I had an opportunity to meet Katie D Paine on July 22nd at an Open Government and Innovation conference in DC. Katie specializes in public relations and measuring their effectiveness. Her commanding presence underscored her depth of knowledge, and her open and friendly demeanor in a one-on-one situation proved to me that she practices whatRead… Read more »
Bottom Line: you and our ideas are important. They are important to me and important to you. Ideas create tension between what we consider reality today and what will become reality tomorrow. in a perfect world, ideas tug on people’s creativity, draw criticisms and contributions from others, and help us to explore different versions ofRead… Read more »
So late this evening, I’m musing over how to harness the power of social media and it hits me: I’m nuts. I’ve always been a little nuts. I can’t be the only one. We should celebrate our nuts and use them to change the world! Did you ever have a crazy idea that just doesn’tRead… Read more »
A friend wished me a “Happy Veteran’s Day” at 1201 this morning. He was the first to send such a wish in my direction this year. A fellow veteran, I replied “Happy Veteran’s Day” back, but somehow the word “Happy” just doesn’t feel like it belongs. Maybe it’s the rain and clouds this morning. MaybeRead… Read more »
In May of this year, I was listening to a senior government official talk about the fact that he has never been able to understand the rush to spend money that every government official is accustomed to each fall. He asked, with a shrewd look, how many corporations in America live by the “Spend everything!”Read… Read more »
Coming from a background in Military Medicine, I picked up a bias or two about the benefits of organizations that work together. I was a Navy Corpsman, a member of the most decorated Corps in the Navy. More medals of honor and purple hearts have been awarded to Navy Corpsman than any other Corps. ARead… Read more »
“Communication leads to community, that is, to understanding, intimacy and mutual valuing.” – Rollo May Effective communication is a cornerstone of any transformation project. It is basic Transformation fuel. Without effective, people-centered communication, our Transformation efforts will sputter, lurch, and eventually grind to a halt. I recently sent an email to a number of friendsRead… Read more »
Who would argue the fact that flour, that white powder made from ground-milled wheat, is critically important to our way of life? But despite the fact that there is flour in just about every food pantry in the planet, there are few people who would voluntarily scoop up a handful and shove it in theirRead… Read more »
Most decision makers I’ve met in the Department of Defense appreciate having someone hand them good insight or solid context that pertains to a decision that they need to make – provided the insight or context comes in a timely manner. Getting information to a decision maker after the decision has been made can actuallyRead… Read more »
It’s hard to imagine that a federal bureaucratic paperwork drill can actually be helpful to people dedicated to getting things done quickly, but that’s what I’m about to tell you. It’s sort of like medicine – it doesn’t taste good on the way down, but it sure makes you feel better in the long run.Read… Read more »