This week I met with Dale Carpenter, the National Park Service’s (NPS) Distance Learning (DL) Program Manager, to collect some thoughts about the current and future state of DL in government. Dale’s unique perspective includes experience from years of service in both the public and private sector. What does a day look like inRead… Read more »
There’s a lot of talk about innovation in the federal government, and with it comes talk of failing fast. The two go together in a useful, integrated way, but I hear little discussion of what either concept means. At least not in terms that managers can use. A definition of innovation I like is doingRead… Read more »
You not only have great communication skills, you’ve trained employees before. So training those in other agencies/organizations is really no big deal. Right? Well, I’m here to tell you that there are many pitfalls to avoid and tips for success. What makes me qualified to offer you this advice? I’ve designed dozens of training sessionsRead… Read more »
I’ve never worked in knowledge management, but I do work in learning and development, and it’s always fun to find new applications for the Pareto principle. You know, the one where 80% of outputs are the result of 20% of the inputs…or something like that. In learning applications, Lombardo & Eichinger’s 70-20-10 rule is often citedRead… Read more »
For so many of us in the professions, we’ve spent our adult work lives acquiring and perfecting skills that are designed to take us on a path to success. But as a Civil Service officer, what happens when we get to the top of our career ladders? We’re at the highest grade and we’ve essentiallyRead… Read more »
In addition to my Federal gig, I have a side job that I adore: I’m an adjunct professor at a local college. I don’t do it for the money (I often wonder if it costs more for them to prepare and print my W2 than to pay me for a semester). It’s a labor ofRead… Read more »
Three previous blogs examined how innovation causes conflict and how individuals can make it constructive. This blog offers techniques for groups to make conflict constructive in the service of innovation. Recall our definition of conflict: A situation in which two or more parties contend over something valued, with the intent of prevailing. The goal isRead… Read more »
I love the way this video clip portrays some of the communication barriers and group dynamics associated with virtual conferencing. For me, it also calls into question the format of most of our meetings. Virtual meetings often make it easier for more attendees to participate, and as a virtual worker, I get it! But I also haveRead… Read more »
I recently completed the Esri Technical Certification Skills Review for ArcGIS Desktop. It was an online, instructor-led, two-day class in preparation for taking the certification test. To say the least, I have some catching up to do. I would like to talk about staying current in GIS through training and utilizing multiple platforms to acquireRead… Read more »
I’ve always loved to learn new things. It doesn’t matter what it is or where I am, the wheels in my head are always turning. This quality really comes in handy in my job as a public affairs specialist for the Department of the Army. I’m responsible for examining, processing and managing information for myRead… Read more »