In the Odyssey, Homer’s second epic poem, we are introduced to King Odysseus, who goes off to fight in the Trojan War, leaving his trusted advisor, Mentor, in charge of his kingdom. In addition to overseeing the kingdom in the ten years of Odysseus’ absence, Mentor takes on the role of teacher and guide toRead… Read more »
Apps are everywhere these days. You have California’s Locator app, Florida’s State Parks Outdoor Guide, or West Virginia’s Suspicious Activity Reporting app. These are amazing developments but until NASCIO developed the State App Catalogue there was no central list of state mobile apps. And considering states provide essentially the same services, being able to collaborateRead… Read more »
People often ask me if anyone can be a leader. My response is an enthusiastic, “yes!” My belief in everyone’s ability to lead stems from the core idea that leadership is the stance one takes in life, not the positions or titles one occupies. Leadership is love in action be it in the home, theRead… Read more »
There are few jobs today that allow a person to work autonomously. Certainly in government there are many examples of jobs that are interdependent. Even at its most basic level, the branches of government must work together to pass a bill into law. Teams are important. As important as teamwork is in government and businessRead… Read more »
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie this morning called a live press conference to address allegations, apparently true, that his staff repeatedly closed lanes on the George Washington Bridge as “part of a politically motivated vendetta” against the Democratic mayor of Fort Lee, N.J. The Governor’s words and actions during this crisis either strengthen his brandRead… Read more »
2013 was a historically rough year for federal employees, but 2014 is off to a positive start. First a budget deal is close to being signed, the budget deal would eliminate the threat of shutdown, furloughs and reduce the impacts of sequestration. So how should federal managers prepare for the year ahead? Tom Fox isRead… Read more »
Summary: Social media is still a novelty to many professionals, especially those in leadership positions. Rather than viewing social and digital technologies as a radical departure from traditional communication approaches, however, it’s better to think of them as “new tools for doing old things” and to remember they are facilitators and enablers, not an endRead… Read more »
Ask better questions and harness the social enterprise One of the things management consultants tend to do is ask a lot of questions. In fact I’ve heard from time to time that its because we don’t know have any answers and asking questions keeps clients from figuring that out. There is actually a little bitRead… Read more »
Like any new year, the start of 2014 brings a number of challenges for business leaders. Today, we’re faced with healthcare issues, climate change and its impact on our workforce, and an improving, but not yet robust economy. We also have, for the first time in our history, the opportunity to lead, manage and learnRead… Read more »
Duplication and overlap is rampant in government. With budgets dwindling down more than ever, agencies are looking to cut costs. But collaborating across disciplines is difficult. That’s where the authors of Smart Lean Government come in. They have developed a novel plan for how to reduce billions of dollars in overlapping information technology services governmentwide:Read… Read more »