Posts By Ashley Z. Hand

5 Ways to Hold Better, More Effective Meetings

I have something to admit: I love a good meeting. Getting people face-to-face can bring out some great ideas and create new ways to address problems in a collaborative environment. Meetings can inspire and invigorate you. But nothing is worse than a pointless meeting. Unfortunately, I attend a lot of those too. Meetings serve aRead… Read more »

Taking a Good Look: Workplace Environment and Women’s Empowerment

Our Office of Performance Management under City of Kansas City, Missouri (KCMO) City Manager Troy Schulte has managed an employee surveys over several years to identify where there are opportunities for internal service improvement. In an analysis of the responses to the open-ended questions, however, they have identified a few common issues that do notRead… Read more »

6 Ways to Engage Your Workforce

Adding on to my last post on the Women’s Empowerment (WE) initiative in Kansas City, Missouri, we are looking closely at our internal practices to build a more inclusive, diverse city government. As a woman, a new mom, and coming from the male-dominated profession of architecture, I am acutely aware of some of the barriersRead… Read more »

Getting More Women in City Hall: Leveraging Private-Public Partnerships for Equity

I was hired as the first female Chief Innovation Officer in the country in early 2013 and I have to admit I think that is pretty cool. However, I am also very much aware of the gender gap that I see around me in meetings at City Hall and with community stakeholders. Often it isRead… Read more »