You Learn a Lot About Yourself When You Get Eaten by a Zombie

Two things I really enjoy: critical thinking and unique experiences. Generally when I find opportunities that include both, the conversation goes something like this: Me: Do you want to do something really unique? My fiancée: Oh gosh… what is it? Me: I need you to agree first. It is a critical thinking exercise, but it’sRead… Read more »

FEMAStat: An Iterative Approach to Maturing Strategic Analytics

Last month, I sat down with Carter Hewgley, Director of Enterprise Analytics at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to discuss using big data and analytics in a number of creative and interesting ways to support real-world business goals. This conversation was a part of the ongoing IBM/Partnership for Public Service Podcast series, Conversations onRead… Read more »

New GovLoop Group for Community Cultivators

Today marks the re-launch of my open, free-to-join GovLoop group, Community Cultivators, formerly E2E (Employee-to-Employee Communication), as well as Online Communities Best Practices at LinkedIn. I hope you’ll join the conversation at either place, because online communities today represent the #1 opportunity to reach and influence a target audience, yet few understand the science of influencing their beliefsRead… Read more »

Respect for Millennials

Our current generation of millennial professionals will make up the majority of the workplace in the next twenty years. Employers report millennials aren’t ready for work–that in management and leadership areas they only succeed because they are bright achievers. So far. We have the power to change that. It’s not anyone’s fault–everything is happening soRead… Read more »

The Washington Nationals and Talent Management Success

There’s a lot of excitement this fall in Washington, DC. This time of year, it’s usually football that has everyone around here talking, but this year, baseball and the Washington Nationals are all the buzz, as the playoffs begin and the Nationals strive to reach the World Series. What’s that have to do with talentRead… Read more »

Rating Training: The How-To of What Not to Do

We know training is important to both organizations and employees, yet it is often seen by workers and supervisors as extra work of no real value. It interrupts the workflow. It is the immediate tangible evaluations are the most important. The effectiveness of training should matter. That’s what we tell ourselves and, yet, we hand out trainer and trainingRead… Read more »

There are Dumb Questions. Don’t Ask Them.

We’ve all heard the phrase, “There are no dumb questions, only dumb answers.” That is patently false, as any one who has been the victim of a terrible question at a public event can attest. Participation is important, whether at an internal brown bag or plenary at an annual convention. Asking a question is aRead… Read more »

My Leadership Sweet Spot

Leaders must be learners and last week I completed the Healthcare Leadership Development Program. It was great program focused on each of us as individual leaders, the healthcare environment we operate in and leadership in crisis. As a wrap-up, each participant was asked to share a three minute success story.  Not quite Ignite style (wouldn’tRead… Read more »

Failure Résumés: A Training Guide for Success

Who says your failures can’t lead to success? Employers it seems. We are fond of saying, “Failure is not an option.” And, “when it’s rough, the tough get going.” That may be a positive result of the United States unemployment situation and lagging economy. Today’s unemployed may have failed in nailing a specific job orRead… Read more »

Trust Me. I’m a Digital Immigrant.

I admit it. I didn’t know much about Marc Prensky or his 2001 article on digital natives until about, oh, 2006. Though I find his article fascinating and the conversations and research that it sparked equally interesting, I want to bring a slightly different and lighthearted perspective to this conversation. I have found that there isRead… Read more »