In the early 90’s, the PC was making its way into city halls, replacing our IBM Selectrics and impossible-to-understand DOS systems with this big color screen and the mighty mouse. Like most Gen X’ers I was pretty excited to jump in and figure out how to use Word, and Excel, and all the other new […]
I am a 40 year public servant, having spent the vast majority of that time (37 years) as a non-elected civil service employee. For 24 years I was an assistant general manager or general manager of medium-sized to large-sized public safety organizations in the City of Inglewood (Police Officer to Deputy Police Chief), City of […]
Whether you’re a manager trying to develop your people or trying to develop yourself and build a career, you need to know that one of the key ways you can have a positive impact on the business is by operating more as a Coach than a Manager. A study conducted by Bersin & Associates, showed that organizations with […]
What is career happiness? We all strive for it but it often feels elusive. Luckily, there is a great framework created by Frank Digiammarino to help you think about career happinees “Happiness is a Balance: A Framework to Success.” Frank spoke at last year’s Next Generation of Government Training Summit about the road to happiness and […]
The greatest advice I gave as a government employee was always rooted in good common sense. This may seem obvious, but it really does make a difference when you are looking to move up in your career. My advice is straightforward and goes like this: “What you do when you DON’T get the job is […]
Finding a job you love and pursuing it for a personally fulfilling and financially rewarding career is a huge challenge in today’s highly competitive world. However, it is still possible if you follow some basic principles. Here are a few of the most important ones for finding a job you love: Define your ideal job […]
One of the biggest mistakes federal job candidates make is failing to sell themselves through accomplishments. Some candidates believe that listing accomplishments is only done on résumés in the corporate world. Not true! Actually, a résumé for a position in the federal government must show your qualifications to warrant that you meet eligibility requirements. (In […]
A new advertising campaign from IBM asserts that a successful CFO should be viewed as a Chief Future Officer. I smiled when I saw the ad because I thought businesses had exhausted all possible Chief Officer titles. Then I realized confusion already exists—from CAO (administrative or academic?) to CTO (technology or treasury?) to everything in […]
Warning: Read with care. The thoughts shared below are not intended for everyone. The ideas that follow are meant for local government public officials and career professionals who really want to make a difference. People often comment on the significant accomplishments I have made in my life. Though I am not sure any of my accomplishments […]
For generations the hallmark of government employment has been rock-steady job security. Career public sector employees often cite job security, together with generous retirement and fringe benefit packages, as factors which initially attracted them to their jobs and serve as a powerful retention force. However, the Great Recession has seen venerability turn to vulnerability. Government […]
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