Bureaucracy – it’s not a word that inspires a whole lot of positive feelings these days. To the public, it can symbolize government inefficiency and unresponsiveness. To the federal worker, it often represents a rigid structure that stifles their agency’s agility. Bureaucracy can be overwhelming, even painful, but it doesn’t have to be. And forRead… Read more »
I recently had the distinct pleasure of interviewing one of my favorite public servants, the Director of the Division of Community Service and Nonprofit Support at the Arkansas Department of Human Services, Sherry Middleton. With over 32 years of experience in public service through both government and nonprofit work, Sherry is a respected, influential, andRead… Read more »
Pro bono consulting –the delivery of professional services undertaken voluntarily– is a great way to enhance your professional skills while doing public service for your community. According to the Taproot Foundation, one of the larger organizations in this space: “Most organizations tackling social problems don’t have access to the marketing, design, technology, management or strategicRead… Read more »
Federal agency and department presence on social media varies widely—some have multiple accounts on various platforms while others have just a page or two that is updated infrequently. I wanted to find out what makes some sites more useful than others, so I set out to look at as many federal social media pages asRead… Read more »
Today’s federal employee may seek a work life balance, solid wages and a great path forward in their chosen field. It is truly a gift to work with a group of highly trained professionals with a focus on a common goal. It also helps to identify your personal career goals so that the path forwardRead… Read more »
The majority of participants in GovLoop’s online training, Cybersecurity for Public Health – A Cyber War Game, said they weren’t sure if their organization is prepared for a cyber breach. And according to speakers Mike Hager, the Senior Security Architect for Teradata and Sam Harris, the Director of Cybersecurity for Teradata, your organization probably isn’t.Read… Read more »
Understanding online behaviour In March, the results of research into how New Zealanders manage their online identity were published by Professor Miriam Lips, the first Professor of E-Government at Victoria University of Wellington. The research revealed some interesting aspects of online behaviour. To start, you’ll want to check out the report, which is titled “KiwisRead… Read more »
“So, what exactly do you do at City Hall?” This question is always asked at conferences, events, or at parties. Usually as a precursor or follow-up to my elevator pitch — “I’m a civic innovator, I bring best practices and new ways of thinking to City Hall operations. I work on special projects relating toRead… Read more »
The world of public service seems to be split into two groups, “data people” and “program people”. Whatever camp we are in, we tend to avoid the other side like last week’s laundry. For those of us who are “program people”, we have built our career around a mission of service to others. We valueRead… Read more »
This week I spent a day of Leadership Development Program discussing resiliency. Resiliency is the ability to carry on in the face of adversity, similar to grit, and, as an earlier blog pointed out, resiliency is the antidote to stress. Personal resiliency can lead to professional resiliency, which then leads to a resilient organization – an organizationRead… Read more »