for people,' Quan-Watson added. Article content Article content Hannaford would perhaps agree, having said in a 'fireside chat' with the Canada School of Public Service that he 'didn't have that objective' in his career planning. Article content But he was trusted by then-prime minister Justin Trudeau, having served as a PCO advisor on foreign affairs and defence from 2015 to 2019. He also served as deputy minister of international trade, where he was involved in renegotiating NAFTA, which then became the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement.