It is the start of a new year and time for another tall tale. As I’ve said just a few times, I am a retired Senior Executive (GSA) and the author of a recently published book, Confessions of a Government Man: How to Succeed in Any Bureaucracy. This blog can truly be called a “confession”Read… Read more »
That may be our good friend George W. in the picture, but according to Emily Long of Government Executive, there might still be a raise in it! The pay freeze won’t halt all raises! This is good news for military, U.S. Postal Service workers, and Postal Regulatory Commission employees. Long also states that the fridgedRead… Read more »
USAID (United States Agency for International Development) Most of us on GovLoop are a) employed and b) educated, but we all have children or know children who can benefit from the USAID’s Intern Program. Applications for “paid” programs preclude a security clearance – check with the USAID to determine if the window of opportunity isRead… Read more »
OK fellow Feds, our pay is frozen for two years. I can live with it, but I’m not happy about it. The trend in the news seems to be attacks on state workers. I say “Welcome to the club!!” Us Feds were getting kind of lonely being picked on exclusively. Now state employee’s can joinRead… Read more »
By Leonard Sipes We are witnessing a fundamental shift in how people communicate. There are few times in world history where that happens and we are witnessing major change right now. For centuries, we traded information about concepts, products and beliefs face-to-face. All that changed with social media and the internet (see “When Did WeRead… Read more »
You may or may not have seen game designer Jane McGonigal’s TED talk, which lofts the idea that video games may actually be one of our paths to saving the world. Her argument is based in part on the feeling gamers typically experience–that is, confidence that they can succeed, patience when they don’t, and determinationRead… Read more »
As 2010 is now officially in the books, one issue that we can expect to continue its trend in 2011 is contract protests. An interesting piece in the November-December 2011 Defense AT&L magazine discussed this issue, and illustrates the realities of the federal contracting environment. Mainly, budgets are tightening, competition for those shrinking dollars isRead… Read more »
There is no question that 2010 will go down as the year that social media became a normal part of the communications arsenal for the Department of Defense. The year began with a withering battle raging over embracing the medium at all and finished with its near wholesale adoption across the department. While still aRead… Read more »
A guide to avoiding these five traps, and successfully implementing public initiatives. by Russ Linden Implementation… is, ultimately, what government is all about,” wrote Gordon Chase, a civil servant, in How to Manage in the Public Sector. But implementing programs is filled with speed bumps and landmines. How does one negotiate them successfully? Authors BillRead… Read more »
Ah, a new calendar year! A fresh start! Time to look at the year ahead and figure out how we can make the best of it. So, what goals would I set as a government communicator? Three things jump to the top of my list. Develop and implement a governmentwide customer service strategy Most ofRead… Read more »