Crafting Effective Cyber Partnerships, One Agency At a Time

This interview is an excerpt from our recent guide, The Future of Cybersecurity, which examines 15 trends transforming the way government safeguards information and technology. Four years ago, the White House unveiled the Cloud First policy. The White House mandated that agencies must evaluate safe, secure cloud computing options before making any new investments. ItRead… Read more »

Morning Groove—5 Rituals To Jumpstart Your Day

With the dog days of summer upon us, waking up can be rough. The National Institute of General Medical Science defines circadian rhythms as “physical, mental and behavioral changes that follow a roughly 24-hour cycle, responding primarily to light and darkness in an organism’s environment.” Circadian rhythms are controlled by biological clocks, with a “master clock”Read… Read more »

Whip-Smart Back to School Citizen Engagement Campaigns

Many Americans are really stressed about one thing right now, and that’s back to school. With about 70 million students expected in kindergarten through college in Fall 2015, everyone’s paying attention to back-to-school messages. Now’s the time to talk to your audiences about how your agency can help them during this hectic period. School administrators and teachers are looking forRead… Read more »

Got EI? Why Emotional Intelligence Matters at Work

Does it ever feel like some people are just “easy” to get along with at work: the boss that really “gets” you, and goes out of her way to develop you; the colleague you love brainstorming with, or the employee who always anticipates what you need from him, almost before you know yourself?  …While othersRead… Read more »

How to Make the Most of a Government Conference

Conferences offer a unique experience to hear from experts, to network with colleagues in your industry, and to facilitate ongoing learning. However, you won’t make the most of the opportunity by simply showing up. Here are a few tested methods for ensuring you not only arrive, but thrive at your next conference. Make connections beforehandRead… Read more »

6 Tips to Lead Like a President

This year, I was  chosen as one of 60 Presidential Leadership Scholars and participated in the inaugural program that concluded in July. There were six sessions over six months that focused on four leadership abilities: Engaging Others Through Vision and Communication Making Decisions Working Collaboratively to Influence and Persuade Stakeholders Building Working and Strategic PartnershipsRead… Read more »

Innovation Entrepreneurs Unite!

You have nothing to lose but your silos! Last month, nearly 200 enthusiastic innovators from more than two dozen federal agencies gathered to share ideas and inspire each other with stories of what they are doing in their agencies. Using “lightening round” presentations, nearly a dozen presenters shared their stories. Andy Feldman from the DepartmentRead… Read more »

Stopping Tragedy in Its Tracks

On April 5, 2010, disaster struck Montcoal, West Virginia. Late in the afternoon, an explosion rocked the small town’s Upper Big Branch coal mine. After four days of attempted rescue, none of the 29 miners survived the blast. It was the worst mining disaster the U.S. had seen in over four decades. As an administratorRead… Read more »

Why We Need to Stop Skipping Our Lunch Breaks

If you’re anything like me, you know this scenario all too well….emails flying back and forth, voicemails and calls to return, multi-tasking at least two different urgent issues, putting out countless fires….then 12:00 rolls around and you think, “I’ll just do one more thing,” which turns into two or three things and by the timeRead… Read more »