Last week, I talked to a friend about a major home improvement project costing thousands of dollars that I have to have done. My friend said she had another friend who delayed her federal retirement because she had to do the same project. My heart dropped because I would be distraught if I had to delayRead… Read more »
Us folks at GovLoop are a pretty inspired bunch, passionate about helping our members do their jobs better by providing them with the latest happenings and inspiration in government. But sometimes even the most inspired hit a creativity slump. For the icebreaker at our team meeting this week, we shared what inspires us professionally. AndRead… Read more »
Whether or not you have kids, we all were one at some point in our lives. We all learned to crawl-walk-run (literally and/or figuratively) throughout life. Chances are along the way it involved watching another. Learning from them probably involved accepting their assistance as well. The point being, at some point in our lives we… Read more »
When I was growing up, I’m sure my parents and most others who were working adults struggled with what we now call “work-life balance.” My dad had a full-time job and worked part-time on weekends. My grandmother worked in other people’s homes, and my mom worked outside the home, off-and-on, but mostly kept our home.Read… Read more »
A consultant (should be) someone who offers good advice. Many times this is advice based on subject matter expertise, experience, or other unique qualifications. However having a particular subject matter expertise or experience is only one facet of being a good consultant. Great consultants have a lot more than just expertise – they understand howRead… Read more »
I’ve never worked in knowledge management, but I do work in learning and development, and it’s always fun to find new applications for the Pareto principle. You know, the one where 80% of outputs are the result of 20% of the inputs…or something like that. In learning applications, Lombardo & Eichinger’s 70-20-10 rule is often citedRead… Read more »
Getting a job in state or local government isn’t always the easiest thing to do, especially if you’re looking for a management position. Some individuals work their way into the public sector through internships and fellowships, while others start as line staff and slowly work their way up. Here, are 13 tips to help you onRead… Read more »
So, we’re working to increase the creative capacity of the Scottish Government (more about that in a previous post). But how do we know when we’ve actually done that? Well, that’s a very good question, I’m glad you asked. The measurement of creativity is challenging, not least because of the number of elements that supportRead… Read more »
For so many of us in the professions, we’ve spent our adult work lives acquiring and perfecting skills that are designed to take us on a path to success. But as a Civil Service officer, what happens when we get to the top of our career ladders? We’re at the highest grade and we’ve essentiallyRead… Read more »
Seeing as this post is published on a Friday, I would like to observe #fbf aka Flashback Friday. Now close your eyes and cast your mind back to elementary school. What would happen in Kindergarten if you got the answer right to what 1+1 equals? You’d probably get something like a gold star or aRead… Read more »