Promising Practices

One Communication Superpower We Should All Strive to Cultivate

It would be convenient if the Vulcan mind-meld were a real thing, but it’s not.

  • Art Petty

The Opportunity Agencies Should Seize

Federal agencies are now required to produce learning agendas. Here’s how to make them useful.

  • Andrew Feldman

Decoding the Language of Behavioral Science for Government Officials

Before the techniques can be used to improve program outcomes, it’s helpful if we can agree on what the terminology actually means.

  • John Kamensky

Work Ruined Email

But, it’s not too late to fix it.

  • Ian Bogost, The Atlantic

When It’s Time for You to Go

The decision to leave public service isn’t easy. Two former federal executives offer five lessons before making the leap.

  • Alan P. Balutis and Pete Tseronis

How to Improve the Performance Appraisal Process

The federal practice of issuing uninformative mid-year reviews followed six months later by year-end appraisals is both painful and ineffective.

  • Stewart Liff

Viewpoint: Look to VA to See the Future of Government Performance and Results

Just posting more data won’t improve agency operations.

  • John Kamensky

Four Leadership Takeaways from Ash Carter

The former Defense secretary has important advice for both political and career executives.

  • Mark A. Abramson

Breakthrough Technologies Offer Enormous Opportunity for Federal Leaders—If They Seize It

What Silicon Valley calls “exponential technologies” could transform agency operations and boost national security.

  • Dee Dee Helfenstein and Meroe Park

How to Make Better Decisions

It starts with empowering staff.

  • Scott Steinberg

Two Questions Every Leader Should Ask Repeatedly

We're mostly oblivious to how our actions are received, and that's a problem.

  • Art Petty

How Behavioral Science Could Improve Federal Programs

The private sector has been using psychological insight for years to promote certain outcomes.

  • John Kamensky

4 Ways To Move Beyond Gridlock In Touchy Debates

"We need to listen to other viewpoints and try to understand the other side. If we cannot talk and listen to one another, then there is no hope for change."

  • Angie Hunt, Futurity
Featured eBooks
Using Data to Support Decision Making
Smart Cities: Beyond the Buzz
What’s Next for Federal Customer Experience

The Reasons Your Change Initiative Will Fail

Most people focus too much on the results and not enough on the relationships that will yield the results.

  • Scott Eblin

Nine Ideas to Help You Lead Effectively in Pressure Environments

It should be a crime to sacrifice potential in the name of results-at-all costs.

  • Art Petty

Why Having Too Many Choices Makes Decisions Harder

Endless choices may seem appealing, but introduces a paradox. "You want to make a good choice, but feel like you can't."

  • Bert Gambini, Futurity

Demeaning Job Interviews And Bullying Bosses Are Still Far Too Common

The selection process should not be a Darwinian exercise in survival of the fittest.

  • Stefan Stern, The Conversation

Think Government Can’t Do Anything Quickly and Cheaply? Think Again.

Looking to build a “test, learn and adapt” culture, federal agencies have conducted dozens of rapid, low-cost experiments over the last few years.

  • Andrew Feldman

It's Time to End the 'Manel' Tradition of All-Male Speaking Panels

"It is not enough to give lip service to equality; leaders must demonstrate their commitment through their actions," says Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health.

  • Dr. Francis Collins

What is Fair Pay for Federal Employees?

Officials plan to do something they've never done before—develop a market analysis comparing the total compensation for federal jobs with their non-federal counterparts.

  • Howard Risher

Going to the Moon: Reflections on a Government Success Story 50 Years Later

“The real heroes of Project Apollo were public servants,” says historian Douglas Brinkley.

  • Mark A. Abramson