In the seminal military treatise, The Art of War, author Sun Tzu writes, “In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity.” This maxim holds true during workplace transitions. Change for Govies is constant, taking on varying forms. Whether it’s a system upgrade, turnover, reorganization, or downsizing, it is bound to happen at your agency.Read… Read more »
Attracting and retaining talent is a challenge for many public sector organizations, especially in light of an aging workforce and an upsurge of retirees. One effective method to uncover the reasons employees jump ship, be it to the private sector or elsewhere in the public sector, is the exit interview. What is an exit interview?Read… Read more »
Many of us govies spend a lot of time at work surrounded by drab-colored cubicle walls with limited privacy or personal space. Although I long for the day that I will have a door and dream for the time when I will be able to control my own lighting (bye-bye harsh fluorescents), I have foundRead… Read more »
In my recent posting on ‘ceiling diplomacy‘ I gave names to elements of office dynamics. Below I‘ve provided a list of additional words that fit the bill. The below terms, definitions and usage will help you communicate your frustrations about office politics more effectively. 1) me-signments (noun) – Assignments you’ve taken upon yourself (i.e., FamilyRead… Read more »
Staying in the same job for your entire career is not a typical scenario for most government workers, making interviewing for jobs a necessary evil. Believe it or not if you prepare correctly, you can blow away the competition and never again be caught unprepared during an interview. In last week’s post about writing aRead… Read more »
Project managers navigate through uncharted waters, which can be exciting and/or challenging. The Business Dictionary defines project management as the body of knowledge concerned with principles, techniques, and tools used in planning, control, monitoring, and review of projects. My definition is a person who wears many hats at any given moment. I am networking with more tenured projectRead… Read more »
Looking back through almost 25 years of federal employment, I’ve seen a noticeable decline in workplace camaraderie and socializing within my organization. I’m not the only one seeing this; others have noticed this trend as well. I sent out a survey to a few retirees and long-term co-workers in an attempt to coarsely gage any trends acrossRead… Read more »
It is easy to manage, budget, and lead when times are good. But, now is the time when the good leaders can separate themselves from the pack. Take advantage of the downturn by positioning your teams for long term success, and be wary of any changes that will have a negative impact on your culture.
Of the original five “cleanest” cities from RD, only Portland and Columbus made my list. Sadly, two RD cities appeared on recent T+L/FORBES “dirty” lists and were excluded, as were most major California, Texas, Southern, Eastern and Midwestern cities.
I love many things about my job. The agency has a meaningful and worthwhile mission that I believe in. I share a mutual respect with my supervisor. I enjoy real friendships with a few of my coworkers and professionally appreciate many more. There are perks to my job: I can work from home sometimes, I’mRead… Read more »