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 »
In my last blog I wrote about why being grateful is good for you. There are numerous ways to make a difference in our community and it’s something that I’ve tried to become very conscious of as I get older and hopefully, wiser. As an adult, contributing money annually to various organizations was just somethingRead… Read more »
“I’m not upset that you lied to me, I’m upset that from now on I can’t believe you.” – Friedrich Nietzsche. Lying and untruths are never a good thing. Even “small white lies” set the stage for doubt and distrust. When we lie nothing good comes of it either. Oh there may be some shortRead… Read more »
“Government is at a crossroad as it attempts to maintain basic citizen and customer services in an increasingly austere environment of “doing more with less”. The Smart Lean Government (SLG) Practical Guide has been developed to guide change agents as they shape and implement 21st century solutions. It highlights what needs to be done toRead… Read more »
In most organizations, today’s complex world demands that leaders, and those they lead, adopt a different model. As Steve Jobs, the co-founder of Apple Computer, put it, “The only thing that works is management by values. Find people who are competent and really bright, but more importantly, people who care exactly about the same thingsRead… Read more »