Four Ways to Get Ahead in Your Career!

What do you want to be when you grow up?

Are You a Good People Gardener?

Mary Mary Quite Contrary…..How does your (People) garden grow? With silver bells and cockle shells and pretty maids all in a row. Well this article has nothing to do with the history of torture behind the legacy of Mary Tudor. What I really am referring to has to do with our thinking of relationships withRead… Read more »

Choosing a Voluntary Demotion

I was sitting in a floor-level seat at the Eagles concert in Los Angeles back in January. Although I was enjoying myself, I couldn’t shake the feeling of dread. I had performance reviews (along with my regular never-ending stack of work) waiting for me back in Fort Worth. I was promoted to my first supervisoryRead… Read more »

12 Week e-Course: How to Land Your Dream Federal Job

Over the course of the next 12 weeks, I will focus on things you can do to eventually land your dream federal job. There is a quote by Maxwell Maltz I love it says, “Visualize this thing that you want. See it, feel it, and believe in it. Make your mental blueprint and then beginRead… Read more »

A Gov Exodus? Are You Leaving Too?

Are you looking out your window and witnessing a government stampede out the doors? Is your office looking empty? Probably. The Office of Personnel Management reported that more than 114,000 people left the federal government last year – mostly through retirements. To give you a better picture, the 114,000 departures is roughly 6.2% of theRead… Read more »

Chatting with Uncle Sam

Oh, the joy of Labor Day Weekend. Beach? Check. BBQ? Check. Pool-side chillin’ with some bureaucrats? Ummm…I’m guessing that may not be your idea of a good time, but the significance of public engagement for government agencies cannot be overstated. Citizen inclusion, transparency, and participation all help promote a functioning democratic process and society. AndRead… Read more »

Five Tips For Getting Up to Speed in Your New Job

“Let me just show you around…” “…your desk is by the window…” “…and you’ll need to turn that in every Friday…” “…here’s the coffee maker, it’s a little fidgety, so just…” “…Joel’s been with us since the beginning, just ask him anything…” “…extra pens in the closet…” “…meeting every Tuesday, except this week it’s Wednesday…”Read… Read more »

7 Signs Your Perfectionism is Hindering Your Career

According to Merriam-Webster.com, “perfectionism is defined as viewing something that is anything other than perfect as unacceptable.” While is it acceptable and expected that federal employees meet and exceed expectations, the pursuit of perfectionism can often lead to a stranglehold on one’s ability to achieve basic work-related goals. Let’s be honest, every day we goRead… Read more »

How to Make Telework Succeed for Your Team

By Charmaine Richman, PhD, Program Manager With Labor Day weekend over, it’s full steam ahead for government agencies and those who support them. For some, telework will be part of the mix as teams manage the fiscal year-end rush. Recently I started supporting a federal agency where telework is encouraged and systems are inRead… Read more »

Here’s Your Map

A binder of org charts and history on a federal agency is one way to greet a new person to a job in the public sector. I think my team mentioned the existence of such a hefty introduction when I joined two years ago. I never saw it, but I also didn’t think I neededRead… Read more »