Author Archive
Management
A fresh look at the federal workforce and the skills needed to solve today’s pressing problems
COMMENTARY | A new book offers a roadmap for recruiting and training employees who can build bridges within government and across sectors.
Management
The Veterans Benefits Administration is a Good Candidate for Tailored Reforms
Additional hiring flexibilities and compensation changes would allow the agency to respond faster to new legal requirements.
Management
Government Reform Isn’t Dead. It’s Just Changed.
There isn’t much appetite for large-scale governmentwide reforms right now, but there’s still movement at individual agencies.
Management
Making the Case for a Federal Management Corps
The challenges facing the Veteran Benefits Administration may make it a good place to test a Management Corps.
Management
Managers May Be the Key to the Future of Work
In their new book, "Out of Office," authors Charlie Warzel and Anne Helen Petersen prompt managers and workers to develop new and more productive ways to work in the future.
Management
How Government Is Failing Public Servants
A new book argues that federal and state governments need to articulate a vision for training their workers for problem solving in the 21st century.
Management
The Future of the Secret Service: A Conversation with Carol Leonnig
The agency needs a mission overhaul, new technology and a promotion system focused on performance, not loyalty, says the author of "Zero Fail: The Rise and Fall of the Secret Service."
Management
‘The Premonition’: Two Takeaways for Government
Michael Lewis’ new book about the pandemic highlights public servants’ enduring challenges in navigating messy bureaucracies.
Management
Big Government Is Back. Is the Civil Service Ready?
The administration must seriously consider whether the civil service is equipped to effectively implement Biden’s vision. A new book offers guidance.
Management
How New Agency Leaders Can Get Off to a Successful Start
Whether you’re a new appointee or a career executive starting a new assignment, take some advice from your predecessors.
Management
After Confirmation: The Golden Hour for Political Appointees
What senior leaders should expect and how they can make the most of the opportunity they’ve been given.
Management
Reflections on Public Service During a Pandemic
A conversation with Paul Lawrence, the former Under Secretary for Benefits at the Veterans Affairs Department.
Management
The Deputy Secretary: Linchpin to Making Government Work
Sixteen former deputy secretaries share insights about a critical—but often ambiguous—job.
Management
What to do Between Nomination and Confirmation: Insights for Political Appointees
Interviews with dozens of previous officeholders offer guidance for handling what can be a very difficult period.
Management
Waiting for a Call From the Biden Team With a Job Offer?
The new administration will be filling thousands of jobs. There’s only one reason to say yes, but many to say no.
Management
While Biden’s Cabinet Is Important, Watch the Sub-Cabinet
The skills and background needed for managerial positions are significantly different than those for policy positions.
Management
Whoever Wins the Election, There Will Be a Transition
A veteran of previous transitions offers program implementation strategies for a new administration—whether that’s Trump’s 2nd term or a Biden presidency.
Management
History Does Repeat Itself: Lessons from the Polio Vaccine
Creating a safe vaccine is one thing; distributing it fairly and effectively is an altogether different challenge.
Management
What the Careers of Diplomats Can Teach the Rest of Government
Two recent books examine the lives and roles of foreign service officers.
Management
When Government Does Not Work: A Primer
A new book chronicles the Trump administration’s efforts to upend the U.S. immigration system.
