We all make mistakes at work. Some are minor — and some are downright cringe-worthy. I made these six mistakes so that you don’t have to. 1. Don’t make waves until you’ve been on the job for at least a year. The time frames here aren’t what’s important, as every job is different, but I’ve learnedRead… Read more »
All employees want great managers, yet not everyone is fortunate enough to enjoy that luxury. But what really makes an awesome manager? Some people say that an inclusive and positive can-do management style is best to promote leadership and productivity. Others argue it’s more effective for a manager to use fear tactics to get resultsRead… Read more »
The Obama administration has only two more short years in office. These two years are often marred by an inability to get things done. The reasons for this lack of action vary – too much political pressure, not enough time or weight to get anything done or an administration that’s simply run out of steam.Read… Read more »
This is not news so much as awakening. In the deep recesses of my public servant heart I knew…felt…denied that the day of reckoning was here. Yet, it has arrived in the form of “Cities of the 21st Century,” a report published last month by the U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) and Zogby Analytics. TheRead… Read more »
Over the course of many decades of governmental work, as well as employment in the private sector and non-profit scene, I have witnessed first-hand and heard, second-hand, of the inherent dangers of saying something that is either unpleasant, reveals corruption, or otherwise is unpopular with the current ‘Powers-That-Be’. All of which leaves someone wondering whetherRead… Read more »
Last August, when the U.S. Digital Services was announced, I wrote a blog post with 7 Ideas for the USDS. Yesterday, the White House announced in their 2016 budget a $100M program to expand digital services teams into 25 agencies. This is quite an impressive proposal and it also follows my first general tip forRead… Read more »
The following blog post is an excerpt from a recent GovLoop resource: Your Guide to Using Everything-as-a-Service. In the guide, we explore how agencies can maximize the benefits of cloud technology by creating a holistic everything-as-a-service (XaaS) strategy. Few doubt the advantages, and even the inevitably, of the transition of government IT services to the cloud.Read… Read more »
There’s been a lot of chatter lately about the “death of blogging” or about its already-in-progress resurrection. Yet a stroll around the blogosphere reveals a lively culture of content creation and sharing that seems untouched by any death throes. Blogging started as—and often, at its best, continues to be—an online personal journal perfect for oversharing. So, one might not think thatRead… Read more »
I love the way this video clip portrays some of the communication barriers and group dynamics associated with virtual conferencing. For me, it also calls into question the format of most of our meetings. Virtual meetings often make it easier for more attendees to participate, and as a virtual worker, I get it! But I also haveRead… Read more »
To learn more about how your agency can excel with big data, be sure to check out our guide: The Big Data Playbook for Government. On August 31, 1854, the London district of Soho was struck with a cholera outbreak, and by September 10, the neighborhood had reported over 500 deaths. Curious as to howRead… Read more »