Innovation can happen at your office every day – when employees find new solutions to challenges, big and small. Learning how to be innovative helps you to be more effective and satisfied at work.
I am attending the Florida Sterling Council’s Annual Conference in Orlando next week as a Sterling Examiner going into my fourth year. Sterling is the Florida Governor’s version of the nationally recognized Malcom Baldrige Presidential program; they are not-for-profit and serve both public and private entities. Both programs are dedicated to improving the performance ofRead… Read more »
I hate word “bureaucracy” because it degrades public sector workers at all levels. For many reasons, countless pejorative metaphors, theories, and political actions about public sector workers have decorated the iron cage. Public sector staff can weave webs supporting real collaboration, see contacts outside the hierarchy and rules; they seek out connections with people who… Read more »
Back in 2009, the movie the Hangover introduced us to the ultimate Wolfpack. In the film, the oddball character Alan, played wonderfully by Zach Galifianakis, toasts his future brother-in-law during his bachelor party. “You guys might not know this, but I consider myself a bit of a loner. I tend to think of myself as aRead… Read more »
I have had the great pleasure of the last two years to be a part of a team that is working to support the execution of innovation projects for the VA Center for Innovation. The VA Center for Innovation “identifies, tests, and evaluates new approaches to meet the current and future needs of Veterans throughRead… Read more »
EIS is the main component of the Network Services 2020 (NS2020) Strategy. It will replace GSA’s Networx and regional and local contracts, which many agencies currently use to acquire best-value IT, telecom, and infrastructure. Agencies will start to transition in 2017.
When things are running smoothly, a lot of us find it hard to push ourselves and think creatively. However, when someone challenges us to find new ways of doing things, we’re more inclined to think outside of the box and innovate. For instance, think of the reality show ‘Top Chef’. The challenge of the competitionRead… Read more »
Internal customer surveys are a good way to find out how support services are functioning, and they can yield valuable insights that promote innovation, help retain talent, increase job satisfaction and encourage continuous improvement. They can also increase the overall performance of the government, because an organization that cares about its employees’ opinions and acts… Read more »
Innovation is a big buzzword all over the business world. It’s taken off in the private sector, with companies such as Apple or Tesla constantly pushing boundaries in terms of creativity and delivery. In these organizations, there is a culture of innovation, where it is encouraged and rewarded. But what about the public sector? WhatRead… Read more »
The Partnership for Public Service, Deloitte and the Hay Group, as part of an analysis of the 2014 Best Places to Work in the Federal Government data looked at innovation trends from the eyes of federal employees. The results released in April 2015, were not surprising. Innovation is a dirty word in the federal sector.Read… Read more »