“I see myself as a kind of democracy warrior”

 

Liisa Siika‑aho works as Director General at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health in the Department for Insurance and Social Security. Her work revolves around creative problem‑solving and supporting decision-making. She is motivated by the impact of her work and the chance to build workable solutions to socially important issues.

I am at the office almost every day. My workdays are largely filled with meetings, and I feel that many things move forward best face to face. My job involves a lot of creative problem‑solving and idea generation, and open discussion with people is often where the best ideas emerge. Of course, there are also more formal tasks, such as approving and signing decisions.

I hold a Master’s degree in Administrative Sciences. After graduating, I worked for around ten years at Kela, the Social Insurance Institution, with a wide range of tasks. I enjoyed it there, but at some point I felt the pull to see something new. In the end, I applied for just one position and was honestly quite surprised, even slightly shocked, when I got it.

I actually applied to the ministry for an internship back when I was a student, but I did not get in then. For a long time, I thought you needed a background in law to work here. Still, being close to politics appealed to me – not to the point of becoming President, as I used to joke, but enough to keep me interested. What really excites me today is the sense of purpose and challenge in this work.

I see myself as a kind of democracy warrior: my role is to put into practice what elected decision-makers decide. I bring information and expertise to support decision-making, so that we can find the best possible solutions.  The sense of success comes from identifying a workable solution within the given constraints.

This really is the most interesting job and workplace in the world. Much of my work is creative problem‑solving. We are given a certain political room for manoeuvre, and within those boundaries we need to come up with solutions that different parties can accept. You need a deep understanding of the systems to see what is possible. Social security matters to everyone, so the significance of the work needs no justification.

Successes naturally feel great when tricky questions are resolved. At the same time, some projects start out without a clear thread and can feel heavy going. Still, the best part is working with top‑level experts. We have a supportive working environment where people back each other up and also share humour, sometimes quite sharp, over coffee.

In my free time, I balance work with slower pursuits. I relax and don’t think about work. I enjoy reading traditional paper books. Reading helps me switch off from work and gives me something else to think about. For the third year in a row, I am taking part in the city library’s 50‑book reading challenge, like many of my colleagues. We swap recommendations across our desk screens.

Liisa Siika-aho
Director General