Leadership

Giving the Gift of Generosity

This time of year expends a lot of time and energy into choosing just the right gift for our loved ones, finding the perfect ugly sweater for the holiday bash, or setting out holiday decorations for the season. These traditions can be a lot of fun but the season encompasses so much more than theRead… Read more »

Social Software Platforms: High-Level Guidance for Organizations

Summary: This post offers high-level guidance for organizations looking to acquire and implement a social software solution to facilitate communication and collaboration in a secure environment via a private digital network (e.g., an enterprise 2.0 or social business platform, a social intranet, a digital community). It provides considerations for getting started, selecting a social softwareRead… Read more »

Checking in on the States – Big IT developments in 2013

The end of the year means two things: setting unrealistic New Year’s resolutions and endless retrospectives. While we can’t force you to put down the cake and pick up a carrot, we can help you do your job better by highlighting some of the biggest and best innovations to come out of government in theRead… Read more »

Stay, Stay, Stay In Government: Insights from Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift is famous for writing the songs to get you through a bad break-up, but you do not have to be a brokenhearted teenage girl to appreciate her wisdom. Looking back at 2013, it seems that federal employees have faced a rocky relationship with the government they serve. Fortunately, members of our GovLoop communityRead… Read more »

Social doesn’t want to talk to your minions

Social doesn’t want to talk to your minions People always talk about how “it’s a small world” and to a large degree it is…and getting smaller as advancing technology, social media and other forces help us connect with others and stay connected. Many organizations are racing to implement technologies and processes to meet this challenge.Read… Read more »

Women in government – A year in review, Plus your weekend reads!

The end of the year means two things: setting unrealistic New Year’s resolutions and endless retrospectives. While we can’t force you to put down the cake and pick up a carrot, we can help you do your job better by highlighting some of the biggest and best innovations to come out of government in theRead… Read more »

Mandela: A Practice of Transformation

The worldwide outpouring of gratitude for the life of Nelson Mandela upon his death is testament not only to his role in leading South Africa out of Apartheid, it speaks to way he lead his life and the legacy he leaves the world. For all of his leadership accomplishments the one that resonates the mostRead… Read more »

Certainty

A popular quote attributed to Benjamin Franklin is: Nothing is certain but death and taxes. True – however, the timing of one and the amount of the other are not certain. Leaders face certainty and uncertainty when painting their vision – e.g., revenue must cover expenses for an organization to be viable, but the timingRead… Read more »

Failure to Launch: How to Fix Government IT Problems

We all know that there is no shortage of transformational ideas or exceptional public servants in government, working to improve how agencies operate. IT holds unbelievable promise to streamline processes and change the business of government. Although this potential is clear, we have seen agencies struggle to completely leverage IT. Instead of a gateway toRead… Read more »

Private Social Networks: Every Organization Needs Them

Summary: This post highlights the risks associated with public social media platforms and describes how private social networks (aka private digital networks) can reduce those risks while also enhancing communication and collaboration among organizational stakeholders. It counters the main points of resistance offered by organizational leaders and articulates the importance of being prepared to establishRead… Read more »