Miscellaneous

What is IT “Success”?

We consistently read about IT “Failure” and how much it costs organizations each year, but how often do we actually read about IT “Success”. What is IT success? How do we know when we have achieved it? Why is it so elusive? To read the full article go to http://trituns.wordpress.com/2010/03/29/it-success/

Calling all healthy chefs… Anyone competing in Feds Get Fit?

Welcome colleagues, friends, and fellow Feds to my very FIRST blog post. Please bear with me as I tell my story… On my thirtieth birthday, I made a “to-do” list for the year, a bucket list of sorts, of activities and crazy things I have always wanted to do. There is no rhyme or reasonRead… Read more »

Gov 2.0 Efforts are Selfish, and Rightly Should Be

Last week at a Gov 2.0 event sponsored by Fedscoop I had great conversations with several government 2.0 rockstars. But one conversation and one statement in particular really resonated with me. Gwynne Kostin from GSA, in her brilliance, said: “Participation and collaboration are selfish activities. Most people don’t participate or collaborate without wanting to gainRead… Read more »

TSP Talk – Buy the Dip?

Weekly TSP Wrap-up from TSP Talk Looking for a buyable pullback The markets were on a bit of a roller coaster ride last week as we saw everything from the healthcare bill getting passed, to ongoing bailout talks for Greece, and a suspicious sinking of a South Korean naval ship, all affecting the direction ofRead… Read more »

Career Disruption Stress or Surviving “The Jack Benny Dilemma”: When It Really Is “Your Money or Your Life”

This week I was the keynote speaker at the Forty Plus annual dinner (www.40plus-dc.org/), a volunteer-based, Washington, DC, career transition/support group. In general, members are white collar types, e.g., federal employees, managers, IT professionals, academics, even some entrepreneurs, who are “in between jobs.” With only 20 minutes of speaking time, my subject was definitely apt,Read… Read more »

Think your customers/citizens are stupid? Guess who their leader is…

Providing great services and products is difficult for businesses, government agencies, everyone. It is easy to blame the customers, or the citizens, for not understanding the complexity of issues ranging from how to install your product to the need for building permits. While, to be honest, there a likely a couple of knowledge-challenged people amongRead… Read more »

Filling Gaps in US Commerce Department Leadership

President Obama has filled two vital leadership posts in the US Department of Commerce, announcing the appointment of a new Under Secretary for International Trade, and a new Under Secretary of Commerce for Export Administration and head of the Bureau of Industry and Security. Eric L. Hirschhorn, the nominee for Under Secretary of Commerce forRead… Read more »

IT”S ONLY A SAFETY PIN! A true story by Meyer Moldeven How might adolescents and teenagers of this 21st century relate to and communicate with grandparents and the elderly? Based on a real encounter, this story tells what happened during my chance meeting with a young adult. He was about 17; I was in myRead… Read more »