In case you missed it, President Obama’s FY 2016 Budget of the U.S. Government recommends a scant 1.3 percent pay raise for the federal workforce next fiscal year. Well, as the old saying goes, something is better than nothing. However, when it comes to issues of fair pay, it appears that many feds are onceRead… Read more »
Are your workplace interactions motivating and engaging? Or stiff and stale? Other than email, in which format do most of your professional interactions take place? Presentations? Status reports? Discussions? Brainstorming sessions? Whatever your answer, ask yourself if the primary formats are particularly engaging or effective. If not, consider the contributions of “liberating structures,” an innovation broughtRead… Read more »
Money can’t buy happiness… right? A lot of us, theoretically, like the idea of a simple lifestyle. But at the same time, if we can afford it, we enjoy going out to eat with friends, buying nice clothes, and taking exotic vacations. It’s nice to have a higher budget, if just for those freedoms. ManyRead… Read more »
In addition to my Federal gig, I have a side job that I adore: I’m an adjunct professor at a local college. I don’t do it for the money (I often wonder if it costs more for them to prepare and print my W2 than to pay me for a semester). It’s a labor ofRead… Read more »
When I meet people I can always find something interesting and unique, either in their professional or non-work life. This extraordinary person is an example to all of you out there that the path you are on as a government employee can someday vault you into something unexpected and noteworthy. And there’s a very good… Read more »
Three previous blogs examined how innovation causes conflict and how individuals can make it constructive. This blog offers techniques for groups to make conflict constructive in the service of innovation. Recall our definition of conflict: A situation in which two or more parties contend over something valued, with the intent of prevailing. The goal isRead… Read more »
“There’s no ‘I” in TEAM!”
Super Bowl XLIX was this weekend. The Seattle Seahawks had second-and-goal at the 1 with 26 seconds remaining. The Seahawks were only one yard away from a second consecutive championship. Everyone, including me, knew that the only logical thing was for the quarterback to hand off the ball to their best running back to run theRead… Read more »
The workplace is no different. The very same dynamics are taking place. There is also action in the workplace that releases energy and create champions. Touch downs are made which makes for a workplace that is sometimes exciting as the super bowl!
Perhaps the most popular example of average Americans resisting authority came during the Prohibition Era of 1920-1933. Putting aside the imagery of movies like The Untouchables, moonshine & home breweries took on bigger, albeit clandestine, role in American innovation. Also of note during prohibition, production of sacramental wine for churches rose by hundreds of thousands… Read more »