Paid Parental Leave: Gov vs. Private Sector

Is it better for women in the private sector? That was the question posed by a young govie to GovLoop’s CEO Steve Ressler at a recent event. It’s a simple question, but unfortunately the answer is not so straightforward. First, comparing the private sector to the entire public sector is like comparing 12 kinds ofRead… Read more »

5 Actions to Rise Above the Typical Government Worker Stereotype

A quick search in Google images for ‘government worker jokes’ sheds light on an unfortunate reality. The general stereotype is that government policies promote workers that produce mediocre work and workers; they work 9-5 and not a second more, they do their job and not an iota outside their job description, and they are contentRead… Read more »

Stopping the Mega Problem of Micromanaging

This post is a follow-up to an unanswered question from GovLoop’s recent training, Critical Conversations. Want more topics and information like this? Make sure to register for our upcoming training summit in July, the Next Generation of Government Training Summit. Read the following statements and decide if you agree or disagree with each: Most of my time isRead… Read more »

How Do You Design and Develop Practical Training Fast and Efficiently?

A few weeks ago, GovLoop hosted an event we dubbed “The Future of Learning in Government.” At the outset of the event, we asked participants to jot down their training challenges on a a 3X5 card and turn them in. I happened to be flipping through those cards today and one question struck me as particularlyRead… Read more »

For Love or Money?

The other day, while I was thinking about what to write for this week’s post, I got to thinking about the rise of reality television. I was pretty young when it started…but it has become a pretty big part of popular culture. One of the more peculiar reality shows I remember was one that wasRead… Read more »

How To Find Your Priorities (and Stop Working Overtime)

The hour hand is creeping towards 5pm, but your to-do list is only a little over halfway done. The day’s been one never-ending chaos train as emails, impromptu meetings, and emergency tasks are thrown at you. Some of it can wait until tomorrow, but there’s still that one – let’s face it, two – major tasksRead… Read more »

Assuming a Platform Approach to Cybersecurity

This interview with Pamela Warren, Director of Government and Industry Initiatives at Palo Alto Networks is an excerpt from GovLoop’s recent guide, Securing Government: Lessons from the Cyber Frontlines. In this guide, we review five tactics government organizations are using to enhance their cybersecurity. Attackers use a multitude of tactics and applications to penetrate networks today – from sophisticated techniquesRead… Read more »

Haters Gonna Hate, So What Can You Do About It?

This post is a follow-up to an unanswered question from GovLoop’s recent training, Critical Conversations. Want more topics and information like this? Make sure to register for our upcoming training summit in July, the Next Generation of Government Training Summit. While my distaste for cilantro is legendary and I’d rather clean a chicken coop than watch aRead… Read more »

The Wolf PACT of Innovation – What Alan and Gov Have In Common

Back in 2009, the movie the Hangover introduced us to the ultimate Wolfpack. In the film, the oddball character Alan, played wonderfully by Zach Galifianakis, toasts his future brother-in-law during his bachelor party. “You guys might not know this, but I consider myself a bit of a loner. I tend to think of myself as aRead… Read more »

An Update on the Data Act

The Digital Accountability and Transparency Act, or simply the DATA Act, is tranforming the way federal spending is reported, managed and disclosed. Are you ready? Once signed byPresident Obama on May 9, 2014, the DATA Act became the first federal law to mandate standardized data transparency. It requires the entire federal government to publish to adopt a consistent dataRead… Read more »