The Simple Reason Perfectionism Is So Dangerous
A little advice from the late David Foster Wallace: "If your fidelity to perfectionism is too high, you never do anything." Watch the beginning of the above video for his short, but excellent, take on the pitfalls of perfectionism. Keep watching for insight into the author’s life and his ... Read & React
Why Tri-Sector Leaders Rise to the Top
Why are some public sector leaders -- like John Koskinen, Ed DeSeve and Michael Bloomberg, who are icons of government enterprise -- so successful at what they do? In the September issue of Harvard Business Review, Nick Lovegrove and Matthew Thomas examine the careers of leaders who have been ... Read & React
What Makes Employees Work Harder: Punishment or Pampering?
You're a boss. You have a bunch of employees you consider under-motivated, unproductive, and, well, sorta lazy. You wonder: How do I make them talk less? Focus more? Try harder? Think more creatively? Just be better? You turn to social science and economic research and find that much of the ... Read & React
To Get Promoted, Women Need Champions, Not Mentors
Instead of adding a mentor or more Twitter followers this fall, women need someone far more powerful for their career if they want to succeed: a sponsor. As a ticket to the top, a sponsor will work equally well whether you’re climbing the corporate ladder or a working as an entrepreneur, a writer ... Read & React
Service To America Medal Finalists Exemplify Management Excellence
Federal managers play a crucial role in the effective operation of government, but their hard work, smart business practices and innovations often go unrecognized. On Oct. 3, the Partnership for Public Service will present the prestigious Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medal for Management ... Read & React
You May Think You Know How to Save Your Agency Money on Travel
Intense pressure on federal agencies to reduce costs has been particularly visible in the area of travel. In May 2012, the Office of Management and Budget directed agencies to reduce travel spending by 30 percent from fiscal 2010 levels, which was followed by sequestration in March 2013, and ... Read & React
The 1936 Book That Every Manager Should Read
Strauss Zelnick is chief executive and chairman of the company that makes Grand Theft Auto, BioShock and other cutting-edge video games. But he says the book that has most influenced him is Dale Carnegie’s 1936 bestseller, How to Win Friends and Influence People. “The title is unfortunate because ... Read & React
The Cool Tool Helping Everyday Citizens Track Cyber Attacks in Real Time
Listen to the story: Download this episode | Subscribe on iTunes Recent leaks revealing NSA surveillance tactics by former Booz Allen contractor Edward Snowden have drawn renewed attention to cybersecurity. As more and more of our lives become dependent on, and connected through, the Internet, the ... Read & React
A Surprisingly Candid Chat Between Nixon and Brezhnev
Outwardly, Cold War summits between leaders of the United States and the Soviet Union could seem stiff and formal affairs. But a tape released on August 21 by the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration shows a different side of relations between then-U.S. President Richard Nixon and ... Read & React
Study: Less Time at the Office Doesn't Make People Happier
Problem: Work is making you miserable. Your boss is a mean little man with a clip-on tie and a rub-on tan and he’s got you running round the office like a dog around a track. Your coworkers unironically say things like “hump day” and “working hard, or hardly working?” If you could just spend a few ... Read & React
Many Feds Face Furloughs Twice
Lawmakers Push Retroactive Furlough Pay
How Long Has the Shutdown Lasted?
In Focus: Who Faces Furloughs?
No TSP Contributions During a Shutdown
How Contractors Might Weather a Shutdown
