Get Off the Lessons Learned Treadmill in 2015
Are you repeating the same lessons learned or mistakes?
Posts Tagged: program management
Agencies Can’t Climb Everest Alone
Mount Everest is the highest mountain on earth. The Himalayan peak’ is more than 29,000 feet above sea level. And only a few more than 5,000 intrepid climbers have ever reached the top. Those who have reached the summit have done so with the help of trusty guides and with the insights of climbers of… Read more »
Amplify Your Professional Writing Skills
Some people are natural born writers who can easily string together concise messages with little to no effort. The rest of us are “writers-in-progress” who know it takes time to craft an effective business message. The best approach to strong business writing is varied and based on the several things: Solid research Editing skills Turning… Read more »
Stop Failing, Start Learning: Try Rapid Prototyping
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 stiff… Read more »
Should Politicos Weigh In on Management?
The jobs of politically appointed executives leading federal agencies are typically seen as being mostly about policy and politics, not internal management and organizational performance. But is that really the case? And if so, should politicos then stay out of the management realm? Harvard’s Kennedy School recently looked at the issue in their new report,… Read more »
Just Say No 2.0
We all remember sitting in our classrooms back in elementary school listening to the police officer talk to us about the dangers of drug abuse during DARE (Drug. Abuse. Resistance. Education). Back then, unless a family member was involved in drugs, illegal substances seemed like a foreign concept to fourth graders. However, more than 5… Read more »
And the Federal Oscar Goes To…
It’s time to roll out the red carpet, put on your black tie, and say thank you to your public servants. It’s time for the Oscars for federal employees – aka the Service to America Medals (the Sammies for short). The event hosts its annual awards ceremony this evening. Every year the Partnership for Public… Read more »
Can You Hear Me Now? Yes, Yes You Can
“Can you hear me now?” You probably remember those Verizon Wireless commercials with the Verizon rep walking across the United States making sure the connection was intact. As annoying as the commercials were, they did drive home a point, cell service is everywhere. But here’s the thing, in many parts of the world, service isn’t… Read more »
911 Made Safer – Protecting EMTs!
We’ve all seen an ambulance racing down the street, sirens blaring, weaving in and out of traffic. But sometimes in the rush to get to the hospital in the fastest way possible another tragedy can strike. In 2010, a medic, patient and passenger all died when the ambulance driver lost control on an icy road… Read more »
Finding the Real Life Heroes of Orange is the New Black
If you’re anything like me, “Orange is the New Black” has taken over your life. The show illustrates the difficult and fascinating life within the walls of a federal prison. The show is fiction, but the cruel world OITNB depicts is sadly often representative of what really happens in federal penitentiaries. But there are those… Read more »