Last month in response to a Congressional request, the General Accounting Office released Report GAO-15-585 under their Federal Workforce section entitled “Additional Analysis and Sharing of Promising Practices Could Improve Employee Engagement and Performance.” The GAO was asked to review how the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) was doing in improving federal employee engagement. TheRead… Read more »
My father a member of the Silent Generation used this phrase all the time, “I Feel You But I Can’t Reach You.” Of course to him, the phrase was not a term of endearment. He used this refrain from a position of power as he reminded you of your lack of power. He never intendedRead… Read more »
What is one thing managers can do to increase creativity, productivity, and commitment by their employees? A recent study by two psychologists, Teresa Amabile and Steven Kramer, concludes: “If you focus on supporting the daily progress of people working in your organization, you will not only foster the success of the organization but also enrichRead… Read more »
The public service needs more linchpins. More what? Exactly.
In case you missed it, President Obama’s FY 2016 Budget of the U.S. Government recommends a scant 1.3 percent pay raise for the federal workforce next fiscal year. Well, as the old saying goes, something is better than nothing. However, when it comes to issues of fair pay, it appears that many feds are onceRead… Read more »
Despite all the talk of integrated talent management and people management being the hub of engagement, empowerment and the overall organizational environment, we still seem to get bogged down in thinking about key elements of talent management in various HR silos. However, so much is tied together. If you could just open up the treasureRead… Read more »
Agency leaders and managers — stop what you’re doing – focus and engage! You’re looking at a whirlwind of challenges and problems that seemingly feed on each other as you drown in an ocean of HR calamities: It takes too long to hire someone You can’t attract the talent you need New employees are boggedRead… Read more »
It’s a bold new world for today’s federal leaders. Sitting in your office and shouting out edicts to your employees won’t cut it. Particularly with millennials, substantive employee engagement is absolutely necessary for successful leadership. This is true from the critical time of onboarding for a new hire through to an employee’s ongoing employment, developmentRead… Read more »
It’s not rocket science. When we feel like our work is appreciated, we work harder and give our best – but when we feel like no one notices our efforts, we start not to care too much about our jobs. As a manager, you have a fantastic opportunity to take advantage of this basic humanRead… Read more »
Especially in government, we constantly talk about doing more with less. But most often, those conversations focus on physical resources like office supplies, amenities, or space. And when we do think about the human element, it’s often in detached terms like ‘labor hours’ or ‘workforce supply’. However, if you manage an overburdened team, you areRead… Read more »