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...
Life: The End or Just the Beginning?
Life. Is it the end of just the beginning? I went to a funeral yesterday. I have gone to a lot of funerals over the last 12 years of people who expected to be going to mine. It reminded me again of how we can all be so busy living, we forget about dying. We want to...
What Is An International Development Master’s Program?
International development masters programs are ideal for those interested in all aspects of eliminating global poverty, including improving health and education services, creating a sustainable food supply, developing economic institutions, and promoting safety, human...
Education Innovation: The CAPS Model
I am a public-sector entrepreneur. I must help people with my work; it is my oxygen. My personal mission statement is: “To help people make connections that help them live their dreams.” That is why I feel blessed to be the new Executive Director of the Blue Valley...
Public Sector Employment: 5 Common Misconceptions
While many occupations carry stereotypes – think lawyer, professor, NFL player – few are less understood than those in state and local government. Media hype and outdated perceptions have led to several misconceptions about people who work in the public sector – from...
Scotland Will Vote “NO”
To CIG’s American readers; it is no exaggeration to say that this coming September 18th has the potential to directly affect your life. And for those in Europe; the day certainly will. The United Kingdom’s relationship with both the USA and the European Union will...
Public Health: Public-Private Partnerships
A couple of months of ago I began writing about Public-Private Partnerships, also known as 3Ps, and the diversity of their utilization within various projects and programs. 3Ps may be most well-known to some for their application in infrastructure projects. However,...
Adult Education: 8 Tips for Mature Students
How do you juggle studying as a mature student in adult education while holding down a day job? Continuing professional development (CPD) helps to maintain and build your employability throughout your career. However, it can be a bit of a shock if you've been out of...
Office Games
When people talk about their managers and co-workers playing games at the office, they usually aren’t talking about Angry Birds, Fruit Ninja, Cut the Rope, Monopoly, or Scrabble. They are instead talking about people engaging in excessively political behavior,...
Interviewing Tips for the Introvert
If you’re an introvert, going out on job interviews and charming employers might not be your strong point. In fact you may dread interviews and stress about it for days, or even weeks before. Some of the common complaints given by employers related to introverts are:...
Public Service: A New Season
There is a special time of the year when the early mornings and late afternoons become oddly familiar to us. A cool breeze that accompanies a rising sun or the subtle tones of the early evening as the stars begin to appear: It is indeed a sight and setting that in...
The Gift of Life
A variety of routes exist that will take you from anonymity to being noteworthy. Most will travel by way of exceptional achievements in business or politics or sport or entertainment. In my case, the route was a little different. It selected me, rather than I choose...