You not only have great communication skills, you’ve trained employees before. So training those in other agencies/organizations is really no big deal. Right? Well, I’m here to tell you that there are many pitfalls to avoid and tips for success. What makes me qualified to offer you this advice? I’ve designed dozens of training sessionsRead… Read more »
You don’t need the promise of a golden statuette in your hand to polish your presentation skills. While you may never take the stage at the Oscars, the acceptance speeches can serve as examples of what to do and what not to do when it comes to public speaking. This isn’t about debating the politics in some of the speeches, though there was politics aplenty atRead… Read more »
Last night was the 87th annual Academy Awards, also known as my favorite night of the year. Pretty much from the day the Oscar nominees are announced, I start plotting how on earth I’m going to see all of the films with Best Picture nominations. Now, seeing the Best Picture nominees isn’t a huge task,Read… 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 »
“The man who gives little with a smile gives more than the man who gives much with a frown,”-Jewish Proverb
Someone asked me today, “Isn’t a brand a mark of quality?”Hearing that, I realized (once again) the importance of defining our terminology – preferably before we start talking to one another. So here is a suggested common definition of brand. With the idea that newer thinking builds upon the old. “A brand is a co-createdRead… Read more »
I know several people who put a lot of stock in the power of coincidence. When conversations, articles and events line up like messengers, all with the same telegram, at your door, something is trying to get through. In my world, over the last few days, there’s been a great convergence of messages stamped: “Memory.”Read… Read more »
Although we’re only a mere two months into the year, a deluge of incredible books on the topics of elections and the political process — fiction and non-fiction alike — has occurred. In the words of George Mason, “The freedom of the press is one of the great bulwarks of liberty, and can never beRead… Read more »
SharePoint can be a great collaboration tool for government teams. Its familiar Windows interface makes it intuitive for many users, and it provides a lot more functionality than a file on a shared drive. So if you’re thinking about, or in the process of, setting up a site, here are nine tips for implementing SharePointRead… Read more »
“Watch out for a simple twist of fate.” – Bob Dylan Sometimes in life you are presented with a situation, a happenstance, a chance. You are given a set of circumstances and told to make the most of it. Three years ago, I found myself in one of those situations. I had just joined aRead… Read more »