Recently, a member of our extended family described an initial informal meeting he’d had with a prominent firm in the finance industry about a key position that they were very interested to have him join them for. Toward the end of the conversation, he was asked to...
A Pre-Formatted Resume Template: 4 Reasons to be Cautious
If you dislike the task of creating a resume from scratch, there’s a good chance that you’ve either used a pre-formatted resume template, or you’ve contemplated it. Resume templates are both easy to find and easy to use. Many word processing programs and online...
Career Advancement Strategy: Write and Talk—A Lot
By Dr. Oliver Hedgepeth, Program Director, Government Contracts and Acquisition at American Public University After working for the U.S. government for four years right out of college, I landed a new job with the Department of Defense (DOD). I was a GS-12 and on my...
Military Strong: 239 Years and Counting
It’s a well-known fact that “freedom is not free,” but do we give sufficient thanks for the very freedom that permits us to live peacefully where we choose, with our families, and without fear? How many of us think about the expense of our freedom, and how many simply...
Dog Brain = Minimal Think
“Dog Brain,” or as it was originally presented to me, “Lizard Brain” is acting with minimal thinking. I switch the name lizard brain to dog brain not as an insult or infringement to the instructor who uses it in his class, but rather to help clarify and solidify the...
Challenges Confronting a Public Sector CIO
In “Team of Teams: New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World,” General Stanley McChrystal explores the challenges he experienced while commanding the Joint Special Operations Task Force in Iraq. I won’t provide too much detail, as I don’t want to call “spoiler...
The Importance of Leading with Questions
One key attribute that makes leaders successful is having a point of view. You are being paid to be a great thinker and make decisions. However, many make the faulty assumption that they have to come up with all the answers on their own and end up doing more talking...
Manage by Modeling and Not by Announcements
I recently had a discovery call with a new client. I asked my contacts, directors in a medium-sized service business, about the issues they were facing and what outcomes they’d love from the proposed culture initiative. We learned that changes in their market now...
6 Signs You Are About to Be Fired
Everyone dreads the boot that come flying out of nowhere. I’m not just talking about a flying shoe in the air. I’m talking about termination, pink slips, bye-bye letters, or whatever you want to call it. I hardly believe that anyone would be “pleased” when and if (God...