Have you ever heard of buzzword bingo? Where you and your co-workers make a bingo card of words or phrases like “touch base” and “data driven” and “Scalable” and “Proactive” and “Paradigm,” then head into a meeting and see who can hit a bingo? Well, it’s a real thing. I mention it because buzzword bingoRead… Read more »
There’s a lot of talk about innovation in the federal government, and with it comes talk of failing fast. The two go together in a useful, integrated way, but I hear little discussion of what either concept means. At least not in terms that managers can use. A definition of innovation I like is doingRead… Read more »
For every Luke Skywalker there is an Obi-Wan Kenobi (or Yoda) and for every Justin Bieber there is an Usher. These pairs each shared a mentor-mentee relationship. Without this special bond, neither party would have achieved the accomplishments (I use the term accomplishments loosely for our latter mentee subject) they are so well known forRead… Read more »
The public service needs more linchpins. More what? Exactly.
As a little girl, I was taught not to use the word lie. It was a bad word in my world. My mother told me to use untruth instead. And so I did…until I transitioned to the workplace; I began to use ‘fabricate’ to replace untruth. Today, telling an untruth is simply deemed a lieRead… Read more »
Last week, I talked to a friend about a major home improvement project costing thousands of dollars that I have to have done. My friend said she had another friend who delayed her federal retirement because she had to do the same project. My heart dropped because I would be distraught if I had to delayRead… Read more »
Us folks at GovLoop are a pretty inspired bunch, passionate about helping our members do their jobs better by providing them with the latest happenings and inspiration in government. But sometimes even the most inspired hit a creativity slump. For the icebreaker at our team meeting this week, we shared what inspires us professionally. AndRead… Read more »
Whether or not you have kids, we all were one at some point in our lives. We all learned to crawl-walk-run (literally and/or figuratively) throughout life. Chances are along the way it involved watching another. Learning from them probably involved accepting their assistance as well. The point being, at some point in our lives we… Read more »
When I was growing up, I’m sure my parents and most others who were working adults struggled with what we now call “work-life balance.” My dad had a full-time job and worked part-time on weekends. My grandmother worked in other people’s homes, and my mom worked outside the home, off-and-on, but mostly kept our home.Read… Read more »
A consultant (should be) someone who offers good advice. Many times this is advice based on subject matter expertise, experience, or other unique qualifications. However having a particular subject matter expertise or experience is only one facet of being a good consultant. Great consultants have a lot more than just expertise – they understand howRead… Read more »