By Yuna Tan
An interview with Yang Wen, Director of Corporate Development, Ministry of Finance
Trust is a familiar word in the public sector, but it is often left undefined. It shows up in small ways everyday: in how decisions are communicated, how policies are implemented, and how confident officers feel in exercising judgement. When trust is present, work tends to move forward with less friction. When it isn’t, even sound initiatives can meet resistance.
With increasing public scrutiny and ongoing organisational change, trust has become less of a stated value and more of a practical concern. Public institutions are expected to be accountable and consistent, while also remaining adaptive and people centred. How trust is built and sustained within this tension matters more than ever.
It is within this context that we interviewed Yang Wen, Director of Corporate Development in the Ministry of Finance. Drawing on her leadership experience in the public sector, she shares ground reflections on how trust functions not as an abstract ideal, but as something shaped daily through leadership decisions, organisational culture, and institutional responsibility.
Question 1: In the public sector, we don’t compete for market share, but we do compete for capability, credibility, and public confidence. What does ‘trust as a competitive advantage’ mean to you in this context?
Answer:
Many of us are in the public service because of purpose and impact — whether through improving services for citizens, supporting businesses, or helping to shape Singapore’s future. Trust, or public confidence, is at its core, and that translates into how reliably we deliver essential services, how transparently we address mistakes, and how we weigh different priorities/ trade-offs in the public interest. This also shapes how we interact with both the public and our colleagues.
Question 2: How does trust influence the way officers show up at work, in terms of ownership, judgment, and willingness to go beyond formal job scope?
Answer:
As an organisation, I think there are two practical levels to this “Trust”, as a competitive advantage.
- The fundamental level is the basic expectation that we maintain organisation integrity, delivery our mission, and develop our people. This comes down to leaders and collective teams which have a strong sense of mission, competencies, and technical skills to deliver our work ethically, responsibly, with accountability.
- The second level is more challenging and falls on leaders. It’s about seeing staff as individuals, listening to their concerns and “having their backs”. This helps create an environment where people feel valued, aligned to the organisational mission even when there are differences in options, and take responsibilities/ risks. Leaders acknowledging that we don’t have all the answers and share our own learning moments, to me, will build stronger teams. It is also not about obsessively “earning trust”, but giving it, and empowering our people with it.
Question 3: Public sector leaders often have to balance trust with strong governance and controls. Can you recall a scenario when trust enabled better outcomes, rather than weakened accountability?
Answer:
Balancing trust with governance indeed isn’t easy. We adopted flexible and hybrid work in the public service - if done well, can strengthen productivity, morale, better outcomes, as I’ve seen in many organisations. It can also go the other way and erode confidence very quickly. So, this empowerment of staff is not blind faith, it requires trust but also guardrails against abuse, and overtime building clear goals/ accountability.
Another example – with digital acceleration in our work, workforce and workplace transformation, a clear divide is emerging: people versus tech. Bots and AI are powerful tools to boost productivity, and on the flip side - threatening jobs. Trust is ever so crucial in this, can employees trust leaders and HR to support their career growth, transition, upskilling and continued employability (what we truly hope to achieve in the public service), or are they seeing organisations go down the path of productivity all cost and eventual redundancy?
Question 4: If you couldn’t use the word ‘trust’, how would you describe what it looks like in action?
Answer:
Trust to me must be realised in action: (i) authenticity, clarity, and competence in leadership; (ii) openness, transparency, and respect in communication; (iii) genuine care for the mission and our people, and maybe one more for HR (iv) courage to call out undesirable values and behaviours. Easier said than done, but a journey I believe makes this meaningful and worthwhile.
This interview highlights that trust in the public sector is not built through intent alone, but through consistent choices over time. Whether in how leaders empower their teams, navigate change, or balance flexibility with accountability, trust shapes how officers engage with their work and with one another. Treated with care, it becomes a quiet but enduring advantage.
Join the conversation
To continue this conversation, Yang Wen will be part of a panel discussion at our upcoming event, Winning with People, where you can gain valuable insights from both the public and private sector in exploring trust, leadership, and workforce capability in greater depth.
Have a question or a perspective to share?
Drop us a message on LinkedIn or email marcom@shri.org.sg. Your thoughts could inspire our next Winning with People discussion!
