I used to be a prison chaplain. I got very familiar with the phrase “snitches get stiches.” Among people doing time, blowing the whistle on someone was the vilest symbol of disloyalty. We see this “keep it in the family” culture in other settings particularly among male athletes. The notion that what happens in theRead… Read more »
One way white people like to exert their privilege in the inclusion debate is to create this myth of what I like to call cheap inclusion. It goes something like this. Can we coexist? Can we tolerate each other? I think I can put up with this person in the workplace. They want to doRead… Read more »
What qualifies anyone to dialogue as a subject matter expert on political correctness? What exactly does political correctness mean in the context of a United States government employee’s concerns? Should political correctness be a factor in public anything? These are all tough, complex questions. And while it may be incredibly ambitious to tackle them, this… Read more »
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) recently launched a new program to drive up diversity in the federal workforce. The program is known as REDI: Recruitment, Engagement, Diversity, and Inclusion. The government is, potentially, at a turning point in terms of its diversity. In the coming years, there will be massive turnover in the governmentRead… Read more »
This notion of the best places to work is getting plenty of attention these days in the human capital space. NASA was hailed as the best place to work in the federal government for the last 3 years by the Partnership for Public Service based on its Best Places to Work in the Federal GovernmentRead… Read more »
Equal employment opportunity (EEO) has always been a cornerstone of the federal civil service. The government prides itself on striving to be a model employer and setting an example for the private sector. Many government agencies have a positive record of achievement on EEO issues and fostering work environments which are diverse, fair, inclusive andRead… Read more »
For many, the notion of women in technology is focused on computer science and the tech industry. Should the definition be so narrow? Do we really want to send the message to girls and young women that aspiring to be coders and tech entrepreneurs is the best (or only) way they can make a professional… Read more »
As feds, we are entering the heritage month season. January brought Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday. February has ushered in Black History Month and March will soon deliver Women’s History Month. In my conversations with employees about these events, I sense a malaise has seeped into these celebrations that dilute their effectiveness in promotingRead… Read more »
Can we do away with the following months or at least change the way we commemorate them: Black History, Women’s History, Asian Pacific American Heritage, Hispanic Heritage, National Disability Employment Awareness and Native American Heritage? Why. Rarely do these observances focus on what executive orders, public laws, federal regulations and Presidential proclamations require- the improvementRead… Read more »
The International City/County Management Association (ICMA) has released a survey with some hard-to-believe results. Today, only 13% of chief executive positions in local government are held by women – a number that has remained exactly the same since 1981. A lot of other things have changed since the same year IBM introduced the first personalRead… Read more »