How to Make the Most of a Government Conference

Conferences offer a unique experience to hear from experts, to network with colleagues in your industry, and to facilitate ongoing learning. However, you won’t make the most of the opportunity by simply showing up. Here are a few tested methods for ensuring you not only arrive, but thrive at your next conference. Make connections beforehandRead… Read more »

Innovation Entrepreneurs Unite!

You have nothing to lose but your silos! Last month, nearly 200 enthusiastic innovators from more than two dozen federal agencies gathered to share ideas and inspire each other with stories of what they are doing in their agencies. Using “lightening round” presentations, nearly a dozen presenters shared their stories. Andy Feldman from the DepartmentRead… Read more »

Why We Need to Stop Skipping Our Lunch Breaks

If you’re anything like me, you know this scenario all too well….emails flying back and forth, voicemails and calls to return, multi-tasking at least two different urgent issues, putting out countless fires….then 12:00 rolls around and you think, “I’ll just do one more thing,” which turns into two or three things and by the timeRead… Read more »

10 of the Funniest Yelp Reviews of Government

If you somehow haven’t heard of Yelp, it’s a website and app where anyone can review just about anything. People mostly seem to head to Yelp when they’re busting to share their glowing praise or their boiling rage. Now, as announced by DigitalGov, Yelp has a terms of service for official government use. Agencies can claim orRead… Read more »

How To Deliver Feedback Without Sounding Like A Jerk

One of the toughest parts of being a manager is delivering constructive feedback to your employees. You have to strike a delicate balance between putting them on the defensive, and being so vague that your feedback doesn’t sink in. How do you make sure your feedback gets heard – and taken to heart? Much dependsRead… Read more »

3 Tips to Maximize Customer Interactions at Exhibits

I represented the agency’s tourism office at the Ohio State Fair this past weekend. What a ride (in a literal and figurative sense). We discussed our strategies and goals to ensure consistent messaging. At the fair, we presented our newest calendar of events, hiking maps, and travel guides. Some tech-savvy users download the app on-site.Read… Read more »