GovLoop is halfway through its current mentorship program, which means mentors and mentees are starting to dig into really tough questions about career options, hurdles, and success factors. Most of our mentor-mentee partnerships have already discussed career paths, including what tactical steps they need to take along that path. Now mentees are starting to ask,Read… Read more »
“Are there places in America where the outwardly self-virtuous might be able to act in a not-so-obviously-seen amount of on-the-job mischief, and not get caught? Jorge Martinez-Vasquez admits in his world-acclaimed book, Fighting Corruption in the Public Sector, that “corruption is notoriously hard to measure in a precise way.” Findings presented within this report may… Read more »
Change isn’t easy, especially when people are involved. It gets even harder when you add to that mix more than $80 billion worth of information technology resources — scattered across multiple program offices, bureaus and departments. That’s how government has operated for decades. But sweeping reforms passed by Congress in December call for an endRead… Read more »
While a Master of Science in Leadership is a relatively new degree, in a very short time it is being perceived as a 21st century alternative to MPA degrees. MS-Leadership is a course of study that offers participants an opportunity to enhance their experience and leadership skills. Organizations recognize that using personal and creative approachesRead… Read more »
Could Luke Skywalker harness his abilities without Yoda’s wisdom? Would the Banks family learn the importance of family without Mary Poppins? There are no shortage of mentor-mentee relationships in cinema. In these examples, the mentors provide insight to bring out the best in the mentees. Similarly, we can leverage the advantages of mentorships to get ahead and avoidRead… Read more »
Bureaucracy – it’s not a word that inspires a whole lot of positive feelings these days. To the public, it can symbolize government inefficiency and unresponsiveness. To the federal worker, it often represents a rigid structure that stifles their agency’s agility. Bureaucracy can be overwhelming, even painful, but it doesn’t have to be. And forRead… Read more »
I recently had the distinct pleasure of interviewing one of my favorite public servants, the Director of the Division of Community Service and Nonprofit Support at the Arkansas Department of Human Services, Sherry Middleton. With over 32 years of experience in public service through both government and nonprofit work, Sherry is a respected, influential, andRead… Read more »
“So, what exactly do you do at City Hall?” This question is always asked at conferences, events, or at parties. Usually as a precursor or follow-up to my elevator pitch — “I’m a civic innovator, I bring best practices and new ways of thinking to City Hall operations. I work on special projects relating toRead… Read more »
This week I spent a day of Leadership Development Program discussing resiliency. Resiliency is the ability to carry on in the face of adversity, similar to grit, and, as an earlier blog pointed out, resiliency is the antidote to stress. Personal resiliency can lead to professional resiliency, which then leads to a resilient organization – an organizationRead… Read more »
We all heard about the recent and disastrous cyber breaches in federal government. In April, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) discovered that the personnel data of 4.2 million current and former Federal government employees had been stolen. Birthdays, home addresses, and Social Security numbers all were affected. One of the biggest problems that BethRead… Read more »