As a part of my ongoing conversation with senior executive leaders, Conversations on Big Data, I recently sat down with Dean Silverman, Senior Advisor to the Commissioner, Office of Compliance Analytics, at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). These Big Data conversations tend to focus on best practices in using big data and analytics in creativeRead… Read more »
“Money can’t buy happiness.” While this is true, money can buy survival – like food in your belly and a roof over your head. But not all of us have the same access to money or the expensive education needed to snag a higher paying job. And with low or little credit, it’s nearly impossibleRead… Read more »
A while back I wrote a post on annoying coworkers and how to deal with them. It clearly struck a nerve – after all, spending 40+ hours a week with someone who drives you nuts can really color your overall work experience. If those annoying coworkers stand out most in our minds, at least we canRead… Read more »
This article was originally posted by Dan Chenok on the IBM Center for the Business of Government blog. In a recent event, the IBM Center for The Business of Government and the Partnership for Public Service added to a significant body of knowledge about how government leaders can leverage the power of analytics and data toRead… Read more »
Conflict is an inherent part of any workplace. A sharp disagreement or opposition of interests and ideas are part of businesses. However, when it occurs, the morale of the employees will be lowered. Absenteeism will be much higher and the production will decrease. Managing and resolving the workplace conflicts is one of the biggest challengeRead… Read more »
Walking in Two Worlds The biggest challenge is negotiating two distinct cultures. The federal government culture is heavily dependent on individual achievement and competition. I was raised in a Native culture with emphasis on group success and cooperation. Individual progress was measured on how well the group fared. One person’s good fortune should cause everyone’sRead… Read more »
Government increasingly advocates for enhanced telework opportunities within the federal space. However, according to a 2013 report on telework in the federal government, many employees face management resistance when attempting to work remotely. This isn’t really surprising. Teleworking has gotten a bad rap for decreasing productivity, disrupting work routines, and creating security issues. The recent PatentRead… Read more »
Managing risk in contracting is about taking the downside into account. Both the agency and the vendor need to have a healthy understanding of what the worst outcomes are for their respective sides and to write the contract to address those outcomes. What happens if the vendor is unable to provide the service? How canRead… Read more »
With more complex work and restricted budgets, government jobs have become increasingly challenging. One way to make government work easier and less costly is by taking advantage of the numerous emerging technologies, such as big data, cloud and mobile, that are being offered and developed today. Big data, cloud and mobile technologies enable users toRead… Read more »
Whether it’s from a restaurant, your favorite outlet store, or trying to get ahold of your cellphone company to refute a faulty charge, we all have some epically bad customer service stories. Oftentimes, though, we decide not to say anything because we don’t know who to bring the issue to and don’t feel as thoughRead… Read more »