I am in a federal office that places a high value on innovation, yet there are so many bureaucratic obstacles to being innovative. Are there any good models you can recommend where federal programs have been both innovative and produced valuable results? -Federal Supervisor (GS-14), Department of Homeland Security I can share plenty of examplesRead… Read more »
No time has been more turbulent for leaders than the present. At least that’s what we like to think. Even a superficial review of our nation’s history, however, will show that we’ve encountered plenty of tough times. For developing leaders – often eager to move forward quickly – it’s important to slow down and studyRead… Read more »
Editor’s Note: The highly regarded enterprise IT thought leader Dion Hinchcliffe has produced yet another “must read” piece for enterprise technologists titled “The “Big Five” IT trends of the next half decade: Mobile, social, cloud, consumerization, and big data.” This is classic Dion, with compelling logic, great context, and a tremendous graphic that helps putRead… Read more »
In Appendix G, the PMBOK Guide discusses Interpersonal Skills for the project manager. In the sense of a free PMP exam guide we are currently reviewing these one by one in our weekly PMP exam tip. Let’s talk culture and politics. In today’s world, project managers operate in an environment that is more globally focusedRead… Read more »
Responding to one of its most vocal critics, the Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority (OH) agreed to prepare a report on monorail systems in other localities. Kevin Haddad, a Sylvania Township trustee, proposed a 25-mile monorail to be built largely in highway medians. “You’d have no waiting for a bus in the rain. It wouldRead… Read more »
Academics sometimes hit the nail on the head! University of Wisconsin professor Donald Moynihan, a thoughtful observer of the evolution of performance management in the U.S, along with colleague Stephane Lavertu from Ohio State, examine historical GAO survey data to understand why recent federal performance improvement initiatives haven’t resulted in the hoped-for increase use ofRead… Read more »
Just after I posted “Business Process Management As If People Mattered: Adaptive Case Management” the latest issue of the Harvard Business Review downloaded to my Color Nook. This was a special issue devoted to talent management and so I flipped through it pretty quickly until I came across “Lean Knowledge Work” (Staats and Upton, OctoberRead… Read more »
The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority expects to award a contract this month for an electronic fare payment system, according to The Inquirer. The $100 million system will allow customers to pay their fares by tapping SEPTA smart cards or bank-issued contactless credit or debit cards on an electronic reader. The system will be designed toRead… Read more »
When OneBusAway developer Brian Ferris left Seattle to join the Google Transit team in Zurich, he assured Seattle commuters that he would help “make sure the lights stay on” for the popular next-bus application. So when King County Metro Transit (WA) restructured its routes a few weeks ago, which introduced some glitches into the app,Read… Read more »
After my essay on the 9/11 Anniversary, I decided to make room for my basic Yin-Yang nature: here is an article on eight styles of humor. (The 9/11 essay, “Ten Years After: A Personal Remembrance of Sep 11th – Strategies for Grieving, Surviving and Evolving: (http://www-stressdoc-com.blogspot.com/2011/09/ten-years-after-personal-remembrance-of.html). The early-mid 20th century pioneering film-maker, artist and comedienne,Read… Read more »