It doesn’t matter how much you love your job – burnout can still be a real danger if you’re not careful. I skirted the edge of it last week after a month of working quite a few more hours than normal, taking breaks only to hunt down something to eat, and dreaming about client work inRead… Read more »
What is one thing managers can do to increase creativity, productivity, and commitment by their employees? A recent study by two psychologists, Teresa Amabile and Steven Kramer, concludes: “If you focus on supporting the daily progress of people working in your organization, you will not only foster the success of the organization but also enrichRead… Read more »
There are a lot of stereotypes about people who work in government. Meet real government employees though and you quickly realize that most of the negative stereotypes are unfair. No matter where in government you work, and whether it’s at the local, regional, or national level, chances are that you’ve got coworkers that fit one ofRead… Read more »
Let’s face it: we all have a work life and a home/personal life. Some choose to combine the two and others prefer to keep them separated. Either way can be done as it is a personal choice. One of the most challenging aspects of having a career and a family is separating one from the other.Read… Read more »
An informal mentor can be a great career development resource, whether you are trying to manage work/life balance, navigate career decisions, or develop new skills.
When I got my first career-path job after college, there was a lot I didn’t know about working in an office full of people who came from different backgrounds. I’d just moved to California and my New York communication style could come off as brash and blunt. I was often defensive and I unintentionally put people on the defensive.Read… 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 »
It’s amazing how many professional insights we can gain just from a presidential transition. Last week, we discussed measuring the drapes before getting to the office and the importance of planning management and administration tactics ahead of time. This time, let’s put ourselves in the shoes of the people lined up to take our placeRead… Read more »
This nontechnical riddle took me a while to figure out. This saying floats around in the halls and offices of every building. For me, it resounds on all occasions when I have met with management. Agencies’ management is whipsawed between necessary compromise to face budget cuts and changing priorities at the same time. Compromise, inRead… Read more »
Last night, I sat on the floor pretending to be a sheep. No, that is not the punch line to a horrible joke. It is my life. Well, my life recently. You see, eight weeks ago, I embarked on a transformative experience. I entered the world of the uninhibited, the unplanned, the unhindered – theRead… Read more »