Anthropologist Robin Dunbar famously observed that most people can only maintain relationships at one time with 150 people. The average on Facebook is 120-230. And of that, only a fraction really matter to us. Penetrating a small circle is usually very difficult, especially if they are members of a network based around a tie thatRead… Read more »
Picture this: Girl sits at a desk. It’s an okay desk, as it happens it’s not the smallest desk she ever had. Actually, she used to have her own office – in a portakabin admittedly – but it was her own space in one of those weird local government twists of fate. Anyway, she’s gotRead… Read more »
THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATION Dear Fellow Federal Employees: This year marks a historic milestone. Fifty years ago, President John F. Kennedy established the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) to help people in local communities, across the nation, and around the world. It is my profound pleasure to serve as National Honorary Chair of the 50th anniversaryRead… Read more »
What kind of leader are you? Do you have a philosophy of how you evaluate others? You should. When trainers are finding ways of improving performance and leadership, there’s one topic we should cover but often don’t. How do we evaluate performance? It seems an obvious fit for us, but it’s a tough and touchyRead… Read more »
Plan amounts to $21 billion tax increase on federal employees American Federation of Government Employees National President John Gage today denounced President Obama’s proposal to require federal employees to contribute $21 billion more to their retirement. Under the President’s Plan for Economic Growth and Deficit Reduction, federal employees will have their paychecks reduced by 1.2Read… Read more »
Illinois is utilizing more federal funds to keep unemployed and underemployed residents in their homes. Approximately 15,000 homeowners in the state are under the threat of foreclosure due to employment conditions and the Governor is using $345 million in federal funds to help them cover their mortgage payments. The program gives 10-year low cost loansRead… Read more »
Students, faculty, and staff at the University of Maryland now have access to a new app for Android users, which connects them to a “direct and instantaneous line of communication to campus police and dispatch”. Users of the app are able to contact emergency services by pushing a single button. The app uses the university’sRead… Read more »
October is right around the corner, bringing with it cooler weather, autumn leaves (at least here in New England!) and Health Literacy Month. Fifteen years ago, Health Literacy was a topic still under the radar. Today, we have conferences and courses, a growing body of literature and professional roles dedicated to the subject. Much ofRead… Read more »
On August 31st, solar cell maker Solyndra unexpectedly closed its doors, laying off 1,100 employees and filing for bankruptcy. The Fremont, CA company had been considered one of the most promising solar companies in the U.S. The fact that Solyndra received $535 million in federally-backed loan guarantees has many questioning whether this collapse could haveRead… Read more »
With increased budget pressures and constraints on our schedules with expanding workloads, finding time to attend a face-to-face event is difficult. Not that there are many face-to-face events anymore: studies show that 60% of US marketers are planning to increase their spend on virtual events while 42% plan to decrease their spend around physical eventsRead… Read more »