I recently read a job announcement for a well-known local nonprofit organization that included the standard position description, responsibilities, skills, and personal attributes required. But it also included something atypical for a job description: the announcement listed that the candidate must possess the qualities of “passion, idealism, integrity, positive attitude, mission-driven, and self-directed.” Wow – whatRead… Read more »
I replay some conversations (in my mind) with management – to make sure I assessed the situation reasonably. I paid attention to what they said, but I really wanted to know what they thought. So I interviewed some supervisors to learn their perspective. I asked them what did they want to tell their staff, butRead… Read more »
For most of us, traveling on the government’s dime can be pretty exciting. These days, most of us don’t get to travel much anymore. So when we do, we like to make the most of it. Like most things, there is a right way and a wrong way to travel on business. Here are someRead… Read more »
Back in July, my first post as a Featured Blogger talked to how you can get more money for your program and have more early success just by releasing sooner. And while that is certainly half of the equation, the reality is you need to be releasing content that folks care about. I think thisRead… Read more »
“It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.” – Epictetus One of the hardest challenges we will ever face in life is our own thinking process. In the workplace how we think about, and react to the responsibilities and expectations placed on us will have a direct effect onRead… Read more »
I had a unique opportunity this year to go to another city and do a rotation at an agency other than my own. I learned a lot while I was there: what that agency does, how they do it, about myself, and about how to celebrate people’s personal lives at work. Many of us areRead… Read more »
Last week I was in the Philippines on a work trip with a client agency. Having done quite a bit of research on empathy for a blog post last month, I decided to practice some of the tips I uncovered during my time away from the office. It was the perfect opportunity because the clientRead… Read more »
September is the month when employees come back from vacation and work kicks into full gear. Not surprisingly, hiring picks up as businesses look to meet year-end goals with new talent. The Federal government is no exception; agencies will look to fill positions as budgets open at the beginning of the fiscal year (October 1st).Read… Read more »
When we are in conflict with someone at work, it can feel like we are in a tug-of-war (or worse). There is our way (which of course, is the right way), and their way (the not-so-right-way). When conflict feels like this, in order to move forward, it seems as though there are only twoRead… Read more »
Labor Day – that beautiful holiday in early September on one of the last summer weekends of the year that’s devoted to all of us in the American workforce. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, this holiday is “dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers,” and it “constitutes a yearly nationalRead… Read more »