I find that most people know something about most subjects. To have someone make a big “aha!” isn’t part of the daily routine. Yet the value is seldom in intellectual understanding, but in daily practice. Years ago, I was running a weekly Sales Lab for some legendary sales professionals. The program was sponsored by aRead… Read more »
The problems the government faces are now bigger and more complicated than ever before. Just look at the healthcare, immigration, regulation or even the federal pay debate. No longer do problems fit nicely into one agency or department. Therefore, the need for collaboration is more apparent than ever. But how do you collaborate in aRead… Read more »
Regardless of whether you work in the public or private sector, office politics are a fact of life. The web of office friendships, rivalries, and tensions that defines your workplace can either catapult your career forward or stop it in its tracks. If you’re going to get ahead or even survive in the workplace, youRead… Read more »
Some state governments are not making it easy for their elected officials or their citizens to see where money is being spent and what results are being achieved. Consider this latest example. The actual name of the state has been omitted, as it would be a terrible embarrassment to its statewide elected leaders, its legislature,Read… Read more »
Leaders (and everyone reading this is a leader irrespective of title or duties): sweat the small stuff. Notice details and pay attention to the invisible dynamics around you. In our ever-evolving world, yesterday’s intern could be your future boss. Chuckle at your peril… Much has been written about situational leadership, including the excellent theory positedRead… Read more »
There is a big push on Open Data initiatives since this enables organizations to share data with partners and also build new innovative solutions. Open data maximizes value creation built on structured and unstructured data. Open Data initiatives should be based on technologies that can collect and cleanse data in a standardized manner so thatRead… Read more »
During my time in National Defense University’s Advanced Management Program (41), I took a great course on the balanced scorecard technique. Generally speaking, it is a technique for senior management to measure how well strategic initiatives are performing. However, project managers can use the technique to help steer any project towards success. Balanced Scorecard BasicsRead… Read more »
Feedback is not easy for most people. Learning to give it constructively and receive it gracefully are two skills that can make difficult situations much less so. Getting in the habit of asking for feedback is also important. You should be soliciting feedback from your direct reports, or letting them know that you are interestedRead… Read more »
Remember when you didn’t know where the bathroom was located and asking just seemed to be announcing the obvious (that you needed to use it…right then)? How a new employee is treated in the early days with your organization lays a foundation that either brings them into the corporate culture or repels them. And theseRead… Read more »
Hurricane Sandy was one of the deadliest on record. The massive storm took the lives of 117 people in the United States and 69 more in Canada and the Caribbean. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) estimates that Sandy caused $5 billion dollars in losses: $4.75 billion in infrastructure damage and a further $246 million inRead… Read more »