Excellence in Government
Innovation. People. Performance.
image description
voices

The Difference Between Mechanical and Human Productivity

At the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, it seemed machines could do anything. At that time, productivity experts predicted that machines and new technologies would mean we'd only have to work four hours a day. But, as we all know, that's not what has happened. Instead, the definition of human ... Read & React

It was character that got us out of bed, commitment that moved us into action, and discipline that enabled us to follow through. Zig Ziglar

We’ve Been Whining About ‘Modern’ Life for Over 100 Years

by Mark Micheli Editor, Excellence in Government

Do you think, thanks to technology, that modern life moves too fast? That email is too fast and frequent, overwhelming the senses and cheapening our correspondence? Or that we’ve forgotten how to ... Read & React

People Joining the US Workforce Today Are Less Educated Than Those Leaving It

by Lauren Alix Brown

Things are looking grim for young Americans starting work. According to a new report on the state of US education from the Council on Foreign Relations, Americans going into the labor force today are less educated than those retiring from it. This phenomenon is unique among developed countries. For ... Read & React

10 Things HR Departments Don’t Understand About Hiring

by Lou Adler

There was an interesting story on Harvard Business Review’s blog about corporate board members giving most of their companies an “F” for talent acquisition and development, blaming the HR department for the failure. Since my company helps companies around the world improve their grades on the ... Read & React

Why Agencies Should Care How Well Their Employees Sleep

by Shana Lebowitz

Greatist is the fastest-growing fitness, health and happiness media start-up. Check out  more wellness news at Greatist.com. Employers need to talk to their employees about sleep — and not just when they catch them snoozing on the job. There’s a ton of research suggesting American adults are having ... Read & React

Leave the Drama Outside

by Scott Eblin Executive Coach

Melissa, the young woman who cuts my hair, is wise beyond her years. She’s 26 years old and got into town 7 or 8 months ago. Within a week of getting here, she had three job offers from different salons and was promoted to assistant manager in the one she selected about three months after she ... Read & React

The Case for Making Bike-Share Membership an Employee Benefit

by Eric Jaffe

New York-based tech company Percolate, a small marketing firm that helps businesses create content pegged to social media, takes pride in promoting an active employee lifestyle. The company sponsors a variety of health and fitness clubs started by workers — running, bike riding, yoga, and cooking, ... Read & React

When Workers Go On Disability, It Could Have More to do With Depression Than Pain

by Ritchie King

You would think disability would be the reason most workers take disability leave. Turns out, that may not be the case. A recent German study shows that a middle-aged worker who develops arthritis is much more likely to take a disability pension and retire early if she is feeling depressed than if ... Read & React

15 Things the Public Has More Confidence in Than Congress

by Mark Micheli Editor, Excellence in Government

It wasn’t too long ago we had the pleasure of reporting Congress is less popular than the likes of root canals, colonoscopies, cockroaches and Nickleback. Today, we return to once more examine the public's hate-hate relationship with Congress. According to Gallup, Americans’ confidence in Congress ... Read & React

Genome Exhibit Opens at Smithsonian

by Dr. Francis Collins Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH)

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the completion of the Human Genome Project—a 13-year endeavor that I had the privilege of leading—the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC is launching an absolutely fantastic exhibit called “Genome: Unlocking Life’s Code.” The ... Read & React

Should Leaders Ever Lie?

by Scott Eblin Executive Coach

News stories don’t get much bigger than this week’s revelation that government contractor Edward Snowden revealed classified information to The Guardian and the Washington Post that the National Security Agency has a program that collects and analyzes the phone records of millions of Americans. ... Read & React