Communications

Choosing it to be a Good Day – Improving your work life by adjusting your attitude

Hundreds of unread emails, regulatory requirements, acquisition holdups, antiquated technology – in the government it seems there is always something to complain about. But that endless cycle of negativity can not only impact your job performance but your life too. Anya Kajich is a Supervisory Public Health Veterinarian for USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service.Read… Read more »

Default Open Data – Not just a philosophy but a directive

Default open data; that was one of the big takeaways from the Digital Government Strategy released last year. But the DGS was a bit murkey on how agencies should implement open data. The White House has formalized that dilemma with the Open Data Directive released in May. Hudson Hollister is the Executive Director for theRead… Read more »

Stakeholders: The Best Way to Make People Care About Evaluations

Effective government evaluations require the identification and engagement of stakeholders When constructing evaluations for the government, the best way to get people on your side is to identify and engage stakeholders. This is especially helpful when your particular government agency holds a negative view of evaluations. Below, I (1) define the stakeholder concept, (2) discussRead… Read more »

3 Models of Citizen Engagement

Our government is supposed to be a government for the people by the people. We really don’t specify who “the people” are so it’s probably safe to assume that it means everyone. I know the process works so most everyone can participate in it BUT the problem is that a majority of them don’t takeRead… Read more »

Why Conferences Matter for Govies

It seems you can’t turn around these days without hearing about another government conference scandal. But what gets lost in the horror stories of magicians and fancy hotel suits is the real reason why these conferences are essential for govies, learning. Sandra Magnus is the Executive Director of the American Institute of Aeronautics and AstronauticsRead… Read more »

Social Security Update, Medicare Concerns, and Retiree Jobs

Norma, a federal employee that elected to collect Social Security while still working, commented on my last article on this subject. She stated that while it is true you don’t decrease social security benefits if you are still working at age 66 or older you may be subject to taxes on some of the socialRead… Read more »

Tribute to U.S. Army on 238th Birthday; and Remembering Dad

Did you know that today marks the 238th birthday of the United States Army? Military service to America is one of the most honorable types of federal service – if not the most honorable. We all owe a huge debt of gratitude to the brave and courageous Army servicemen and women nationwide and around theRead… Read more »

Twenty, Two, and One

We are experiencing a time of change – big change, fast change – in business, employment, markets, government. No new news here. The nature of a job has changed as well…what do you do each day now? How about this for a model: 20 sits (meetings) per month – to learn, share, sell, or get;Read… Read more »