Service Leadership highlighted at yesterday’s Excellence in Government Conference

Originally posted on http://www.andrewdwelch.com at http://www.andrewdwelch.com/2010/04/service-leadership-highlighted-at.html. I spent the day yesterday at the “Excellence in Government Conference” focusing mostly on developing a leadership culture within organizations, but to a lesser extent (at least in the sessions I attended and discussions I had) on citizen engagement through social media, a culture of service, and managing actualRead… Read more »

Generative Order – Reason for Change

Generally I have used the “generative order” as a theory to understand change. Based on this theory that is based on entropy (also that deals with systems dynamics) following is the brief discussion about when the change occurs. Change affects everybody. And it will happen again and again, when the entropic equilibrium is disturbed. ItRead… Read more »

How to tell if your organisation is ready for change!

The following is speculation and i can not at this stage back any of this up. However i do fundamentally believe in what i am about to post. In the current economic climate there are huge pressures to reduce costs and to increase value and this often leads organisations to either announce “radical” changes orRead… Read more »

Leaders Don’t Need Checklists

There are two ideas that drive and compel me in almost every aspect of my professional life that I am passionate about communicating to leaders, public administrators and managers. The first idea is that leaders are different and distinct from managers, administrators and supervisors in very significant ways and play very different roles. The secondRead… Read more »

The Federal Coach: Deadwood – The Myth of Poor Performers

In today’s column I look at the myths associated with removing poor performers in government and what practical steps managers can take. Even if you’re not a fan, you’re probably familiar with the Discovery Channel’s MythBusters, a series that uses science and special-effects to separate fact from fiction. The government needs its own version ofRead… Read more »

Federal Eye: Obama to take management tips from CEOs

Seventeen of the nation’s top business executives will soon start advising the Obama administration how to better manage the federal government. President Obama signed an executive order on Monday establishing the President’s Management Advisory Board, which will provide tips on productivity, customer service and the use of technology. The board will be chaired by OfficeRead… Read more »

A new major national poll regarding Americans’ trust in government finds that favorable opinions of seven federal agencies have dropped significantly since the last time the survey was conducted in the late 1990s. The poll, “Distrust, Discontent, Anger and Partisan Rancor,” by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press surveyed more thanRead… Read more »

Apple vs. Open Government

There’s a very interesting new blog post by Adobe’s Rob Pinkerton worth reading, asking whether the folks at Apple have actually read the Open Government Directive. Rob’s main point is that Apple’s proprietary developer requirements stifle true openness and innovation: “I still find it hard to believe that a company that founded one of theRead… Read more »