Posts By Lauren Girardin

The 5 Most Unforgettable Blogs by Government Agencies

There’s been a lot of chatter lately about the “death of blogging” or about its already-in-progress resurrection. Yet a stroll around the blogosphere reveals a lively culture of content creation and sharing that seems untouched by any death throes. Blogging started as—and often, at its best, continues to be—an online personal journal perfect for oversharing. So, one might not think thatRead… Read more »

Can Your Agency Win the Oscars of Social Media?

Nominations are open for the Shorty Awards, which celebrates innovative and creative content on social media—including the best in government and politics. Dubbed the “Oscars of social media,” the Shorty Awards recognize winners in categories that change from year to year as social media trends come and go. For several years, some variation on the Best in Government andRead… Read more »

26 Government Playmakers That Stop the Super Bowl from Getting Sacked

Football players may bear the brunt of the work on the field, but in the weeks, months, and even years leading up to the Super Bowl, dozens of government agencies go on the offensive. While it’s no shock that local city, county, and state agencies have a front-and-center role in the NFL game, many federal agenciesRead… Read more »

The State of the Union in GIFs

If you missed President Obama’s 2015 State of the Union address or just want to relive the highlights, these GIFs show the moments that government workers—and the nation—got either giddy or giggly about. 1. The ultimate comeback It was the mic drop moment that caused a social media sensation. When some of the crowd cheered after Obama said, “IRead… Read more »

6 of the Best Government Vines

Vine, the popular micro-video sharing app, launched two years ago on January 24, 2013. For this Vine-iversary, if you will, let’s celebrate the most creative, most touching, and most effective Vines shared by government agencies. Just three months after Vine launched, in a lightning fast move almost unheard of in government, the General Services Administration (GSA) createdRead… Read more »

How to Protect Your Agency’s Social Media from Hackers

On January 12, a group claiming to be connected to ISIS hacked the Twitter and YouTube accounts of U.S. Central Command, also known as CENTCOM. If the military can be hacked, is your agency’s social media vulnerable to a hacker attack? How can your agency protect itself on social media? The hack of CENTCOM’s socialRead… Read more »

Leadership Lessons from the Golden Globes

The Golden Globes on Sunday celebrated the best creative talents in Hollywood. With all the glitz and glamour, it’s easy to forget that these celebrities are driven, competitive, and accomplished leaders in television and the movies. Here are six lessons about leadership gleaned from the Golden Globes’ illustrious winners. Plan Ahead—and Plan for Flexibility PerhapsRead… Read more »

Government in 2015, According to Back to the Future II

Amid fantasies of hoverboards and self-lacing sneakers, Back to the Future II gives us a glimpse of what people in the 1980s thought government could achieve by 2015. As it turns out, many of those predictions were surprisingly prophetic. The 1989 movie begins with accidental teen hero Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) travelling to theRead… Read more »