Adam Grant writes in the June 2011 issue of Harvard Business Review that research shows that customers themselves are “surprisingly effective in motivating people to work harder, smarter, and more productively.” I’ve seen this phenomenon at work in government, as well as in private industry. I remember the story of a Virginia state trooper whoRead… Read more »
Here are some of the issues with traditional milestone reviews (especially in Acquisitions) as I have experienced them in the past: They are very hard to schedule for in-person meetings Engineers and other involved parties rarely review the documents ahead of time Decision makers never review the documents, always relying on the engineers or involvedRead… Read more »
While catching up on some reading, I came across an article that mentioned Maria Bartiromo’s latest book, “The 10 Laws of Enduring Success”. If that name sounds familiar, it’s because Ms. Bartiromo is the host of CNBC’s Closing Bell. Considering that we are inundated with messages about the importance of success throughout life: school (highRead… Read more »
I was reading a back issue of the “Federal Times” recently, and it contained a story about peer review as an up and coming way for agencies to resolve workplace disputes. http://www.federaltimes.com/article/20091130/PERSONNEL03/911300302/-1/RSS Peer review is decribed by proponents as an efficient, fast way to resolve workplace conflicts. In addition, according to preliminary research, peer reviewRead… Read more »
In recent hearings before the House Budget Committee, both Peter Orszag (OMB Director) and Jeffrey Zients (OMB Chief Performance Officer) have acknowledged the need to scrutinize “tax expenditures” — i.e. special tax breaks aimed at achieving specific policy goals. Mr. Zients even went so far as to express “100% agreement” with the notion of evaluatingRead… Read more »
Who would argue the fact that flour, that white powder made from ground-milled wheat, is critically important to our way of life? But despite the fact that there is flour in just about every food pantry in the planet, there are few people who would voluntarily scoop up a handful and shove it in theirRead… Read more »
It’s hard to imagine that a federal bureaucratic paperwork drill can actually be helpful to people dedicated to getting things done quickly, but that’s what I’m about to tell you. It’s sort of like medicine – it doesn’t taste good on the way down, but it sure makes you feel better in the long run.Read… Read more »
No one in the Department of Defense owns “transformation.” The term is used freely by just about anyone who wishes to make a significant change in the Department. Changes attempted under the banner of “transformation” are as varied as the people who use the word. We assume that most “transformations” are attempts to make theRead… Read more »
Do you have opinions about the Transportation Security Administration? TSA’s boss, Janet Napolitano, Secretary of DHS, would like to hear from you. Or maybe immigration is your passion, or disaster recovery — she’s listening. In its continuing robust Gov2.0 process with the public, Homeland Security this week launched its third and final online dialogue concerningRead… Read more »
This year marks the first-ever Quadrennial Homeland Security Review (QHSR), a top-to-bottom review of the Department of Homeland Security to assess our nation’s homeland security policies and priorities. Although the review is occurring in Washington, DHS knows that it won’t really be complete unless it includes input from stakeholders across the country, including other federalRead… Read more »