Telecommuting in the Public Sector
In recent years, the prospect of working remotely – or “telecommuting” – has become a reality for a greater number of employees, including those that work in the public sector. Citrix, the company behind GoToMeeting software, said in a recent blog post that as many as...
Are You Likable Enough to Have a Fulfilling Career?
We all have worked with people who build a career based on their deep skills and expertise. However, how many of those people find themselves “derailed” or “topped out” as they move up in an organization because they are difficult and no one really wants to deal with...
Detroit: A Roadmap to a New City
Abuzz with the news that a federal judge approved its restructuring plan November 7, the City of Detroit took another important step in its restoration. Crafted under the guidance of an appointed Emergency Manager (EM), the plan authorizes the City to eliminate $7...
Guide to Finding a Job on a Dime
If you are fortunate enough to have a steady income or a large nest egg, you may not think twice about the financial investments of a job search, everything from taking your suits to the cleaners, to printing your resume and business cards, to traveling to and from an...
Political Risks in Public-Private Partnerships
Professionals must be proficient within risk management in order for a 3P to be successful. Risk management is inclusive of administering many types of risks in order to avert a crisis and cause serious damage to a project. In my last article, I briefly touched on...
Veteran Assistance In The Workforce
Transitioning out of the military effects all service members differently. We can prepare ourselves months or years in advance and the outcome may be positive or negative. Some of us may transition without any complications, but those that do have issue’s I would like...
Public Sector Careers: Are they Right For You?
Are you interested in pursuing a career in the U.S. government? More than 20 million Americans are working in or seeking employment in the public sector. Indeed, public sector jobs provide attractive benefits including job stability, comprehensive health care...
Positive Questions: Create an Atmosphere of Trust
Soon after I turned 16, I took a young lady on a date around the lake late at night to watch the moon come up. When it was time to go home, I started the car, drove maybe a quarter mile, and the car stopped. In shock I noticed that the gas gauge registered “E.” So my...
Underemployment for the Next Generation
We are increasingly wasting the potential of a huge portion of our population. Higher Education has increased exponentially in its importance, but nations have not done enough to make it easily accessible by their populations. Currently, the costs of education can...
Do You Really Want That Job?
It is no secret that the job market is becoming more and more challenging, and companies are getting flooded with resumes of candidates who are interested in that particular position. So what are companies doing to separate the qualified from the unqualified...
Recruiting Millennials for Local Government
What if I told you that over the next five to 10 years a significant number (potentially over 35%) of local government workers will retire? You would probably respond, “Tell me something that I don’t know.” Most people are aware of the retirement wave, but very few...
Secret to Successful Relationships: Go from Gold to Platinum
Chances are you’ve heard of The Golden Rule, which prescribes: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." It turns out, there’s a better rule to live and work by: The Platinum Rule. Unlike The Golden Rule, The Platinum Rule by Dr. Tony Alessandra says to...
A New Generation in Local Government
Local government has all the elements a young person yearns for in a profession. The work you do is rewarding and immediate, the people you meet are bright and accomplished, and the communities you work in are strong, vibrant and itching for fresh blood to contribute...
The Five Stages of Team Building: Part 2
Storming is where we begin this month. When we left our newly “formed” team they were all standing there smiling and ready to do good deeds in the name of the organization right? No, sorry, I can’t back that up. They were likely stuck with a person they didn’t...
Don’t Let Bureaucracy Inhibit Inspiration
Do your organization's systems, policies, and procedures inspire team members, help them perform well, and help them serve internal and external customers well? Or do those systems erode inspiration, consistent performance, and great service delivery? Organizations...
7 Soft Skills We Never Hear About (But Must Master)
As we write our resumes, build our social media profiles and search for jobs, we hear a lot about the importance of soft skills. Communication, leadership, problem solving and other skills tend to dominate those conversations – and for good reason: hose skills are...
Government Recruitment and Retention: 3 Conclusions
When presented with the opportunity to prepare a guest post for Careers in Government, I struggled to identify a topic that would be applicable for the wide audience touched by their web and social media presence. Having spent quite a bit of time providing...
Education Infrastructure: Public-Private Partnerships
Public-private partnerships have been utilized successfully as an alternative to finance repairs enabling new infrastructure, such as those for roads and bridges. What has not been discussed is employing P3s for the improvement of our education infrastructure, such as...