What led you to CfA I came to CfA after a mobile-social gaming app startup I’d helped launch had faltered. I’d previously worked in government, and while I found the work incredibly compelling, I was by then far too hooked on the dynamism of startup life to consider going back. Code for America seemed (andRead… Read more »
I’ve been reading a pretty good book called Transforming Performance Measurement: Rethinking the Way We Measure and Drive Organizational Success and there’s a ton of great ideas in it. I think anyone who is involved in performance management or measuring the success of specific activities in an organization should read this. It has a lotRead… Read more »
Leaders want to influence the behaviors of followers. But what is the most effective way to do this? By asserting strength and competence, or by focusing on warmth and trustworthiness? Style matters, claim several Harvard Business Review authors, Amy Cuddy, Matthew Kohut, and John Neffinger, in a recent article. They write: “A growing body ofRead… Read more »
From July 13-18, the 33rd National Veterans Wheelchair Games were held in Tampa, Florida. The games are presented each year by Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) with additional support from numerous corporate and community sponsors. HP is a proud sponsor of the games and connected me with MarthaRead… Read more »
The Denovati Social Media Quiz (SMQ) has been one of the most popular SMART Resources we have created. Now approaching its fifth year of use, the third version generally represents the universe of social media sites and tools and can be used to quickly capture people’s knowledge and experience. This post provides an overview andRead… Read more »
This post was originally published at CPSRenewal.ca. A year ago, I wrote a post about how and why good ideas face resistance (see: Renewal and Resistance). Today we still can’t swing a good idea without hitting a Clay Layer*, and I thought that it was about time to revisit it. The Clay Layer is thisRead… Read more »
Article Summary: Imagine you have spent the day interviewing. You met senior leaders from every department. Your last interview is with Donald, the CEO. He graciously welcomes you into his office and offers you a seat in a comfortable-looking chair. Donald smiles and starts the same way everyone else did…“Tell me about yourself.” Will yourRead… Read more »
Buffalo City Council members meet every two weeks to take actions on the many different issues and items that come before them. Councilmembers have the ability to raise any new ideas or concerns they have by filing a resolution, which will bring the item before the full Council. As I wrote about in a previousRead… Read more »
In 2012 EMC made a generous contribution to Code for America, in a joint effort to take advantage of the promise of big data for local governments. They sponsored a data science Fellow, Matt Hampel, who during his Fellowship created LocalData as a member of the Detroit team; now he and his teammates are buildingRead… Read more »
Code for America Yearbook is an ongoing series of my interviews with 2013 Fellows about their year at CfA. Last week I sat down with Ryan and here’s what he had to say. Name: Ryan Closner Fellowship City: Las Vegas Hometown: Portland, Ore. Current Neighborhood: Mission Role: Programmer DOB: 3/29/89 Q: How did you findRead… Read more »