My team helps support creative practice in the Scottish Government: encouraging and equipping staff to come forward with, and implement, ideas that will improve our corporate systems and our policy making. Sometimes what we do can seem a bit like magic. We come in, sprinkle a bit of fairy dust over a problem and ‘hey presto’,Read… Read more »
There are lots of jobs with stigmas attached to them. I think it’s safe to say we’ve all heard at least one or two lawyer jokes in our lifetime. Speaking of which… A lawyer walks into a bar. Just kidding…I’m not going down that road. Government employees sometimes get a bad rap, but the truthRead… Read more »
When your workload grows and your budget shrinks, professional development often gets pushed to the back burner. Here are some ideas about finding training and development opportunities despite the obstacles. Updating Your Individual Development Plan (IDP) – There are a variety of ways government employees make use of development plans, and not all processes are ofRead… Read more »
Women’s History Month presents us with an opportunity to shine a spotlight on the incredible achievements of women everywhere. One inspiring woman who is still making history today is U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski of Maryland (pictured above). She is the longest serving woman in the history of Congress, extending her record with each passing day.Read… Read more »
Amazing! Time certainly has flown by, as a GovLoop Featured Blogger. But, as they say, ‘all good things must come to an end’. I will certainly miss sharing both experiences and lessons learned over decades, as well as the insightful feedback some of you have left me. Following is a series of ‘random thoughts’ coveringRead… Read more »
In present day government land you might roll your eyes or even cringe a little when you hear workplace fads that have been overused like innovation, diversity and going green. But what about synergy? Yes, there was a major push in the early 2000s for fostering synergy in the workplace but it is a conceptRead… Read more »
Chris Dorobek’s March 18, 2015 program, “The Lowdown on Digital Services,” didn’t focus on innovation, but his guests’ ideas were all about it. Martha Doris, Rick Parrish, and Hannah Moss described Federal Government efforts to improve customer experience. Their comments about value as the point of a good customer experience are what innovation is supposedRead… Read more »
As government leaders, we place a high priority on serving the public well, and rightfully so. But often our customers not only external to our organizations; our customers are often our colleagues in the next office, or in a nearby agency. These internal customers deserve our best customer service, too. What does really great internalRead… Read more »
Pay more attention to what you are clicking. Smart computer habits prevent mass network disruption.
Gummy bears, double-stuffed Oreos, birthday cake, buffalo wings, chocolate chip cookies from Costco, Taco Bell and homemade fudge – yes please! No I’m sorry, I actually meant to say no thank you (but in my heart I still meant yes). These are just a few of the goodies I’ve encountered on a regular basis atRead… Read more »