Riding the Churn: Thriving in the Era of DOGE

“The Churn was just what happened when the rules of the game changed. One day you’re on top, the next you’re gone. There wasn’t any fairness. There wasn’t any justice. There was only the Churn.”
— Amos Burton, *The Churn* by James S.A. Corey

In The Expanse, Amos Burton discusses “the Churn”—a relentless cycle of upheaval in which rules change without warning and those who fail to adapt are swept away. This harsh metaphor describes the realities of street life, but it applies just as clearly to the world of public service and government contracting today. With the emergence of DOGE—the Department of Government Efficiency—we are in the churn.

Whether or not you believe DOGE’s approach is just or fair is beside the point. The game has changed. The rules of engagement in government have been rewritten with an emphasis that can’t be ignored: efficiency. This shift isn’t theoretical. It’s structural, and it’s moving fast. To succeed in this climate, we must stop clinging to old models and outdated metrics. We need to adapt—and quickly.

DOGE isn’t ambiguous about what it expects. It’s under the name Government Efficiency. We are no longer in an environment where behemoth bureaucracies can get by on compliance and legacy practices alone. Efficiency is not a buzzword—it’s a mandate. Pretending not to understand what’s expected is a form of fake helplessness. That may have worked in the past, but now it only signals that you’re already being left behind.

We know what is wanted: streamlined operations, clear value, and measurable outcomes. These aren’t abstract ideals—they’re specific deliverables. DOGE is demanding performance that justifies every dollar spent, and it’s watching closely.

Getting ahead in this new landscape means taking ownership of efficiency. It’s not enough to “do your job.” You must re-engineer it. You must ask: Can this be done faster? With less waste? With better outcomes? The organizations that ask those questions—and answer them—will rise. Those who don’t will find themselves irrelevant, replaced, or restructured.

This is where Six Sigma becomes not just useful, but essential. Six Sigma is a performance improvement methodology that marries efficiency with quality. It uses data-driven strategies to eliminate waste, reduce variation, and produce consistent, high-quality results. It’s not just a toolset—it’s a mindset. And it aligns perfectly with the goals of DOGE.

Now is the time for government agencies and their contractors to invest in building cultures of operational excellence. That means training teams in Six Sigma principles, mapping and re-engineering processes, and embedding continuous improvement into daily operations. It means refusing to accept mediocrity as inevitable and instead aiming for a measurable, sustainable impact.

The churn is here, and it’s not going anywhere. But as Amos Burton understood, chaos isn’t the end—it’s the moment of opportunity. Those who see the churn for what it is—a chance to lead rather than be left behind—will thrive.

At Dynamic Insight Solutions & Consulting, we specialize in helping organizations meet this moment. We equip public sector teams with the frameworks, tools, and training to succeed in the churn—by becoming leaner, more innovative, and more impactful than ever before.

Because when the rules of the game change, adaptation