It isn’t often that this happens, but sometimes I do have the debate with other people as to what constitutes “professional” behavior or “professional” outfits or a “professional, high-quality communication product.” On its face, the debate may appear to center on substance. That is, the content of a particular document, photograph or video. But in my view, it’sRead… Read more »
Some communication tasks are highly valuable. For those you really need to pay what they’re worth. Take branding for example. Many people pass themselves off as brand strategists, brand gurus, brand visionaries, brand designers, brand ideationists, brand creatives, brand disruptors, brand innovators, and on and on. Most of them are not good at what they do. BecauseRead… Read more »
A good meeting is a magical thing. Ideas flow, decisions are made, and everyone leaves invigorated and ready to take on the world. The problem is that good meetings – like most magical things – are rare beasts indeed. What should be a fantastic team tool often turns into a slogging, frustrating experience where nothing gets accomplishedRead… Read more »
To mark the start of Public Sector Innovation Month 2015 in Australia, here’s a set of awesome and inspiring quotes from a diverse group of women and men who have dared to make a difference. Join the activities this July and be inspired to Dream, Dare, Do.
May I ask you a personal question? If you don’t mind, take a few minutes to look back over the past five years of your life. Are you now where you’d thought you’d be now that it’s five years later? Be honest. Have you: Started that great business you had in your head five yearsRead… Read more »
“Get smart” means paying attention to co-workers, friends, family, spouse, or a partner. Nothing brings more stress to interpersonal relationships than carrying frustrations home after work. Get smart means getting smart. Being aware of all this takes work. Being smart about the law, political motivations, and social context is part of our job. It is… Read more »
A drive for self-improvement is crucial for career success, but too often we tend to focus on our weaknesses at the expense of building up our strengths. While it’s great to shore up skills that are lacking, it’s equally important to celebrate and improve on your natural talents. Why? Because it’s your strengths that willRead… Read more »
How often do you ask yourself the following question: Am I reaching my full potential? Thought leaders Marcus Buckingham, Dan Pink, Geoff Colvin and Malcolm Gladwell have. They all recommend different roads to the ultimate goal of maximum human achievement. For Buckingham, the key is playing to your strengths. He suggests we should be askingRead… Read more »
Listening can be a tough communication skill to master. Luckily, the active listening method can help you improve your skills.
This is the second installment of “Build Better Forms,” a series in which we review online government forms and suggest some improvements. As we discussed in our first post, a clear and intuitive form reaps many benefits: lower data processing costs, fewer support requests, higher completion rates, and greater citizen satisfaction. Let’s run through threeRead… Read more »