The late Zig Ziglar, a well-known author, sales trainer and motivational speaker, is credited with saying, “You can get anything in this world you want – as long as you are willing to help others get what they want”. Too often however our focus is either on what we want, or what we think othersRead… Read more »
Am I writing a bunch of leadership gobbledygook in my GovLoop blog? I had to stop and ask myself this question after reading a Harvard Business Review article entitled “The Trouble With Leadership Theories,” by Doug Sundheim. This short, but poignant article draws attention to the ways we toss leadership jargon, or as we sayRead… Read more »
When I talk to my colleagues in the federal government, there seems to be a common theme around leadership or lack thereof. We seem to think that there has been a decline in the effectiveness of those in leadership positions. Many people in leadership positions have not demonstrated that they are sufficiently prepared for theRead… Read more »
That’s me pictured above with my parents and Bill Clinton in the Oval Office. It was a Saturday morning about 20 years ago following a Presidential radio address. The “Blue Pass” I’m wearing allowed me unfettered access to the West Wing, including the White House Briefing Room where I assisted dozens of reporters. This isRead… Read more »
Cities depend on the local government to keep crime at bay. But Life Run Well magazine reports, “Little Rock, AR, was inundated with complaints from residents about nuisance problems—primarily code enforcement and minor crime issues. In 2004, under the leadership of City Manager Bruce Moore, the city responded to this problem with the Criminal AbatementRead… Read more »
Be better, not just bigger I never missed a meal growing up…ever. As the oldest of six kids you can tell who made the dinner table a priority. Our family has five skinny kids and me, the guy who never met a menu item he didn’t like. Along with it came all the stupid bigRead… Read more »
Below is an excerpt from our Citizen Engagement guide — it’s a great interview with David Fletcher, Utah’s CIO, about some of the state’s new initiatives. Want more on citizen engagement? Then make sure to sign up for Carahsoft’s Fourth Annual Citizen Engagement Seminar on June 19th! At the event, your government peers will shareRead… Read more »
Too frequently, small government agencies are stifled by budget cuts, lack of funding, and the fear of being stonewalled by a higher branch. Congress and the Executive branch want these agencies (and the nation) to succeed, but sometimes unforeseen challenges prevent them from achieving maximum success. Too frequently, employees at an organization are stifled byRead… Read more »
During my parents’ generation, people often stayed at the same company or organization for decades until they were ready to retire. Fast forward to the year 2014, and people are staying on average 4.4 years according to a recent article in Forbes magazine. The transition in staff as well as the loss of an organization’sRead… Read more »
As state governments move toward total financial transparency, there is at least one place to look for information on how the states are doing in providing constituents with data on where money is being spent and what results are being achieved with the investment. Earlier blog posts have elaborated on the current ‘shortcomings’ of stateRead… Read more »