Earlier this month, the annual Best Places to Work in the Federal Government rankings were released by the Partnership for Public Service, based on data from OPM’s Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey. NASA was rated the best large agency to work for, FDIC was chosen as the best mid-sized agency, and the Surface Transportation board comesRead… Read more »
Let’s be real. Being young in the government is not easy. Yes, it’s a privilege to serve your country. And yes, the opportunities in government are often endless. But you’re also entry-level in a bureaucratic, top-heavy organization, where many of your colleagues are significantly older and more experienced than you. That being the case, it’sRead… Read more »
Mondays are hard. We all know that. Gearing up at the start of the week isn’t as easy as just having an extra cup of coffee. Sometimes, we need a little something extra to really get back in the workweek groove. Luckily, we’ve got a remedy — inspirational quotes. Brew that extra cup of joe,Read… Read more »
I have a few boards on Pinterest. As I scan and search for items to pin, I always come across an inspirational quote or two . . . or one hundred. What I do when I see a quote depends on my mood that day and whether or not it calls to me. If IRead… Read more »
We can learn a lot about leadership from the men and women who fought for our country’s independence and shaped its early course through history. It’s rare these days that federal employees are called on to literally take up arms and sacrifice their lives during the daily practice of democracy – but moral conviction andRead… Read more »
“That’s normal city pace” is something of a running joke at the local municipality I work for. By normal pace, my coworkers and I mean slow. We often set ideal project deadlines and miss them by months or even years. Sometimes things just never get completed. I know it’s not just us. Bureaucratic red tape,Read… Read more »
There are days when it can be really difficult to jump start those creative juices and feel prepared to tackle some of our strategic initiatives at City Hall. As Chief Innovation Officer for Kansas City, Missouri, I have had to realistically manage my own expectations of myself – evidently it is impossible to be wildlyRead… Read more »
Mondays are hard. We all know that. Gearing up at the start of the week isn’t as easy as just having an extra cup of coffee. Sometimes, we need a little something extra to really get back in the workweek groove. Luckily, I have just the recommendation. Almost six years ago (!) we started aRead… Read more »
One of my favorite sitcoms, How I Met Your Mother, ended last month. In the final episode the character, Marshall Ericksen, an environmental lawyer, was shown working for a corporate law firm; a job that made him miserable. He had resolved to say only positive things about his job and in one scene was askedRead… Read more »
Have you ever attended leadership training programs sponsored inside your organization, listened to the wonderful information being presented, and thought to yourself, “Yeah, that sounds great, but it doesn’t work when I get back to my office”? After 24 plus years of federal service, and more than seven years as a leadership instructor, and executiveRead… Read more »