As a public sector employee for over fifteen years, I’ve attended seminars and workshops on a variety of subjects and logged in to webinars to learn from others in online classrooms. With rare exceptions, I always come away with a valuable lesson, idea or new perspective. However, a few of the most valuable lessons I’veRead… Read more »
Designers are more commonly known for conceiving and crafting interiors, graphics, and clothing but the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) has partnered with design professionals to develop innovative strategies aimed at reducing the city’s rates of unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among teens. Suzanne Elder, program director for CDPH’s Office ofRead… Read more »
The term digital transformation is being bandied about rather a lot at the moment. That’s fine – people often argue about words and phrases and what they mean and whether they are helpful. Usually they aren’t perfect but do a job as a sort of shorthand that everyone has a broad – if occasionally divergentRead… Read more »
With guest co-blogger Kendall Stagg, Director of Policy at Chicago Department of Public Health This month, the Chicago Department of Public Health was named “Local Health Department of the Year” by the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO), an association of more than 2,800 local health departments across the nation. TheRead… Read more »
Charles Murray introduced me to the idea in Human Accomplishment: The Pursuit of Excellence in the Arts and Sciences, 800 B.C. to 1950. Now that the Periodic Table is filled out, and so many overarching theories are proven, what’s a producing scientist to do? Ever since I read that, I’ve noticed how few scientists areRead… Read more »
This post was originally published on Ideas & Execution. The role of technology and design in government is undergoing a significant change. As digital and mobile technology advance, user-centered design and open source platforms are changing from nice-to-haves to necessities in the public sector. There is growing recognition in public institutions that the slow paceRead… Read more »
“Emotional intelligence.” The phrase conjures the image of a therapist and a couch, but in reality being more emotionally intelligent you can help relieve stress, help you communicate effectively, help you empathize with others, overcome challenges, and defuse conflict. Being emotionally intelligent is one of the keys to mastering your career. Don’t believe the hype?Read… Read more »
Seriously..Can we? There’s certainly no shortage of global issues these days. In every news story I hear or read, one of the things that strikes me is the lack of communication between the parties. Issues between two or more parties will always exist. We have different ways of looking at the same issue, different waysRead… Read more »
If you’re working for the federal government, you’ve likely been asked at some point to create an Individual Development Plan (IDP) that outlines your short- and long-term career goals and how to reach them. Maybe you’re even working on one now. Instead of setting it aside, or writing out a few ideas without giving it tooRead… Read more »
There are three main phases to becoming a digital organization: digitization, digital engagement, and digital transformation. This post offers a lay oriented description and assessment of these phases. The objective is to help leaders who are digital rookies develop a conceptual foundation for understanding where their organizations have been, where they are, and – mostRead… Read more »