In nearly three decades with the federal government, Sarge Hoteko survived career minefields of red tape, politics and unfireable hacks to become a chief inspector for the Customs Service.
Along the way he learned a few things, most notably that 10 percent of “feds” actually run the government. The rest, he said, fall into categories like wackos, clowns, yes men and stargazers, who range from slackers to back-stabbers, from sycophants to well-intentioned dreamers.
“Most of them are good people, but if you’re going to be effective, you have to know who your cast of characters are,” said Hoteko, 58, of Northbrook, who retired in 2002 after 27 years. “You have to put the right people in the right places.”
Last month, Hoteko published his insights as “Hoteko’s Laws,” which he bills as a humorous primer on how to be among the 10 percenters. The book is available online at iUniverse.com.
“I learned by seeing the good people, I learned by seeing bad people, and I learned by my own mistakes,” he said.
Contrary to common belief, Hoteko said, the best managers in government more than stack up with their peers in the private sector. They have to, he said, because of challenges including low pay, small expense accounts, endless regulations and the difficulties in getting rid of dead weight.
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Then there are the politicians. Like other career civil servants, he watched them come and go. Some, like Mayor Richard M. Daley and ex-Gov. Jim Edgar, left favorable impressions. Former Gov. George Ryan rubbed Hoteko the wrong way: “He wouldn’t give you the time of day.”