I won’t bury the lede: after five-and-a-half years, I have left the IBM Center for the Business of Government. Starting on Friday, I will be the Social Media Director for the American Association for the Advancement of Science. During this brief interregnum, I have jury duty, which I find very satisfying. One of the reasonsRead… Read more »
This week marks my fourth week on detail to the Office of Personnel Management’s Innovation Lab, commonly known as The Lab at OPM. If you’re not familiar with the Lab, it was created as a space to encourage creative problem solving within the government. Modeled after visits to companies known for creativity and innovation inRead… Read more »
The way you hold yourself projects subtle clues to those around you. Whether or not you’re aware of it, you’re providing ideas about your trustworthiness, openness, and social stature. We all take on certain body language cues depending on how we’re feeling. If you’re feeling confident and in charge, you’ll naturally expand to take upRead… Read more »
Awhile back, Steve Crescenzo came up with the idea of the “C.R.A.P. Awards” to designate worthless employee communication that says nothing, means nothing, and interests no one. (This article is worth a read.) A couple of problems: #1: Getting approval Social media is simple and reductive. Subject matter experts think in complex terms and prefer toRead… Read more »
Competition for jobs is fierce in today’s economy. According to Forbes, a typical job posting attracts 118 applicants! With this in mind, jobseekers need to be proactive in seeking opportunities to learn and refine skills. Last week, I attended an Economic Measurement Seminar organized by the National Association of Business Economists (NABE). It took placeRead… Read more »
It seems like an easy enough task, right? Getting along with your co-workers. But they’ve got a few little teeny, tiny annoying habits. Or maybe, instead, it’s a giant ego. What can you do when your co-workers drive you crazy? Good working relationships take more than luck While you may have lucked out in yourRead… Read more »
You’re stuck in the middle. LITERALLY. As middle management you get the seemingly impossible task of not just managing those who report to you, but the delicate balance of working with other managers AND keeping your boss happy (which generally means keeping his/her boss happy). So how do you keep both ends of the spectrumRead… Read more »
Delegating isn’t a skill that comes easily to most people. But if you’re a manager, it’s a crucial one to learn. The simple fact is that one person can’t do it all – and if you try to, you’ll just be asking for a bad case of burnout. Not to mention that overwhelming yourself canRead… Read more »
For those who aren’t familiar with USAJobs, usajobs.gov is a single, centralized site devoted to finding federal jobs. It is a cross-departmental and cross-agency platform, meaning that it lists jobs with the EPA, FDA, USDA, and many other departments and agencies. There’s a wide variety of criteria that you can use to search the database,… Read more »
Are you considering hanging up your cleats and (finally!) joining your retired friends in the stress-free world of retirement? … by Gary Fouts