I recently had the distinct pleasure of interviewing one of my favorite public servants, the Director of the Division of Community Service and Nonprofit Support at the Arkansas Department of Human Services, Sherry Middleton. With over 32 years of experience in public service through both government and nonprofit work, Sherry is a respected, influential, andRead… Read more »
Pro bono consulting –the delivery of professional services undertaken voluntarily– is a great way to enhance your professional skills while doing public service for your community. According to the Taproot Foundation, one of the larger organizations in this space: “Most organizations tackling social problems don’t have access to the marketing, design, technology, management or strategicRead… Read more »
The world of public service seems to be split into two groups, “data people” and “program people”. Whatever camp we are in, we tend to avoid the other side like last week’s laundry. For those of us who are “program people”, we have built our career around a mission of service to others. We valueRead… Read more »
This week I spent a day of Leadership Development Program discussing resiliency. Resiliency is the ability to carry on in the face of adversity, similar to grit, and, as an earlier blog pointed out, resiliency is the antidote to stress. Personal resiliency can lead to professional resiliency, which then leads to a resilient organization – an organizationRead… Read more »
The University of South Florida published a 2011 study in 2011 highlighting work productivity. On average, Americans get 14 days of vacation but use about 10. Those unused days over 5 years is equivalent to a work month. Work productivity impacts us all. As civil servants, we are a customer-focused team. To be transparent, IRead… Read more »
“Nature gives us many free “gifts” we take for granted: clean air and water; beautiful surroundings. What do some of us give back in return? Intentional or not, our gift(s) may be …pollution!”
When people hear the word “portfolio,” too often they immediately begin to see dollar signs. With Wallstreet garnering attention from news headlines to Hollywood films, it is understandable. However, your Financial Portfolio isn’t your organization’s most important portfolio. That honor resides with your IT Portfolio.
We’ve all been there: the interminable meeting. The second hand on the clock quickly eclipses the minute hand; the minute hand painstakingly defies logic and stands still. Conversation circles around the nebulous “point” of the meeting. Eyes turn to phones with less and less discretion as time ticks by. Action items are recorded but neverRead… Read more »
Before beginning my detail here at the beginning of July, I had visions of what it would be like working at the Innovation Lab at the Office of Personnel Management (also known as the Lab at OPM). I had been to its ‘Introduction to Human-Centered Design’ training, and I had reveled in the couches, whiteRead… Read more »
Stress in the workplace is always a hot topic. The normal day to day pressures of the job along with the new accepted norm of doing more with less has taken the expectation of performing under pressure to new levels.When I was looking for real solutions on how to handle stress in the workplace IRead… Read more »