Given the turbulent and changing times facing government organizations, it seems that trying to go it alone no longer makes sense but can result in serious downside risks to long-term survival. We all have to learn how to work smarter within the reality of ever declining resources. The importance of collaboration is more apparent thanRead… Read more »
I had a great time last week at the Federal Mentoring Roundtable. It was such a pleasure to see some old friends and to meet new faces. One of the things I enjoy most about attending events like this is getting to hear all the different situations people are encountering. As I was reflecting onRead… Read more »
Last year, a couple colleagues and I put together a workshop (full slides below) entitled, “How to Use Social Media and Not Jeopardize Your Job.” I delivered a variation of it at the Philadelphia Federal Executive Board’s EEO and Diversity Day back in November. During the workshop, participants break into small groups to grapple withRead… Read more »
A government-wide emphasis on passing along knowledge from one generation of federal workers to the next was underscored last week when the Senate passed legislation that includes a plan for Feds to work part time while mentoring newer hires and easing into retirement. Even OPM Chief John Berry was mentored early in his career andRead… Read more »
This is the third part of our series exploring a few of our interns’ views on life as a govie. We’ve all been in those training classes where the instructor challenges us to channel our creative thinking, pauses for moment, and then asks the dreaded desert island question. As in, if you were trapped onRead… Read more »
Starting in 2013 newly hired FERS employee’s retirement contributions will increase from .8 percent to 3.1 percent of salary. Originally this was intended to apply to all FERS employees. There is another vote pending in the house that proposes increasing all employees’ contributions by 1.5 percent that will be phased in over a three yearRead… Read more »
Have you been wondering if attending a job fair is worth your time? Or worse, have you been to one and felt it was useless? Job Fairs have a place in your job search plan – but only if you know how to work them effectively. And far too many attendees do not, they justRead… Read more »
A few years ago a colleague I had met through social media asked me to be part of an initial group of recruiters who were putting on an event here in DC. The event was to be geared for recruiters by recruiters talking about the challenges here in the Washington DC area. Many of usRead… Read more »
I’m quoted in this AOL Government article on citizen participation. The story makes the point that you can have a much bigger impact in your community than at the federal level. I’ve seen that in DC (the city, not the metaphor), where local issues are frequently debated to death. For example, the ten-year long struggleRead… Read more »
To have a healthy work environment, a culture of mutual respect must be maintained. For a manager, maintaining a healthy work environment can be a daunting task. About 6 months ago Keith Zakheim, President at a New Jersey PR firm, attempted to do just that, when he threatened to fire the next employee that doesn’tRead… Read more »