Leadership

Alan Balutis Talks Potential New Legislation

Everyone is talking about IT reform – but does anyone know how to implement it? Doesn’t seem like it. It’s like your friend who just learned a new word but constantly keeps using it incorrectly. Legislators just learned about IT procurement, but don’t have the knowledge to apply it well. Many CIOs, however, have ideasRead… Read more »

Government is Hiring! But Where?

While it may appear that the size of the federal workforce has shrunk to the size of a thumbtack, many agencies are still looking to hire bright candidates. But the changing economy has forced management to alter their hiring process in favor of a more strategic one. Hiring employees is no longer isolated as anRead… Read more »

5 Lessons I Didn’t Learn in a Seminar

As a public sector employee for over fifteen years, I’ve attended seminars and workshops on a variety of subjects and logged in to webinars to learn from others in online classrooms. With rare exceptions, I always come away with a valuable lesson, idea or new perspective. However, a few of the most valuable lessons I’veRead… Read more »

Designing a Difference in Public Health

  Designers are more commonly known for conceiving and crafting interiors, graphics, and clothing but the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) has partnered with design professionals to develop innovative strategies aimed at reducing the city’s rates of unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among teens. Suzanne Elder, program director for CDPH’s Office ofRead… Read more »

Digital Transformation

The term digital transformation is being bandied about rather a lot at the moment. That’s fine – people often argue about words and phrases and what they mean and whether they are helpful. Usually they aren’t perfect but do a job as a sort of shorthand that everyone has a broad – if occasionally divergentRead… Read more »

Advancing Tobacco Control Policy in Chicago – Keeping Kids Safe

  With guest co-blogger Kendall Stagg, Director of Policy at Chicago Department of Public Health This month, the Chicago Department of Public Health was named “Local Health Department of the Year” by the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO), an association of more than 2,800 local health departments across the nation. TheRead… Read more »

The End of Science

Charles Murray introduced me to the idea in Human Accomplishment: The Pursuit of Excellence in the Arts and Sciences, 800 B.C. to 1950. Now that the Periodic Table is filled out, and so many overarching theories are proven, what’s a producing scientist to do? Ever since I read that, I’ve noticed how few scientists areRead… Read more »

Trends in Government Innovation

This post was originally published on Ideas & Execution. The role of technology and design in government is undergoing a significant change. As digital and mobile technology advance, user-centered design and open source platforms are changing from nice-to-haves to necessities in the public sector. There is growing recognition in public institutions that the slow paceRead… Read more »

Are You In A Glass Case of Emotion?

“Emotional intelligence.” The phrase conjures the image of a therapist and a couch, but in reality being more emotionally intelligent you can help relieve stress, help you communicate effectively, help you empathize with others, overcome challenges, and defuse conflict. Being emotionally intelligent is one of the keys to mastering your career. Don’t believe the hype?Read… Read more »