To be frank, I am in a rush to write this blog. It’s among the last tasks I have before leaving the office for my onward assignment. Haven’t we all been here? So, in my last blog (for now) for GovLoop, I thought I’d share some FAQs that I’ve encountered over the years about lifeRead… Read more »
With few exceptions, I have had stellar colleagues aside whom I am proud to work. I’ve worked with teams to achieve tremendous results and quantifiable impacts based on our decisions, projects or action. Without unseemly boasting here, I have always felt that the taxpayer got more than its fair share from my salary. (Most days).Read… Read more »
As I get ready to head back overseas after spending three years in the U.S., I am already wondering about the technological advances (or lack thereof) that I will encounter as I re-enter Embassy life. As an example, I curiously posted a question in an online forum whether our medical records (which are required toRead… Read more »
You’ve got ideas! You want to change your office/unit/department for the better and know how to do it! You’ve worked it all out! But no one is listening. Or if they listened, things remain at the status-quo. Or if they want do implement change, it’s happening with the efficiency of the Pony Express. Has thisRead… Read more »
Leaders (and everyone reading this is a leader irrespective of title or duties): sweat the small stuff. Notice details and pay attention to the invisible dynamics around you. In our ever-evolving world, yesterday’s intern could be your future boss. Chuckle at your peril… Much has been written about situational leadership, including the excellent theory positedRead… Read more »
It’s rare that a group in Silicon Valley becomes speechless. When a colleague kept us spellbound during a staff meeting regaling his tales of filming a video blurb in Navajo Nation a few weeks ago, I knew this was a story for the masses. Navajo Nation, the largest area belonging to Native Americans, comprising threeRead… Read more »
“No” is often not the worst answer. No reply is the absolute pits. It leaves the asker hanging and sometimes unable to determine and/or implement an alternative plan. Yet this phenomenon plagues an increasing number of people in today’s world. Are too many people adrift in a Kafkaesque combination of a messy e-mail inbox and/orRead… Read more »
I recently returned from vacation with over 900 e-mails in my inbox. In today’s world that might make someone seem important, but a good chunk of these messages were unsolicited. Sure, I might have known the sender (or company), but I did not asked to be sent their list of upcoming events, special reports orRead… Read more »
I still remember looking longingly at the Safeway “Help Wanted” ads offering $9/hour to bag groceries while I slogged away at yet another unpaid government internship. Like most other DC-based grad students, I regarded unpaid internships as a rite of passage. Yet the trade-off — a rich, rewarding internship experience — was not always partRead… Read more »
In launching our innovation program, my colleagues and I surprisingly received the most push-back from our most innovative colleagues. “We’re already innovating!” was the common refrain. True dat. We have jaw-droppingly talented colleagues who are doing amazing things to help U.S. exporters. However, these best practices aren’t often widely shared across an organization with officesRead… Read more »