Leadership

What the Government Shutdown Taught Me

We’re all familiar by now with the impact the 2013 Government Shutdown had on government employees, the American people, and the economy. Just to recap a few statistics from the shutdown; 6.6 million days of lost work, $2 billion in back-pay costs, 120,000 private sector jobs lost, estimated decrease of fourth quarter real GDP ofRead… Read more »

2014 Leave Record Spreadsheet Plus FEHB Same-Sex Coverage

Our 2014 Leave Record & Scheduling Spreadsheet is now available for download to your desktop. Use it to automatically track your leave balances in all categories, annotate your schedule, and to establish realistic retirement target dates to maximize your benefits when you leave. This FREE spreadsheet automatically calculates your accrued annual and sick leave balances,Read… Read more »

How to make performance management work

Back in 2010, Congress passed the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA). The goal was simple, strengthen performance management in agencies. That sounds simple, but in the government culture it is hard to focus on outcomes over results. Grant Thorton and the Partnership for Public Service teamed up to the look at the effects ofRead… Read more »

Fast Track Your Career

Do you dream of a better life, higher pay, a challenging position with responsibility and one that takes full advantage of your interests, education, and experience? You can turn your dreams into reality and be one of the many thousands of federal employees each year that are promoted or attain higher level government jobs. WhatRead… Read more »

SUCCESS RULE # 24 – Know Your Why

This rule is really only for those who, no kidding, are seeking extraordinary success in their lives, whether it be working out of the “C” suite in corporate America, being a successful entrepreneur, becoming a movie or music star, an SES in the government, a senior NCO or Officer in the military, a great momRead… Read more »

Veterans Day: Fighting for America Means Not Having to Fight for Jobs

This Veterans Day there’s good news on the job front for vets. As our nation comes together to honor the many sacrifices of our courageous veterans, OPM reports the following: “In Fiscal Year (FY) 2012, the Executive Branch of Government hired the highest percentage of military veterans in over 20 years, surpassing the previous highRead… Read more »

FEVS 2013: job satisfaction declines again; how did your agency fare?

In case you missed it, the 2013 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS) was issued by OPM on Friday. Federal Times reports: “Federal employee job satisfaction ratings dipped again this year across a broad array of yardsticks.” “Of 77 areas measured by the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey, 53 showed declines in satisfaction and most of theRead… Read more »

The 1 Critical Key that Traditional Leadership Training Misses

Have you ever attended leadership training programs sponsored inside your organization, listened to the wonderful information being presented, and thought to yourself, “Yeah, that sounds great, but it doesn’t work when I get back to my office”? After 24 plus years of federal service, and more than seven years as a leadership instructor, and executiveRead… Read more »

Employee Engagement

“Supervisors must stop talking as you know everything and must start giving credit and recognizing high performers and encouraging average performers. Most importantly, supervisors need to practice the art of active listening. Listen a lot more and talk a lot less. Show employees your accomplishments from real performance and results and how you share theRead… Read more »