Criticism is an unavoidable consequence of success. No one escapes it. Presidents are criticized. Even mother Theresa was criticized. Harsh criticism takes the wind out of our sails. It sometimes makes us want to give up. Sometimes, it leaves us with doubts that hobble us for days or even decades. Even constructive criticism can keepRead… Read more »
The DorobekINSIDER Issue of the Week: The Washington Post has declared that GSA clearly had the worst week in Washington. This week, GSA administrator Martha Johnson resigned amid allegations of excessive spending at a conference. GSA Inspector General Brian Miller issued a report detailing contracting irregularities and excessive spending after a Las Vegas conference. TheRead… Read more »
(Guest post) Last Wednesday I volunteered as a Washington Academy of Sciences Science Fair Judge at Paint Branch High School. I was a bit nervous, because I never judged a Science Fair before, and my only experiences judging young adults and children were for student horse shows. When I arrived, a nice student led meRead… Read more »
Einstein’s ubiquitous quote about the definition of insanity as “doing the same thing over and over while expecting a different result,” is so widely used because we see this behavior all the time, particularly in election season. Armed with enthusiasm and often more money than sense, candidates dutifully make the rounds telling crowds what everyoneRead… Read more »
Marking the 20-year anniversary of the Year of the Woman, Karen Tumulty’s front-page Washington Post article details the never-ending challenges of gender parity in American politics. While an informative piece about the United States’ 78th world ranking in woman’s representation in national legislatures, tied with Turkmenistan for those keeping track, it reflects a flawed conventionalRead… Read more »
Urban Interactive Studio (UIS), LLC is offering a 15% discount on EngagingPlans Pro-Subscription to all NCDD members who are looking for a cost-effective way to use the Web to facilitate communication with the public throughout their projects. Like all our fellow NCDD members, we are deeply rooted in the belief that we can make ourRead… Read more »
One reason the word “telework” seems inadequate to describe how we want to change the workplace is that it suggests that our focus is only on how people can be effective when they work at home. But that’s not really what it’s all about. The Workplace of the Future is about people working where, when,Read… Read more »
We are looking at the possibility of developing an in-house online security awareness training program for our employees. We currently contract out with a hosted solution, however, it is pricey. I was looking around on the web, found very few online training programs that were short. I think one I found was like a 10-hourRead… Read more »
I’m a big believer in the ancillary benefits of a single big goal. Set a goal that has one clear objective, but as a result a bunch of other things have to change as well. So one of my favourite Big Hairy Audacious Goals (BHAG) for an organization is to go paperless. I like theRead… Read more »
(Note: This post was written by Mark Headd, Code for America’s new Director of Government Relations.) When I finished my undergraduate studies at a small state university in upstate New York almost 20 years ago, I wanted to make a difference. This desire led me to volunteer for my first (but not my last) politicalRead… Read more »