World Backup Day is celebrated annually on March 31st. It serves as a reminder to the importance of protecting your data to avoid the risk of losing private and sensitive information. As a government employee, taking precautions to protect both your personal and work-related data is crucial.

Imagine giving such a response to your boss when they offer you a promotion or to take the lead on a strategically significant project for your Government agency. Imagine saying “sure, I’ll get onto that as soon as I’ve had a vacation with my family!” Too often we fear that such a statement will lead to such a career changing offer going towards someone else. We fear that it sends the wrong message! Does it though? The simple answer is that it does not necessarily have to be sending a negative message and creative leaders most likely know this!

Why is the U.S. only the 35th healthiest country in the world? Can our federal and state governments do anything about it?

Cornell University professor Dr. Tony Simons’ powerful article, “The High Cost of Lost Trust,” appeared in the Harvard Business Review in 2002. In that piece, he described his team’s efforts to examine a specific hypothesis (“Employee commitment drives customer service”) in the US operations of a major hotel chain. They interviewed over 7,000 employees at nearly 80 properties and found that employee commitment drives customer service, but, most critically, a leader’s behavioral integrity drives that and more.

If you’re feeling unappreciated and underutilized in your current job, you’re not alone. According to the Conference Board, nearly half of all American workers report some degree of dissatisfaction at work, particularly in the areas of professional development, recognition, and promotion — all good reasons to consider changing employers or even industries.

Imagine a fireplace blazing on a cold winter’s day. It could be a gas fireplace, like mine, or a wood fireplace like my friend’s. While both fireplaces warm the room, the experience feels different depending on the fireplace. (Many would say there’s no substitute for a “real” fireplace.)