It’s that time of year again! The next two days we’ll be blogging from GovLoop and YGL’s Next Generation of Government Training Summit. Follow along @NextGenGov and read more blog posts here. A hot dog vendor in New York City realized he was losing business because customers would give up on waiting in long linesRead… Read more »
“Trust but verify” was President Ronald Reagan’s mantra during the Cold War. But today, “trust” is a key element to creating effective cross-agency networks to get things done. But what, exactly, is “trust,” and how do you know what to look for? Increasingly, addressing public management challenges requires the use of collaborative networks across aRead… Read more »
If you have ever had to say, “I’m sorry” to someone at work – for “dropping the ball,” missing a deadline, or saying the wrong thing, you know how awkward and difficult it can be. Apologizing to friends and family is hard enough; telling a coworker, staff member or boss “I’m sorry” can be downrightRead… Read more »
It’s difficult for governments to remain effective when the support of citizens evaporates. History is littered with failed states, civil wars and insurrections resulting from society’s loss of trust in their rulers and governance systems. In authoritarian states this support is often built on fear, coercion and control, which can prove to be very fragileRead… Read more »
Does greater transparency in government translate into greater citizen legitimacy and trust for government action? It depends, concludes a new study by a Swedish scholar. The Open Government movement has captured the imagination of many around the world as a way of increasing transparency, participation, and accountability. In the US, many of the federal, state,Read… Read more »
Am I writing a bunch of leadership gobbledygook in my GovLoop blog? I had to stop and ask myself this question after reading a Harvard Business Review article entitled “The Trouble With Leadership Theories,” by Doug Sundheim. This short, but poignant article draws attention to the ways we toss leadership jargon, or as we sayRead… Read more »
We sometimes refer to zealous hobbyists as ‘freaks’: tennis freaks, golf freaks, computer freaks. These highly enthusiastic people excel in their pursuits; they are unique, rare, uncommon, top-of-the-bell-curve types. Are You a Leadership “Freak”? According to a Harvard Business School of Leadership study, if you are an honest and thankful leader, you are a leadershipRead… Read more »
As a new consultant full of enthusiasm and committed to my client, I received my first client task with gusto. I was asked to create a short and to-the-point document. I applied great attention to detail, executed the task with intention, and delivered my draft promptly. I sat across the desk from my supervisor asRead… Read more »
Picture this: Lucy has convinced Charlie Brown to run up to kick the football while she is holding it. Charlie races toward the ball and just before he kicks it, Lucy pulls it away – again. Of course, Charlie kicks nothing but air and winds up on his back with a thud; humiliated and disappointedRead… Read more »
Edelman, a global public relations company, has released its latest findings on a how populations around the world trust public-, private-, media, and nonprofit institutions. The conclusions that the report draws have stark and urgent lessons for government agencies, especially as they implement and update their social media guidelines. Their report, “The Edelman Trust Barometer,”Read… Read more »