Jack Canfield, the creator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series claims that the best way to build a healthy and positive workplace is to help employees master the art of heart talk. Being mindful of other people’s feelings Most of us are so caught up in our own world at work that weRead… Read more »
Time is the one thing we will always have less of. That’s why there are so many books on time management, to-do lists, productivity, changing habits, and project planning. Some of those books are little more than self-help claptrap. Others contain enough useful points to make them worth flipping through, but are far from life changing. However, the best timeRead… Read more »
“It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.” – Epictetus One of the hardest challenges we will ever face in life is our own thinking process. In the workplace how we think about, and react to the responsibilities and expectations placed on us will have a direct effect onRead… Read more »
I had a unique opportunity this year to go to another city and do a rotation at an agency other than my own. I learned a lot while I was there: what that agency does, how they do it, about myself, and about how to celebrate people’s personal lives at work. Many of us areRead… Read more »
Last week I was in the Philippines on a work trip with a client agency. Having done quite a bit of research on empathy for a blog post last month, I decided to practice some of the tips I uncovered during my time away from the office. It was the perfect opportunity because the clientRead… Read more »
The gender gap in government is slowly narrowing. One thing we have to thank for that is the increasing number of female role models in government we’re seeing in the media, particularly on our favorite shows. While the characters are far from perfect, and in some cases far from reality, they depict real women strivingRead… Read more »
When we are in conflict with someone at work, it can feel like we are in a tug-of-war (or worse). There is our way (which of course, is the right way), and their way (the not-so-right-way). When conflict feels like this, in order to move forward, it seems as though there are only twoRead… Read more »
It’s no new news. Employee engagement and employee morale in government are at an all time low. A recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report quantifies a drop in what is known as the employee engagement index (EEI). According to the report, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM’s) index dropped from 67 percent in 2011 toRead… Read more »
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 »
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 »