Leadership

Chatting with Uncle Sam

Oh, the joy of Labor Day Weekend. Beach? Check. BBQ? Check. Pool-side chillin’ with some bureaucrats? Ummm…I’m guessing that may not be your idea of a good time, but the significance of public engagement for government agencies cannot be overstated. Citizen inclusion, transparency, and participation all help promote a functioning democratic process and society. AndRead… Read more »

Risky Business: When Government Takes Calculated Risks

Flood insurance? Bank deposit insurance? Pension guarantees? Home loan guarantees? . . . No private sector business will take on some risks that the federal government agrees to bear on behalf of the broader society – at least not at an affordable price.   So government, by nature, oftentimes puts itself at financial or reputationalRead… Read more »

Clean Water: Taking Our Most Vital Resource from Scarcity to Millions

A coffee, a run, meditation…. We all need one thing to get our brains working early in the morning. For me, it’s a long, scalding hot shower. But as a native of California, which is experiencing one of the most severe droughts in the state’s history, my long morning shower is a thing of theRead… Read more »

Creating Organizational Self-Defense

Why don’t agency top leaders know about significant management problems in their organizations before it is too late? So-called scandals seem to be more prevalent these days, ranging from seemingly dishonest reporting of telework hours at the Patent Office or veterans hospital access wait times, to the safety of CDC labs, to lavish conferences atRead… Read more »

Moving on Up: Advancing Your Government Career

We’re all looking to advance our skills, get better at our current job and move up the leadership ladder, but how do you actually do it? Moderated by Steve Ressler, Founder and CEO of Govloop, our online training featured two career coaches who answered your questions. Adam Smith, Principal at ASC, LLC Beth Flores, FounderRead… Read more »

Jeff Neal Urges Organizations to Update Their Outlook on Senior Executive Service

‘You can’t step into the same river twice.’ Unfortunately, the federal government likes to step in the same river as many times as it can. But some industry leaders are demanding a federal reform in order to keep pace with the changing demographics of government. Jeff Neal, Senior Vice President at ICF International, spoke withRead… Read more »

‘Do or Do not. There is no try.’ And more from AFFIRM’s Monthly Speaker Series

Technology is an enabler. It gives us the ability to harvest big data, mobilize in ways unknown to previous generations, and shows us the means to improve every aspect of society. But that’s all. It just gives us the means, not the action. Some industry leaders are looking to turn means into action. One ofRead… Read more »