Regain Public Trust: Solve Social Problems

Opinions of the federal government are at an all-time low. With only 17% of Americans holding a positive view of the work being done in Washington, we finally unseated the oil and gas industry for last-place on Gallup’s annual opinion rankings. And to be honest, it’s hard to blame them. Our federal government is jam-packedRead… Read more »

GovBytes: Will Apple start pursuing the enterprise market?

Apple has been at the forefront of the consumer technology market for years, but continues to lag behind competitor RIM when it comes to the enterprise market. Business and government buyers haven’t been actively pursued by Apple since Steve Jobs cut the business division in the mid-90’s, focusing solely on consumer electronics. The most profitableRead… Read more »

“The New and Improved” Pathways Program

Yesterday I attended an event sponsored by NASPAA (The National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration) focused on the “new and improved” Pathways Program designed to better infuse new blood into the federal government workforce. While there has been an increased interest in government service, due somewhat to the popularity of The WestRead… Read more »

VA Takes Bold Steps in Using Research to Repair Supplier Relationships

When doing research regarding perceptions and attitudes of key stakeholders, it is often very challenging to gain feedback that may be brutally honest or even negative. The reality is that the most honest feedback from research is always the most valuable and provides organizations with the insights needed to enhance performance. The Department of VeteranRead… Read more »

Sponsorship opportunities for NCDD Seattle — sign on now for the most benefit!

Plans are underway for NCDD’s 5th National Conference on Dialogue & Deliberation, to be held October 12-14, 2012 at the Hyatt at Olive 8 in downtown Seattle, Washington. NCDD conferences bring together hundreds of the most active, thoughtful, and influential people involved in public engagement and group process work across the U.S. and Canada (andRead… Read more »

LocalGovCamp 2012

LocalGovCamp is returning! It will be held on Saturday, July 14th in Birmingham – venue to be confirmed. Sign up for an early bird ticket here. Thanks to the UKGovCamp fund and Talk About Local who are early sponsors. If you want to throw some cash at a seriously cool bunch of local government innovators,Read… Read more »

Meet Professor Norden, Chief of the Research Staff

You may recall the incredible story by Arthur C. Clarke titled “Superiority” (available in the collection: The Collected Stories of Arthur C. Clarke). This short story, written in 1951, is such a great read because it captures some key, apparently enduring qualities of militaries that become seduced by their technological superiority. The result: Even thoughRead… Read more »

Guesting on #GovChat today

This week I am the guest on #GovChat, a Canadian operated weekly Twitter chat through PSLeader, featuring high profile public service and thought leaders from around the world. The chat starts at 10:00AM today for Aussie east coasters, 9:30AM in the middle and at 8:00AM if you’re in the west. For participants around the world:Read… Read more »