Human Resources

A Baby Boomer’s Advice to New Employees

After years of hiring freezes and budget cuts, we have been able to finally back-fill behind people who have retired years ago.  And with work load increasing, and a decent budget, we are also able to hire some “entry level” positions to off-set our aging workforce.  Often, our job openings are filled by others fromRead… Read more »

Why You Need to Develop a Workplace Mentoring Program

A common characteristic of all successful companies is that they know how to attract and retain an engaged and qualified work force. Mentoring is one tool they use to ensure their employees are constantly learning to facilitate improved performance across the board. Below are several benefits of building and implementing a strong and effective workplaceRead… Read more »

Tips and Tricks for Tracking Labor Costs in the Public Sector

State and local governments need to identify, predict, and manage opportunities for cost savings and productivity gains — all while improving the quality of their products and services. But how can they achieve productivity gains, and stay within budget, when they lack business intelligence related to their workforce?

Lowering the Heat: How to Manage Conflict

Conflict is a normal part of human nature, so it’s not surprising that we find it in the workplace. It’s probably even less surprising that it emerges when applying human-centered design (HCD). Just think about it – human-centered design is a very different way of working for most people. Many find its application uncomfortable inRead… Read more »

Budget 101: Managing Risks

Many of us who have no formal training or background in accounting/finance find ourselves overseeing big budgets. As we continue to advance in our careers the size of those budgets continues to grow, along the expectations and LIABILITIES. Brookings Executive Education (BEE) Finance for Non-Financial Managers course addresses some of the potential pitfalls those ofRead… Read more »

Inside Look Into Management: 4 Things Your Boss Won’t Tell You

I replay some conversations (in my mind) with management – to make sure I assessed the situation reasonably. I paid attention to what they said, but I really wanted to know what they thought. So I interviewed some supervisors to learn their perspective. I asked them what did they want to tell their staff, butRead… Read more »

How to Give Back on the 9/11 Day of Service

Though government workers serve every day, September 11 is a special reason to give back to the community in a whole new way. The 9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance is a way to pay tribute to the victims of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks and honor the remarkable community response that followed. Through the 9/11 Day of Service, AmericansRead… Read more »

Restoring Workplace Camaraderie – Part 3 of 3

Camaraderie is declining, but what can we do about it?  Workload and regulations are beyond our control, so we may need to find ways to bring back a sense of the “good old days” within our current constraints. While we can’t turn back the clock, there may be ways to improve workplace socializing. Is this possible?  KeepRead… Read more »