Every successful organization has at least one linchpin; some have dozens or even thousands. The linchpin is the essential element, the person who holds part of the organization together. Without the linchpin, the thing falls apart. – by Seth Godin in Linchpin: Are You Indispensable? (2010) Two American icons have been getting a bit ofRead… Read more »
Tweet Illinois will be examining the next phase of high-speed rail through a new study group that includes the University of Illinois, the Illinois Department of Transportation and private sector. The group is looking at the feasibility of 220-mph passenger rail service between Chicago, Urbana-Champaign and beyond. Currently, the state is building a 110-mph railRead… Read more »
Survey data indicates that a majority of organizations are unhappy with their information systems, yet, ironically some 90% consider managing online information as critical to their future! With the present explosion of social media and other forms of online information, generation of data is outpacing our capability to manage it. Hence the value of anRead… Read more »
One of the greatest challenges and opportunities in being a truly effective leader is to integrate all of who we are into all our activities. I am constantly amazed when clients describe their background only to leave out major pieces of their life because they didn’t think it was important. Everything that happens in yourRead… Read more »
Readers of this blog know I like to play the electric guitar (I turn it up to 11), and I like Arlington Fretworks. http://arlingtonfretworks.com/home Proprietor and craftsman Daniel Carbone repairs and builds guitars there. I have written previously about his standards of excellence being off the charts. (One client wrote that he would trust himRead… Read more »
Gadi Ben-Yehuda Data, data everywhere! Fast Company reports on the EPA’s revamped fuel economy stickers. Across the pond, Making a Difference with Data reports that cycling enthusiast Gregory Williams has been using the open data from Kent County Council to create a cycling parking heat map. Collecting Data Securely at Social Security. Alex Howard reportsRead… Read more »
Several months ago, I read some blog posts about frustration with Gov 2.0 not doing enough and a few other posts with offers from people interested in working for free for experience. The two seemingly unrelated topics got me wondering: How could our city use Gov 2.0 to offer job opportunities to people just lookingRead… Read more »
Governing The Commons (Google Books), a 1990 book by Elinor Ostrom, of The Workshop in Political Theory and Policy Analysis at Indiana University, presents an approach to avoiding the ‘tragedy of the commons.’ She presents 8 criteria (see below) that are associated with sustainable management of “common-pool resources,” which are non-excludable in physical accessibility (suchRead… Read more »
This is the second post in a series exploring what the role of agency social media lead looks like. I’m talking here about someone who’s leading social media for an entire agency, not just a single project. In each post, I lay out a basic set of tasks, and then invite you to discuss someRead… Read more »
Have you ever needed to turn in a report or spreadsheet on how well you or your team performedon a particular task/project? How well were you able to portray your efforts in terms of efficency and quantity? For instance, if you are a manager of a helpdesk, creating a spreadsheet that shows the amount ofRead… Read more »