Building Resilient Teams

No matter how savvy, smart, and cooperative your team, challenges can shake up any rhythm, discourage those involved, and derail progress. Resilience is the secret to learning from mistakes and growing stronger after a major challenge. Building resilience starts with team culture.

5 Tips on How to Have A Tough Conversation At Work

We’ve probably all been a part of difficult conversations that went spectacularly wrong. There were meltdowns, hard feelings – maybe even ruined relationships. Because of this it can be hard to want to bring up a difficult subject when the need arises. We brace ourselves for confrontation, and put off the conversation as long as… Read more »

What Is Innovation? Says Who?

Innovation is a broad topic talked about in ways which confuse the subject. It’s also a subject that generates a wide range of reactions. This blog defines innovation and views it through three lenses – customer, organization, individual – to bring into focus what it might mean for you. I like to use a definitionRead… Read more »

What I Learned About Working in Government from Long Distance Running

When I’m not saving the world as a federal government employee, I enjoy long distance running. My relatively short legs do not quite paint the picture of an elegant, gazelle-like runner, but I have laser-like determination, a “never quit” attitude, and perseverance for days.  When I run, I am able to tune out many everydayRead… Read more »

The Leadership Strengths of Introverts

It’s no secret that extroverts hold the majority of leadership roles in the professional world. When you call to mind a high level executive, you probably picture someone with an outgoing personality and commanding presence, instead of a quiet, reflective individual. A USA Today study even found that 65 percent of senior level managers believeRead… Read more »

Leadership Development and Selection in a VUCA World

Likely you’ve heard the term VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity) and, perhaps, some agencies have begun utilizing the acronym in long-term strategic planning. But have you thought about its application in leadership selection and development? Here are some considerations to think about. Recently, at an international conference relating to assessment center methods, I listenedRead… Read more »

DOD’s Better Buying Power – A Path to Meaningful Acquisition Reform

Today, the IBM Center for The Business of Government is pleased to release a new report, “Beyond Business as Usual: Improving Defense Acquisition through Better Buying Power,” by Zachary S. Huitink and David M. Van Slyke of Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. The U.S. Government spends nearly $500 billion every yearRead… Read more »