In principle, moving quickly often seems like a good idea but moving quickly in the wrong direction simply gets you to the wrong place fast. Most groups have a high need for quick achievement. We have all heard someone say, “Enough talk, let’s just do something!” And we have all seen groups charge off quicklyRead… Read more »
I want to begin this post with a quick preface: I am not a sci-fi movie aficionado. However, when the opportunity arises, I can’t pass up an entertaining film – especially a slightly outdated one that reminds me of how ridiculous popular culture of the late 90s and early 2000s really was. So when aRead… Read more »
This is a continuation of an article about open311 use cases in which I looked at three cities using open311 solutions to communicate with their constituents. This week, I’d like to offer some advice about getting started with open311 technology. The best places to start are with mobile reporting applications and the constituent relationship managementRead… Read more »
It’s a long, sordid story, but the moral is simple: Beware what you ask for — you might get it! A little background: Back in 2007, I was so happy. The Presidential Management Fellowship program office “popped the cap”—they allowed universities to nominate an unlimited number of graduating students for the prestigious PMF program. Previously,Read… Read more »
Adding on to my last post on the Women’s Empowerment (WE) initiative in Kansas City, Missouri, we are looking closely at our internal practices to build a more inclusive, diverse city government. As a woman, a new mom, and coming from the male-dominated profession of architecture, I am acutely aware of some of the barriersRead… Read more »
Our organizational partners at Everyday Democracy recently shared a compilation of their top 10 resources for dialogue and deliberation practitioners that we highly encourage you to check out. They provide guidance on issues from incorporating racial equity into our work to training youth facilitators and are valuable tools for deepening our work. You can readRead… Read more »
Professionalism in the workplace is a hot topic. Being a “professional” portrays various images based on your perception of its definition. So, what’s your perception? We often think of a suited-up individual with a briefcase. Professionalism is often associated with competence and skill. However, being a skilled employee is not the same as being aRead… Read more »
Gadi Ben-Yehuda Dare to Share. Though the Fast CoExist article “How To Build A Circular Economy That’s Less Wasteful And More Prosperous” focuses on private-sector organizations, many of its recommendations are a good fit for government agencies–especially at the state and local level. A Low-Lying Cloud. And here comes “fog computing.” The idea is thatRead… Read more »
There is a perception within the federal government that HR offices in most agencies are the place where people are placed when there’s no place else to put them. I have heard over the years that HR is the location where the “problem” people land. It’s often viewed that all HR employees do is processRead… Read more »
/> Over the course of the last year, I have noticed a rapidly rising organizational interest amongst my clients in using “text messaging” for communications purposes; specifically for opt-in notifications. The main reasons are quite obvious: 26.3% of Canadian households have no land-line (Convergence Consulting Group, 2014) The smartphone penetration rate is now at aRead… Read more »