$$$ and the State – How Do They Stack Up?

If you’re anything like me, every two weeks you look at your paycheck and hope for just a few more dollars to magically appear. In reality, the number stays the same. For state and local government employees, salaries have been stagnant for years. “Our whole country has been stunned by the difficulty we’ve had inRead… Read more »

3 Ways To Be Happier At Work

It possible to train yourself to become happier? This question fascinates me, which is why I was intrigued by this infographic from the folks at Happify, a site where you can sign up for a daily regimen of scientifically-backed happiness-boosting games. The infographic is based on current research on what makes people happier at work,Read… Read more »

How to Prevent Harassment in the Federal Workplace

When most people hear about workplace harassment, it’s likely to be sexual harassment because that’s traditionally been the most common and publicized form. However, harassment is much broader than that of a purely sexual nature. In fact, harassment may take many forms of which not everyone is aware. Under federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination, harassmentRead… Read more »

How IT Can Prevent Public Servants From Burning Out

Although technology has drastically changed the way government operates, there are still some ideals that remain timeless about government. One of these is the foundation of what it means to be a public servant, which was perhaps said best by the Athenian Oath, nearly 2,000 years ago: “We will never bring disgrace on this ourRead… Read more »

Good Witch vs Bad Witch:The Fine Art of Setting Boundaries

Communication is important to just about every aspect of my job as a public affairs specialist. I eat it, breathe it and sleep it. Yet, it’s always something I’m constantly fine-tuning. How should I say this? What’s the best way to relay this message? Are we effectively reaching our audience? Wherever I go, I always tryRead… Read more »

We’re All Becoming Tech Workers… And We Need to Be Ready

As the Digital Era continues to progress, social and digital technologies will become more fully integrated into not just the work we do, but how we do it. Although external applications such as marketing, sales, and customer service have dominated adoption activities and discussions to date (particularly in the context of consumer goods and services),Read… Read more »

Reviewing Government Customer Service

Usually, when we hear the word ‘customer’, we think of patrons of for-profit businesses that provide services, ranging from Walmart, to small local coffee shops, all the way to Bain & Co. However, the U.S. government has customers as well – they’re just not often referred to as customers, because they compromise the whole population.Read… Read more »