6 Ways to Become a Better Listener
Listening can be a tough communication skill to master. Luckily, the active listening method can help you improve your skills.
3 Tips for Designing Better Forms
This is the second installment of “Build Better Forms,” a series in which we review online government forms and suggest some improvements. As we discussed in our first post, a clear and intuitive form reaps many benefits: lower data processing costs, fewer support requests, higher completion rates, and greater citizen satisfaction. Let’s run through threeRead… Read more »
Where Do You Find Inspiration? An Interview with Marathon Finisher Harriett Thompson
Concert pianist Harriett Thompson, 92, became the oldest person to run a 26.2 mile race when she crossed the finish line at the San Diego Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon on May 31, 2015. She stole the record from Gladys Burill, now 97, who finished the Honolulu marathon in 2010. Burill was 92 years, 19 daysRead… Read more »
Can We Focus on What Works?
Can we shift the conversation in Washington from “waste, fraud, and abuse” to “what works and let’s fund it, instead?” Recently, I attended a Senate hearing on wasteful spending in the federal government. Some of the witnesses pointed to examples such as the legislative requirement that the Defense Department ship coal to Germany to heatRead… Read more »
Are You Achieving Your Potential?
Achieving your full potential is about being the best person you can be. Mevlana Jelaluddin Rum stated “You are not meant for crawling, so don’t. You have wings, learn to use them.” Are you crawling or flying? Jon Acuff, author of PUNCH FEAR IN THE FACE, ESCAPE AVERAGE AND DO WORK THAT MATTERS states in hisRead… Read more »
TSP Talk Weekly Wrap Up
Greece bailout talks catalyzed stocks to have a strong open on Monday, however there was an early peak and stocks closed off the highs. Tuesday opened high as well but faded into negative territory by mid-day where buyers stepped back in to reach some modest gains by the close. Wednesday opened lower and stocks continuedRead… Read more »
STEM vs Humanities: Why Both are Needed for Analytics
A national conversation is continuing to brew over whether Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) skills should be emphasized in schools and universities over humanities and liberal arts education. Several recent studies have found that the perceived higher marketplace value of STEM skills has led to a drop in the percentage of students pursuing humanitiesRead… Read more »
Regional Telecom Extensions Underway
Federal government agencies largely order their telecommunications through GSA’s Networx telecommunications program or through our Regional Local Service Agreements (LSAs) for local telecommunications. As announced in March, we are extending the period of performance for the Network Universal and Enterprise contracts from 2017 to 2020. We are currently working with our industry suppliers to extend theRead… Read more »
Numbers Can Reframe a Story. People Make it Memorable.
People are busy and our most important task is to tell a story in a way that people remember. A few, easy numbers make that task a lot easier. … In days of old, we used to have to rely on reporters to find those people, although it’s certainly within our power to help them…. Read more »
How to Answer “What Do You Do?” When You’re Unemployed
It’s a seemingly innocuous question: “So, what do you do?” It’s generally meant well, and asked by people who are genuinely interested in learning more about you – but if you’re unemployed this can be the question you dread most in casual conversation. As a culture, we put a lot of emphasis on what peopleRead… Read more »