Cloud based communication and collaboration services help you ease into the daunting world of cloud-based services by using the most mature product. These products offer rich features at a low price without the hassle of managing the infrastructure. The major players are Google Apps for Government and Microsoft Office 365. I have used both andRead… Read more »
When you read about getting ahead in life, many times you’ll hear people discussing cutthroat options, ruthlessness, or other ways of dealing with the competition. But we really think that it’s actually collaboration that’s the key to success. Oftentimes, being a member of a collaborative group pushes members to excel, and make them feel likeRead… Read more »
There is a pocket of space where the government and industry are working together – and doing it well. Seriously. This is not one of my (always very funny) jokes. Collaboration really is at work between federal employees and their industry counterparts. The great news? The partnerships are totally above board. Every year the AmericanRead… Read more »
A recent study, “Top Trends in Alternative Workplace Strategies,” conducted by New Ways of Working, makes some interesting points about the status of workplace mobility programs in the private sector. One point is that the most common name for these programs is “no name.” When asked about how they refer to their mobility program, manyRead… Read more »
Even before our most recent March snow day, the savings to the Federal government for employees who continue to work while at home has topped $32 million, based on a study conducted by the Global Workplace Analytics and Telework Research Network and quoted in the March 3th edition of Wired Workplace. The weather this winterRead… Read more »
GAO has issued a series of reports over the past three years identifying more than 80 areas where there is potential duplication and overlap. It observes that “agencies face a range of barriers when they attempt to work collaboratively.” On occasions, the Government Accountability Office breaks the mold for its reports and looks for thingsRead… Read more »
Sometimes to make collaboration work you need to set some ground rules. It’s easy to say, “let’s start up a google doc!” – and imagine everyone leaping in to give their ideas. But it’s not so simple as that, especially if folk haven’t had the experience or confidence in this way of working. Instead it’sRead… Read more »
Many of you may have already seen this talk by Logan Laplante. In my opinion he nails the age old question of “What do you want to be when you grow up?”. When you think about it, his answer makes perfect sense but I’m pretty sure that none of us answered it with his responseRead… Read more »
The principal difference between the 21st century workplace and the 20th century (19th century?) work culture in which so many of us live is flexibility. While some organizations have made a commitment to an outcomes-based approach to meeting mission objectives, others are still stuck in a compliance culture that values by-the-book processes and policies overRead… Read more »
Agency and program leaders depend on a range of mission support functions, such as finance, technology, acquisition, or workforce management, to get their jobs done. The delivery of these functions, however, have changed significantly over the past quarter century. Twenty-five years ago, federal agencies typically did not have key executives leading mission support functions. TheseRead… Read more »