Though most of the focus involving education during the 82nd Texas Legislative Session will be on spending, some advocacy groups and legislators are pushing for education reform in the area of school bullying. School bullying entered into national exposure as a possible rationale behind the Columbine High School shooting in 1999. Since then, most statesRead… Read more »
A new survey from the Public Service Research Panel (PSRPanel) finds that over two-thirds of public service professionals surveyed use social networking daily (50%) or weekly (20%) as part of their personal life. However, only a third use social networking daily (12%) or weekly (21%) as part of their job. The survey is based onRead… Read more »
Is your handshake firm and solid or weak and squishy? Man or woman a firm handshake says confident and authoritative. Although there are a number of stories claiming the origin of the hand shake, the bottom line is it is a sign of respect, and one indicating equality between greeters. So important is the handshakeRead… Read more »
Shell recently released its report “Signals and Signposts,” which looks forward to 2050 and attempts to predict future energy demand, supply, roadblocks and opportunities. While there is a lot of fascinating reading in the report, one piece that caught our eye was this chart, which compares US and European drivers’ motivations. Shell asked itself theRead… Read more »
One of the most popular books about the social media powered digital revolution is Groundswell, by Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff. Published in 2008, it took a private sector view of the benefits of listening to customers and engaging with them in online spaces. It’s a worthwhile read. The two authors have subsequently published newRead… Read more »
David C. Williams is the inspector general for the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), the largest civilian federal agency, which has $67.1 billion in annual revenue. In this role, Williams manages a staff of more than 1,100 employees nationwide who conduct independent audits and investigations for the USPS. He began his career as a special agentRead… Read more »
The deputy secretary of Defense, the Honorable William J. Lynn III, delivered remarks at the RSA conference that captures a snapshot of DoD cyber policies. This is consistent with the continually improving path the department has been on for the last several years. I recommend a good read of the remarks and hope you shareRead… Read more »
My “Gov 2.0 Revisited: Social Media Strategies in the Public Sector” article won the PA Times’ 2010 H. George Frederickson Best Article Award. Here is what I submitted as the acceptance note for the January/February 2011 PA Times issue: “I am very honored to accept the PA TIMES Best Article Award for 2010, and wouldRead… Read more »
Public Speaking: Stand & Deliver I’ve been coaching candidates for the Presidential Management Fellowship’s in-person assessment lately, and one part of the assessment process is a 5-minute policy presentation which each candidate must deliver in front of a panel of judges. Public speaking is, for many people, scarier than watching Aliens while on PCP. ScarierRead… Read more »
Attention to the FY 2012 budget’s performance and management initiatives have been overwhelmed by the enormity of the proposed budget cuts by both the President and the Congress, and the resolution of the pending FY 2011 continuing resolution. For the most part, the management section of the budget, reflects a continued commitment to initiatives initiallyRead… Read more »