Dear U.S. Taxpayer: A How-To on Collaboration
As a govie, I often find myself framing things as a letter in my mind that starts with “Dear U.S. Taxpayer.”It’s a great way to remind myself that what I’m working on is connected to something larger.
Posts Tagged: featured blogger
Want to Increase Your Team’s Efficiency? Think Like an Engineer
The tech community has proven to be fast, agile and efficient. And because the majority of the tech industry is fueled by engineers, there may be something government can learn from them.
An Alternative to Worrying
As leaders moving through tumultuous or challenging times, our instinct is to reassure staff who are worried about uncertainty and potential problems that lie ahead. Although our intentions are good and our inclination is to help, we often want to come to the rescue. An alternative to being a fixer is to simply help our… Read more »
Networking: 8 Ways to Start a Conversation
British poet, David Whyte, once noted, “A real conversation always contains an invitation. You are inviting another person to reveal herself or himself to you, to tell you who they are or what they want.”
What Netflix Can Do for Government
The credo of “people over process” is probably the cultural Netflix norm most adoptable by government at all levels. It starts with giving people more say in their work, the information they need to make good decisions and candor about group and institutional performance – at all levels of the organization.
Give Teams Intriguing Puzzles to Solve: Part 2
When an opportunity is properly seeded and people can see it for themselves, intellectual energy is naturally created. The next step is to focus that energy by providing a challenge in such a way that it creates a huge stretch for a team or organization.
Put a Face on the Issue: Part 1
To put a face on it is to make something seem more real or easier to understand or make something human. Let’s honor the people who served our country, paying a price that was either small, big or ultimate.
Playlist for Govies and Citizens
Government encounters can be stressful. Many of us laugh, afterwards, about the ridiculousness that ensued. Applying these songs to your next encounter could lighten up the mood.
Incivility in the Workplace
A study from Michigan State University has found that incivility costs an average of $14,000 per employee in lost production and work time. As a result, more and more organizations are developing the “gold standard of workplace safety,” a concept which originated from the health care industr
A Helpful Four-Letter Word for Government Offices and Agencies
While most agencies and government offices focus their online communication efforts via Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram, there is an extremely valuable platform that these offices can take advantage of. It’s the four letter word…B-L-O-G.