“It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.” – Epictetus One of the hardest challenges we will ever face in life is our own thinking process. In the workplace how we think about, and react to the responsibilities and expectations placed on us will have a direct effect onRead… Read more »
The Ghost Busters have nothing on the Labor Department’s Mr. Fix it. Something needs to be repaired? Who are you going to call? Not those men in jumpsuits, but Ed Hugler! Something needs to be made accessible? Who are you going to call? Ed Hugler! He is the government’s Mr. Fix it. Edward Hugler, DeputyRead… Read more »
The gender gap in government is slowly narrowing. One thing we have to thank for that is the increasing number of female role models in government we’re seeing in the media, particularly on our favorite shows. While the characters are far from perfect, and in some cases far from reality, they depict real women strivingRead… Read more »
September is the month when employees come back from vacation and work kicks into full gear. Not surprisingly, hiring picks up as businesses look to meet year-end goals with new talent. The Federal government is no exception; agencies will look to fill positions as budgets open at the beginning of the fiscal year (October 1st).Read… Read more »
When we are in conflict with someone at work, it can feel like we are in a tug-of-war (or worse). There is our way (which of course, is the right way), and their way (the not-so-right-way). When conflict feels like this, in order to move forward, it seems as though there are only twoRead… Read more »
It’s no new news. Employee engagement and employee morale in government are at an all time low. A recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report quantifies a drop in what is known as the employee engagement index (EEI). According to the report, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM’s) index dropped from 67 percent in 2011 toRead… Read more »
Last Monday, we experienced a major milestone at GovLoop – we moved into a new office. We are pretty excited with the new space and there’s a ton of exciting new features from sit-to-stand desks to office ping pong to lots of conference rooms and an amazing large kitchen. But behind that move was sixRead… Read more »
Imagine a federal government with no managers, executives, supervisors, bosses or titles. Imagine a federal holocracy-an organization where authority and decision making are distributed through self-organizing teams rather than a hierarchy. One such organization that is making this “outside the box” approach work is Zappos, an online shoe and clothing company. You are probably thinkingRead… Read more »
When I was young I was fortunate enough to have parents who enrolled me in a multitude of activities: soccer, piano, ballet, tap, volleyball, basketball, Girl Scouts, horseback riding, cycling, even trombone (I mastered two notes and discarded it). I only ended up truly loving a couple of those but through them all, I learnedRead… Read more »
According to the Partnership for Public Service’s recent Employee Engagement Survey, employees give their federal agencies failing marks. A dismal 39 percent of federal employees think they can actually attract the right people to their jobs. The survey is based off of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM’s) Federal Viewpoint Survey, which measures if fedsRead… Read more »