Excellence in Government
Innovation. People. Performance.
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What Would It Mean for Governments to Compete Like Businesses?

My starting premise is that we can and should approach government as a business -- in particular, one in need of a new "business plan" for how to confront a changing competitive environment, with changing demand for its services, and a cost structure out of line with its revenue base. Many will ... 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

The Seduction of Being 'Busy'

by Sarah Agan Director, Corner Alliance Inc.

My husband is tired of hearing me say “I’m so busy.”  I’m tired of hearing me say it to.  Often, I talk about this overwhelm as if I’m the busiest person around.  Truth is, I don’t know anyone who ... Read & React

The Science Behind Selective Hearing

by Katie Golde

Greatist is the fastest-growing fitness, health and happiness media start-up. Check out  more wellness news at Greatist.com. Crowded lecture halls, work conferences, packed house parties — put a bunch of people in a room and it can get pretty noisy, with multiple conversations going on all at once. ... Read & React

The Steve Jobs Emails That Show How to Win a Hard-Nosed Negotiation

by Zachary M. Seward

The US government’s price-fixing lawsuit against Apple goes to trial next month in New York. Ahead of its court date, the US released emails that purport to show Apple was the “ringleader” in a scheme to set artificially high ebook prices with some of the largest American publishers, which have ... Read & React

Yes, Power Corrupts, But Power Also Reveals

Portrait of Frank Lloyd Wright.
by Adam Grant Professor, Wharton Business School

Frank Lloyd Wright is often touted as the greatest architect in American history, but he is also remembered as a man corrupted by power. Before he became famous, Wright was the head draftsman for the renowned architect Louis Sullivan. Sullivan tasked him to create drawings for the Charnley Cottage, ... Read & React

The Inspiring Future (and Present) of Government Innovation

by John Kamensky Senior Fellow, IBM Center for the Business of Government

What inspired me at the Excellence in Government Conference? I liked the emphasis on innovations underway in different places around the government. Sometimes we get caught up in buzzwords of the day:  Total Quality Management, Lean Six Sigma, Agile, Business Process Reengineering, or Reinventing ... Read & React

How the Heck Do You Keep on Mission When the Mission is Always Changing?

by Jackson Nickerson Associate Director, Brookings Executive Education

Ask EIG is your chance to seek answers to public sector management challenges and conundrums. Submit your questions here. How do we maintain a mission focus for our agency when operationally we are constantly pushed and pulled by administration priorities and political directives? The game seems to ... Read & React

NIH Finds Sleep Gene Linked to Migraines

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

Migraines—pounding headaches sometimes preceded by a visual “aura,” and often coupled with vomiting, nausea, distorted vision, and hypersensitivity to sound and touch—can be highly debilitating if recurrent and prolonged. They affect millions of Americans and an estimated 10–20 percent of the ... Read & React

Open-Plan Offices Are Terrible for Your Health

by Anna Codrea-Rado

A well-designed office is a happy office. As facilities managers strive to save space and cash, they’re reshuffling desks and fiddling with temperature gauges. All of which has an impact on workers’ performance. Open-plan offices may make some kinds of collaboration easier, but are they more ... Read & React

Astronaut Sally Ride Awarded the Medal of Freedom

by J.K. Trotter

On Monday afternoon President Barack Obama awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to former astronaut, physicist, and entrepreneur Sally Ride, who died last July at age 61. In the announcement, Obama is quoted: “Sally showed us that there are no limits to what we can achieve, and I look forward ... Read & React

How Exercising at Work Saves Money

by Celine Gounder

Ever since Karen Straub had her thyroid removed because of cancer in 1999, she has struggled with her weight. She became diabetic and suffered from terrible acid reflux. So when her boss, California State Controller John Chiang, started a worksite wellness program for his staff, Straub decided to ... Read & React