How “Passion” Might Sink Your Job Interview
“Sarah” was pretty upset. “Karin, I thought the interview was in the bag. The owner seemed pleased, and I had great stories for all his behavior-based questions. But I just got an email telling me that was concerned that I might not have enough enthusiasm for...
How to Maintain a Competitive Workforce in The New Year
As 2016 ends it is worth looking ahead to next year and what may be in store for workplaces. As we expect shifts in policy, many are wondering if we should be changing directions or lean in and stay the course to maintain a competitive workforce? My advice is to lean...
Career Inertia
As stated in Newton’s first law of motion: an object either remains at rest or continues to move at a constant velocity, unless acted upon by a net force. If a career, a noun, can be connected to an object, also a noun, a career that is either stopped or stalled...
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Politics Is Local and National
Despite being fatigued from the recent conclusion of the 2016 general elections that have dominated news for more than a year, we need to not forget about the impact of the most recent elections on the future. No, I am not talking about the hundreds of future PhDs...
Build a Great Personal Brand Through Social Proof
You’ve heard the saying “guilt by association”– where the reputation you’ve earned, right or wrong, is tied to the behavior of a wrong-doer. No, there is no evidence of your wrong-doing. But you are considered guilty simply by hanging around them. In the Social Age,...
STEM in Government: 3 Growing Careers to Consider
Holding a degree in a STEM-related field doesn’t always mean pursuing a career in a traditional STEM field. Nearly every industry – from nonprofits to corporate businesses – need STEM knowledge to perform optimally. Government agencies in particular have a strong need...
I Want To “Check the Box” That Says “Bob Is Now a Swimmer”
Question One: If I did not know how to swim and I wanted to become a swimmer, is there a book you could recommend that if I just read it cover to cover (or at least skimmed it) I could then “Check the Box” that says “Bob is now a swimmer!”? Or Question Two: Might...
How Healthy Is Your Leadership System?
In recent weeks, we have all been informed about the physical, mental and emotional health of the candidates for President of the United States, because we need to know how well they will perform under the pressure of high office. When assessing the health of our...
The Oft-Overlooked Secret to Success
In his book, Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, Robert Cialdini lists six principles of ethical persuasion. The first principle he discusses is reciprocity. “The reciprocity rule says that we should try to repay, in kind, what another person has provided us,” he...
Understanding the ROTC Program to Help Propel Your Career
What is ROTC? You may have heard of the acronym ROTC before but perhaps you are not familiar with what it stands for nor its purpose. The acronym ROTC is short for the Reserve Officer’s Training Corps. The objective of the ROTC program is to serve as a training...
The Juggler as Leader
As a small child, I was impressed by those who could effortlessly toss several objects into the air and continue their co-existent flight for elongated periods of time. I marveled in particular those especially talented people who could do this with a wide variety of...
11 Strategies for Building Your Self-Confidence
Employers want to hire self-confident people because they are likeable and believable, and an indicator of how they might be in the role and in their organization. Employers ask themselves ‘can I trust this person to deliver?’ and ‘will this person reflect well on us...
My Perspective on the Fundamentals of Non-Discrimination Policies
I recently gave an interview about the need for non-discrimination policies in the workplace. The questions reminded me of why we need to protect our workers in both the public and private sectors. The biggest remaining question is, however, what can we strive for?...
Advice to Advance Your Career in Government
This is the first article of a five-part series on how to maximize your career in government. Whether you are looking for a promotion or a new job assignment the five insights I will share will provide you with a competitive edge. So many government employees see no...
LIFE – A Simple Complexity
I am quite enjoying being in my fifties. The stage of your life when all of the elements, if not quite come together, get as close are they are probably going to. It is the brow of the hill of life. You are old enough to look back and be reflective and wise, but still...
Accountability in the Public Sector
When we were young, my sisters and I would roll our eyes as we were forced to hear my father recite one of his favorite aphorisms: accidents don’t just happen; they are caused. These lectures were generally preceded by incidents we described as accidents. As a man of...
The Price and Cost of Free Speech
Once upon a time, colleges and universities were the place to explore and express new ideas, and to have vigorous debate and discourse, often about highly polarizing issues that included abortion, war, civil rights, and religion. There was intensity and passion,...