Federal agency and department presence on social media varies widely—some have multiple accounts on various platforms while others have just a page or two that is updated infrequently. I wanted to find out what makes some sites more useful than others, so I set out to look at as many federal social media pages asRead… Read more »
Awhile back, Steve Crescenzo came up with the idea of the “C.R.A.P. Awards” to designate worthless employee communication that says nothing, means nothing, and interests no one. (This article is worth a read.) A couple of problems: #1: Getting approval Social media is simple and reductive. Subject matter experts think in complex terms and prefer toRead… Read more »
Troy Mathis knows how to talk. And he speaks in a way that makes you want to listen. His session -Make It Matter: Personal Professional Branding, at the Next Generation of Government Training Summit was high-energy, engaging, and inspiring. After listening to his presentation and going through the steps, I’ve come away with the realizationRead… Read more »
When was the last time you savored every word in a five paragraph-long email? Or managed to endure an hour-long meeting without zoning out at least three times? Just because your answers were “never” to both of those questions doesn’t mean you have an abnormally poor attention span; it means that there is a disconnectRead… Read more »
The American public often gets sidetracked from important issues. Reality TV and celebrity news distract us from important government discussions and policy problems-like science. Yawn. Science? There’s only so much Bill Nye the Science Guy I can watch. Sheril Kirshenbaum, director of The Energy Poll at the University of Texas, reminded us why we should careRead… Read more »
Government rebels from all walks of life spanning a range of government agencies united in full force at this year’s NextGenGov’s summit, and it was inspiring. Now, these rebels were not your stereotypical outliers or black sheep; the packed room included a Fellow from the State Department, a Medicaid expert from Wyoming, and a ManagementRead… Read more »
In the Next Generation of Government Training Summit session, “Analyzing Data to Make Better Decisions,” Kirsten Dalboe, MGMT Cube Program Manager at DHS, and Gray Brooks, Senior API Strategist at GSA, shared their successes with using data to improve performance and efficiency. Kirsten was the “data scientist” behind the DHS Management Cube, which integrates financial,Read… Read more »
Sometimes trying to manage a team of strong personalities can feel like herding cats. The great strengths that make each team member fantastic on their own may cause them to butt heads when it comes to a group setting. If you’re at the helm of a team of independent spirits, it can be challenging toRead… Read more »
I recently started working with two new clients on website projects, and both of them were adamant that they did not want to include blogging on their sites. They viewed blogs as too personal, informal, and unprofessional, and were concerned they would attract spammers and trolls. Their concerns have merit of course, and the negativeRead… Read more »
“Get smart” means paying attention to co-workers, friends, family, spouse, or a partner. Nothing brings more stress to interpersonal relationships than carrying frustrations home after work. Get smart means getting smart. Being aware of all this takes work. Being smart about the law, political motivations, and social context is part of our job. It is… Read more »