Involvement in “extracurricular activities” at work is a good way to learn new skills, expand your network and boost your government career. Always make sure your supervisor signs off on your participation in such activities. Below is a list of 10 activities you should consider raising your hand to participate. Agency professional network: Most federalRead… Read more »
This interview is an excerpt from our recent guide, Top Challenges & Solutions From State and Local Governments, which examines 16 case study examples transforming the way government safeguards information and technology. There are a host of reasons digital technologies like open source and open cloud are being used by progressive state and local agencies toRead… Read more »
Last Monday, we experienced a major milestone at GovLoop – we moved into a new office. We are pretty excited with the new space and there’s a ton of exciting new features from sit-to-stand desks to office ping pong to lots of conference rooms and an amazing large kitchen. But behind that move was sixRead… Read more »
In a recent article written for Public Sector Digest, Micki Callahan, Human Resources Director for the City and County of San Francisco cited a committed to public service as a key trait for prospective employees. She points out that the public sector cannot always rival the private sector in terms of monetary compensation and otherRead… Read more »
How many ways do you interact with your coworkers during the day? Email, instant messenger, phone calls, texts, passive aggressive notes in the kitchen – chances are you use most of these every day. (Though hopefully not the passive aggressive notes!) Technology has gives us more and more tools to communicate with our coworkers without speakingRead… Read more »
Col. Bobby Saxon wants to challenge the way government employees think about reducing costs. For Saxon, it isn’t just about cutting cost; it’s about increasing value. He believes lower costs are a byproduct of doing good business, and if government can increase value and efficiencies for employees, the savings will come. “That’s how we have toRead… Read more »
You’ve asked the right questions. You’ve taken steps towards measuring the ROI to make sure you’re getting the most out of your project. Congratulations — your project is implemented and running along, and everybody is seeing the value. But there’s yet more to do. Now, it’s time to make sure: is this IT investment you’veRead… Read more »
Everybody makes everyday mistakes at work; we send out the wrong letter or jam the copier until it breaks. Although those mistakes aren’t fun, they are also not catastrophic. Epic mistakes are the ones that keep people up at night. An epic mistake can strike out of nowhere, and suddenly your whole world is inRead… Read more »
Conflict is uncomfortable, sometimes unavoidable. Different personalities could make for a dynamic work environment. Tension is bound to occur when you spend 40-plus hours a week in the same place. You should self-evaluate before you start a verbal firestorm. Ask yourself how you contributed to the problem and what will you do differently to preventRead… Read more »
Last week, my post discussed observed declines in camaraderie across the past five decades in my office. I asked retirees and long-time employees to fill out a survey about their activities during the decades they’d been working here. This post will discuss the survey results and their thoughts on the decline of camaraderie.