Posts Tagged: management

Accumulated Wisdom

The Urban Institute’s Harry Hatry is one of the pioneers of the late 20th century performance measurement movement. He has just released a new guide on transforming performance measurement that sums his best practical advice in one place. Harry Hatry is legendary. His indefatigable commitment to measuring government performance stretches back to his days asRead… Read more »

The Grey Tsunami Problem: Why It’s Really About Communication

The “grey tsunami” was a big topic at my agency a few years back. The expectation was that up to 70% of the agency’s workforce would take early retirement. Massive amounts of tacit knowledge would be lost. In preparation, my team attempted to “crowdsource” the knowledge of the experienced staff. We wanted to convert thatRead… Read more »

What is a Project? A Simple Question with a Very Difficult Answer

This is a seemingly simple question, at least, for a certified project manager. After all we all know that a project is an “endeavor that has a definite start and an end, undertaken to deliver a unique product a service”. Usually this definition is followed by a couple of illustrative examples: Creation of the firstRead… Read more »

Don’t Have Any Work To Do?

  After reading a recent article from Government Executive, This May Be the Worst Abuse of Federal Telework Ever, I started reflecting on who is at fault when government agencies waste your tax dollars. The article talked about how several employees at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) were spending their telework days doingRead… Read more »

5 Lessons I Didn’t Learn in a Seminar

As a public sector employee for over fifteen years, I’ve attended seminars and workshops on a variety of subjects and logged in to webinars to learn from others in online classrooms. With rare exceptions, I always come away with a valuable lesson, idea or new perspective. However, a few of the most valuable lessons I’veRead… Read more »

Designing a Difference in Public Health

  Designers are more commonly known for conceiving and crafting interiors, graphics, and clothing but the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) has partnered with design professionals to develop innovative strategies aimed at reducing the city’s rates of unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among teens. Suzanne Elder, program director for CDPH’s Office ofRead… Read more »

How to Improve Your Career by Boosting Your Emotional Intelligence

We’re blogging from the Next Generation of Government Training Summit. Follow along @NextGenGov and read more blog posts here. Think of a leader you admire. Now, write down 3-5 characteristics of that leader that you admire about the way that they manage and work with others. What are those words you wrote down? This isRead… Read more »

The Double Down Strategy of Contract Management Risk

By Mike Ipsaro, PMP, CCE/A In blackjack, there is a strategy known as doubling down, in which players double their bet to get one more card in addition to their two card hand. Doubling down increases players’ chances of winning, just like risk management increases the chances of success during a contract’s lifecycle. Risk isRead… Read more »