What if leaders wrote their resumes like their obituaries? Would future employers know them better? Could they identify their dreams, energies and passions as well as skills, knowledge and abilities? Would employers know if these candidates? • Served others rather than being served. • Developed people rather than controlled people. • Tried to impact peopleRead… Read more »
In the iconic 1996 movie Jerry Maguire, the phrase “show me the money” became one of the most recognized phrases in movie history. Uttered by sports agent, Jerry Maguire (played by Tom Cruise) to his football player client, Rod Tidwell (played by Cuba Goodling, Jr.) the phrase took on a life of its own asRead… Read more »
Jack Canfield, the creator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series claims that the best way to build a healthy and positive workplace is to help employees master the art of heart talk. Being mindful of other people’s feelings Most of us are so caught up in our own world at work that weRead… Read more »
Imagine a federal government with no managers, executives, supervisors, bosses or titles. Imagine a federal holocracy-an organization where authority and decision making are distributed through self-organizing teams rather than a hierarchy. One such organization that is making this “outside the box” approach work is Zappos, an online shoe and clothing company. You are probably thinkingRead… Read more »
Talk to an American Indian employee, a colleague with a disability, a person of two or more races or a Millennial and you will hear a common theme. They are some of the most disengaged employees in the federal government. The federal government has given up on these important constituencies so they have no alternativeRead… Read more »
Ninjas are the glue that holds our organizations together. Normally they are folks who have been around for a while, have the institutional knowledge and can point to where all the dead bodies are buried. Ninjas are loyal, often do jobs many us don’t like and can be counted on in the clutch. For theRead… Read more »
Last month in response to a Congressional request, the General Accounting Office released Report GAO-15-585 under their Federal Workforce section entitled “Additional Analysis and Sharing of Promising Practices Could Improve Employee Engagement and Performance.” The GAO was asked to review how the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) was doing in improving federal employee engagement. TheRead… Read more »
The generation gap has taken many twists and turns. For Baby Boomers, the gap was between themselves and their Traditionalist parents. For Gen X’ers, the gap was more workplace related. For Millennials, the gap appears to center around the meaning of diversity-an interpretation that diverges from their parent’s views on differences. Who could have predictedRead… Read more »
One of the first things I learned as a kindergartener in Sunday School at Burnt Swamp Baptist Church in Lumberton, NC was the Golden Rule – Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. In other words, treat others the way you would like to be treated. Despite the simplicity of thisRead… Read more »
My father a member of the Silent Generation used this phrase all the time, “I Feel You But I Can’t Reach You.” Of course to him, the phrase was not a term of endearment. He used this refrain from a position of power as he reminded you of your lack of power. He never intendedRead… Read more »