In December 2009, the Open Government Directive established deadlines for federal agencies to make quality information available to the public, all in the name of greater transparency. Recovery.gov was one of the leaders of this open government charge, and was actually established in February 2009, ahead of the directive. Today, there are a number ofRead… Read more »
In 1996, the FCC, at the request of the White House, reserved 311 as a nationwide non-emergency number, and the federal government subsequently funded pilot programs to determine the feasibility of using this number to divert non-emergent calls away from 911. Baltimore was the first in the nation to establish a 311 system as partRead… Read more »
There are four different generations working in government today—Traditionalists, Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Millennials. When approaching working outside of our own generation, we often have a tendency to rely on stereotypes (i.e. Traditionalists will never accept change and Millennials are unreliable job hoppers) and that can ruin great partnerships before they ever get started.Read… Read more »
The United States Office of Personnel Management has been working for awhile now to better enhance leadership development to keep qualified employees moving into management positions. This has included developing a training framework for future leaders, as well as defining performance metrics for the SES. Still, agencies have been given a fair amount of leeway when itRead… Read more »
Getting too much email is a fact of life for most of us, and dealing with it all is time consuming. Last week, I wrote about time management techniques, and how you handle your email is hugely important in this endeavor. Below, I’ve outlined some of the most common techniques for email management. Different techniquesRead… Read more »
A couple weeks ago, I wrote about how to strike a good work-life balance, and a major part of that is effective time management. It’s important to understand that we can never manage time—there will always be 24 hours each day for you to accomplish everything you need to do. The real management technique comesRead… Read more »
More and more, managers are being encouraged to use positive reinforcement in their employee reviews, rather than focusing on weaknesses. The argument is that by doing this, employees are more productive and engaged in their work. Opponents of such a management technique say that discussing negatives, or ranking employees against each other, can actually encourageRead… Read more »
Over the past few years, federal agencies have been encouraged to support programs that promote work-life balance. According to a presidential memo issued last June, “To attract, empower, and retain a talented and productive workforce in the 21st century, the Federal Government must continue to make progress in enabling employees to balance their responsibilities atRead… Read more »
The GAO released a report last month calling for better management of substandard employees. According to the report, the government could benefit from better performance management training and use of tools to address underperforming individuals. Dealing with underperforming employees can be difficult, and can lead to some awkward conversations. Here are some of my favorite tipsRead… Read more »
Applying to a federal job is far different than applying to your run-of-the-mill private sector position. You will be asked for far greater detail on your skills, abilities, and experience. You’ll likely endure a lengthy wait time after applying to hear if you’re being considered. And when you get started on your search, it mightRead… Read more »