Leadership

Federal Eye: Federal government closed on Wednesday

Federal government offices in the Washington region will close on Wednesday for a third straight day, the longest run of snow days for the region’s federal workers since 1996. The decision means non-emergency federal workers will be granted excused absences, the Office of Personnel Management said. Emergency employees are expected to report for work onRead… Read more »

California Space Race

A vocal and well-prepared team of aerospace professionals and backers in California is gaining momentum in its quest to enhance the region’s aerospace prowess. Influential members from myriad economic development, utility, education, government, military, and defense contractor groups have pooled their talent, assets, know-how, and hefty political backing to form the California Space Authority (CSA)Read… Read more »

New times demand a new public servant

So what would a new public servant look like in the States? Last weeks Public Sector Informant published an article by Terry Fewtrell on the implications of the work done by the Gov 2.0 Taskforce. Terry is principal consultant with Yellow Edge Consulting. The article New times demand a new public servant, highlights the fundamentalRead… Read more »

The New USAJobs – Great Customer Service!

And the award for Best Customer Service goes to…USAJobs! Finally – a federal agency (the Office of Personnel Management) that really, really listened to its audience and gave us what we want. Plain. Simple. To the point. The new USAJobs website looks like Google. It’s a stripped-down version of its former self (which really wasn’tRead… Read more »

How-To: Find a Mentor

Originally published in Federal Times Lily Whiteman February 8, 2010 Remember that reassuring line “I’m on your side” from the Simon & Garfunkel song, “Bridge Over Troubled Water”? Wouldn’t it be nice to have someone on your side at work — someone who would be willing and eager to offer you professional advice — aRead… Read more »

OPM Director John Berry discusses closing the government on Federal News Radio

Office of Personnel Management Director John Berry has agreed to be on the hot seat for some cold hard facts. He gave federal employees the day off today to get the driveway and sidewalks cleared from this weekend’s blizzard, just in time for the next storm. (A Winter Storm Watch now in effect for theRead… Read more »

Private & Public Abundance: The Fuel Behind the United States’ 20th-Century Rise

I just returned from a (smooth and perfect) two-weeks cross country trip through Panama, my home country. The trip had multiple purposes including reconnecting with parts of the country I had not visited in over 15 years. But, an unexpected result from this much planned journey came from an unlikely source. While driving to theRead… Read more »

Ideas on How to Open NASA? Spill!

Are you someone who knows exactly what it takes to make NASA the best agency possible? Do you doodle ideas on cocktail napkins and mail them to a NASA Center? Do you wake up early in the morning to watch Space Shuttle launches (like this morning’s 4:14 a.m. EST STS-130 launch) or stay up allRead… Read more »