Have you ever been in a conversation where the more someone spoke, the worse it got? Where no matter how many explanations received or questions asked, the result was the same: a complete and total lack of a concise message? Yup. Clear as mud! Sometimes, I’m pretty sure it’s the speaker. Sometimes, I’m embarrassed toRead… Read more »
The “grey tsunami” was a big topic at my agency a few years back. The expectation was that up to 70% of the agency’s workforce would take early retirement. Massive amounts of tacit knowledge would be lost. In preparation, my team attempted to “crowdsource” the knowledge of the experienced staff. We wanted to convert thatRead… Read more »
Should I speak up, or is this a dumb idea? Did I do a good enough job on that project? Am I in over my head? Chances are you recognize that voice. It’s the downward spiraling mantra of self-doubt, and almost everyone has had it in his head at one point or another. Self-doubt canRead… Read more »
http://www.psretirement.com/pension-survivor-benefit-options/ Both CSRS and FERS have an option when they retire to choose a Survivor Benefit option which allows their spouse continued partial pension payments in the event of your death. For CSRS, the Survivor Benefit option would provide a 55% annuity payout. For FERS, the Survivor Benefit has two options: a 25% or 50%Read… Read more »
Performance-based budgeting or budgeting for outcomes (BFO) has taken center stage and not in the best light. Earlier this summer, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) introduced the world to BFO — the idea of linking spending to performance — and showed how unrealistic goals, inadequately managed performance measurement systems and improperly used, inaccurate dataRead… Read more »
Everyone is talking about IT reform – but does anyone know how to implement it? Doesn’t seem like it. It’s like your friend who just learned a new word but constantly keeps using it incorrectly. Legislators just learned about IT procurement, but don’t have the knowledge to apply it well. Many CIOs, however, have ideasRead… Read more »
So, you finally got your public sector organization on Facebook, you set up a page, and over a few months or years you slowly cultivated a strong group of engaged stakeholders. You were gaining fans, your posts were getting better and better, and everything seemed to be going swimmingly. Then one day you began toRead… Read more »
Save Don’t Spend One concept that should be a part of the fabric of our being is save, save, save during the last five years of our federal work career. Hopefully you have been contributing to your TSP since you began working, but certainly the last 5 years before retirement is a time you shouldRead… Read more »
One of the hot topics in many organizations right now is knowledge management. Whether its in the context of customer service, business strategy, human resources, or information technology managing knowledge is a serious concern in most organizations. Whenever one of these projects or programs is getting ramped up the temptation is always there to tryRead… Read more »
http://www.psretirement.com/social-security-fers-employees-todd-carmack/ I am often asked by clients “When should I start taking my Social Security payments?”. There is no single right answer to that question because everyone designs their retirement differently. This added income can make a difference on when you decide to retire and how much of a benefit you are willing to accept.Read… Read more »