Leadership

Innovation and eDiplomacy — The importance of internet freedom and the use of technology to enhance international affairs

This morning, I attended an event at the US Embassy Public Affairs Unit in Canberra designed to discuss matters of eDiplomacy and use of online tools in diplomatic and international affairs efforts. The event, being hosted specifically for an Australian audience by the State Department included a conversation with Alec J Ross (he is @AlecJRossRead… Read more »

2011 PMF Finalists Update

[Also posted here] [Update 1: There were 850 finalists this year. Last year there were 869.] [Update 2: The list is now posted at http://www.pmf.gov/become-a-pmf/current-finalists.aspx, so if you haven’t gotten your email yet, go check the list out.] The finalists for the 2011 Presidential Management Fellows program have begun to receive their notifications. At present,Read… Read more »

The Federal Coach: Moving Up the Federal Ranks: Talking with Michael Watkins

Dr. Michael Watkins is a leading expert on accelerating transitions. He is the co-author of The First 90 Days in Government, which has become a classic resource for public-sector leaders taking new roles. Watkins is also the chairman of Genesis Advisers, an executive on-boarding and leadership strategy consultancy, and has previously taught at Harvard University.Read… Read more »

Community 2.0 Web Hero ends isolation for elderly

I have been working closely with Kingston City Council since last year, assisting them in implementing Web 2.0, social media and mobile technologies to improve collaboration internally, to cut costs and to engage and communicate more clearly with residents and local businesses. It is through this program that I met Belinda McDaid. Belinda McDaid managesRead… Read more »

Managing the Social-Media Paradigm Shift: Ride the current, or be swept aside

Everyone who’s ears have been assaulted with talk of “paradigm shifts” can thank Thomas Kuhn, author of “The She Structure of Scientific Revolutions.” I’ve often wondered why that phrase beguiles so many consultants and technology cheerleaders, and it’s a shame that it has, because in the glare of that overexposure, we may have blinded ourselvesRead… Read more »

Where Is Waldo?

George Washington University professor Kathy Newcomer likened the Obama Administration’s performance agenda to a game of “Where is Waldo?” at a Brookings Institution forum last week on improving government performance. She says “you have to look carefully” to find it. She said there was no orchestrated campaign with a band leading the way. Newcomer’s insightRead… Read more »