Leadership

Open letter to Mr Stephen Sedgwick AO, Australian Public Service Commissioner

Dear Commissioner The purpose of this open letter is to articulate a number of issues relating to the apparent thinking of the Australian Public Service Commission and, indeed, the way the Commission goes about its work. In particular, it is a matter of concern that the Commission’s stance perpetuates a repressive corporate management culture. Self-limitingRead… Read more »

Do I Really Want To Work Here? What Are You Doing To Keep Me Engaged?

Many of us have experienced that moment – that moment when the excitement of a new job or new role begins to wane and we feel less than enthusiastic about going to work every day – the engagement decline. When you get that “Ugh, I so don’t want to come to work today…” feeling, oftenRead… Read more »

Get Past the Partisan Talk — How Career Feds Should Be Prepping for Transition

Did you tune-in to last night’s debates? Record numbers of you took to twitter. But career feds were still left in the dark for specifics on what a second-term Obama administration or a Romney-Ryan ticket would actually look like. Would there be a workforce overhaul? What initiatives would be started right out the gate? WhoRead… Read more »

Memos to National Leaders: Transition Prep, Political Appointees Confirmations and More

We are less than three weeks from the election. So the big question now, is what’s next? What happens after the new president is elected? How should career feds handle the transition. The National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA) and the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) have tried to answer some of those questions.Read… Read more »

Can tech really help you engage? Insights from the Knight Foundation

Two years ago the Knight Foundation launched their Tech for Engagement Initiative. The idea was simple, they wanted to answer the question, can technology accelerate the capacity of citizens within a community to engage in their civic life in an easier and more effective way? The question seems fairly straightforward. But as the Knight Foundation’sRead… Read more »

Telework: The pros and the not so pros – Session Summary

The following is a summary from the Leadership at all Levels session on October 12, 2012. Speakers and participants in this session had the opportunity to discuss and share opinions on telework policies and issues in the federal government. Guest Speakers: Wanda Smith – GSA Danette Campbell – USPTO Summary: Telework offers some risks andRead… Read more »

The 2 Motives Driving Organizational Saboteurs

We’ve already discussed how the saboteur undermines an organization or cause by starting a cycle of operational drag and harassing and demoralizing their coworkers. But what drives a saboteur? Didn’t he want to work there in the first place? Wasn’t she hired because she was the top of her field? The number one motivation forRead… Read more »