Switchboard’s mission is to provide HUD’s citizens, stakeholders, and staff with the tools and channels necessary to interact meaningfully with their government in the following ways: By welcoming and encouraging creative ideation to improve HUD’s programs, policies, and operations, and engaging those interested in the process of putting those ideas into action; By creating avenues of feedback for individuals or organizationsRead… Read more »
John Godfrey Saxe, an American poet, introduced the Indian parable “The Blind Men and the Elephant” to a Western audience. In this tale, six blind men touch the same elephant, but each perceives something different about the animal. “And so these men of Indostan disputed loud and long, each in his own opinion exceeding stiffRead… Read more »
The way to make things happen is to let them go. I learned this from hard experience. For the last three or four years I spent my time trying to build a business. It didn’t go very well. It turns out I’m best working alone, within organisations, helping them to get things done. My businessRead… Read more »
Originally posted on #GovLife. One of the things we hear about a lot when we talk about innovation is the rate of adoption. Whether or not an idea (no matter how amazing) succeeds is a huge risk, and it’s not just applicable to government. The characteristics listed in 5 Common Characteristics of Ideas That Spread,Read… Read more »
Today, OMB launched the fifth annual SAVE Award (Securing Americans Value and Efficiency) – a competition for Federal employees to submit their ideas for how to cut waste, save taxpayer dollars, and create a more efficient and effective government. Borne out of the President’s belief that the best ideas often come from those on theRead… Read more »
Still going strong on day two of the Next Generation of Government Training Summit. Here’s a quick recap of the session, Stronger than All the Armies in the World, presented by Brian Gryth, Program Manager of Business Intelligence at the Colorado Department of State. The abstract reads: Victor Hugo said, “there is one thing strongerRead… Read more »
Across disciplines and industries, customer and citizen insights are more closely woven into the production process for whatever it might be (software, laws, vehicles, you name it). The age of internal-only product development is over – customers can now bring their thoughts to bear on everything that a company does so that by the timeRead… Read more »
As the Canadian Public Service navigates through the recent job cuts as part of the 2012 budget, I’ve written about different skills that will help any public servant through cutbacks including survival tips for those who survive the job losses and a call to truly think if the public service is the right career forRead… Read more »
Social Connect via: The idea for today’s post comes from a personal pet peeve and really tries to tap into the very fundamental challenge of taking ideas into action. Often we find ourselves paralyzed at the idea stage and can’t get past the wall between ideas and action. Everyone is capable of coming up withRead… Read more »
Lately, there has been a site called Pinterest that has skyrocketed in popularity. The basic concept behind Pinterest is an online pinboard; a virtual space for sharing images from all over the web based on specific themes. It’s a way to discover new ideas and get inspired. People use it for home remodeling, wedding planning,Read… Read more »