What is one thing managers can do to increase creativity, productivity, and commitment by their employees? A recent study by two psychologists, Teresa Amabile and Steven Kramer, concludes: “If you focus on supporting the daily progress of people working in your organization, you will not only foster the success of the organization but also enrichRead… Read more »
There are a lot of stereotypes about people who work in government. Meet real government employees though and you quickly realize that most of the negative stereotypes are unfair. No matter where in government you work, and whether it’s at the local, regional, or national level, chances are that you’ve got coworkers that fit one ofRead… Read more »
Mentoring has long been an effective informal career development tactic in many government agencies. In a testimony to Congress, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management’s Associate Director and Chief Human Capital Officer Nancy H. Kichak described the use of mentoring by federal agencies: “Mentoring is critical and can happen in many ways – through formalRead… Read more »
Let’s face it: we all have a work life and a home/personal life. Some choose to combine the two and others prefer to keep them separated. Either way can be done as it is a personal choice. One of the most challenging aspects of having a career and a family is separating one from the other.Read… Read more »
When managers can successfully delegate duties within their team, the entire organization benefits. The art of leadership rewards managers so they don’t have to do it all. Synergy makes the group stronger and more meaningful to the individuals comprising the team, including the manager. Leaders want to work with other leaders, not micromanagers who hoard… Read more »
An informal mentor can be a great career development resource, whether you are trying to manage work/life balance, navigate career decisions, or develop new skills.
I am attending the Florida Sterling Council’s Annual Conference in Orlando next week as a Sterling Examiner going into my fourth year. Sterling is the Florida Governor’s version of the nationally recognized Malcom Baldrige Presidential program; they are not-for-profit and serve both public and private entities. Both programs are dedicated to improving the performance ofRead… Read more »
In my newspaper reporting days, when I started really digging into stories, I would run into two basic types of sources. One type would decline comment or be defensive, even if the news story is directly about them. Sometimes it was carried to an extreme, such as an encounter I had way back in theRead… Read more »
By now we all know that federal customer experience (CX) is disastrously weak, and that improving it will boost both agency operations and the health of the political system. We’ve also seen some pockets of hope popping up, as I predicted a few months ago. For instance: The Department of Education’s new portal is complete,Read… Read more »
For many people, staying the course, especially if things are going well, is the safest and easiest way forward. Moving away from the status quo and “the way it’s done” is difficult emotionally as well as intellectually. The same can hold true for federal agencies. As much as leadership may want to embrace change and… Read more »