Yearly Archives: 2009

“A Federal Family Portrait” and “Reaching Generation C”

This past week, I delivered a couple presentations at the 2009 American Society for Training and Development (ASTD) International Conference and Exposition. Below are the slide decks. After you’ve had a chance to peruse them, I’d be interested in getting your feedback on a couple key question that arose in all of my sessions: 1.Read… Read more »

Why Measure Your Communications?

by Rick Alcantara My business coach tells his clients to test and measure virtually every aspect of their operations. Communications is no exception. By measuring your marketing efforts you can determine where and how you should spend your communications dollars. Once you have defined your communication objectives you can use research to determine your direction,Read… Read more »

How Social Media Differs from Traditional Media

by Rick Alcantara The age of homogenized, corporate-directed, media-censored communication is fading. Social media is the new reality. It will not only change how you receive and send information, but also how you interact with friends, find a job, obtain resources and even manage your work. Social media is not about popularity. It’s about engagement,Read… Read more »

US Patent & Trademark Office: Give Them a Break

Over the past several months I have read too many disparaging articles regarding the Patent and Trademark Office, (PTO). Check out IP Watchdog and you will get the idea. PTO has been blasted on everything from their budget constraints, patent pendency, quality review and unfortunately the list goes on. What isn’t mentioned in these articlesRead… Read more »

How to Win Government Proposals – Video Blog

I just took up video blogging, or as they call it “vlogging”. Here’s my first video blog, it’s about three minutes and ten seconds long. If you’re someone in business development, you will enjoy this. Check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKHYYTY20oo About the Author: Olessia Smotrova-Taylor is a capture and proposal management consultant and president of OSTRead… Read more »

Are service contracts with the federal government on a decline?

Currently, about 40% of all government contractors’ work is in providing services. Many in the government have complained over the years that contractors get mission-critical jobs that should be inherently government employee work. With the new administration, the movement is to get those positions out of the contractors’ hands, back to the federal government. IRead… Read more »

Federal Eye: More Storm Clouds for FAA and Weather Service?

By Ed O’Keefe and Steve Vogel The National Weather Service today finally got around to delivering those long-anticipated recommendations on changing the FAA’s use of government meteorologists at its Air Route Traffic Control Centers. The basic plan calls for downsizing the 20 National Weather Service Center Weather Service Units (or CWSUs for short), to justRead… Read more »

Webinar: Measurement Needs for Advanced Biofuels 6/9/09

Measurement and Standards Needs for Biofuels: A Preliminary Assessment Date: Tuesday, June 9, 2009 Time: 1:00 PM (ET) Cost: Free Register Here The USMS Office will hold a webinar on June 9, 2009 as part of an ongoing effort to help ensure that measurement technologies keep pace with and support important technological innovations in theRead… Read more »