When I was young, I wanted to be a pop star. I lusted after fame, glamor, and attention, and could easily imagine myself up on stage in the place of all the great ‘90s female pop stars. But as I grew up, I realized that worldwide fame and stardom were probably not in the cardsRead… Read more »
This morning, Jack Dangermond, Esri President, started off Esri’s annual Federal GIS Users Conference. Dangermond reminded the audience of the challenges that society faces today, and how geography is more important than ever before. GIS is a technology that enables organizations to find new value from their data. By visualizing information through maps, organizations canRead… Read more »
In addition to my Federal gig, I have a side job that I adore: I’m an adjunct professor at a local college. I don’t do it for the money (I often wonder if it costs more for them to prepare and print my W2 than to pay me for a semester). It’s a labor ofRead… Read more »
“We have to understand that the world can only be grasped by action, not by contemplation. The hand is more important than the eye…The hand is the cutting edge of the mind.” (Bronowski, 1973) Designing government Like most governments right now, we’re very excited about the potential of design to transform service delivery and policyRead… Read more »
As a govie, your mandate is to serve the public. To do so, there are various approaches and demographics to focus on, but at the end of the day, govies work hard to make this country better for all of its citizens. This can become difficult to do effectively, however, if the public is notRead… Read more »
When I meet people I can always find something interesting and unique, either in their professional or non-work life. This extraordinary person is an example to all of you out there that the path you are on as a government employee can someday vault you into something unexpected and noteworthy. And there’s a very good… Read more »
Three previous blogs examined how innovation causes conflict and how individuals can make it constructive. This blog offers techniques for groups to make conflict constructive in the service of innovation. Recall our definition of conflict: A situation in which two or more parties contend over something valued, with the intent of prevailing. The goal isRead… Read more »
Esri’s Federal GIS Conference (February 9-10, 2015) will train attendees how to use their technology in a way that inspires change and resilience throughout the government. This event that is free for federal employees provides the ultimate networking experience for the over 3,000 attendees that have a desire to expand their knowledge while back atRead… Read more »
There are days when things get moving so fast that inevitably there is a moment where I have to set everything down, take a breath and smooth out the tangle of my thoughts. It’s as if by taking a few moments to sit still and re-connect with myself, I have run a comb through myRead… Read more »
Let me make one thing clear: Utah has been in the open data game for years. But now, with their new open data catalog, they are streamlining the process and making it easier for users to find the right data sets. David Fletcher, Chief Technology Officer at the Utah Department of Technology Services, told meRead… Read more »