Police Officers Need a Second Career Plan
There’s life after police work. A lot of my friends went on to second careers when their police careers ended. Some stayed in the investigations field and became private investigators or security specialists. Others wanted to try something completely different and...
Engaging Citizens on Social Media: Show Some Personality!
Ask any social media manager for a government agency what works, and you will likely get this question in return: “Works for what purpose?” There are many reasons government agencies might turn toward social media to communicate with citizens: emergency...
7 Education Tips for Public Sector Careers
When Nelson Mandela said, "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world,” he could have been referring to the career path of a public sector worker. Public service jobs address complex issues and require higher learning. Read these tips...
The Integration of Technology in Government
The ushering in of the information age from the industrial age was supposed to allow an individual to live anywhere and remain a productive member of society. This meant that someone could, if they found it desirable, live in the forests of the Upper Peninsula of...
Information Governance Insights: WTF (Where’s The File)
In last month's article we started on the first of The Four "Ws" of Information Governance which are: What are your information assets?Where are they located? When can you dispose of them? Who manages them and has access to them? Once you have identified your...
Economic Advancement of Women
Women compose over half of the world’s population, however, our contributions to measured economic activity, growth, and security remains considerably below its potential. The challenges of growth, job creation, and involvement are all closely interconnected. Growth...
We Are the World
When I was asked to submit a piece for this month, I wasn’t quite sure what it was going to be. But by the time I managed to sit down to begin there appeared to be only one topic I could write about. Sometimes a single image can capture the attention of the entire...
How To Be A Career Time Traveler
You might be asked to articulate your career journey when seeking a new job or you may be exploring a new direction. It can be difficult picking out the significant and relevant moments, whether you have been employed in many jobs or only a few. You may feel positive...
Military Educational Funding and How to Find It
Are you in the military or about to leave it? Have you given any thought to your educational opportunities? It’s all about funding, isn’t it? No matter if you’re active duty, a reservist, or a discharged or retired veteran, funding an education can be the roughest...
Make Your Employees Happy (Without Giving Raises)
Millennials are changing the way workplaces approach company culture. As the first generation to grow up with the Internet, Millennials’ mobile lifestyles don’t understand the daily 9-to-5 grind. This year Millennials account for the highest percentage of the...
How to Become a Homicide Detective
Cops—even homicide detectives—sometimes get a bad rap. They can be accused of abuse of power, corruption, false witness, violence, racism, you name it. Never has this been brought into clearer focus than on the one-year anniversary of the protests that erupted in...
Introverts and Extroverts In Government Collaborate For Results
John, an introvert, and Quinn, an extrovert, were training managers at a regional government agency. The employees in their office needed help with creating viable learning plans. Unfortunately, John and Quinn were overwhelmed with requests for coaching and needed to...
Public Sector Leadership and Coaching Basketball
If you’ve read any of my blog entries for The Persimmon Group (TPG), you know that I’m a hardcore Dallas Mavericks fan, a true blue MFFL (Mavs Fan For Life). Tulsa is my adopted home, though, and much of my work at TPG is in Oklahoma City, so I throw some of my...
Government Roads are Paved with Good Intentions
Most people are aware the road to hell is paved with good intentions; and so it is with most government roads; the policies, programs and regulations governments approve. Most government roads have noble intentions but they too produce unintended consequences? For...
Education: Moving Sideways and Up
By Dr. Oliver Hedgepeth, Program Director, Government Contracts and Acquisition at American Public University When I worked for the US government, I was hired as a GS-7 and received several early promotions with predictable succession. Then the promotions stopped. So,...
Hawaii: First in Progressive Health Care
It isn’t just access to all the sun and surf in the state of Hawaii, which marks the 56th Anniversary of its statehood this month, that makes its citizens so healthy. Hawaii proves that universal access to healthcare can have a tremendous impact on the quality of...
Information Governance: Information Assets
When I started this series, I explained that the focus of an Information Governance program can be broken down into four basic components: What are your information assets? Where are they located? When can you dispose of them? Who manages them and has access to them?...
City Branding: Does Your Welcome Wagon Have a Flat Tire?
How does your city welcome new business? Does your welcome wagon have a flat tire? When I think of a community's "brand," I do not think of the taglines or marketing slogans that mayors and economic development directors mention in speeches or marketing materials. I...