Posts By Patrick Fiorenza

Lessons Learned from “Failed” Projects

We’ve all had group projects that haven’t gone quite as we would have hoped. In the end, some of the failed projects we participated in can lead to some incredible insights and help us grow as professionals and leaders. Based on my experiences in projects and working on teams, here are a few of myRead… Read more »

What Makes A Good Mentor?

Mentors often provide valuable insights and institutional knowledge about an organization to a younger workforce. By working with a mentor, new employees are given new perspectives on organizational issues and are provided the opportunity to grow professionally and learn from their mentors experiences. What makes a good mentor? At all the places I have worked,Read… Read more »

City of Honolulu Launches “Honolulu 311” Developed by CitySourced

CitySourced Inc., has launched ‘Honolulu 311.’ This is a smartphone reporting system which allows citizens to use smartphones to report abandoned vehicles, broken street lights, illegal dumping and a variety of other issues. “The Honolulu 311 system will help Honolulu become a lean, clean, smart city through the use of technology,” Honolulu Mayor Peter CarlisleRead… Read more »

Department of Commerce CIO Dr. Szykman Speaks at ITPA Luncheon

Today I had the opportunity to attended a luncheon by ITPA (Independent Telecommunications Pioneer Association). The luncheon featured Dr. Simon Szykman, Chief Information Officer at the Department of Commerce. Quickly, here are the topics he touched on at the Department of Commerce: Cybersecurity – Department of Commerce has made great strides in improving cybersecurity effortsRead… Read more »

HP Sponsors Wounded Warriors Softball Game at AFCEA West

Last week HP and corporate sponsors supported a softball game for the Wounded Warriorsat PETCO Park in San Diego, California, at the AFCEA West Conference. Established in 1946, AFCEA is a “non-profit membership association serving the military, government, industry, and academia as an ethical forum for advancing professional knowledge and relationships in the fields ofRead… Read more »

How To Manage Talent in Federal Agencies

The demographic of government is rapidly changing, as the Baby Boomer’s near retirement federal agencies need to continue to execute their strategies around human capital. One key area of human capital is recruiting and cultivating talent, which is a critical part of retaining the most innovative and talented employees within the federal government. Talent managementRead… Read more »

How Can We Recruit Veterans to Government Service?

This morning I was able to attend an event sponsored by FedInsider News: To Honor and to Serve: Recruiting Veterans to Government Service. The event provided an overview of President Obama’s Executive Order to improve how the federal government hires veterans and assists during the transition from military to civilian life. The event specifically focusedRead… Read more »

Open for Business: Leveraging Open Government to Improve Agency Operations, Part I

This is the first post in a three part series about the newly released report, Open for Business: Leveraging Open Government to Improve Agency Operations. I’d encourage you to check out the Open Government Analyst briefing by the Government Business Council, the research arm of Government Executive magazine and OpenText . The report includes aRead… Read more »

Do Brainstorming Sessions Work? Studies Say No.

This morning I read a fascinating article from The New Yorker, Groupthink: The Brainstorming Myth, by Jonah Lehrer. The article points to one of the early founders of the concept of brainstorming, Alex Osborn. During the 1940’s, Osborn was one of the advertising agency industry titans, his book, “Your Creative Power,” was received very wellRead… Read more »

Improving Efficiency in the Cloud Roundtable, RSVP: 2/28

Please join GovLoop and Oracle at the Improving Efficiency in the Cloud Roundtable on February 28th at District Architecture Center As many of you know, the cloud is quickly becoming a viable solution for agencies to share information, improve operational efficiency, increase transparency, and strengthen service delivery. Attendees at the Improving Efficiency in the CloudRead… Read more »