YGL – The Importance of Mentors

Another great note from our series of cross-posts from Young Government Leaders. If you haven’t joined already, sign up. Check out the original post at: http://www.younggovernmentleaders.org/blog.htm ———– Throughout your career, regardless of private or public employment, it is important to think about your mentors. Who are your mentors? Do you have mentors? What role areRead… Read more »

GovLoop’s Bureaucrat on Sports

Welcome to the Hokie Guru’s inaugural post on GovLoop. The Hokie Guru commonly refers to himself in the third person, similar to Jimmy from Seinfeld. However, please do not refer to yourself in the third person when you are writing in the federal government. Remember; use “plain language.” GovLoop has endorsed the Hokie Guru asRead… Read more »

Leadership: Caesar or Machiavelli?

There comes a time in your career when you must decide what sort of role you will occupy in your company or agency. Will you be worker bee, one who focuses on the tasks at hand and keeps the wheels turning? Will you be a bean counter, making sure all the I’s are dotted andRead… Read more »

YGL – Take Control of Your Financial Future

GovLoop will continue to feature the weekly blog from Young Government Leaders. Here’s another great post from Young Government Leaders courtesy of President Kate Walker. Check out the original post and attend their upcoming event. —————————– Numerous studies have found a majority of Americans are not prepared for retirement and face the prospect of havingRead… Read more »

Rule #2: “Honesty is measured by telling the boss what he/she needs to hear not by whether you keep your hand out of the cookie jar”

Rule #2: “Honesty is measured by telling the boss what he/she needs to hear not by whether you keep your hand out of the cookie jar” The vast majority of employees in the workplace can be trusted to deal honestly with money and materials (yes I know everyone has the experience of someone constantly violatingRead… Read more »

A Greener Government

newsletter_ july08.pdf Forest Service Chief Gail Kimbell has mandated that the agency green up its operations. It’s now part of our official mission to make our operations more sustainable — by reducing our carbon footprint, by reducing our waste stream, and by managing the forests to help mitigate climate change. It’s so refreshing to seeRead… Read more »

YGL – Taking Control of Your Federal Career

Starting today, Young Government Leaders will cross-post their weekly blog on GovLoop. This is a great series written by the executive board of YGL with topics ranging from mentoring, leadership, to managing life outside the office. Please check out the original blog at the YGL website We will begin by posting a few of myRead… Read more »

Rule #1: The test of ethical behavior is always “would your mother approve?”

Back in the 1980”s (you remember the 80’s-the “me generation”, big hair, bad rock and roll), institutions began to develop courses on ethical behavior in response to a perceived lack of ethical behavior in the workplace (venerable Harvard Law School placed an ethics course in their curriculum which generated more then a modest amount ofRead… Read more »