What Is An “Iron Rice Bowl”?

I overheard this term last week when one of my co-workers commented on a supervisor’s negative attitude, and I had to ask for an explanation.  Apparently the “rice bowl” concept is a less-than-positive way to describe the attitudes of a few government employees, and as a prospective federal employee yourself, you’ll probably meet one or two of these characters during the course of your career. 

The term “iron rice bowl” actually comes from China, and it’s meant to describe the security, benefits, and privileges that come with holding a government job under a Communist regime.  Our federal government is the country’s single largest employer, so it should come as no surprise that the normal office politics take place here.  When someone is accused of “guarding their rice bowl,” it means that he or she is looking out for their own interests, or the interests of their specific office, to the detriment of other employees.  In the best light, this can result in friendly competitiveness between agencies or departments.  In the worst case scenario, self-important “rice bowlers” can create an atmosphere of non-cooperation which slows progress and creates mistrust.

It’s extremely important for new and prospective employees of the federal government to understand the negative impressions that rice bowl attitudes give off, particularly when viewed by the general public.  Government employees’ salaries and benefits are usually fair game when it comes to cost-cutting, and presenting any notions of entitlement won’t earn you much support from the decision-makers in Congress.  Even internally, guarding your rice bowl shows that you’re not a team player.  It’s fine to take care of your own responsibilities first, but refusing to handle additional duties as they come up (or continually throwing up roadblocks!) will harm your reputation and hamper your opportunities for advancement.              

 Thankfully, full-fledged “rice bowlers” are rare, but it takes a lot of discipline to avoid these attitudes and behaviors entirely.  Get in the habit of combating this negative stereotype by going above and beyond in your duties, for example:

                -Seek out additional training at every opportunity;

                -Accept a wider range of duties to develop additional skills;

                -Learn the scope of other sections within your agency;

                -Make contacts with employees in other sections;

                -Respond to all requests in a timely fashion, even if you can’t help or don’t know the answer;

                -Be a team player! 

Remember, becoming an employee of the federal government is much more than just taking a job.  You’re becoming a public servant, and you’ll need to act accordingly.  It’s very hard to put the organization’s interests before your own during stressful times such as a looming government shutdown or upcoming Reductions in Force, but that’s what we get paid to do.  Put your best foot forward and keep up your professionalism, and you’ll be well-prepared to have a long career with the federal government!