Last week I tried to connect the idea of disruptive innovation to Lewis Hyde’s anthropological analysis of the mythological trickster. The comparison hinged on a couple ideas, namely that both are focused on the breaking of traditional trade-offs, and that breaking those trade-offs results in a re-ordering of the status quo, a re-ordering that revealsRead… Read more »
I recently took a road trip to the tip of Florida and stopped at several restaurants and stores along the way. It struck me how differently these retail organizations approached customer service. At Cracker Barrel, there was always one of the staff in proximity to the front door who welcomed the visitors warmly; the hostessRead… Read more »
When learning the long jump, I was taught the jump wasn’t complete until I was out of the pit. That kept me from falling backward and losing total distance. In golf, I get more distance when I exaggerate the follow-through at the end of my swing. The ball also goes in the direction I want.Read… Read more »
[This cross-posted from Communities and Collaboration blog] I have developed a number of Knowledge Management (KM) strategies for various clients over the past 11 or so years, and was recently asked to revamp and update the KM strategy for a large UK public sector organization that had undergone a fairly radical restructure. Previous experience ofRead… Read more »
Today’s guest blogger is Eric Erickson, a communications specialist with the IRS Recruitment Office. They say life is full of important lessons. I’m not sure who ‘they’ is, but I found out recently that they are correct. I spent about two months as the acting manager of the branch where my usual duties revolve aroundRead… Read more »
Since I wrote my fist post on the virus affecting the drone fleet at Creech Air Force base, information has begun to trickle in and some interesting commentary has emerged. The Air Force has followed their official press release stating that the virus, which they say was a credential stealer, was merely a nuisance withRead… Read more »
President Obama put Vice President Biden in charge of the implementation of the $787 billion Recovery Act. Ed DeSeve had an eagle eye’s view of the interaction between agencies, states, localities, and non-profits. He shares his lessons learned from Recovery Act implementation, as well as advice for “the next big implementation challenge,” whatever that mightRead… Read more »
Dr. Kathryn Newcomer is the current Director of the Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration at the George Washington University and a foremost authority on program evaluation (see full bio below). Why is the knowledge of program evaluation so important to a government employee? Program evaluation entails the application of social science analyticalRead… Read more »
According to an article in the Washington Post, users of USAJobs.gov 3.0 have had a hard time using the “new and improved” site. Several glitches have prevented users from submitting applications, and performing other functions, on time. Although the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) sends out daily updates and boasts about successful cases, many usersRead… Read more »
Our guest blogger today is Jon, a recruiter in California working for the IRS Recruitment Office. He just finished a temporary assignment as acting manager over one branch of our office. Going through the IRS training program for future managers has been an exciting journey for me. I started the program by attending a oneRead… Read more »