Leadership

Healthcare.gov Contractors Head to the Hill – Plus the DorobekINSIDER’s 7 Stories

On GovLoop Insights’ DorobekINSIDER: Back in the 1800s the US passed legislation that created the civil service. The civil service was meant to be a group of people that were performing for the country and because that could put them into all sorts of political crosshairs they were afforded some protections. To this day theRead… Read more »

The Rights and Performance Culture Clash – Part Three with Martha Johnson

“At GSA I encountered an insidious war between the Rights government and the Performance government.” – Martha Johnson. Back in the 1800s the US passed legislation that created the civil service. The objective of the legislation was change the civil service from a rewards system where you got your job just if you voted forRead… Read more »

Blockbuster Goals – Why “We’re Going to the Moon” Motivates – Part 2 with Martha Johnson

There is no strife, no prejudice, no national conflict in outer space as yet. Its hazards are hostile to us all. Its conquest deserves the best of all mankind, and its opportunity for peaceful cooperation many never come again. But why, some say, the moon? Why choose this as our goal? And they may wellRead… Read more »

Positive-Sum Leadership

Originally posted at cpsrenewal.ca. I love this: That’s the concept art for a hypothetical public transit system described in a blog post by Elon Musk, Chairman of Tesla Motors. From http://www.teslamotors.com/blog/hyperloop: The Hyperloop (or something similar) is, in my opinion, the right solution for the specific case of high traffic city pairs that are lessRead… Read more »

Healthcare.gov – Yes, Yes, and Yes

Healthcare.gov was rolled out on October 1. Since then there has been lots of bashing of the site and finger-pointing between government overseers and contractors executing it. Some have called for improvements down the line through further reform of government IT. Others have called for retribution by asking for the resignation of the HHS SecretaryRead… Read more »

Good Read: The Y Factor: How to Nurture Star Qualities in Millennials

Originally posted on #GovLife. As a Millennial, I hate seeing article after article about how my generation is the <insert negative adjective here>, and how working with us is the pits. The stories and situations that are recounted do not resonate with me or even reflect my way of thinking or working. In fact, theyRead… Read more »

Why I Didn’t Quit My Job During the Government Shutdown

During the 17-day Federal government shutdown my company, Corner Alliance Inc., had to make some tough decisions. Many of our employees were not able to perform work (read: make money) including myself. I worked the first week of the shutdown on internal Corner Alliance tasks, like our website and a Virtual Participation Best Practices document.Read… Read more »

On My Watch, Leadership, Innovation, and Personal Resilience – Part One with Martha Johnson

There is such a good story surrounding GSA, it’s a story of innovation and stewardship for the government. I feel that story needs to be front and center for people. I feel even though I am no longer in a leadership position at GSA, it is still a good thing to do, to carry thatRead… Read more »

Shutdown Ramifications (Part II): 3 Hidden Costs to Federal Workforce

Now that a semblance of normality has returned to Washington it’s time to ask an important question: What are the shutdown’s costs to the federal workforce? We know the tangible costs in terms of dollars. But what about the hidden costs which are more difficult to measure? In addition to lost economic productivity and America’sRead… Read more »