Leadership

Innovation Leaders: What Makes Manor Tick?

With a population of less than 5,000 and a median household income of around $50,000, Manor, Texas, is an unlikely place to find the cutting edge of government e-participation technologies. But thanks to a young and enterprising Assistant City Manager (Dustin Haisler, now of Spigit), Manor has attracted significant investment from a variety of firmsRead… Read more »

2010 Creativity World Forum-notes

2010 Creativity World Forum Working to transform our world through creative initiatives which lead to a more entrepreneurial and vibrant economy along with a better quality of life for its citizens. Conference Notes Nov. 2010 Sher Sester Links http://stateofcreativity.com/newsroom/ Oklahoma State of Creativity newsroom http://stateofcreativity.com/ Read about the Oklahoma State of Creativity http://stateofcreativity.com/initiatives/ Read aboutRead… Read more »

The Stress Doc’s “Top Ten Commandments” for Transforming Reorganizational Crisis: Generating the Four “R”s – Relief and Reflection, Rejuvenation and Recommitment – Part III

Part I introduced three necessary transition stress interventions for engaging an audience on “The Reorg Rag” ™, that is going through transitional crisis: 1) “Bring Your Inner Clint Eastwood” – demonstrate a readiness to empathically and assertively handle audience anger or angst, 2) “Warm Up and Cool Down the Audience” – through healing humor andRead… Read more »

The “New Media Director” Position is Just a Means to an End

This post originally appeared on my external blog, “Social Media Strategery.” In 2010, the position of “New Media Director” within the government has become almost commonplace. From governors to senators to Departments and Agencies, now you can attend a GovUp and leave with more than a dozen business cards, all containing the title of NewRead… Read more »

2011 PMF Semifinalists

Word is that some of the 2011 Presidential Management Fellows nominees have begun receiving notifications of results indicating they made it to the semifinalist round. At the time of this posting, the list has not been provided, but given the volume of notices (both positive and negative), the notifications could take a while. Stay tuned.Read… Read more »

Everyone Has the Capacity to Lead

One of the “perks” of flying tens of thousands of miles each year is the opportunity to peruse the in-flight magazine during the electronic hiatus during take-off and landing—an interesting outgrowth of carrying an E-reader and subsequent dearth of having any “paper” products to peruse. During my latest flight, I was drawn to an articleRead… Read more »

The Five Days of Arete

I started this tradition in my Junior year of college thanks to an inspiring philosophy professor who applied Ancient Greek philosophy to his profitable management consulting practice. His guiding concept was arête which has deep meaning but essentially means the pursuit of excellence in whatever you do. It really resonated with me because I wasRead… Read more »

Activity or Results – Which Do We Reward?

Activity is: movement; working on tasks; kinetic energy; being (or looking) busy; doing ‘stuff’… “Getting Results” brings to mind: meeting goals; creating value; making sales; completing projects… Are they the same thing? NO – Results require activity – BUT – Activity does not necessarily produce Results. To that point – I can recall seeing anRead… Read more »

Five Get-Ahead Tips for Feds by Lily Whiteman

Aside from the obvious — to work like the Dickens — here are ten potentially pivotal get-ahead tips. 1. Follow the money, controversy and power: Unfair though it is, employees who work in front offices with SESers and political appointees tend to ascend the career ladder faster than comparably productive employees who toil in out-of-sight,Read… Read more »