Leadership

An Open Government Tool

Some cities like Oakland are committed to open government and some cities like Buffalo are not. In previous posts I have discussed the problem with obtaining information from the City of Buffalo. The City of Oakland working with Code For America has created a great app called RecordTrac. RecordTrac provides an easy on-line tool forRead… Read more »

The Cafritz Awards Reward DC Government Employees! The Deadline is coming up this Friday(11/8)

Help us celebrate the best in public service! Nominate yourself or someone you know for The 13th Annual Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation Awards for Distinguished DC Government Employees. Established in 2000 and now in its 13th year, the Cafritz Awards program recognizes the extraordinary service and commitment of public servants who – often workingRead… Read more »

Getting the right match – Mentorship made simple

Picking the right mentor for you is a little like scrolling through potential matches on a dating site. You look at their background, interest and thoughts on the future, then take a chance and hope for a good match. But there are ways to make the mentor-matching process a bit easier. Tom Fox is theRead… Read more »

The Truth About What’s Really Wrong With Obamacare

My first semester in college, I talked my way into a political economics class restricted to upperclassman. Never one to shy away from a challenge, I wanted to take the course because I was passionate about understanding the intersection between government and the free market and how it shapes our society. Not surprisingly, it wasRead… Read more »

Healthcare.gov: A Procurement or Program Problem?

The pundits all seem to be asking, “What went wrong with the rollout of healthcare.gov?” But there is a bigger more substantial question for government. Why does government struggle with large procurements? That is the questions that Raj Sharma asked in his piece in the Public Spend Forum: Healthcare.gov, A Procurement Problem or a ProgramRead… Read more »

SUCCESS RULE # 23 – Ask Questions

Unfortunately a lot of people are afraid to ask questions, they see it as a weakness . . . afraid of looking silly. Successful people are successful in part because they’ve learned the art of asking questions. By asking questions you will improve your competencies, effectiveness and your likability. Scientist asks questions to learn more;Read… Read more »

Are you hearing me? How to resolve workplace misunderstandings

The workplace is filled with misunderstandings both big and small. An off hand comment can send a workplace spiraling. The diversity of the government make misunderstandings even more common. Because of varied backgrounds, experiences and perceptions, employees can interpret messages from managers quite differently, leading to confusion and conflict. So how do you get aroundRead… Read more »