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The Role of Contracting Professionals in Supply Chain Risk

Posted by on May 29, 2023 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

The Role of Contracting Professionals in Supply Chain Risk

In today’s interconnected world, supply chain risks, including cybersecurity threats, pose significant challenges for federal organizations. Contracting professionals are vital in overseeing and mitigating these risks throughout the procurement process. Thus, it is essential for contracting professionals to have the necessary skills, knowledge, and acquisition and contracting training to mitigate supply chain risk.

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75 Years of Excellence: ASMC Alamo City Symposium

Posted by on Feb 27, 2023 in Events, Workforce Management | 0 comments

75 Years of Excellence: ASMC Alamo City Symposium

Learn about Management Concepts experience at this Financial Management focused conference.

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Why New AC Professionals Need Career Gateway: Acquisition

Posted by on Jan 13, 2023 in Acquisition, Workforce Management | 0 comments

Why New AC Professionals Need Career Gateway: Acquisition

Elevate your technical competency and essential professional skills while learning how to collaborate, innovate, and solve problems effectively. You will learn to analyze the situation, use critical thinking to dissect your options, and then identify the best solution for the situation at hand.

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Career Development as Your Family’s Intellectual Property

Posted by on Dec 9, 2022 in Culture, Leadership, Workforce Management | 0 comments

Career Development as Your Family’s Intellectual Property

Employees grumble that their employer doesn’t take enough of an interest in their career development. Meanwhile, the organization is wishing that employees would take more responsibility for their careers. Both feel as though their points are valid. How can we meet in the middle?

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The Shift from Color Blindness to Racial Consciousness

Posted by on Nov 17, 2022 in Leadership, Workforce Management | 0 comments

The Shift from Color Blindness to Racial Consciousness

Read leading expert, Alison Manswell’s, perspective on race in the workplace, as she addresses how we can begin to have open conversations about diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility.

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How We Help You Achieve: DEIA Executive Order 

Posted by on Nov 9, 2022 in Human Resources, Leadership, Workforce Management | 0 comments

How We Help You Achieve: DEIA Executive Order 

We’ve developed a new course, Exploring Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility, that combines our existing DEIA training with new content that will help your organization adhere to the latest updates in DEIA policy. This course will provide an overview of diversity and inclusion principles while emphasizing their importance for fulfilling agency missions. The course is now open for registration on the website! 

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Navigating Tomorrow at the FAA Managers Association Convention

Posted by on Nov 8, 2022 in Events, Workforce Management | 0 comments

Navigating Tomorrow at the FAA Managers Association Convention

Management Concepts was pleased to return as a Bronze Sponsor to the Federal Aviation Administration Managers Association (FAAMA) 41st Annual FAAMA Convention and “Managing The Skies” Expo (FAAMA Convention). This year’s inspiring theme “Navigating Tomorrow – It Starts with Us!” was future-focused, stressing the need for leadership in action, and enabling Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) managers to implement the policies that will enable the FAA workforce to meet the needs of a workforce facing hiring and development shortfalls in the face of looming retirements amongst senior staff.

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3 Questions to Answer for Your Employees

Posted by on Nov 2, 2022 in Coaching & Mentoring, Custom Learning Solutions, Workforce Management | 0 comments

3 Questions to Answer for Your Employees

It seems basic, but many employees don’t really know what their company or agency’s purpose is.  Creating a mission statement and posting it on the wall is a start but involving your team members in conversations and strategy sessions to create those statements, or implement action to help achieve those goals themselves adds a level of engagement most employees will welcome.    

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Conferences after COVID: Five Tips for Success

Posted by on Oct 25, 2022 in Professional Skills, Workforce Management | 0 comments

Conferences after COVID: Five Tips for Success

Attending your first conference after a few years of being apart, or in a new professional field—or even your first conference ever—can be daunting. Here are our five best tips to help make your conference experience a success:

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Back in 3 Dimensions Once Again: AAFEA Conference Highlights

Posted by on Oct 6, 2022 in Events, Workforce Management | 0 comments

Back in 3 Dimensions Once Again: AAFEA Conference Highlights

Management Concepts was proud to continue to partner with the African American Federal Executive Association (AAFEA) as a Platinum Sponsor, exhibitor, and workshop presenter at the annual Leadership Development Workshop (LDW), which took place September 19-21, 2022 in College Park, MD and online. For the first time since 2019, AAFEA members were able to network in person with leaders from across government and industry, while also having the option to attend virtually as well.

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Goal Based Retirement: A Reference Guide

Posted by on Sep 28, 2022 in Human Resources, Workforce Management | 0 comments

Goal Based Retirement: A Reference Guide

If you know you’re ready to retire and have all your financial planning out of the way, you think you may be done. But do you know how you’re going to spend your time? Where you’ll put your energy?

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Three Things Every Learner Wants

Posted by on Sep 21, 2022 in Custom Learning Solutions, Workforce Management | 0 comments

Three Things Every Learner Wants

Do you know what your employees want out of their professional development journey? Maximize the benefits with these three tips.

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Providing World-Class Customer Service for Federal HR Professionals

Posted by on Jun 16, 2022 in Human Resources, Workforce Management | 0 comments

Providing World-Class Customer Service for Federal HR Professionals

Consider these 6 questions to determine how you can ensure exceptional customer service from HR professionals at your federal agency.

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Imagine How a Custom Learning Portal Could Benefit Your Agency

Posted by on May 31, 2022 in Custom Learning Solutions, Workforce Management | 0 comments

Imagine How a Custom Learning Portal Could Benefit Your Agency

Learn how a custom learning portal can help your workforce maintain certifications, update skills, and prepare for your agency’s future.

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How to Maximize Agency Funds at Fiscal Year-End

Posted by on May 25, 2022 in Financial Management, Workforce Management | 0 comments

How to Maximize Agency Funds at Fiscal Year-End

Federal financial management professionals are stewards and fiduciaries of public trust and should always adhere to appropriations law.

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Ensuring the Success of your Presentation

Posted by on May 23, 2022 in Professional Skills, Workforce Management | 0 comments

Ensuring the Success of your Presentation

Deliver impressive in-person or virtual presentations with guidelines for purpose, audience, thesis, scope, visuals, virtual setup, and engagement.

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6 Tips for Writing an Exemplary Statement of Work

Posted by on May 16, 2022 in Acquisition, Workforce Management | 0 comments

6 Tips for Writing an Exemplary Statement of Work

Ensure a smooth proposal evaluation process by crafting an exemplary Statement of Work (SOW) that leaves nothing open to interpretation.

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Trust — The Supervisor’s Challenge in the World of Teleworking

Posted by on Aug 11, 2020 in Human Resources, Workforce Management | 0 comments

Trust — The Supervisor’s Challenge in the World of Teleworking

Building trust is a two-way challenge. For many people, the COVID-19 pandemic has opened doors to the teleworking for the first time. Supervisors need to allow telecommuting relationships to evolve naturally.

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Get Ready for the GSA Multiple Award Schedule Contract Consolidation

Posted by on Dec 5, 2019 in Acquisition, Workforce Management | 0 comments

Get Ready for the GSA Multiple Award Schedule Contract Consolidation

One of the cornerstone initiatives of the General Services Administration (GSA) Federal Marketplace Strategy is a plan to modernize and simplify the buying and selling experience for customers, suppliers, and acquisition professionals. This initiative, known as Multiple Award Schedules (MAS) Consolidation, seeks to modernize Federal acquisition by consolidating 24 Multiple Award Schedules into a single Schedule for products and services.

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Stomping Out Fraud in Government

Posted by on Nov 5, 2019 in Financial Management, Workforce Management | 0 comments

Stomping Out Fraud in Government

When you consider that each fiscal year the Federal Government appropriates trillions for projects, programs, and operating budgets, it is easy to see that there might be opportunities for misuse of funds. According to the Government Accountability Office, (GAO), a person commits fraud when they attempt to obtain something of value through willful misrepresentation. But what does that look like in day-to-day operations? Let’s examine some recent earth-shattering to seemingly minor examples that should put fraud in perspective.

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What Does it Take to Be a Project Manager in Government?

Posted by on Oct 31, 2019 in Project Management, Workforce Management | 0 comments

What Does it Take to Be a Project Manager in Government?

The Interpretive Guidance for Project Manager Positions published by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) in May of 2019 lays out the responsibilities that are shared by a wide range of project managers. It also provides precise criteria to be used in the evaluation of current and future project managers in the Federal Government. The production of this guidance involved consideration by numerous government organizations that oversee human resources, financial management, procurement, and other related functions.

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Insights Gained from Today’s Talent Management Approaches for the Workforce of the Future

Posted by on Oct 24, 2019 in Human Resources, Workforce Management | 0 comments

Insights Gained from Today’s Talent Management Approaches for the Workforce of the Future

This week, Management Concepts had the honor of co-sponsoring Today’s Talent Management Approaches for the Workforce of the Future, hosted by the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA) where a panel of Federal workforce experts shared their experiences and insights on ways to recruit, engage, and retain talented people for public service. After the initial introductions, Debbie Eshelman, Managing Director of Management Concepts, facilitated the panel discussion. Highlights include:

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How Important are Soft Skills when Recruiting for Federal IT Positions?

Posted by on Oct 17, 2019 in Human Resources, IT, Workforce Management | 0 comments

How Important are Soft Skills when Recruiting for Federal IT Positions?

It might seem that every Federal agency is searching for potential IT candidates. Not only does the President’s Management Agenda call for modernizing IT and optimizing data utilization, but also raising standards for the government workforce. This combination creates a tall order for HR professionals who support Federal agencies. While each agency remains laser-focused on its mission, it must also find the time and financial resources to upskill, reskill, and recruit people who will be facilitating their IT modernization transformation.

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Getting it Right – Federal Grant Time and Effort Reporting

Posted by on Oct 15, 2019 in Grants & Assistance, Workforce Management | 1 comment

Getting it Right – Federal Grant Time and Effort Reporting

Five years after full implementation of Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Title 2: Grants and Agreements, Part 200: Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards, commonly referred to as Uniform Guidance (2 CFR § 200), time and effort reporting, or Compensation – personal services (2 CFR § 200.430) is still a compliance risk for non-Federal entities.

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Eliminating Gaps in Agency Leadership – Part V: Measuring Success

Posted by on Oct 9, 2019 in Human Capital, Human Resources, Leadership, Workforce Management | 0 comments

Eliminating Gaps in Agency Leadership – Part V: Measuring Success

In this five-part series, we talked about how you can help identify and assess leadership gaps within your organization and through introspection. We also covered how Federal Agencies can best avoid mission-critical leadership gaps through effective succession planning. In each discussion, we highlighted the importance of setting specific goals and emphasized that maintaining flexibility is crucial to achieving those goals. Now, in this final installment, we will discuss ways gap-closing success can be measured and potentially improved.

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Significant Changes Introduced by the 2018 Yellow Book

Posted by on Oct 3, 2019 in Financial Management, Workforce Management | 0 comments

Significant Changes Introduced by the 2018 Yellow Book

In July of 2018, the long-anticipated revision of the Government Accountability Office’s (GAO’s) Generally Accepted Government Auditing Standards (GAGAS), commonly referred to as The Yellow Book, was released. It provides auditors with professional qualification guidelines and generally accepted government auditing standards for performing audits, including reporting and quality control.

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10 Tips to Perfect Your Presentation Skills

Posted by on Oct 1, 2019 in Analytics, Leadership, Workforce Management | 0 comments

10 Tips to Perfect Your Presentation Skills

Is giving presentations the part of your job that you dread? Not to worry, we have provided some practical tips that you can immediately put into action. With the amount of emphasis placed on sharing and utilizing data in the President’s Management Agenda, the demand for data analysis-focused presentations is likely to expand. Try applying these tips to perfect your presentation skills.

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Will a SOW, PWS, or SOO Work Best to Achieve Your Objective?

Posted by on Sep 25, 2019 in Acquisition, Workforce Management | Comments Off on Will a SOW, PWS, or SOO Work Best to Achieve Your Objective?

Will a SOW, PWS, or SOO Work Best to Achieve Your Objective?

Traditionally, a Statement of Work (SOW) would be drawn up to provide every possible detail of the objectives, process, and assessment of an acquisition.
Then, the idea of performance-based work arose. Why not simply tell the contractor what you want the result to be and give them the freedom to accomplish it in the best possible way with a Performance Work Statement (PWS)?

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The Many Ways the Federal Government Measures Quality

Posted by on Sep 24, 2019 in Project Management, Workforce Management | 0 comments

The Many Ways the Federal Government Measures Quality

Since the introduction of Total Quality Management revolutionized the manufacturing industry, we have understood that quality is a key measure of project management success. No longer is completing a project on-time and within budget good enough. Processes must be efficient and produce an outcome that meets every specification and satisfies the customer’s need.
Although this philosophy began with manufacturing, it has spread throughout every aspect of our lives. We are consistently asked to provide, collect, and report on the quality of products, services, processes, and ideas. Let’s examine ways that this emphasis on quality is spreading throughout the Federal Government.

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Qualities of the Ideal Federal Leader

Posted by on Sep 18, 2019 in Human Capital, Human Resources, Leadership, Project Management, Workforce Management | 0 comments

Qualities of the Ideal Federal Leader

One of the three key drivers of transformation named in the 2019 President’s Management Agenda (PMA) is realigning human capital to serve America’s priorities for the 21st century. While there is a significant focus on filling technology gaps, several authorities have defined ideal qualities for leaders in the Federal Government.

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The Secrets of Successful Workforce Planning

Posted by on Sep 3, 2019 in Human Capital, Human Resources, Leadership, Workforce Management | 0 comments

The Secrets of Successful Workforce Planning

A significant segment of our workforce is becoming eligible for retirement as birth rates are at an all-time low. Add to that a wave of uncertain budget and economic conditions in our future. This combination presents a very real challenge for public and private industry. Let’s explore the ways we can ensure our success through workforce planning:

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What’s Really at Risk?

Posted by on Sep 3, 2019 in Financial Management, Workforce Management | 0 comments

What’s Really at Risk?

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) publishes Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government (also known as the Green Book), which defines, among other things, four principles of risk assessment. In short, they are:
1. Define objectives and risk tolerances
2. Identify, analyze, and respond to risks
3. Assess fraud risk
4. Identify, analyze, and respond to change

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What is the Origin of Labor Day?

Posted by on Aug 29, 2019 in Human Capital, Human Resources, Workforce Management | 2 comments

What is the Origin of Labor Day?

September 2, 2019, marks the 125th anniversary of Labor Day as a national holiday. This celebration originated with acknowledging the contributions and achievements of American workers associated with labor unions. Today, many people view Labor Day as a day off, time for barbeque picnics, and a parade. For most of us, it marks the end of summer when the swimming pools close, kids go back to school, and let’s not forget the Labor Day sales!

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Ten Acquisition Communication Lessons from the OMB Myth-Busting Memos

Posted by on Aug 27, 2019 in Acquisition, Workforce Management | 0 comments

Ten Acquisition Communication Lessons from the OMB Myth-Busting Memos

From the start of solicitation development through debrief, effective communication is essential for the success of any government acquisition. Over the past decade, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has issued four “myth-busting memos” that dispelled widespread misconceptions that have gotten in the way of success. As Michael Wooten assumes his position as Administrator of the Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP), there is talk of making use of this creative communication method to further enhance engagement. Here is a quick summary of most of the issues that have been addressed in prior myth-busting memos:

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Mentoring is Essential for Career Growth

Posted by on Aug 22, 2019 in Human Resources, Workforce Management | 0 comments

Mentoring is Essential for  Career Growth

Over the past ten years, I have facilitated more than 50 speed mentor pairing sessions for government and nonprofit organizations. I’m always amazed at the way these short interactions often lead to lasting connections that contribute to tremendous growth opportunities for participating mentors and mentees.

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Data Visualization 101

Posted by on Aug 22, 2019 in Analytics, Workforce Management | 0 comments

Data  Visualization 101

One sure-fire way to lose your audience is to give a bland presentation about numbers. While the rise and fall of digits matter to all of us – GDP, interest rates, profit margins – something about it transports our minds to thoughts of sandy beaches in faraway places.

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The Need-to-Know Facts about PMIAA

Posted by on Aug 15, 2019 in Project Management, Workforce Management | 0 comments

The Need-to-Know Facts about PMIAA

The changes prescribed by the Program Management Improvement and Accountability Act (PMIAA) will impact Federal Civilian project and program management professionals across the entire workforce. How much do you know about PMIAA? Here are some basic answers to the most common questions.

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41st Blacks In Government National Training Institute Conference Recap 2019

Posted by on Aug 13, 2019 in Leadership, Workforce Management | 0 comments

41st Blacks In Government National Training Institute Conference Recap 2019

At the 41st Annual Blacks In Government National Training Institute (BIG NTI), approximately 2,000 attendees filled the exhibit hall and ballrooms at the Sheraton in downtown Dallas, TX from August 5th through the 8th. Management Concepts was a proud Gold Sponsor, furthering this year’s theme, “BIG NTI: Your Benchmark for Achieving Excellence in the Workplace.”

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Eliminating Gaps in Agency Leadership – Part III: Within Your Organization

Posted by on Aug 9, 2019 in Human Capital, Human Resources, Leadership, Workforce Management | 0 comments

Eliminating Gaps in Agency Leadership – Part III: Within Your Organization

Although leaders may be quite effective in their current roles, they may not be well equipped to handle changes that occur due to new requirements. As each Administration introduces initiatives, there is a need to identify and address gaps between current skills and knowledge and future leadership requirements. In the first part of this series on leadership gaps, we discussed the process of identifying and assessing leadership gaps. In the second part, we dove into the process of identifying and addressing your leadership gaps. Now, in part three, we will explore ways to close leadership gaps within your organization.

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Paying for Federal IT Modernization

Posted by on Aug 7, 2019 in Financial Management, Workforce Management | 0 comments

Paying for Federal IT Modernization

One of the themes in the President’s Management Agenda (PMA) focuses on eliminating the discrepancy between the American people’s experiences dealing with the private sector and their experiences interacting with the Federal Government. For many Federal Agencies, bridging this gap will require an overhaul of information technology (IT) assets and processes.

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Leading as a Courageous Follower

Posted by on Aug 1, 2019 in Coaching & Mentoring, Consulting, Human Resources, Workforce Management | 1 comment

Leading as a Courageous Follower

In The Courageous Follower, author Ira Chaleff proclaims that the days of all-powerful leaders and subservient followers are long gone, if they ever existed at all. He makes the case that neither leaders nor followers can reach optimum effectiveness without the other, especially in an environment where technology and information are constantly changing. The following is my interpretation of how Chaleff’s Dimensions of Courageous Followership can be embodied in the workplace by exhibiting the courage to:

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Data-Driven Decision Making at Federal Agencies

Posted by on Jul 31, 2019 in Analytics, Workforce Management | 0 comments

Data-Driven Decision Making at Federal Agencies

One of the chief Cross-Agency Priority (CAP) goals of the President’s Management Agenda (PMA) is: “Leverage data as a strategic asset to grow the economy, increase the effectiveness of the Federal Government, facilitate oversight, and promote transparency.”

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CAP Goal 8 – The Grants Reform Saga Continues

Posted by on Jul 25, 2019 in Grants & Assistance, Workforce Management | 1 comment

CAP Goal 8 – The Grants Reform Saga Continues

Somehow, I let talking about the President’s Management Agenda (PMA) Cross-Agency Priority (CAP) Goal 8: Results-Oriented Accountability for Grants, slip into my grant blog schedule. Let’s just call it CAP Goal 8 — everyone else does.

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5 Tips for Avoiding Prohibited Professional Practices

Posted by on Jul 18, 2019 in Human Capital, Human Resources, Leadership, Workforce Management | 0 comments

5 Tips for Avoiding Prohibited Professional Practices

In the private sector, we see companies soar or plummet after a crucial management decision becomes known. Their mere survival is closely tied to the public perception of difficult choices. For the Federal Government, the stakes are even higher because American taxpayers finance their work. Each agency or organization has a specific purpose. If any of them fail to succeed, we all lose. Here are a few tips to help you avoid HR compliance missteps.

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10 Facts about PMP® Exam Changes Taking Effect December 16, 2019

Posted by on Jul 15, 2019 in Project Management, Workforce Management | 0 comments

10 Facts about PMP® Exam Changes Taking Effect December 16, 2019

After incorporating changes from the Sixth Edition of A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide), the Project Management Institute (PMI®) is taking a step into the future of Project Management best practices with a revision to the Project Management Professional (PMP®) Examination. Here is a breakdown of the exam, according to PMI:

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Seven Steps for Tackling the 2019 Single Audit Compliance Supplement

Posted by on Jul 10, 2019 in Grants & Assistance, Workforce Management | 0 comments

Seven Steps for Tackling the 2019 Single Audit Compliance Supplement

The Office of Management and Budget informed the grants community on June 28 that the 2019 Compliance Supplement (aka 2 CFR 200, Appendix XI) would be available on July 1. I’m sure that grants auditors and geeks like me took this as a sign to get ready for a not-so-relaxing read during the holiday week. I also took the additional step to review the recently released SF-SAC for fiscal periods ending in 2019, 2020, and 2021 in detail.

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Eliminating Gaps in Agency Leadership – Part II: Introspection

Posted by on Jul 9, 2019 in Human Capital, Human Resources, Leadership, Workforce Management | 0 comments

Eliminating Gaps in Agency Leadership – Part II: Introspection

In part I of this series, we talked about how to identify the skills required to fulfill your agency’s mission, determine to what extent these qualities exist among your leaders, and define the difference between the two in preparation for addressing leadership gaps. And most likely, as you reviewed the competencies that the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) considers essential, you may have recognized that you, as a leader, or prospective leader, can improve in certain areas. In this part, we will look at ways to identify and address your own strengths and weaknesses related to leadership.

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Becoming an Extraordinary Informal Leader

Posted by on Jul 2, 2019 in Human Resources, Leadership, Workforce Management | 0 comments

Becoming an Extraordinary Informal Leader

What is an informal leader? Whether you think leaders are born or made, we all are leaders and can develop leadership skills throughout our career lifecycles. Being in a position of authority has nothing to do with being a leader. I was an informal leader and in fact, only held a management position for 1-1/2 years of my 27-year Federal Government career.

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Getting the ‘Gears of Government’ Moving in the Right Direction

Posted by on Jun 25, 2019 in Leadership, Project Management, Workforce Management | 0 comments

Getting the ‘Gears of Government’ Moving in the Right Direction

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) published a new playbook and distributed it through a memo to agency heads and C-level directors to help agencies accelerate the cross-agency priority goal of the President’s Management Agenda of modernizing the Federal workforce. The Executive Playbook for Workforce Reshaping: Accelerating the Gears of Transformation, offers four plays for government leaders and employees and anyone with an appetite for change.

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3 Challenges to Modernizing Federal Government IT

Posted by on Jun 18, 2019 in Coaching & Mentoring, Consulting, Human Capital, Human Resources, Leadership, Workforce Management | 0 comments

3 Challenges to Modernizing Federal Government IT

Unlocking untapped potential within Federal data will help grow the economy, increase efficiency in government, and better address complex problems using data-driving approaches. To stay competitive globally, it is imperative that we make data more usable and accessible.” Suzette Kent, Federal chief information officer.

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Congratulations to AFFIRM Leadership Award Winner Sam Shellenberger of DOL VETS

Posted by on Jun 13, 2019 in Consulting, Leadership, Project Management, Workforce Management | 0 comments

Congratulations to AFFIRM Leadership Award Winner Sam Shellenberger of DOL VETS

Management Concepts manages and operates the National Veterans’ Training Institute (NVTI) on behalf of DOL VETS to further develop and enhance the professional skills of veterans’ employment and training service providers throughout the United States.

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5 Strategies for Effective Prioritization from Eric Papp

Posted by on Jun 4, 2019 in Consulting, Leadership, Workforce Management | 0 comments

5 Strategies for Effective Prioritization from Eric Papp

Last week, many Management Concepts colleagues and Department of Defense (DoD) Financial Managers attended the American Society of Military Comptrollers (ASMC) Professional Development Institute (PDI) 2019 in San Antonio, Texas. There was a wealth of information presented through workshops, educational sessions, and mini-courses. There were numerous speakers from DoD and industry who presented useful information, however, one speaker’s message caught our attention – that of Productivity Strategist, Eric Papp.

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Eliminating Gaps in Agency Leadership – Part I: Identify and Assess

Posted by on May 30, 2019 in Human Capital, Human Resources, Leadership, Workforce Management | 0 comments

Eliminating Gaps in Agency Leadership – Part I: Identify and Assess

Nothing is constant but change. While the qualities and skill-levels of your organization’s leaders may have been top-rate when they were appointed, constant innovation and evolving priorities can transform a well-equipped leadership team into one that struggles to meet basic requirements. On which end of the spectrum does your agency’s leadership reside? Let’s explore the process of identification and assessment.

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Federal Government Procurement & Contracting News: Essential Facts about the Transition from DUNS to SAMMI

Posted by on May 23, 2019 in Acquisition, Workforce Management | 0 comments

Federal Government Procurement & Contracting News:  Essential Facts about the Transition from DUNS to SAMMI

The Federal contracting times are changing and the transition from DUNS to SAMMI has begun. Here are a few nuggets of information for the acquisition communities pursuing Federal Government Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) training and certification.

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Earning a Certificate Can Help You Win Federal Grants

Posted by on May 21, 2019 in Grants & Assistance, Workforce Management | 0 comments

Earning a Certificate Can Help You Win Federal Grants

Each stage of the grants lifecycle has countless details that an applicant must understand in order to navigate Federal grants funding. One of the best ways to ensure your organization gets the most funding possible and manages that funding appropriately is to have certified grants specialists working on your team. Here are some ways earning a Grants certificate could help you and your organization through each step of the grants lifecycle.

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Four Characteristics of an Emotionally Intelligent Leader

Posted by on May 16, 2019 in Human Resources, Leadership, Workforce Management | 4 comments

Four Characteristics of an Emotionally Intelligent Leader

The value of Emotional Intelligence (EI), or “the ability to identify and manage your own emotions and the emotions of others,” is increasingly being used as a cognitive leadership tool to enhance the effectiveness of communication in the public and private sectors. In our recent webinar, Emotional Intelligence, The Use of Emotional Intelligence for Effective Relationships, we defined EI and described ways it impacts our daily lives. Let’s take a closer look at four of the characteristics that are common among emotionally intelligent leaders and explore steps we can take to improve our own EI as leaders:

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How to Make the Most of the New OPM Federal IT Hiring Authorities

Posted by on May 14, 2019 in Human Resources, Workforce Management | 0 comments

How to Make the Most of the New OPM Federal IT Hiring Authorities

Last month, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) issued a new final rule giving Federal Government agencies guidance for delegating the authority to hire new talent for high-demand and critical-shortage positions in IT and cyber talent quicker and faster through a new Direct Hire Authority (DHA).

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Suffering from #NGMA2019 and OMB Overload?

Posted by on May 9, 2019 in Grants & Assistance, Workforce Management | 0 comments

Suffering from #NGMA2019 and OMB Overload?

It has taken me a bit to write my #NGMA2019 post. To be fair, I camped out for the first time in 30 years the weekend after and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued not one, but two memos the same week. More on that in a minute…

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The Future of Federal Workforce: Reskilling, Automation, & Hiring Practices Part III: Federal Workforce Culture

Posted by on May 7, 2019 in Culture, Human Resources, Leadership, Workforce Management | 0 comments

The Future of Federal Workforce: Reskilling,  Automation, & Hiring Practices  Part III: Federal Workforce Culture

As we discussed in Part I and Part II, the onslaught of technological advances we have experienced in recent years has forever changed the way we live and work. In this final part of our series, we will examine how panel experts have addressed workplace culture issues that directly impact the Federal workforce.

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Celebrate Public Service Recognition Week May 5-11, 2019

Posted by on May 2, 2019 in Culture, Human Resources, Workforce Management | 0 comments

Celebrate Public Service Recognition Week  May 5-11, 2019

An estimated 7.11 million Americans have chosen public service careers. How does their work impact our lives, our communities, and the entire nation? Public Service Recognition Week, May 5-11, is dedicated to providing recognition for public servants, whose hard work and valiant efforts enhance our quality of life.

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Emotional Intelligence Webinar May 8, 2019:
Whether You’re in the Executive Suite or Not — This Session is for You

Posted by on Apr 30, 2019 in Human Resources, Leadership, Workforce Management | 0 comments

Emotional Intelligence Webinar May 8, 2019:   Whether You’re in the Executive Suite or Not — This Session is for You

If you are like me, you realize maintaining effective relationships is not easy. Think back to your ineffective relationships: what role did emotions play? In our professional lives, unhealthy relationships affect team chemistry, advancement, and even engagement. In fact, Gallup estimates employee disengagement cost U.S. companies $450-$550 billion a year — not exactly pocket change. Therefore, how does being emotionally-mindful set effective relationships apart from ineffective ones?

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The Leader’s Role in Workforce Agility Part II: How to Shape an Agile Workforce in the Federal Government

Posted by on Apr 25, 2019 in Leadership, Workforce Management | 1 comment

The Leader’s Role in Workforce Agility  Part II: How to Shape an Agile Workforce in the Federal Government

In my last blog post Building Your Muscle for Change, I discussed how you need to develop and model resiliency, strategy, and communication skills before implementing an organizational workforce agility initiative, if you’re to be a successful Federal leader. By being more adept in your own managerial and leadership practices, you will be better prepared to shape an agile workforce.
After you’ve built your muscle for change, it’s time to put those new muscles to work!

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HR in the Federal Government: A Changing Landscape Part II: Is Technology the Answer? (Hint: YES!)

Posted by on Apr 23, 2019 in Leadership, Workforce Management | 0 comments

HR in the Federal Government: A Changing Landscape Part II:  Is Technology the Answer? (Hint: YES!)

The President’s Management Agenda (PMA), released to the public in March 2018, runs the gamut in terms of requirements and recommendations for agencies and departments within the Federal Government. A recurring theme in the document? Technology must be leveraged to modernize, create efficiencies, and get the job done better, faster, and smarter, including managing and improving quality customer service in agencies and HR departments.

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Eight Ways to Manage Up in the Federal Government

Posted by on Apr 17, 2019 in Leadership, Workforce Management | 0 comments

Eight Ways to Manage Up in the Federal Government

Simply stated, “managing up” refers to doing whatever you can to make your boss’ job easier by essentially managing your manager. Managing up means navigating the complexities of both you and your supervisor’s personality to ultimately achieve the goals of the organization. Perhaps most importantly, managing up is a way for you to get a leg up on the competition.

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The Importance of Being a Good Writer: Federal Employee Essentials Edition

Posted by on Apr 12, 2019 in Leadership, Workforce Management | 1 comment

The Importance of Being a Good Writer: Federal Employee Essentials Edition

As a Federal employee, much of your internal and external communication comes in the form of writing (emails, memos, reports, executive summaries, and announcements) so, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that improving your writing and communications skills is a great way to advance your career within the Federal Government.

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Management & Leadership Coaching in the Federal Government

Posted by on Apr 4, 2019 in Human Resources, Leadership, Workforce Management | 0 comments

Management & Leadership Coaching in the Federal Government

When you hear the word “coach,” what’s the first image that pops into your head? For many, it’s a throwback to high school sports, where a coach doesn’t just help you win games — a coach helps you grow as an athlete. For others, it could be someone else, like a professor in college, a musical director, a military officer, a boss, even a family member. A coach is anyone who provides guidance, fosters your growth, and helps you to succeed in your role.

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The Leader’s Role in Workforce Agility Part I: Building Your Muscle for Change

Posted by on Apr 2, 2019 in Leadership, Workforce Management | 0 comments

The Leader’s Role in Workforce Agility Part I: Building Your Muscle for Change

An agile workforce considers people as the differentiator, not technology. When you hear a term like “agile” tossed around so often, it starts to become an abstract concept that is hard to wrap your brain around. In our quest to define terms like agile, we overcomplicate the essence of what it really means. I like to make the complicated, simple. Agile means to be able to adapt and change. How’s that for simplicity? Okay, so maybe workforce agility is a little more complex than just adapting and changing.

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HR in the Federal Government: A Changing Landscape Part I: Challenges and Solutions to HR’s Changing Priorities

Posted by on Mar 29, 2019 in Leadership, Workforce Management | 0 comments

HR in the Federal Government: A Changing Landscape Part I: Challenges and Solutions to HR’s Changing Priorities

Human resources (HR) are—simply put—the people who make up an organization and carry out the work that achieves the objectives of that organization’s mission. An HR department is tasked with managing those resources, ensuring compliance with labor laws and regulations, and overseeing benefits and often recruitment.

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Federal Workforce 101 Series (Part I) – Fiscal Year 2020 Budget Proposal Impacts on Federal Workforce Engagement

Posted by on Mar 26, 2019 in Financial Management, Leadership, Workforce Management | 1 comment

Federal Workforce 101 Series (Part I) – Fiscal Year 2020 Budget Proposal Impacts  on Federal Workforce Engagement

Coming off the heels of the longest Federal Government shutdown in history last month, news of the President’s fiscal year 2020 budget proposal and the many proposed changes to Federal pay and benefits might feel a bit hard to swallow for many Federal workers. On top of an all-too-familiar proposal to freeze Federal pay, President Trump’s budget also called for significant funding cuts and reorganization of many Federal agencies or elimination of some programs, altogether.

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Community of Change: Shaping and Shifting Culture

Posted by on Mar 22, 2019 in Leadership, Workforce Management | 0 comments

Community of Change: Shaping and Shifting Culture

On behalf of, Management Concepts we invite you to join
our practice LinkedIn Group, Community of Change: Shaping and Shifting Culture. The goal of this practice is to: Raise awareness around the value of addressing the behavioral norms that enable or inhibit an organization’s ability to deliver on mission-driven priorities, and provide best practices and tools that enable you to integrate culture change to enable individuals, teams, and organizations to deliver high-quality citizen services.

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3 Key Themes Dominate the 2019 ASMC Regional Professional Development Institute Event

Posted by on Mar 21, 2019 in Financial Management, Leadership, Workforce Management | 0 comments

3 Key Themes Dominate the 2019 ASMC Regional Professional Development Institute Event

This year’s theme, “Who Dares Wins”, is the motto that originated with the British Special Air Service. The Deputy Chief Financial Officer (DCFO) of the Department of Defense (DoD), Mr. Mark Easton, was the keynote speaker – addressing this theme in a very thought-provoking and informative way. He conveyed that it’s a great time to be an FMer, and that while there are many challenges now and on the horizon, FMers are “Daring to Win” each day. Additionally, he provided a macro-level view of a few key financial management (FM) initiatives, including the undertaking of the largest audit ever, the impending roll-out of the FY20 budget, technological advances within the DoD, and more. It was great to hear about the progress being made by each of the Armed Services on their respective audits. They’re digging in, addressing findings, implementing corrective action plans, and establishing best practices.

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A Case for Enterprise Learning Solutions

Posted by on Mar 14, 2019 in Human Resources, Workforce Management | 0 comments

A Case for Enterprise Learning Solutions

Among the challenges that agencies face in meeting the reskilling and upskilling needs of the Federal workforce is the disconnect between the need for learning and development solutions and how learning is typically procured in the Federal marketplace to address those needs.

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3 Tips for Newcomers to the Federal Workforce

Posted by on Mar 12, 2019 in Human Resources, Leadership, Workforce Management | 0 comments

3 Tips for Newcomers to the Federal Workforce

Between the paperwork, acronyms, and levels of bureaucracy, the Federal workforce is a daunting field for newcomers. There are many “listicles” and websites that provide information on what to expect on your first day, year, or at any time during your tenure as a Federal employee. With that in mind, here are three tips to ease your transition.

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TGIF and HAPPY #IGPD 2019!

Posted by on Mar 8, 2019 in Grants & Assistance, Workforce Management | 0 comments

TGIF and HAPPY #IGPD 2019!

I was harried as I wrote this. I don’t know about you, but I feel like the post-shutdown, winter-to-spring activities, hay fever spigot has been turned on. Wait…Make that fire hydrant.

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The Future of Federal Workforce Reskilling, Automation, & Hiring Practices: Part II

Posted by on Mar 5, 2019 in Human Resources, Leadership, Workforce Management | 0 comments

The Future of Federal Workforce Reskilling, Automation, & Hiring Practices: Part II

The Federal Government often falls behind the curve on new technology and workplace practices. Administrative and budgetary constraints can curb innovation, while politics dictate the pace and volatility of these changes.

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The Role of Program Management in the Federal Government

Posted by on Feb 28, 2019 in Project Management, Workforce Management | 0 comments

The Role of Program Management in the Federal Government

The Project Management Institute® defines program management as a group of related projects managed in a coordinated way to obtain benefits and control not available from managing them as individual projects. A program manager is the person authorized by the performing organization to lead the team or teams responsible for achieving program objectives.

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Hit the Training Bullseye: Making the Shift from LPTA

Posted by on Feb 25, 2019 in Human Resources, Workforce Management | 0 comments

Hit the Training Bullseye: Making the Shift from LPTA

All too often, training is acquired via the Lowest Price Technically Acceptable (LPTA) evaluation process, not based on best value. LPTA is essentially a “good enough” evaluation—ideal for buying toner or office supplies, but inappropriate for more complex and critical purchases like learning solutions.

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ON-DEMAND WEBINAR: How to Be a Change Agent in the Workplace

Posted by on Feb 20, 2019 in Leadership, Workforce Management | 0 comments

ON-DEMAND WEBINAR:  How to Be a Change Agent in the Workplace

It is critical to manage change by creating and implementing a strategy that defines an approach consistent with the unique needs of the organization. The strategy serves as the guiding framework, providing direction and shaping decision making throughout the change process.

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Supporting U.S. Veterans Return to the Workforce: National Veterans’ Training Institute and Management Concepts Partnership

Posted by on Feb 12, 2019 in Human Resources, Workforce Management | 2 comments

Supporting U.S. Veterans Return to the Workforce: National Veterans’ Training Institute and  Management Concepts Partnership

Recent statistics from the U.S. Department of Labor show that veteran unemployment continues to trend downward. The veteran unemployment rate in December 2018 was 3.2 percent, down from 3.8 percent in December 2017, which puts their unemployment levels below that of the general U.S. population, which stands at 4 percent. It’s a bright moment amidst many dark clouds in current events see an uptick for this deserving segment of our population.

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2019 PMA Fast Fact

Posted by on Feb 1, 2019 in Human Resources, Workforce Management | 0 comments

2019 PMA Fast Fact

Modernize your skillsets today to help reach your 2019 professional goals! Visit Management Concepts

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Rockin’ Your Resiliency During Tumultuous Times: Government Shutdown Tips for Heading Back to Work

Posted by on Jan 28, 2019 in Culture, Human Resources, Workforce Management | 0 comments

Rockin’ Your Resiliency During Tumultuous Times: Government Shutdown Tips for Heading Back to Work

If there’s one thing I know about Federal employees, it’s that they’re resilient. With twenty years of public service under my belt and working alongside the Federal workforce within six different branches of government including during and after 9/11 – I have seen first-hand the dedication and drive fellow Federal employees have for overcoming the toughest challenges our nation faces.

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The Future of Federal Workforce Reskilling, Automation, & Hiring Practices: Part I

Posted by on Jan 3, 2019 in Human Resources, Workforce Management | 0 comments

The Future of Federal Workforce Reskilling, Automation, & Hiring Practices: Part I

Reskilling and upskilling is a practice that involves training employees to complete their job to the best of their ability. It can take many shapes and forms. In the manufacturing workplace, it could be training staff to use new computers to improve manufacturing efficiency and standards. In an office setting, it could be sending employees to conferences and classes to learn new skills.

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What Does the Federal Shutdown Mean for Grants?

Posted by on Dec 26, 2018 in Grants & Assistance, Workforce Management | 0 comments

What Does the Federal Shutdown Mean for Grants?

There have been updates, announcements, new grant requirements, and changes to current grant requirements every month throughout 2018, leading to anticipated reforms in 2019 and beyond.

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Strengthening Federal Evaluation: Meet in the Middle?

Posted by on Jul 20, 2018 in Grants & Assistance, Workforce Management | 0 comments

Strengthening Federal Evaluation: Meet in the Middle?

The middle is hard because policy making is an emotional and often reactive process. And grants, which are policy tools, are often the instruments evaluated to inform policy, effectiveness, and compliance.

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The Reform Proposal’s Potential Impact on Federal Grant Making

Posted by on Jul 16, 2018 in Grants & Assistance, Workforce Management | 0 comments

The Reform Proposal’s Potential Impact on Federal Grant Making

Any significant adjustments to an organization, be it mergers or eliminations, have a significant impact on the people affected. Sitting on a client site in 2004 during years one and two of the Department of Homeland Security taught me that change management and culture considerations are as important, if not more, to the success of the change as the gained efficiencies.

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Federal Spotlight Interview: Nathaniel H. Benjamin

Posted by on Jun 21, 2018 in Coaching & Mentoring, Leadership, Workforce Management | 1 comment

Federal Spotlight Interview: Nathaniel H. Benjamin

I’ve been in Federal Service excluding military time for about 15 years and my main responsibility is managing the Human Capital Office for the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Under that responsibility, I’m responsible for talent acquisition for general schedule employees.

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Time to Skim the 2018 Single Audit Compliance Supplement

Posted by on May 30, 2018 in Grants & Assistance | 0 comments

Time to Skim the 2018 Single Audit Compliance Supplement

Not every agency included changes in this supplement. This makes sense as we anticipate release of the 2019 Compliance Supplement in early 2019, and many policies, regulations, and authorizing statutes have been stable during the past two years. That said, the number of programs included in the Department of Education (ED) section is striking – and reflective of the many policy changes that have been implemented since Secretary DeVos took over.

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3 Key Influencers of the Federal Budget Process

Posted by on May 23, 2018 in Acquisition | 0 comments

3 Key Influencers of the Federal Budget Process

Understanding the budget process and how to work with decision-makers is important for stewards of Federal funding. From the onset, it’s critical to be familiar with the key influencers of budgets and their responsibilities.

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The President’s Management Agenda Series: Transforming through Innovation

Posted by on May 18, 2018 in Leadership, Workforce Management | 0 comments

The President’s Management Agenda Series: Transforming through Innovation

The President’s Management Agenda refers to the concept of innovation frequently, and it is depicted as playing a critical role in achieving the outlined goals.

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What makes audit findings so Special?

Posted by on May 15, 2018 in Grants & Assistance, Workforce Management | 0 comments

What makes audit findings so Special?

“The specific requirements for Special Tests and Provisions are unique to each Federal program and are found in the laws, regulations, and the provisions of contract or grant agreements pertaining to the program. For programs listed in this Supplement, the compliance requirements, audit objectives, and suggested audit procedures for Special Tests and Provisions are in Part 4 – Agency Program Requirements or Part 5 – Clusters of Programs.”

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Managing Your Training Dollars in the Era of Continuing Appropriations Resolutions

Posted by on May 9, 2018 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

Managing Your Training Dollars in the Era of Continuing Appropriations Resolutions

Now is the time to start thinking about filling the hurry up and wait days of the first and second quarters of FY19 with training for acquisition professionals.

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Celebrating Public Service Recognition Week 2018

Posted by on May 9, 2018 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

Celebrating Public Service Recognition Week 2018

This week (May 6-12, 2018) is Public Service Recognition Week and Management Concepts is excited to show our appreciation for our government leaders and public servants!

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3 Ways Bid Protests Can Help Improve Source Selection

Posted by on Apr 16, 2018 in Acquisition | 0 comments

3 Ways Bid Protests Can Help Improve Source Selection

Anyone involved in the government contracting process can tell you that bid protests cause a great deal of anxiety. From the stress caused by the ding on performance evaluations to the automatic stay and the loss of revenue, neither the government nor private industry view a bid protest as a positive.

Despite the discomfort that bid protests cause, there is a positive that can be found in the action. The bid protest is probably the best learning tool that contracting professionals can utilize to refine their source selection methods.

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The Compliance Conundrum With Federal Grants: National Grants Management Association 2018

Posted by on Apr 9, 2018 in Grants & Assistance | 0 comments

The Compliance Conundrum With Federal Grants: National Grants Management Association 2018

It’s a conundrum that is consistently top-of-mind for many of us. At the individual project and program levels, sometimes we’re able to get from compliance to performance, but getting there for all $700B in annual federal grant spending is a whole new ballgame.

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Choose Your Own Adventure: Certificate or Certification?

Posted by on Apr 2, 2018 in Grants & Assistance | 0 comments

Choose Your Own Adventure: Certificate or Certification?

Whether you’re looking at a certificate (which I think of as yours to keep) or a certification (re-cert requirements needed), you need to consider where you want to be. Either option is an investment in your skills, knowledge, qualifications, and marketability.

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Federal Spotlight Interview: Adrianne M. Callahan

Posted by on Mar 28, 2018 in Leadership, Workforce Management | 2 comments

Federal Spotlight Interview: Adrianne M. Callahan

One of my biggest achievements is winning the Federal Employee of the Year – Outstanding Specialist Category. Competition for the Federal Employee of the Year is extremely high, my nomination was reviewed and ranked the winner out of 18 nominations from various agencies within the Chicago Federal Agency area and it truly was a humbling surprise.

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5 Ways The President’s Management Agenda Misses The Mark On Federal Workforce Engagement

Posted by on Mar 22, 2018 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

5 Ways The President’s Management Agenda Misses The Mark On Federal Workforce Engagement

Many of the presenting symptoms of malaise in the federal workforce are the result of deep seated behavioral norms that won’t be changed by focusing on surface level measures like engagement. The PMA was a prime opportunity to introduce new methods and measures that can help federal agencies begin to achieve meaningful shifts in their culture leading to improved engagement, improved mission performance, and higher quality citizen services.

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How and When Should Government Engage Industry?

Posted by on Mar 8, 2018 in Acquisition | 0 comments

How and When Should Government Engage Industry?

At the February 2018 ACT-IAC conference Lifting the Curtain: Requirements Development in Federal Acquisition and Reverse Industry Day, the question of when to engage industry emerged. The most controversial idea was presented by James William, Partner at Schambach & Williams Consulting. During Panel I- Behind the Scenes: Understanding the Government Requirements Gathering Process, Mr. Williams offered that government could invite industry to the table to assist in the creation of the statement of need and the evaluation factors. By engaging industry in the requirement development process, early and often, requirements will be better defined, better solutions will be offered, the evaluation process will be streamlined, the Procurement Acquisition Lead Time (PALT) will be minimized and the government will achieve best value.

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Federal Spotlight: Pamela Thompson

Posted by on Mar 6, 2018 in Workforce Management | 2 comments

Federal Spotlight: Pamela Thompson

MC: How long have you been in Federal service and what is your main responsibility in your role today?

PT: I started my Federal service when I joined the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) in February 2014. Prior to joining CFPB, I worked for The MITRE Corporation, a not-for-profit company that operates multiple Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs). However, I spent the majority of my career working for Federal government contractors as a Human Resources executive. In addition, I have worked as an independent contractor for NASA, DHS, VA, OPM, and U.S. Postal Service, providing executive coaching, training, and other human resources services.

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Insights and updates from AGA’s 2018 National Leadership Training

Posted by on Mar 5, 2018 in Financial Management | 0 comments

Insights and updates from AGA’s 2018 National Leadership Training

I recently had the opportunity to represent Management Concepts at the Association of Government Accountants’ National Leadership Training (NLT) event at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, D.C. This two-day event is designed to develop and train government financial professionals to excel as leaders. Featured speakers included Dave DeLong, President, Smart Workforce Strategies and Mark Updegrove, CEO, National Medal of Honor Museum. The event drew hundreds of CEO’s, CFO’s, senior executives, PhD’s, CPA’s, senior managers, and future leaders from Federal, state, and local organizations across the U.S.

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Ready, Set, Go: Time to Finalize FY 2019-2023 Strategic Plans

Posted by on Feb 22, 2018 in Leadership, Workforce Management | 1 comment

Ready, Set, Go: Time to Finalize FY 2019-2023 Strategic Plans

After months of waiting, Performance.gov is finally back online. While it’s only an interim resource and a brand-new site is forthcoming from The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and General Services Administration (GSA), leaders across the Federal government are thrilled to have something easily accessible to support continued updates to draft strategic plans submitted last summer.

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Analytics is a Function, Not a Job Title

Posted by on Feb 16, 2018 in Analytics | 0 comments

Analytics is a Function, Not a Job Title

I recently read an HBR article that reinforced much of what we’ve been seeing internally at Management Concepts for the last two years: Analytics is a function, not a job title, and regardless of job title, analytics should be a part of every team’s profile. As noted by the HRB authors, you don’t have to be a Data Scientist to work in analytics. Success with analytics requires a “big tent” approach: Everybody in, and everybody all in.

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Federal Spotlight: Lawrence Gross

Posted by on Feb 7, 2018 in Coaching & Mentoring | 0 comments

Federal Spotlight: Lawrence Gross

Federal Spotlight: Lawrence Gross retired recently from his role as Chief Information Officer, Chief Privacy Officer at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. Here is our Federal Spotlight interview:

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Finding Time for Strategic Thinking

Posted by on Feb 1, 2018 in Leadership, Workforce Management | 0 comments

Finding Time for Strategic Thinking

In our fast-paced work environments, there is a natural inclination to keep our heads down and accomplish only the tasks directly in front of us at any given time. From the moment we wake up to the moment we fall asleep, we are bombarded with emails and social media alerts that require our immediate attention. Indeed, we are often rewarded on the job for our ability to navigate daily emergencies and constantly be available.

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Mentoring: A Win-Win Situation

Posted by on Jan 26, 2018 in Coaching & Mentoring, Workforce Management | 0 comments

Mentoring: A Win-Win Situation

As National Mentoring Month comes to an end, let’s reflect on the importance of mentorship and its impact on an individual’s professional development. The support and guidance from well-respected and seasoned executives is instrumental as individuals strive to achieve career ambitions. As Winston Churchill said, “We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.” Good mentors are more than just successful business people – they offer their time, network, and willingness to help others because they genuinely want to see someone else succeed.

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Federal HR Skills Tested in 2017

Posted by on Jan 24, 2018 in Human Resources, Workforce Management | 0 comments

Federal HR Skills Tested in 2017

The Year 2017, is now in our rear-view mirror and for Federal Human Resource practitioners, it was a year of highs and lows. At the end of 2017 HR practitioners were still trying to create innovative ways to deal with leadership turnover, technology upgrades, the streamlining administrative systems, labor and management concerns, and employee demographics shifts, employee retention/engagement, to highlight a few.

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Year In Review: Our Most Read Blogs of 2017

Posted by on Jan 12, 2018 in Leadership, Workforce Management | 0 comments

Year In Review:  Our Most Read Blogs of 2017

And that’s a wrap for 2017! Just in case you missed some of our most read blogs of the year, we wanted to make sure to call them out… again. With topics ranging from human resources, OMB Releasing the 2016 Compliance Supplement to how culture can make a significant impact in an organization – there’s something we all can relate to.

We strive to produce content that is not only relevant, but that also can provide insight and value while initiating new ideas to our subscribers. As an early 2017 Forbes article put it “Blogs offer an avenue for delivering that value to a global audience. They provide a hub for tutorials and walk-throughs, and an avenue for crafting and constructing resources that help individuals that are looking for useful information.” And on that note, enjoy reading our top 10 most read blogs from 2017.

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2 CFR 200: What You Need to Know in 2018

Posted by on Jan 11, 2018 in Grants & Assistance | 1 comment

2 CFR 200: What You Need to Know in 2018

or the last year, the grants community has been expecting the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to incorporate a number of grants-related laws into 2 CFR 200. OMB officials have commented that they are working on amendments, but have not provided an estimation on when the changes will be announced.

In anticipation of the changes, it is important for the grants community to be aware of the legislation that may potentially be incorporated into 2 CFR 200.

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Three Initiatives to Help Improve the Acquisition Workforce

Posted by on Jan 10, 2018 in Acquisition, Workforce Management | 1 comment

Three Initiatives to Help Improve the Acquisition Workforce

As a new year begins, agencies are also making their resolutions. High on their list are ways to keep employees engaged, energized, and focused on meeting mission goals. These are the top three initiatives we’ve seen when helping our clients identify ways to improve the acquisition workforce.

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My Predictions of Workforce Trends In 2018

Posted by on Dec 28, 2017 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

My Predictions of Workforce Trends In 2018

As we wind down 2017 and begin looking forward to a new year, I’ve been thinking about the issues, trends, and themes that are likely to shape the experience of the Federal workforce in the second year of the Trump Administration. Read more about the top 4 predictions workforce trends of 2018.

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Reforming A Federal Agency: My Top 10 Thoughts to Unify Organizations

Posted by on Dec 13, 2017 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

Reforming A Federal Agency: My Top 10 Thoughts to Unify Organizations

Ever since the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) published OMB Memo 17-22 in April, a lot of attention has been paid to reform in Federal agencies. Agencies across the Federal government have begun the process of figuring out how to improve performance, reduce costs, and streamline operations of their organizations and, for many, meaningful changes are emerging. The history of radical change is long and storied, often driven by challenging outmoded thinking, developing new technology, and/or changing cultural sensibilities. Shaping any change starts with creating a vision of the desired end-state and explicitly identifying the barriers for achieving the desired vision. While the vision will undoubtedly vary by agency, I believe there are some universal barriers that need to be addressed to achieve the desired end state.

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Data, Data Everywhere…Albatross or Opportunity?

Posted by on Nov 30, 2017 in Analytics | 0 comments

Data, Data Everywhere…Albatross or Opportunity?

Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s Rime of the Ancient Mariner tells the experience of a sailor returning from a long voyage. In the early parts of the poem, the mariner describes how an albatross leads the crew out an ice jam in the Antarctic, but the mariner then kills the bird. The crew vacillates between viewing the killing of the albatross as a good or a bad thing. However, they soon become surrounded by “water, water, everywhere, nor any drop to drink.” Eventually, the mariner encounters death, but survives after accepting his guilt – however as a penance for shooting the bird, the sailor must wander the earth telling his story to passersby.

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Federal Spotlight: Amy Rogers

Posted by on Nov 28, 2017 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

Federal Spotlight: Amy Rogers

Amy Rogers serves as Director, Treasury Executive Institute, U.S. Department of Treasury. Here is our Federal Spotlight interview:

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Grant Pros + Bay Views = #GPAConf2017

Posted by on Nov 17, 2017 in Grants & Assistance | 1 comment

Grant Pros + Bay Views = #GPAConf2017

I don’t know about you, but I tend to go in to a post-conference social media coma. Something has to give between coming off the professional development high and the dive back into the day-to-day low. And if you follow me, you know that I like to live tweet my conference experiences. It’s a fun, interactive way for me to talk about notes. And I needed them to write this post.

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The Three Leadership Skills You Need in 2018

Posted by on Nov 1, 2017 in Leadership | 1 comment

The Three Leadership Skills You Need in 2018

The end of the 2017 fiscal year has come and gone, and most organizations are in the midst of performance appraisals and planning for 2018. Whether you are a front-line supervisor, an experienced senior leader, or a new employee in the Federal government, this is an important time for reflection on how you can improve and expand your capabilities.

Everyone has personal areas for growth so you are better prepared to help your organization meet its goals; however, in thinking about the realities of the Federal government in the upcoming year, three fundamental skills underlie most critical tasks:

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Resilience: Millennials on the Rise

Posted by on Oct 30, 2017 in Leadership, Workforce Management | 0 comments

Resilience: Millennials on the Rise

On October 19, 2017, Management Concepts participated in a professional development series with the Young Government Leaders (YGL) and Blacks In Government NOW Generation (BIG-NOW). We have been joining forces to create educational networking events to increase the participation and engagement of underrepresented groups within public service. This breakfast event was held in Washington DC and included a dynamic keynote speaker followed by panelists who told compelling personal stories about how they have succeeded in their careers while sharing thoughtful career advice to those in attendance.

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National Cyber Security Awareness Month: 3 Steps to Safeguarding Your Contracts

Posted by on Oct 24, 2017 in Acquisition | 0 comments

National Cyber Security Awareness Month: 3 Steps to Safeguarding Your Contracts

As another government fiscal year comes to a close, agencies are moving to the execution phase. For contracts that involve cybersecurity elements, acquisition planning, and contract administration have become increasingly more complex with the recent laws and regulations governing cybersecurity. With October designated as National Cyber Security Awareness Month, this is a perfect opportunity to review current and new contracts and self-audit existing cybersecurity management practices.

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Tales from the Classroom

Posted by on Oct 18, 2017 in Grants & Assistance | 0 comments

Tales from the Classroom

Over the last few months, I have traveled across the country teaching the full range of Management Concepts’ Grants curriculum to Federal employees and grant recipients. I view my time in the classroom as a mutually beneficial experience: Participants learn our grants curriculum and I learn from participants about their specific grants management challenges and best practices.

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Strategies to Build a Meaningful Career

Posted by on Oct 12, 2017 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

Strategies to Build a Meaningful Career

Every one of us has a certain number of years to invest in working and making a living. Having a job is fine, but creating a meaningful career will maximize your opportunities for success. To have a successful, fulfilling career requires that you continually plan, execute and review your career management strategies. You may be like many people in the workforce who only think about your current role or your next desired promotion. However, given today’s changes and uncertainties in the Federal workplace, you need to broaden your short term thinking and how you manage and grow your career.

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Today’s Vision, Tomorrow’s Future: BIG NTI Conference Recap

Posted by on Sep 26, 2017 in Leadership | 0 comments

Today’s Vision, Tomorrow’s Future: BIG NTI Conference Recap

At the 39th Annual Blacks In Government National Training Institute (BIG NTI), approximately 2,000 attendees filled the exhibit hall and ballrooms at Harrah’s in Atlantic City, New Jersey, from August 21st through the 24th. Management Concepts was a proud gold sponsor, and presented and hosted a pair of workshops in addition to a Munch & Mingle networking event in conjunction with the BIG NOW Generation.

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Building an Organization’s Performance Culture

Posted by on Sep 22, 2017 in Leadership, Workforce Management | 0 comments

Building an Organization’s Performance Culture

For leaders tasked with developing a performance culture in response to the Human Capital Framework (HCF) released by The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) in April, I suspect agencies are seeking answers to the questions like: Where do we start and how do we interpret the framework? If you are uncertain with where to start, how to make it relevant to your agency, or how to execute let’s explore possible immediate steps to support your existing performance culture or begin to shift your existing culture to one of performance.

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How Human-Centered Thinking Drives Higher Performance

Posted by on Sep 21, 2017 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

How Human-Centered Thinking Drives Higher Performance

Over the past few weeks I’ve been reading the recent studies from Gallup, SHRM, and the Rand Corporation that describe the current experience of employees in the American workplace. The results from these studies present an interesting and contrasting, portrait of work in the U.S. today.

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Building Sustainability For Your Funding

Posted by on Sep 19, 2017 in Grants & Assistance | 0 comments

Building Sustainability For Your Funding

One of the questions I’ve received most often since joining Management Concepts is, “Where else can I get funding?” This question goes to one of the weakest areas in the grant community: Sustainability. In this context, I’m not talking about the triple bottom line or climate change. It’s something much more basic: The resources that will keep your grant project going once funding source A is gone. Because deep down we all know that no funding stream lasts forever.

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What Is Data Science and Why Do We Need More Data Scientists?

Posted by on Sep 19, 2017 in Analytics | 0 comments

What Is Data Science and Why Do We Need More Data Scientists?

If you take a quick look at Glassdoor.com and their “50 Best Jobs in America” for 2017, you will notice that Data Scientist ranks at #1, among several other “data/analytics” titles in the list. Although this is evidently a highly desirable job, there appears to be a large talent gap in the field.

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Time to Thrive: Empowering Millennials in the Workforce

Posted by on Sep 15, 2017 in Human Resources, Leadership, Workforce Management | 0 comments

Time to Thrive: Empowering Millennials in the Workforce

Every day there are countless articles and studies casting aspersions on millennials. This cohort of young adults has been blamed for the declining viability of chain restaurants, gyms, diamonds, and even the National Football League.

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Federal Spotlight: Chad Sheridan

Posted by on Sep 14, 2017 in Leadership, Workforce Management | 0 comments

Federal Spotlight: Chad Sheridan

Chad Sheridan serves as Chief Information Officer for the Risk Management Agency (RMA) in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Here is our Federal Spotlight interview.

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Growing as a Coach – Tips from a Seasoned Expert

Posted by on Sep 11, 2017 in Coaching & Mentoring, Workforce Management | 0 comments

Growing as a Coach – Tips from a Seasoned Expert

Whether you’re new to your coaching role or have logged countless hours coaching many kinds of professionals, there’s always room to hone your skills. The better you are, the better you can be.

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Federal Spotlight: Kimberly Steide

Posted by on Sep 4, 2017 in Human Resources, Workforce Management | 2 comments

Federal Spotlight: Kimberly Steide

Kimberly Steide serves as Human Capital Planning and HR Stat Program Manager at the U.S. Department of Treasury. Here is our Federal Spotlight interview…

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Three Important Questions When Planning for IT Acquisitions

Posted by on Aug 30, 2017 in Acquisition | 0 comments

Three Important Questions When Planning for IT Acquisitions

The government spends approximately $80 billion on Information Technology (IT) acquisitions. How do you plan for IT acquisitions, and how do you make decisions about your IT spending?

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Coaches Succeed When They Have the Right Mindset

Posted by on Aug 18, 2017 in Coaching & Mentoring, Workforce Management | 0 comments

Coaches Succeed When They Have the Right Mindset

Command and control isn’t the only way to relate to employees, nor is it the best approach when you want to engender staff who are more creative or empowered. Coaching skills also help managers demonstrate their interest in their employees, a key factor for retaining and engaging employees.

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OMB Releases 2017 Compliance Supplement

Posted by on Aug 18, 2017 in Grants & Assistance | 0 comments

OMB Releases 2017 Compliance Supplement

Here go my highlights from what you need to know from this year’s edition.Like last year, there aren’t too many changes. In fact, the Federal Register Notice lists the changes so that you don’t have to hunt and peck. From there, I recommend going straight to Appendix V within the 2017 Supplement for more details.

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Workforce Planning Turns Uncertainty into Stability and Mission Success

Posted by on Aug 16, 2017 in Human Resources, Workforce Management | 0 comments

Workforce Planning Turns Uncertainty into Stability and Mission Success

How can HR professionals impact positive change with hiring restrictions and budget cuts on the horizon? The fact of the matter is: now’s a better time than ever for Federal HR in each agency to find (or create) opportunities to re-engage and re-focus the workforce for mission success.

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Same Data, Different Conclusions: It’s a Good Thing

Posted by on Aug 15, 2017 in Analytics, Workforce Management | 2 comments

Same Data, Different Conclusions: It’s a Good Thing

When I was deciding where to go with my husband, I experienced a bit of work-related déjà vu. Every option I considered was very different from the next, but all were possibilities chosen based on the same exact set of data (number of vacation days available, budget, etc.). I felt like I was back at the office working with a team, arguing about what decision to make, even though we were all reviewing the same data.

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Federal Spotlight: Jonathan Alboum

Posted by on Aug 9, 2017 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

Federal Spotlight: Jonathan Alboum

Jonathan Alboum serves as Chief Information Officer (CIO) for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Here is our Federal Spotlight interview…

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A Midsummer Summary of Changing Grants Policy, Part 2

Posted by on Aug 7, 2017 in Grants & Assistance | 0 comments

A Midsummer Summary of Changing Grants Policy, Part 2

Part two of our two-part series takes us through more changes to grant policy made by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) during their busy summer.

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When You Manage Resilience, Your Best Self Shows Up

Posted by on Aug 1, 2017 in Leadership | 2 comments

When You Manage Resilience, Your Best Self Shows Up

In chaotic times like these, frustration and exhaustion creep up like a ninja if you don’t check in with yourself and revisit how you’re managing your resilience. While it’s often easier to focus on what drags you down (people seem to like saying misery loves company much more than positivity loves professionals), it’s crucial to make time to find, and utilize, what makes you a strong professional.

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Federal Spotlight: Ali Pourghassemi

Posted by on Jul 31, 2017 in Workforce Management | 3 comments

Federal Spotlight: Ali Pourghassemi

Ali Pourghassemi serves as a Human Capital Manager for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Here is our Federal Spotlight interview

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A Midsummer Summary of Changing Grants Policy, Part 1

Posted by on Jul 28, 2017 in Grants & Assistance | 0 comments

A Midsummer Summary of Changing Grants Policy, Part 1

While summer is generally the time for taking a long vacation from work, officials at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) have been busy revising grant policies.

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Defining the Problem – How Savvy Data Pros Get It Right

Posted by on Jul 23, 2017 in Analytics | 0 comments

Defining the Problem – How Savvy Data Pros Get It Right

Without a clearly or accurately defined problem, time and other resources will be wasted, and you’ll be left unable to make an effective decision. Often, nailing down exactly what you’re trying to solve is more difficult than the analysis itself.

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Keep a Proactive HR Approach in the Face of Reform

Posted by on Jul 22, 2017 in Human Resources, Workforce Management | 0 comments

Keep a Proactive HR Approach in the Face of Reform

Regardless of what guidance comes from OMB this fall, agencies stand to benefit from taking a refreshed, proactive approach to workforce planning. With workforce reductions (aka reduction in workforce, or RIF) on the way, it becomes even more critical to retain and develop talented employees, and developing personnel from within ensures strategic initiatives are kept on track.

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FEW NTP 2017: Empowering Women in the Federal Workforce

Posted by on Jul 21, 2017 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

FEW NTP 2017: Empowering Women in the Federal Workforce

Management Concepts was a proud sponsor for the third year in a row for the 48th Federally Employed Women’s (FEW) National Training Program (NTP) held in New Orleans, Louisiana, from July 17-20, 2017. This year’s conference theme was “Investing in Our Future.”

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AGA PDT 2017: Top Takeaways from Financial Management Conference

Posted by on Jul 18, 2017 in Financial Management | 0 comments

AGA PDT 2017: Top Takeaways from Financial Management Conference

Last week in Boston, over one thousand of the nation’s government financial management professionals convened for expert insights and networking (and CPEs) at the Association of Government Accountants (AGA) annual Professional Development Training (PDT) event.

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Experts and Leaders Convene: How the Federal Workforce Can Thrive in an Uncertain Future

Posted by on Jul 13, 2017 in Leadership, Workforce Management | 0 comments

Experts and Leaders Convene: How the Federal Workforce Can Thrive in an Uncertain Future

On June 29 in Washington, D.C., the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA) hosted an event—Stabilizing the Workforce in an Uncertain Future—featuring experts in Federal workforce development from the Government Accountability Office (GAO), Office of Personnel Management (OPM), the Defense and Treasury departments, and Virginia Tech’s School of Public and International Affairs. Management Concepts sponsored the event, also featuring our top experts and leaders in People & Performance Consulting.

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Communicating Change: The Key to Avoiding the Most Common Mistakes

Posted by on Jun 30, 2017 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

Communicating Change: The Key to Avoiding the Most Common Mistakes

There’s been much debate about the Reform Plans that OMB is evaluating from every agency. Between now and when OMB reports back, how seriously will agencies take those plans? Will Congress pass a budget that supports making the changes outlined in the plans? One thing that’s hard to debate, however, is that there will be change.

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Your Words Matter: Have Conversations that Make Things Happen

Posted by on Jun 26, 2017 in Leadership, Workforce Management | 0 comments

Your Words Matter: Have Conversations that Make Things Happen

All day long, we hastily grab a coworker for a quick chat, zip off emails to get or give important information, and (if you are like me) often multitask while commuting home by catching up on missed phone calls from the day. How often do you pause to consider what you want to achieve through conversation before you start talking or typing?

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With Protests on the Rise, What Can Agencies Do?

Posted by on Jun 25, 2017 in Acquisition | 0 comments

With Protests on the Rise, What Can Agencies Do?

GAO’s statistics show that bid protests have been climbing for the last several years. Given the protest statistics, what can agencies learn from GAO decisions and how can they protest-proof their awards?

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Federal Spotlight: Melinda Burks

Posted by on Jun 18, 2017 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

Federal Spotlight: Melinda Burks

Melinda Burks serves as a Senior Program Officer for the U.S. Department of State. Here is our Federal Spotlight interview…

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In Search of CLPs: You Don’t Have to Look Far, But You Do Have to Look

Posted by on Jun 15, 2017 in Acquisition | 0 comments

In Search of CLPs: You Don’t Have to Look Far, But You Do Have to Look

Have you thought about your continuous learning requirements lately? Or is it something that you keep buried in the back of your mind until the last minute? If so, you’re not alone. But maybe it’s time to refresh your mindset for continuous learning.

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Coaching Questions that Help Individuals Move Forward

Posted by on Jun 6, 2017 in Coaching & Mentoring | 1 comment

Coaching Questions that Help Individuals Move Forward

One way that coaching stands out from other types of performance focused conversations is its inherent perspective on who has the answers. So, if you’re tired from “coaching” your employees, maybe it’s because you’re working too hard giving answers instead of asking questions that elicit the solutions from employees’ unique experience.

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Learning Cultures Close Skill Gaps

Posted by on Jun 5, 2017 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

Learning Cultures Close Skill Gaps

So, how does an organization build capacity to respond to skill gaps? Begin by creating a culture of learning. Most workforce planning and human resource professionals understand that learning is vital to the health of the organization. However, few link learning to mission critical execution. If the workforce does not have the right skills, employees will be unable to effectively carry out the tasks required to meet the goal.

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DATA Act Compliance Has Arrived

Posted by on May 31, 2017 in Grants & Assistance, Workforce Management | 2 comments

DATA Act Compliance Has Arrived

Three years of planning the implementation of the Digital Accountability and Transparency Act (DATA Act) came to fruition on May 9, 2017 as Federal agencies were required to begin reporting spending by using governmentwide, standardized data elements.

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A Perfect Match: Data Analysts Pair Technical Skills with Soft Skills

Posted by on May 30, 2017 in Analytics, Workforce Management | 4 comments

A Perfect Match: Data Analysts Pair Technical Skills with Soft Skills

I’m going to discuss a very important relationship in every data analyst’s life: the marriage of technical skills to their soft-skill counterparts. Just like every relationship, this one requires understanding and balancing complementary aspects to be successful. Let’s look at how the skill for knowing how your sphere of influence—i.e. awareness of what you can do yourself, and how you can influence others—works hand-in-hand with your skill for driving data-based decisions.

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Federal Spotlight: Suzi Inman

Posted by on May 11, 2017 in Acquisition, Workforce Management | 0 comments

Federal Spotlight: Suzi Inman

Suzi Inman serves as Acquisition Management Specialist/Contracting Officer’s Representative at the Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Crane Division, in Crane, Indiana. She is also Vice President for Membership and Chapter Organization for Federally Employed Women (FEW). Here is our Federal Spotlight interview.

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Grants Legal Issues Grab Headlines

Posted by on May 9, 2017 in Grants & Assistance | 0 comments

Grants Legal Issues Grab Headlines

When Congress originally authorizes a grant program, its original intent can be very different from the implementation of policies in the here and now.

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Federal Spotlight: Bill Sutherland

Posted by on May 9, 2017 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

Federal Spotlight: Bill Sutherland

Bill Sutherland retired recently from his role as Director of Aviation Operations at U.S. Customs and Border Protection. He currently works in support of National Guard forces, and also works as Managing Director of UASOPS, LLC. Here is our Federal Spotlight interview.

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TOC 2017 Recap: Talent Development – How Sweet It Is!

Posted by on May 4, 2017 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

TOC 2017 Recap: Talent Development – How Sweet It Is!

The Training Officers Consortium (TOC) 2017 Annual Institute was held in Hershey, PA from April 30 – May 3, 2017, and Management Concepts was honored to be a silver sponsor. More than 150 attendees, a few of our own in-house experts, and our President, Steve Maier, showed up for the inspired learning and knowledge-sharing the institute is known for. The theme this year was “Talent Development – How Sweet It Is!”

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Now that I’m the Leader, How Will My Team Change?

Posted by on Apr 24, 2017 in Leadership, Workforce Management | 0 comments

Now that I’m the Leader, How Will My Team Change?

Many new leaders think they should walk in with all the answers; great leaders walk in with the right questions. Then, they lead their teams to a co-crafted solution.

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The PMBOK® Guide 6th Edition Moves PM in a Business Value, Strategy Alignment, and Adaptive Direction

Posted by on Apr 21, 2017 in Project Management | 0 comments

The PMBOK® Guide 6th Edition Moves PM in a Business Value, Strategy Alignment, and Adaptive Direction

The ongoing emphasis on Business Value, Strategic Alignment, and Adaptation to the dynamic project environment and stakeholder needs makes these changes a significant improvement and step in the right direction toward elevating the PMBOK® Guide to a truly application-oriented tool.

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Data and Grants: Patterns and Performance

Posted by on Apr 14, 2017 in Grants & Assistance | 3 comments

Data and Grants: Patterns and Performance

The ability to identify and communicate patterns—through performance measurement in grants work—is an essential skill in an environment of limited resources for policy implementation.

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So I’m Officially a Leader… Now What?

Posted by on Apr 10, 2017 in Leadership, Workforce Management | 0 comments

So I’m Officially a Leader… Now What?

Well, you did it. After all your hard work, your contributions, and your tenacity, you got it. That promotion. That next step. Then, a week passes. You’re headed home, and it hits you. “What’ve I gotten myself into now? I think I’ve got ‘what it takes,’ but what if I don’t?”

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The Presidential Budget and Federal Grants

Posted by on Apr 5, 2017 in Grants & Assistance, Workforce Management | 1 comment

The Presidential Budget and Federal Grants

OMB has only released a budget blueprint, which provides a high-level statement of policy goals. OMB expects to release the full budget later this spring. Even without the line-by-line budget requests detailed in the full budget, the budget blueprint does provide significant guidance for the grants community.

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Federal Spotlight: Soraya Correa

Posted by on Mar 30, 2017 in Leadership, Workforce Management | 6 comments

Federal Spotlight: Soraya Correa

Soraya Correa serves as Chief Procurement Officer for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Here is our Federal Spotlight interview.

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Agency Experts and Leaders Convene to Address Challenges Facing Federal Workforce Management

Posted by on Mar 29, 2017 in Leadership, Workforce Management | 0 comments

Agency Experts and Leaders Convene to Address Challenges Facing Federal Workforce Management

Speakers and panelists from Federal agencies included experts in workforce planning and organizational development from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), FBI, Government Accountability Office (GAO), and Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). They joined for a panel on closing critical skills gaps in Federal organizations, including a fire side chat on community-building and leadership development in the Senior Executive Service (SES).

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Federal Spotlight: Georgia A. Thomas

Posted by on Mar 20, 2017 in Coaching & Mentoring, Leadership, Workforce Management | 0 comments

Federal Spotlight: Georgia A. Thomas

Georgia A. Thomas serves at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as the organization’s Southeast and Southwest Area Manager, Communication and Stakeholder Outreach (CSO), Field Operations. Here is our Federal Spotlight interview.

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Put Your Data Visuals on a Diet: No More Pie Charts!

Posted by on Mar 13, 2017 in Analytics, Workforce Management | 0 comments

Put Your Data Visuals on a Diet: No More Pie Charts!

Happy Pi Day! To celebrate, I will be discussing one of the most widely-used (but not widely useful!) data visualizations: the Pie Chart. While charts and graphs are invaluable tools for easily and quickly communicating a complex message to an audience, if they aren’t wisely designed, they can also be misinterpreted, misleading, or even deterrents to action. And pie charts—despite their deceptively simple style and popularity—often lead viewers astray, or lead nowhere at all.

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Ode to Grant Professionals

Posted by on Mar 9, 2017 in Grants & Assistance | 0 comments

Ode to Grant Professionals

Have you ever had a run of unexpected events that seems to leave you knocked down? But you get up again and again. If you are lucky enough to be a grant professional, when you get up, you’ve often got someone pushing or pulling you up. Here are my top 5 reasons why.

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Federal Spotlight: Doris Sartor

Posted by on Mar 6, 2017 in Workforce Management | 2 comments

Federal Spotlight: Doris Sartor

Dr. Doris Sartor serves as Course Director for the Air Force Civilian Associate Degree Program at Maxwell Air Force Base, and is national president of Blacks In Government (BIG). Here’s our Federal Spotlight interview.

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Hiring Freeze? Time to Thaw the Organization’s Human Capital Plan

Posted by on Feb 24, 2017 in Human Resources, Workforce Management | 0 comments

Hiring Freeze? Time to Thaw the Organization’s Human Capital Plan

HR staff and leadership at all levels can benefit from viewing this freeze as an opportunity to take an internal assessment of the programs that present the greatest human capital need. This will further prepare organizations to manage through the workforce reduction plan requested by the January 23 Presidential Memorandum (which, according to the PM, is due from OMB within 90 days of January 23).

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Inspiration and Insight at AGA’s 2017 National Leadership Training Event

Posted by on Feb 23, 2017 in Financial Management | 0 comments

Inspiration and Insight at AGA’s 2017 National Leadership Training Event

The AGA NLT 2017 exhibit hall was packed with accountants, auditors, CEOs, CPAs, CGFMs, consultants, senior government leaders, and business developers—made for a pretty broad representation of Federal financial management professionals. So, what kept everybody together for two days? Dedication to outstanding public service and exceptional leadership. The event schedule was filled with expert-led presentations, with topics including Presidential transition, cyber security, the DATA act, and risk management

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Resilience: The Word of the Year

Posted by on Feb 17, 2017 in Leadership | 0 comments

Resilience: The Word of the Year

Resilience already feels like the word of the year—our signal and guide to something better that can happen tomorrow if we harness today’s nervous energy and channel it wisely. And we must choose to be resilient.

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Federal Program Management Gets a Boost

Posted by on Feb 16, 2017 in Project Management | 0 comments

Federal Program Management Gets a Boost

In the final days of his administration, Obama to signed the new Program Management Improvement Accountability Act (PMIAA) into law. As with the PMIAA 2015 version, this effort adds language to Section 503 in Title 31 of the U.S. Code, which applies to all Executive Branch entities (Defense excepted). Here’s a quick summary of actions the Office of Management and Budget and Agencies are assigned by the change.

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3 Steps to Advance Your Contracting Career

Posted by on Feb 15, 2017 in Acquisition | 0 comments

3 Steps to Advance Your Contracting Career

What should you do differently this year to move forward on your path to success? While there are often roadblocks to skill development in the Federal acquisition and contracting workforce, here are three steps you can always take that will help you reach the next level.

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Finding Stability and Opportunity through Uncertainty

Posted by on Feb 14, 2017 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

Finding Stability and Opportunity through Uncertainty

Perhaps your organization or team feels like it is in the middle of a crisis with an uncertain future and shifting leadership, and is caught in the mire of the Federal hiring freeze. If so, here are a few things you can do to help take advantage of the “crisis” and use a planned approach to organizational change to bring stability to your work environment.

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To Overcome Anxiety in the First 100 Days, Coaching Is Clutch

Posted by on Feb 8, 2017 in Coaching & Mentoring, Workforce Management | 2 comments

To Overcome Anxiety in the First 100 Days, Coaching Is Clutch

As someone’s boss, you likely influence the psychological safety a person experiences, even if you cannot change the objective uncertainty of the present moment. How you demonstrate transparency, trust, and yes, even care, for your employees can influence how they experience a sense of security at work.

Your role is even more critical in steadying your team while they work through fears, anxiety, confusion, apprehension, and other negative emotions that can be brought on by significant transitions in the workplace.

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How Your Career Moves Forward in Chaotic Times

Posted by on Feb 6, 2017 in Workforce Management | 2 comments

How Your Career Moves Forward in Chaotic Times

What actions can you take to further your career in this chaotic, uncertain environment? We have several ideas about what helps and hinders talent development in the public sector in our latest research report—Unleveraged Talent: Exploring Gaps in Federal Workforce Management—but we’ll focus here on just a few of our tips.

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The New Administration Signals Potential Changes for Grants Management

Posted by on Feb 1, 2017 in Grants & Assistance, Workforce Management | 4 comments

The New Administration Signals Potential Changes for Grants Management

Since the inauguration, the Trump administration has taken significant action, through executive orders and memorandums, which may affect Federal grants. The extent to which grants management will be impacted is still unclear; however, it is important for Federal awarding agencies and grant recipients to keep themselves informed.

Here’s our rundown of what’s happened, what’s happening, and what’s on the horizon.

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How to Navigate an Uncertain Political Landscape

Posted by on Jan 31, 2017 in Leadership | 0 comments

How to Navigate an Uncertain Political Landscape

Depending on your political orientation, you may find new changes in Federal government to be necessary course corrections, unfortunate shifts in the landscape, or something in between. Regardless of your views, many government employees (and they agency missions they support) are now faced with uncertain futures. However, concentrating on the right things will help you navigate the uncertainty, and even strengthen some of your most important skills.

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Organizational Culture Clears the Way for Successful Change

Posted by on Jan 29, 2017 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

Organizational Culture Clears the Way for Successful Change

Change is happening across the Federal government at all levels, and a constructive workplace culture is needed for employees to meaningfully buy into the change effort. If people don’t buy in, then change becomes little more than a disruptive, disengaging force for everyone affected.

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On the Horizon: The Status of Category Management

Posted by on Jan 27, 2017 in Acquisition | 0 comments

On the Horizon: The Status of Category Management

With the change in administration comes change in the Federal acquisitions horizon, and there is reasonable concern that the focus on category management could shift. However, while there is much on the new administration’s agenda, it looks like category management is here to stay—at least for now.

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In 2017, Show the Way—With Data

Posted by on Jan 26, 2017 in Analytics | 0 comments

In 2017, Show the Way—With Data

There’s no better way to illustrate the ROI of a program than to literally illustrate it—with effective, irrefutable visuals of the data—which can serve as common ground for discussions about the work being analyzed.

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Federal Financial Management Changes in 2017: It Started in 2016

Posted by on Jan 25, 2017 in Financial Management | 0 comments

Federal Financial Management Changes in 2017: It Started in 2016

Here’s a two-part rundown of big changes in 2016 that will continue to affect our field in 2017—we’ve included quick tips and reminders for adapting to these changes, and resources for how to stay up to date in our ever-changing field.

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Improve the Hiring Process, Offer Realistic Job Previews

Posted by on Jan 24, 2017 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

Improve the Hiring Process, Offer Realistic Job Previews

Wouldn’t it be great if a job applicant could somehow try out a potential job before actually committing?

Well, short of actually performing the job duties before being hired, there is something that employers can do: provide applicants with a true sense of what a job entails and what the environment is like. It’s called a Realistic Job Preview.

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Presidential Transition Worries? Good Coaching Gets You Through It

Posted by on Jan 12, 2017 in Coaching & Mentoring | 0 comments

Presidential Transition Worries? Good Coaching Gets You Through It

A transition can be like a roller coaster, and even if you’re in front leading the way, or have even finished the ride and are ready to move on, remember that the rest of your team might still be hanging on through loops, corkscrews, twists, and turns behind you. Same as having great internal communication, coaching helps get people through the roller coaster ride.

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Making Friends with Risk: How to Be a Champion for Your Program During the Administration Change

Posted by on Jan 10, 2017 in Workforce Management | 1 comment

Making Friends with Risk: How to Be a Champion for Your Program During the Administration Change

There is still a lot of uncertainty around what is going to happen under the Trump presidency, but one change I feel confident predicting is that the new administration is going to be laser-focused on government performance and results. And the general sentiment of the president elect and his cabinet will be that “government should start acting more like a business.”

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How a Member of the Grants Community Prepares for 2017

Posted by on Jan 5, 2017 in Grants & Assistance | 2 comments

How a Member of the Grants Community Prepares for 2017

What a year 2016 was, and I’m not just talking about what you’re reading in your Facebook and Twitter feeds. It’s early January, and it’s time to make my top 5 New Year’s resolutions for work. Feel free to share yours with me – because as we know in the grants world, crowd-sourcing is essential.

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How to Review 2016 and Gain a New Leadership Perspective on Your Organization

Posted by on Jan 4, 2017 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

How to Review 2016 and Gain a New Leadership Perspective on Your Organization

As you plan for the new year at your organization, how do you know that you’ve truly understood the year that just happened? Learning from past experience is something that occurs whether we’re intentional or not, but formal self-reflection (and organizational reflection)—to the tune of New Year’s resolutions, which often have unique charms of timely inspiration, honesty, and introspection—can help you see things with even greater clarity. Aligning your organization to learn from mistakes, tackle new challenges and changes, and be resilient and adaptable will be crucial for 2017.

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The Test Your Organization Might Not Be Using, but Should

Posted by on Dec 21, 2016 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

For hands-on courses where participants learn a skill, the evaluation type should match the content of what participants learn. One effective approach is to use a situational judgment test (SJT). SJTs present test-takers with written or video-based scenarios, and ask them to respond in one of two ways: (1) choose how they would likely behave in a given situation, or (2) evaluate the effectiveness of possible responses to a given situation. In the first response type, test-takers can choose the best or worst response from a list of potential responses, rate how effective each potential response option is, or even rank the potential responses in order of effectiveness.

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2 CFR 200 Turns Two: The Research Community Seeks Greater Independence

Posted by on Dec 20, 2016 in Grants & Assistance | 0 comments

2 CFR 200 Turns Two: The Research Community Seeks Greater Independence

With the implementation of 2 CFR 200, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) sought to bring uniformity to grants management. What we are now beginning to see is the desire by some non-federal entities to begin exerting their independence and to have more flexibility with their federal awards.

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The Presidential Transition and Beyond: HR Skills for an Even Stronger Federal Workforce

Posted by on Dec 15, 2016 in Human Resources | 0 comments

The Presidential Transition and Beyond: HR Skills for an Even Stronger Federal Workforce

With the Presidential transition approaching, change is around the corner for over 4 million civilian and military employees in the Federal government. As in any organization, HR’s function is to support transitions in a way that maintains a ready and productive workforce. The Presidential transition, like other leadership transitions, presents both opportunity and uncertainty. Here are 5 challenges and opportunities for leadership and HR to take on in the coming months.

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Developing the Next Generation of Government Leaders: TOC Panel Leads the Way

Posted by on Dec 15, 2016 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

Developing the Next Generation of Government Leaders: TOC Panel Leads the Way

On December 13 at the Ft. McNair Officers Club in Washington, DC, a panel of distinguished millennial government professionals shared a wealth of wisdom and perspective, as well as a roadmap for overcoming generational differences and preparing the next generation for bright futures in public service. The panel event, put together by Management Concepts and the Training Officers Consortium (TOC), was moderated by Tim Bowden (Executive Director of People and Performance Consulting at Management Concepts).

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Federal Spotlight: Alexis Bonnell

Posted by on Dec 14, 2016 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

Federal Spotlight: Alexis Bonnell

Alexis Bonnell serves as Division Chief: Applied Innovation and Acceleration for the U.S. Global Development Lab, United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Here’s our Federal Spotlight interview on her motivations, passions, and achievements in Federal Service. Plus, Ms. Bonnell shares a great list of tips for young professionals considering working for the government.

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Five Months Until the DATA Act Deadline: An Implementation Update

Posted by on Dec 12, 2016 in Grants & Assistance | 0 comments

Five Months Until the DATA Act Deadline: An Implementation Update

On December 8, 2016, the House Subcommittee on Government Operations held a hearing entitled “DATA Act Implementation Check-in.” The Subcommittee heard from representatives from the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and three Federal agencies. On the same day as the hearing, the GAO released a new report, “DATA Act: OMB and Treasury Have Issued Additional Guidance and Have Improved Pilot Design But Implementation Challenges Remain,” which examined the government’s progress to meeting the law’s requirements.

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Leaders: Hold onto Your Wigs and Keys in 2017

Posted by on Dec 9, 2016 in Leadership | 0 comments

Leaders: Hold onto Your Wigs and Keys in 2017

Seasoned Federal employees, especially those based in the DC area, are no strangers to Presidential turnover and the organizational dancing that signals a new administration is coming to Washington. However, that doesn’t mean the process gets any easier to live through or lead others through. And, if you’re new to the government, I’m sure you’re sensing the uncertainty in the air. What are the top 5 leadership skills you need to weather the chaos and keep moving forward in 2017?

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The Lines are Blurring: How Leaders Can Respond to the Ever-Changing Work Environment

Posted by on Dec 7, 2016 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

The Lines are Blurring: How Leaders Can Respond to the Ever-Changing Work Environment

While examples of blurring lines offer some clues as to why organizational life is feeling so different, it leaves many organizational leaders with a big unanswered question: What do all these blurring lines mean for the future of organizations? Here are four highly recognized values of organizational change that will help you get to the heart of real organizational change.

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Well-Defined Roles Are the Basis for Long-term Talent Management

Posted by on Nov 22, 2016 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

Well-Defined Roles Are the Basis for Long-term Talent Management

Every aspect of talent management is impacted by how we define our people’s jobs, specifically their job accountabilities, technical job competencies, and behavioral competencies. Without strong organizational structure (re: strong role and job family definition), organizational changes can take a heavy toll on the staff, responsibilities are muddled, accountability diminishes, and employees can be left feeling frustrated and confused about the integrity of their organization.

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Federal Spotlight: Christian Blackman

Posted by on Nov 21, 2016 in Workforce Management | 1 comment

Federal Spotlight: Christian Blackman

Christian Blackman serves as the Region 6 – Disaster Grants Branch Chief at the Department of Homeland Security – Federal Emergency Management Agency. Here’s our Federal Spotlight interview with Christian Blackman.

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Improve Your Workplace Culture: Visualize It

Posted by on Nov 21, 2016 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

Improve Your Workplace Culture: Visualize It

We all visualize, whether we realize it or not. Most often, we visualize experiences that have already happened, using our senses, feelings, and emotions to help us understand them better. Visualization can be even more valuable when we use it to create a picture in our mind of something that has not happened—exactly as we want it to be—with the intent that it will actually happen.

This future-focused visualization is particularly valuable for organizational leaders who want to think in new ways about their organization to meet its evolving mission and include an often-missing piece—how to change and align their organization’s culture.

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Why We Need Agile Performance Management More than Ever

Posted by on Nov 18, 2016 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

Why We Need Agile Performance Management More than Ever

While presenting on a panel about Agile Performance Management at yesterday’s NAPA Fall Meeting (National Academy of Public Administration), a member of the audience asked a question that I think gets at the core of why we chose the topic for the panel. Paraphrasing, the audience member said, “When you talk about Agile Performance Management, it sounds like old ideas with new lipstick. What’s so new about it when it comes to managing your workforce?”

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Like Wearing Seat Belts, SES Reform Is Not Just the Law, It’s a Good Idea

Posted by on Nov 17, 2016 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

Like Wearing Seat Belts, SES Reform Is Not Just the Law, It’s a Good Idea

The recent election results and upcoming change in administration cast doubt on the ongoing commitment to execute several of President Obama’s Executive Orders (EO). One EO in particular, about which we have written previously, relates to improving the Senior Executive Service (SES).

We believe that the Executive Order was created to upgrade long-overdue Federal executive hiring and development practices to mirror common practices in the private sector. We encourage the new administration and its agencies to continue modernizing practices relating to SES hiring, onboarding, development, and succession planning.

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#GPAConf16: Good Times and IDC Dreams

Posted by on Nov 16, 2016 in Grants & Assistance | 0 comments

#GPAConf16: Good Times and IDC Dreams

I had such a good time at the 2016 Grant Professionals Association National Conference that I think I need a week to recover. I enjoyed meeting and reconnecting with colleagues from around the country who are dedicated to making the world a better place through grants.

But there is a dark side to going to events like this—you might go to a session on a topic that causes you to look at things from another perspective. And this perspective interrupts your dream cycle with scenarios and spreadsheets on indirect cost (IDC) rates.

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Are You a Good Data Storyteller?

Posted by on Nov 14, 2016 in Analytics | 0 comments

Are You a Good Data Storyteller?

Data tells stories: of success and ambition, as well as failure and challenge. It looks to the past and to the future, while delivering a clear and accurate now. But data professionals know it speaks best when arranged with a simple visual alongside a cogent message. Visuals show the story of your data, but are your visuals telling the right story the right way? When data storytelling goes wrong—when the visual is too complicated, when there are too many meanings in the graphic, when the message can’t be read quickly or clearly—your audience will not hear the story. And just as a great visual presentation can be remembered for a long time, some stakeholders may take a long time to forget a bad one.

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A Salute to Veterans

Posted by on Nov 10, 2016 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

A Salute to Veterans

On November 10 in Washington, DC, the Department of Labor hosted a Salute to Veterans ceremony in anticipation of Veterans Day. The event began with opening remarks from Mike Michaud, Assistant Secretary for the Department of Labor’s Veterans Employment and Training Service (DOL VETS), including a pair of video messages from Congressmen. Then, a panel of distinguished speakers shared their personal experiences, successes, and efforts as leaders, veterans, and supporters of veterans.

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Making the Mark for Millennials in Public Service

Posted by on Nov 9, 2016 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

Making the Mark for Millennials in Public Service

On November 3, 2016, Management Concepts participated in the third part of a four-part professional development series with the Young Government Leaders (YGL) – Atlanta Chapter and Blacks In Government NOW Generation (BIG-NOW). We have joined forces to create these events in an effort to increase the participation and engagement of underrepresented groups within public service.

Over 80 participants joined us for our first event in Atlanta for breakfast and a lively discussion on how Millennials today are needed more than ever to fill the talent gap facing the government workforce.

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How Coaches Overcome Generational Differences

Posted by on Nov 2, 2016 in Coaching & Mentoring | 0 comments

How Coaches Overcome Generational Differences

Increasingly, research is finding that differences we often attribute to someone’s generation have more to do with a person’s age, maturity, and experience than the grouping of years in which a person was born. With a growing number of millennials and later generations taking leadership roles in organizations, it’s important to understand how to more effectively coach these emerging leaders to build the capabilities organizations need to thrive in the future.

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How to Fix Your Organizational Structure, One Role at a Time

Posted by on Oct 31, 2016 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

How to Fix Your Organizational Structure, One Role at a Time

A lack of a systematic approach to role definition and organizational structure design can create issues that reduce organizational effectiveness. To resolve a problematic organizational structure, one of the first things to do is to perform detailed discovery work to assess the current state of the organization and the elements that need the most improvement.

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Top Insights from the Ultimate Culture Conference: How to Nurture, Measure, and Shape Organizational Culture

Posted by on Oct 28, 2016 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

Top Insights from the Ultimate Culture Conference: How to Nurture, Measure, and Shape Organizational Culture

I had the opportunity to attend the 2nd Annual Ultimate Culture Conference and the Schein Culture DNA Seminar last week in San Francisco. Many diverse viewpoints on culture and leadership were shared by an impressive lineup of innovative practitioners and thought leaders. I, like many others in the room, engaged throughout each day in spirited culture conversations and left with a variety of valuable insights on how to nurture, measure, and shape organizational culture as we look ahead.

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The Best of FedTalks 2016: Leading and Adapting in Government IT and Cybersecurity

Posted by on Oct 26, 2016 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

The Best of FedTalks 2016: Leading and Adapting in Government IT and Cybersecurity

Last week, leaders from the tech and government IT communities gathered in downtown Washington, DC for FedTalks 2016. This year’s conference boasted over 1,200 attendees, leaders from all over the tech and government landscape. In case you weren’t there, or you couldn’t stay for every speaker, here are some of the highlights.

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Federal Spotlight: Max Finberg

Posted by on Oct 24, 2016 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

Federal Spotlight: Max Finberg

Max Finberg serves as the Director of AmeriCorps VISTA at the Corporation for National and Community Service, the federal agency that administers the AmeriCorps program and leads national service and volunteer initiatives for the nation. Here’s our Federal Spotlight interview with Max Finberg.

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Is Fear of Protests Guiding Your Behavior?

Posted by on Oct 20, 2016 in Acquisition | 0 comments

Is Fear of Protests Guiding Your Behavior?

We often hear students and agencies wanting to know how to avoid protests. I think we first need to establish that companies competing for government business have a right to protest when they feel the source selection was improperly conducted. We believe properly conducted debriefings that communicate why the losing offeror was not selected significantly help to prevent protests that offerors feel are the only way to obtain a fair explanation. Other explanations for protests have been argued but the fact remains that transparency in the debriefing can effectively dissuade protests. Of course, failure to document the rationale for your decisions will not help.

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Q and A: All about the New A-123

Posted by on Oct 17, 2016 in Featured, Financial Management | 0 comments

Q and A: All about the New A-123

On September 28, Management Concepts presented a free webinar—Easy as A-123: What You Need to Know About the Update—highlighting the significant changes to OMB Circular A-123 Management’s Responsibility for Enterprise Risk Management and Internal Control. During the Q&A there was time to answer only a few questions, but many good ones were submitted. Below are answers to the most representative questions.

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Shifting Mindsets: How to Make Culture Change Real

Posted by on Oct 13, 2016 in Workforce Management | 2 comments

Shifting Mindsets: How to Make Culture Change Real

One of the new roads I drive every day to and from work had been only partially finished for almost a year. There was a good-sized bump in one place. It became a habit to slow down every time I came to the bump. The road is now finished and the bump is gone, but I catch myself applying the brakes even though there is no need to do it anymore. Why does this happen?

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Analysis Paralysis: Find Time to Get the Croissant with Your Cup of Coffee

Posted by on Oct 11, 2016 in Analytics, Financial Management | 0 comments

Analysis Paralysis: Find Time to Get the Croissant with Your Cup of Coffee

You’ve just submitted the report that your supervisor wanted on projected HR costs for next quarter. As you lean back to enjoy your second cup of coffee and begin to tackle your next project, an email asking you to run the analysis based on a different set of assumptions pops up in your inbox. So much for getting a head-start on that other project. Changing one or two input items yielding different results that management can act upon is referred to as “modeling”.

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Are you a #ChangeAgent: Be the Change You Want to See

Posted by on Oct 10, 2016 in Coaching & Mentoring, Leadership, Workforce Management | 0 comments

Are you a #ChangeAgent: Be the Change You Want to See

On September 29, 2016 we sponsored an event with the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA) on the topic of “Positive #ChangeAgents Transforming Work Cultures By Delivering Results Differently and Better”.

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Open Data: Your Future, Your Now

Posted by on Sep 30, 2016 in Analytics, Grants & Assistance | 0 comments

Open Data: Your Future, Your Now

I took the opportunity to reflect on these broad topics together while I attended the Data Transparency 2016 + White House Open Data Innovation Summit.

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EEOC Executive Leadership Conference Wrap-Up

Posted by on Sep 29, 2016 in Analytics | 0 comments

EEOC Executive Leadership Conference Wrap-Up

Management Concepts facilitated a workshop on data visualization at the EEOC Executive Leadership Conference. Some key takeaways based on themes are as follows.

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Federal Spotlight: Wanda Killingsworth

Posted by on Sep 28, 2016 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

Federal Spotlight: Wanda Killingsworth

Wanda Killingsworth serves as Senior Program Analyst with the IRS, and president of Federally Employed Women (FEW).

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Defining and Refining Organizational Structure to Improve Performance

Posted by on Sep 21, 2016 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

Defining and Refining Organizational Structure to Improve Performance

At Management Concepts, we are often asked to help clients rationalize and reorganize their organizational and functional structures when they reach a level of …

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Quit Moving the Target: How to Set Clear Expectations and Not Drive Your Employees Crazy

Posted by on Sep 20, 2016 in Leadership | 0 comments

Quit Moving the Target: How to Set Clear Expectations and Not Drive Your Employees Crazy

Have you ever felt like you are chasing a moving target? My first supervisor had me feeling like that constantly. I had to commiserate with my teammates and …

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The Power of Shared Learning and Experience in the Workplace

Posted by on Sep 15, 2016 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

The Power of Shared Learning and Experience in the Workplace

I remember as a child my mother saying to me, “most often two heads are better than one.” This phrase still pops into my head when I am contemplating whom to involve in an upcoming work project or …

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3 Keys to Applying for a Federal Job

Posted by on Sep 14, 2016 in Human Resources | 1 comment

3 Keys to Applying for a Federal Job

With more than 2 million jobs, the Federal government is the largest US employer with many thousands of vacancies at any time. The average annual Federal workers …

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How Much Data Do I Need?

Posted by on Sep 9, 2016 in Analytics | 0 comments

How Much Data Do I Need?

As an analyst and evaluator, the most frequent question I am asked is, “How much data do I need for this analysis?” You need to have enough usable, representative data to answer your questions …

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Federal Spotlight: Rebecca Rose

Posted by on Sep 7, 2016 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

Federal Spotlight: Rebecca Rose

Rebecca Rose serves as the Assistant Director of Communications at the U.S. Department of Energy. Here’s our Federal Spotlight interview with Rebecca Rose …

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Federal-Wide Research Terms and Conditions

Posted by on Sep 6, 2016 in Grants & Assistance | 0 comments

Federal-Wide Research Terms and Conditions

Last October, the National Science Foundation (NSF) published proposed Research Terms and Conditions (RTCs) for Federal awards. The proposed RTCs update the …

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BIG is Committed to Excellence: Think Big!

Posted by on Sep 1, 2016 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

BIG is Committed to Excellence: Think Big!

Management Concepts was a proud gold sponsor of the Blacks in Government (BIG) 38th Annual National Training Institute (NTI) held in Atlantic City, New Jersey from…

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How Assumptions Impact Organizational Culture

Posted by on Aug 30, 2016 in Workforce Management | 2 comments

How Assumptions Impact Organizational Culture

We all make assumptions as we go about our daily life, with a good portion of them being made while at work. Many of these assumptions are made without knowing it …

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The DATA Act: Expanding Open Data and Transparency

Posted by on Aug 29, 2016 in Grants & Assistance | 0 comments

The DATA Act: Expanding Open Data and Transparency

Last week, I had the opportunity to present Management Concepts’ “Get Your DATA Act Together” webinar. The Digital Accountability and Transparency Act (DATA Act …

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Federal Spotlight Recap: OPM’s Rebecca Ayers and Your Next Career Decision

Posted by on Aug 26, 2016 in Human Resources | 0 comments

Federal Spotlight Recap: OPM’s Rebecca Ayers and Your Next Career Decision

In her Federal Spotlight interview in November, OPM’s Rebecca Ayers shared her insights on a rewarding career and building a satisfying career in the Federal …

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SES Reform Implementation Tips

Posted by on Aug 25, 2016 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

SES Reform Implementation Tips

You may recall a blog piece from a few weeks ago describing President Obama’s recent Executive Order directing the Federal government to improve the …

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Speaking the Same Generational Language

Posted by on Aug 24, 2016 in Leadership | 0 comments

Speaking the Same Generational Language

Having so many generations in the workplace can generate mixed emotions for supervisors and managers. It presents well-documented advantages but also…

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Top 5 Questions from Our DATA Act Webinar

Posted by on Aug 22, 2016 in Analytics | 0 comments

Top 5 Questions from Our DATA Act Webinar

With so many questions asked at the end of our DATA Act webinar last week, we were unable to answer them all on the spot, but here’s a follow-up on the top…

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Performance Review Season

Posted by on Aug 18, 2016 in Human Resources | 0 comments

The national conventions have wrapped up but campaign season is far from over. Everywhere you turn you are inundated with the latest breaking political news…

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Comparisons of Agile vs. Traditional Approaches

Posted by on Aug 17, 2016 in Project Management | 0 comments

Comparisons of Agile vs. Traditional Approaches

Can this discussion be condensed down to a set of graphs that illustrate the areas of “applicability” for both Agile and current best practices for project management…

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The HUD Federal Coaching Conference – Our Take

Posted by on Aug 16, 2016 in Coaching & Mentoring | 0 comments

The HUD Federal Coaching Conference – Our Take

For anyone who was still skeptical about the value of coaching in the workplace, the HUD Federal Coaching Conference unabashedly put stakes in the ground, with…

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Picture This: Data Visualization

Posted by on Aug 12, 2016 in Analytics | 0 comments

Picture This: Data Visualization

In an earlier blog post, I wrote about how an evidence-based culture supports making data-driven decisions. As I was reviewing our data visualization course this…

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OMB Circular A-123 Revision

Posted by on Aug 11, 2016 in Financial Management | 10 comments

OMB Circular A-123 Revision

The long-awaited OMB Circular A-123 Management’s Responsibility for Enterprise Risk Management and Internal Control finally was issued on July 15, 2016. We…

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NCMA World Congress 2016 Recap

Posted by on Aug 10, 2016 in Acquisition | 1 comment

NCMA World Congress 2016 Recap

Last week, I attended the National Contract Management Agency’s (NCMA) World Congress 2016. It’s the premier education event for contract management, procurement…

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Federal Spotlight: Manny Ramirez

Posted by on Aug 9, 2016 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

Federal Spotlight: Manny Ramirez

Manny Ramirez serves as the Diversity Program Manager at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service. Here’s our Federal Spotlight interview…

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DATA Act Implementation Impact

Posted by on Aug 8, 2016 in Grants & Assistance, Workforce Management | 1 comment

DATA Act Implementation Impact

If you’ve already read the two DATA Act reports issued by the GAO since late July, you already know that the government watchdog has documented its concerns…

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Building Your Own Olympic “Dream Team”

Posted by on Aug 5, 2016 in Leadership | 0 comments

Building Your Own Olympic “Dream Team”

The opening ceremony of the 2016 Summer Olympic Games takes place this evening, kicking off more than two weeks of exciting competition involving the world’s best…

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NAPA Culture Event: Changing the Culture of Government

Posted by on Aug 4, 2016 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

NAPA Culture Event: Changing the Culture of Government

On July 28th Management Concepts sponsored a breakfast event with the National Academy for Public Administration (NAPA), the theme was “Changing the Culture of…

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OMB Releases 2016 Compliance Supplement and the Revised SF-SAC Form

Posted by on Aug 3, 2016 in Grants & Assistance | 1 comment

OMB Releases 2016 Compliance Supplement and the Revised SF-SAC Form

Last week, I wrote about my daily disappointment in waiting for the release of the 2016 Compliance Supplement and the revised SF-SAC Form. Well, good news, both…

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The Key to Successful Change – Focus on Motivation

Posted by on Aug 2, 2016 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

The Key to Successful Change – Focus on Motivation

For complex organizations like Federal agencies, undergoing change can be very difficult. As the recent report by Management Concepts and Human Capital…

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Management Concepts FEW Recap

Posted by on Aug 1, 2016 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

Management Concepts FEW Recap

Management Concepts was a proud Emerald Sponsor for the second year in a row for the 47th Federally Employed Women’s (FEW) National Training Program (NTP) held in…

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Strengthening the Senior Executive Service (SES)

Posted by on Jul 29, 2016 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

Strengthening the Senior Executive Service (SES)

On December 15, 2015, President Obama issued an Executive Order designed to improve the performance and return on investment made in the Senior Executive…

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People Analytics Is Trending Up

Posted by on Jul 28, 2016 in Analytics | 0 comments

People Analytics Is Trending Up

This summer, I have been watching a lot of baseball. The sport has always captured my attention because it is highly strategic game. Baseball managers are faced…

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Five Reasons Your Organization Needs to Invest in Training

Posted by on Jul 27, 2016 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

Five Reasons Your Organization Needs to Invest in Training

An organization’s workforce is its most valuable asset. It’s also the driving factor that shapes how an organization succeeds in the face of challenges or crises…

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Anticipation Builds for OMB Audit Guidance

Posted by on Jul 26, 2016 in Grants & Assistance | 0 comments

Anticipation Builds for OMB Audit Guidance

For the last few weeks, the first thing I do after making my first cup of coffee is to frantically check the Federal Register. I open my browser, click on the…

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Technology Modernization: A Good Test for Real Culture Change

Posted by on Jul 21, 2016 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

Technology Modernization: A Good Test for Real Culture Change

Change in government doesn’t always happen at the fastest pace, especially when technology is involved. Each year millions of dollars are taken away from needed…

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Sustainability – Looking Beyond Federal Funding

Posted by on Jul 18, 2016 in Grants & Assistance | 0 comments

Sustainability – Looking Beyond Federal Funding

Last week, I had a generational difference moment during the week’s Grant Chat – using virtual reality as a method of communicating and demonstrating grant…

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IT’S CRUNCH TIME! Fiscal Year-End Spending

Posted by on Jul 15, 2016 in Financial Management, Workforce Management | 0 comments

IT’S CRUNCH TIME! Fiscal Year-End Spending

The end of the fiscal year is rapidly approaching…and you know what that means…Yep! We’ve got a lot of things to get obligated – things we need but either haven’t…

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Embedded Change Management contributes to Organizational Resiliency

Posted by on Jul 13, 2016 in Workforce Management | 2 comments

Embedded Change Management contributes to Organizational Resiliency

The Oxford Dictionary defines resilient as “able to withstand or recover quickly from difficult conditions.” Recognizable behaviors that make a person resilient…

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Strengths and Weaknesses of Agile

Posted by on Jul 11, 2016 in Project Management | 0 comments

Strengths and Weaknesses of Agile

Agile style methodologies seem to have had some success in environments with common conditions: Software deliverables, Small team sizes (5-9 is usual size…

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The Presidential Transition as a Change Driver

Posted by on Jul 8, 2016 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

The Presidential Transition as a Change Driver

In 196 days the next President of the United States will be inaugurated, marking a major milestone in what is one of the most significant and predictable cycles of…

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Why Don’t We Make More Data-Driven Decisions?

Posted by on Jul 7, 2016 in Analytics | 0 comments

Why Don’t We Make More Data-Driven Decisions?

As of this writing, Data.gov hosts 184,055 datasets. We have petabytes upon petabytes of data, yet struggle to find the best answers for common problems like employee…

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Federal Spotlight: Honorable Davita Vance-Cooks

Posted by on Jul 6, 2016 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

Federal Spotlight: Honorable Davita Vance-Cooks

Davita Vance-Cooks serves as the Director of the Government Publishing Office (GPO) and the 27th Public Printer of the United States. Here’s our Federal Spotlight…

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Technology, Risk and Change Management

Posted by on Jul 1, 2016 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

Technology, Risk and Change Management

Sometimes it feels like technology can solve all of our organization’s problems. Organizations of all sizes regularly make major technology investments in an…

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NCMA World Congress 2016 – Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces

Posted by on Jun 30, 2016 in Acquisition | 0 comments

NCMA World Congress 2016 – Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces

After attending my first ever NCMA conference last year – the Government Contract Management Symposium (GCMS) – I made it my mission to secure a spot as a breakout…

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Juno to Jupiter: Navigating the Creative Space

Posted by on Jun 29, 2016 in Leadership | 0 comments

Juno to Jupiter: Navigating the Creative Space

In this fast paced environment creative thinking and innovation are vital to individual, team, and organizational success. Through information overload, expectations…

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Fourth Quarter Preview: What is the SBA up to?

Posted by on Jun 24, 2016 in Acquisition | 0 comments

Fourth Quarter Preview: What is the SBA up to?

As we approach the fourth quarter of the fiscal year, we are coming upon the time of the year when the most simplified acquisitions and awards to small business…

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Generational Shifts: A Change Lever to Align Culture

Posted by on Jun 23, 2016 in Workforce Management | 1 comment

Generational Shifts: A Change Lever to Align Culture

For as long as organizations have existed there has been a need for people from different age groups to be part of the workforce, with some entering, some advancing…

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Planning is Critical in Successful Organizational Change

Posted by on Jun 17, 2016 in Workforce Management | 2 comments

Planning is Critical in Successful Organizational Change

One of the contributing factors to project and program failures within public organizations is the lack of organizational change management planning. This is…

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Grants.gov: Applying for Grants Made Easier

Posted by on Jun 15, 2016 in Grants & Assistance | 3 comments

Grants.gov: Applying for Grants Made Easier

As most grants applicants have experienced, applying for a grant is a team effort. Individuals may be tasked with separate responsibilities, such as developing…

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ACQUIRE Conference Recap

Posted by on Jun 14, 2016 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

ACQUIRE Conference Recap

The first ever ACQUIRE Conference and Expo started with an excellent presentation by Joshua Cooper Ramo on his book The Seventh Sense: Power, Fortune and Survival…

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Culture: What’s Your Story?

Posted by on Jun 13, 2016 in Workforce Management | 2 comments

Culture: What’s Your Story?

Every organization creates stories. Whether intended or not, these stories reflect who you are. These stories tell the tale of your organizational culture and what others…

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Value of Peer Coaching

Posted by on Jun 10, 2016 in Coaching & Mentoring | 0 comments

Value of Peer Coaching

Perhaps you have heard of the practice of coaching, where individuals receive coaching from external professional coaches, internal coaches, or managers…

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Succession Planning as a Change Management Strategy

Posted by on Jun 8, 2016 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

Succession Planning as a Change Management Strategy

Succession planning is becoming a valuable strategy for organizations to undertake when looking to minimize the impact of changes on its workforce. Although…

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Federal Spotlight: Karen Rainey

Posted by on Jun 7, 2016 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

Federal Spotlight: Karen Rainey

Karen Rainey serves as an Information Technology Specialist at the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Here’s our Federal Spotlight interview with Karen Rainey…

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FLSA Update: Overtime Pay

Posted by on Jun 6, 2016 in Human Resources | 0 comments

FLSA Update: Overtime Pay

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) governs minimum wage and overtime pay for full and part-time employees in the public and private sector. On May 17, 2016…

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Breaking Down Big Data

Posted by on Jun 3, 2016 in Analytics | 0 comments

Breaking Down Big Data

The term “Big Data” is thrown around a lot in the IT and data analytics communities. Managing the size and complexity of available data has become a primary challenge…

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Agile: Bits vs. Atoms?

Posted by on Jun 2, 2016 in Project Management | 0 comments

Agile: Bits vs. Atoms?

Building on the frustrations now evident at the basis for the Agile Manifesto’s creation, where did the current project management best practices seem to go “off-rails…

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What the Federal Government and Toyota Have in Common

Posted by on Jun 1, 2016 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

What the Federal Government and Toyota Have in Common

Budget crunches, recruitment challenges, and knowledge loss as experienced employees retire—these together can sound like a recipe for disaster, yet history shows…

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DATA Act – Federal Countdown to May 2017

Posted by on May 31, 2016 in Analytics, Workforce Management | 0 comments

DATA Act – Federal Countdown to May 2017

Last week my colleague Kim Coehlo brought us up-to-date on the data standards updated by Treasury last week. This hopefully will allow movement on DATA Act…

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Democratization of Coaching

Posted by on May 27, 2016 in Coaching & Mentoring | 0 comments

Democratization of Coaching

You name it, it’s being called for. Bringing to the masses what has previously been available to only a few. From leader development, to information and data, to…

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Flipping the Engagement Curve

Posted by on May 24, 2016 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

Flipping the Engagement Curve

There is an old saying that “what goes up must come down,” and when it comes to employee engagement in government organizations, the idiom is accurate…

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Do You Have What You Need for Succession Planning?

Posted by on May 23, 2016 in Human Resources | 0 comments

Do You Have What You Need for Succession Planning?

31 percent of Federal employees will be eligible to retire by 2017. Succession planning is complex, though, and retirement is only part of the picture…

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How Does Critical Thinking Inform Our Problem Solving?

Posted by on May 20, 2016 in Leadership | 0 comments

How Does Critical Thinking Inform Our Problem Solving?

In an increasingly complex world, the ability to think rationally and solve problems effectively is even more critical. In the modern workplace, we need to…

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Federal Agencies: Still Do More with Less

Posted by on May 19, 2016 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

Federal Agencies: Still Do More with Less

Just last week I was doing some research for a project I’m working on when I came across this lead quote from a story in the Washington Post about the challenges…

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DATA Act Standards Released: What’s the Impact?

Posted by on May 17, 2016 in Analytics | 0 comments

DATA Act Standards Released: What’s the Impact?

At the end of April, the Treasury Department released the fourth and final iteration of the data management standards called for by the DATA Act. These standards…

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Can Agile and Traditional (Predictive) Software Development Co-Exist?

Posted by on May 13, 2016 in Project Management | 0 comments

Can Agile and Traditional (Predictive) Software Development Co-Exist?

Beginning with this post, we will be posing a series of discussions on this question: Is Agile (Agile/Scrum) able to either peacefully co-exist with traditional…

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Federal Grants in 2016 – Pulse Check

Posted by on May 11, 2016 in Grants & Assistance | 0 comments

Federal Grants in 2016 – Pulse Check

We’ve reached that point in the year when we start thinking about next year’s Federal Grants Update course. This process starts with reviewing our FGU 2016…

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Changing Government Event with NAPA and Federal Change Agents

Posted by on May 10, 2016 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

Changing Government Event with NAPA and Federal Change Agents

You may have seen or heard some of the buzz about our recent event on “Changing Government.” We celebrated Public Service Recognition Week by bringing together…

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AMA: Mentoring

Posted by on May 6, 2016 in Coaching & Mentoring, Workforce Management | 0 comments

AMA: Mentoring

Whether you’re a millennial, baby boomer, someone who wants a mentor, or thinking about mentoring yourself, this information can be useful throughout your career…

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Millennials in the Public Sector: We Want You!

Posted by on May 5, 2016 in Leadership, Workforce Management | 0 comments

Millennials in the Public Sector: We Want You!

If you Google “millennials and public service,” the search results paint an interesting picture. You will see clear references to a widening millennial talent…

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Federal Spotlight: Michelle A. Crockett

Posted by on May 4, 2016 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

Federal Spotlight: Michelle A. Crockett

Michelle A. Crockett, serves as the Acting Director of the Civil Rights Office at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Here’s our Federal Spotlight…

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Report: Successful Change Management Practices in the Public Sector

Posted by on May 3, 2016 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

Report: Successful Change Management Practices in the Public Sector

The quest to improve management of change in public sector agencies is by no means a new one. In 2006, Frank Ostroff, writing in the Harvard Business Review…

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Public Service Recognition Week 2016

Posted by on May 2, 2016 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

Public Service Recognition Week 2016

Thank you for your daily contribution to deliver on the promises of government. Without the dedication and commitment of the men and women who serve…

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TOC Recap: Sea Change – Ocean of Opportunities

Posted by on Apr 28, 2016 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

TOC Recap: Sea Change – Ocean of Opportunities

The Training Officers Consortium (TOC) 2016 Annual Institute was held in Ocean City, MD from April 17-20, 2016 And Management Concepts was honored to be a gold…

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Improper Payment Reduction: Slow, but Steady

Posted by on Apr 27, 2016 in Financial Management | 0 comments

Improper Payment Reduction: Slow, but Steady

What’s Improper? Well, for one thing: improper payments by the Federal government. One definition of improper is: “Not in accordance with rules and standards.”…

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Government’s Mistakes in Payments: Does It Lose the Right to Restitution?

Posted by on Apr 21, 2016 in Financial Management | 0 comments

Government’s Mistakes in Payments: Does It Lose the Right to Restitution?

The fiscal rules governing the use of Federal funds are complicated. As a result, mistakes happen. Errors often include making overpayments to Federal employees…

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Five Things to Know about SBA’s Proposed Governmentwide Mentor-Protégé Program

Posted by on Apr 20, 2016 in Acquisition | 0 comments

Five Things to Know about SBA’s Proposed Governmentwide Mentor-Protégé Program

In case you haven’t heard, the Small Business Administration (SBA) plans to make a sweeping change to the Mentor-Protégé Program. Stemming from the Small Business Jobs…

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Hiring Excellence: Using Four Hiring Authorities to Attract Top Talent

Posted by on Apr 19, 2016 in Human Resources | 0 comments

Hiring Excellence: Using Four Hiring Authorities to Attract Top Talent

Finding and taking a prospective applicant through an organization’s hiring process is no easy task. So, in what ways can human resource professionals and managers…

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Grant and Cooperative Agreement Selection Reviews Matter

Posted by on Apr 18, 2016 in Grants & Assistance | 2 comments

Grant and Cooperative Agreement Selection Reviews Matter

One of our main themes in our Federal Grants Update 2016 is risk mitigation. One of set of standard procedures every Federal grant and cooperative agreement manager…

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Talent Analytics: 2016 Hot Spots

Posted by on Apr 15, 2016 in Human Resources | 1 comment

Talent Analytics: 2016 Hot Spots

While each HR or human capital department must focus on the needs of their specific agency, in 2016 several factors point to the need for quality data analytics in HR…

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What Changes are Ahead with the new PMBOK® Guide 6th Edition?

Posted by on Apr 13, 2016 in Project Management | 11 comments

What Changes are Ahead with the new PMBOK® Guide 6th Edition?

It’s that time again for PMI® to update the PMBOK® Guide and release the next edition. You may or may not be aware, but since the PMBOK® Guide is recognized as…

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Myth or Reality? I Don’t Need Data Analytics for My Job

Posted by on Apr 12, 2016 in Analytics | 2 comments

Myth or Reality? I Don’t Need Data Analytics for My Job

Data is exploding, especially in the Federal sector. Yet, the increase in data analytics has come with an increase in specialized data analyst roles. So, is it a…

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#NGMA16 Wrap Up

Posted by on Apr 11, 2016 in Grants & Assistance | 0 comments

#NGMA16 Wrap Up

Pshew! I hope all of this year’s National Grants Management Association (NGMA) Annual Training Conference attendees have recovered. I know that many of us were in…

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Roles Young Professionals Play in Recruiting Diversity, Leading Cultural Transformation

Posted by on Apr 8, 2016 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

Roles Young Professionals Play in Recruiting Diversity, Leading Cultural Transformation

Last month Management Concepts, Young Government Leaders, and Blacks In Government (BIG) NOW Generation partnered to host a panel focused on the impact…

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International Leadership Lessons from Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau

Posted by on Apr 6, 2016 in Leadership | 0 comments

International Leadership Lessons from Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau

The newly elected Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau is bringing Canadian politics to the spotlight. The news is flooded with images of this young, charismatic, athletic…

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Federal Spotlight: Elaine Ho

Posted by on Apr 5, 2016 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

Federal Spotlight: Elaine Ho

Elaine Ho serves as a Fellow in the White House Leadership Development Program. Here’s our Federal Spotlight interview with Elaine Ho. MC: How long have you been in Federal service…

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ACT-IAC Acquisition Excellence 2016 Recap – The Breakout Session Edition

Posted by on Mar 31, 2016 in Acquisition | 0 comments

ACT-IAC Acquisition Excellence 2016 Recap – The Breakout Session Edition

Earlier this week my colleague, Vi Zenone, discussed some of the outstanding things that occurred during ACT-IAC’s Acquisition Excellence 2016 event last week…

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Highlights from ACT-IAC’s 2016 Acquisition Excellence Conference

Posted by on Mar 28, 2016 in Acquisition | 0 comments

Highlights from ACT-IAC’s 2016 Acquisition Excellence Conference

When was the last time you attended a conference and the whole room burst into song? OK, don’t answer that out loud. Typically, for an event where public and private…

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Understanding the Federal Budget Process for Grants

Posted by on Mar 25, 2016 in Grants & Assistance | 0 comments

Understanding the Federal Budget Process for Grants

The Federal budget process can be a difficult concept to comprehend. I am in the (extreme) minority when I say that I find the budget process fascinating. For four…

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ASMC NCR PDI: The Biggest One Yet

Posted by on Mar 24, 2016 in Financial Management | 0 comments

ASMC NCR PDI: The Biggest One Yet

More than 1,500 financial management professionals filled the Atrium of the Ronald Reagan Building on March 10 for the ASMC NCR PDI Conference…

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NGMA 2016 – Agenda Reflects Grants Community Challenges, Concerns

Posted by on Mar 23, 2016 in Grants & Assistance | 0 comments

NGMA 2016 – Agenda Reflects Grants Community Challenges, Concerns

When NGMA released its final conference agenda last week, my gut reaction was, “Yep. These topics are spot on. This is where many of my colleagues in the Federal…

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Understanding Data for Better Analysis

Posted by on Mar 21, 2016 in Analytics | 0 comments

Understanding Data for Better Analysis

Data analytics has exploded: We have more data at our fingertips than ever before. And we can do more with data than ever before. Demonstrating data leadership…

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Leadership Presence: Harnessing Our Personal Power

Posted by on Mar 16, 2016 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

Leadership Presence: Harnessing Our Personal Power

Notice your body posture right now as you’re reading this blog. Are you hunched over at your computer, shoulders turned in, head lowered close to the screen? Are…

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IGPW: Grant Professionals – Leading at All Levels

Posted by on Mar 15, 2016 in Grants & Assistance | 0 comments

IGPW: Grant Professionals – Leading at All Levels

Management Concepts is proud to sponsor once again this year’s International Grant Professionals Week (IGPW). We’d like to take a moment to recognize the impact of…

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Finding the Right Solution for Your Learning Need

Posted by on Mar 14, 2016 in Leadership | 0 comments

Finding the Right Solution for Your Learning Need

What is the best way to improve a skill or competency? Take a training class, right? It sounds easy. Sign up for a class, learn from a facilitator, meet some new people…

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What Would It Take for HR to Be a Role Model for Culture Alignment in Your Agency?

Posted by on Mar 11, 2016 in Human Resources | 0 comments

What Would It Take for HR to Be a Role Model for Culture Alignment in Your Agency?

Undoubtedly, you have heard the expression “HR is a critical strategic partner to the success of a Federal organization.” Yet, in reality, you find many HR policies…

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Is It Coaching or Mentoring?

Posted by on Mar 10, 2016 in Coaching & Mentoring | 0 comments

Is It Coaching or Mentoring?

Have you ever found yourself listening to someone tell you all about how to avoid the pitfalls they experienced in their career, and to heed their advice, when what…

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Federal Spotlight: Mary Davie

Posted by on Mar 8, 2016 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

Federal Spotlight: Mary Davie

Mary Davie serves as Assistant Commissioner, Office of Integrated Technology Services (ITS) at the General Services Administration (GSA). She was recently named a…

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Visualization and Metrics: Using Data to Build High-Performing Organizations

Posted by on Mar 4, 2016 in Analytics | 0 comments

Visualization and Metrics: Using Data to Build High-Performing Organizations

I recently attended the Government Analytics Breakfast forum hosted by Johns Hopkins University where HHS’s Chief Data Officer Dr. Caryl Brzymialkiewicz discussed…

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AGA NLT: The Training Event for Federal Financial Management Leaders

Posted by on Mar 3, 2016 in Financial Management | 0 comments

AGA NLT: The Training Event for Federal Financial Management Leaders

AGA hosted another stellar event at the Ronald Reagan Building & International Trade Center last week. The AGA NLT – National Leadership Training bought hundreds…

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Internet of Things – Web of Policies

Posted by on Mar 2, 2016 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

Internet of Things – Web of Policies

I’m lucky. I’m embarking on the quintessential project management example of life: the house remodel. The options of what I could have connected to Wi-Fi blows…

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Want a Smarter Workplace? Focus on Diversity

Posted by on Feb 26, 2016 in Culture, Leadership, Workforce Management | 0 comments

Want a Smarter Workplace? Focus on Diversity

Diversity efforts are often perceived as solely focusing on compliance with Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) laws or enforcing political correctness. Yet in…

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Developing and Evaluating Performance Measures

Posted by on Feb 22, 2016 in Grants & Assistance | 2 comments

Developing and Evaluating Performance Measures

The implementation of 2 CFR 200 has required Federal awarding agencies and pass-through entities to revise and revaluate processes for grants administration. Perhaps…

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Providing Difficult Peer Feedback

Posted by on Feb 19, 2016 in Coaching & Mentoring | 0 comments

Providing Difficult Peer Feedback

As organizations move towards cultures of coaching and real-time feedback, the ability of peer groups to provide meaningful performance feedback will need to grow…

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Where Does Quality Come From?

Posted by on Feb 18, 2016 in Financial Management | 0 comments

Where Does Quality Come From?

In the workaday world of government, we don’t spend a lot of time focusing on quality. Why don’t we? First of all, most government employees feel like they have…

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Unofficial Rules of Change

Posted by on Feb 17, 2016 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

Unofficial Rules of Change

If you’ve ever been stuck waiting in the lobby of a dentist office or standing in line at the market, then you’ve no doubt had a chance to flip through pages of pop…

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A New Prescription to Cure What Ails Federal Program Management?

Posted by on Feb 16, 2016 in Project Management | 0 comments

A New Prescription to Cure What Ails Federal Program Management?

In December of 2008 the now defunct Council for Excellence in Government, presented a report entitled “Delivering Program Results: Improving Government…

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Part Two: FPSW Labor Violations and Takeaways for Contracting Officers

Posted by on Feb 12, 2016 in Acquisition | 0 comments

Part Two: FPSW Labor Violations and Takeaways for Contracting Officers

Earlier this week I provided background on President Obama’s Executive Order on Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces (E.O. 13673) and discussed its impact on the Federal…

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Why Organizational Improvement Programs Don’t Work

Posted by on Feb 11, 2016 in Leadership, Workforce Management | 0 comments

Why Organizational Improvement Programs Don’t Work

Organizations are continually looking for ways to be more effective. Organizational improvement programs go by many different names—workforce improvement, productivity…

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Federal Spotlight: Darryl E. Peek II

Posted by on Feb 10, 2016 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

Federal Spotlight: Darryl E. Peek II

Darryl E. Peek II serves as a Senior IT Specialist in Department of Homeland Security (DHS), National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD), Office of…

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Part One: Understanding Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces (FPSW) for Contracting Officers

Posted by on Feb 9, 2016 in Acquisition | 0 comments

Part One: Understanding Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces (FPSW) for Contracting Officers

Released on July 31, 2014, President Obama’s Executive Order on Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces (I call it FPSW – pronounced: fip-swuh) (E.O. 13673) has caused quite…

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How Does the Strength of Culture Make a Difference?

Posted by on Feb 8, 2016 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

How Does the Strength of Culture Make a Difference?

A recent Nextgov blog highlighted that while some specific areas of satisfaction actually increased, the American Customer Satisfaction Index shows a continuing…

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Color Inside the Lines: It Helps Your Brain

Posted by on Feb 5, 2016 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

Color Inside the Lines: It Helps Your Brain

Coloring books saved my life last week. Okay, that is a slight exaggeration but next time you are browsing on Amazon, do yourself a favor add one to your cart…

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Change of Administration: Leadership Transitional Year

Posted by on Feb 4, 2016 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

Change of Administration: Leadership Transitional Year

With the presidential election and change of administration happening in less than a year, there will be a huge focus on political and career leadership transitions within…

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President Obama Signs the GONE Act

Posted by on Feb 3, 2016 in Grants & Assistance | 0 comments

President Obama Signs the GONE Act

On January 28, 2016, President Barack Obama signed the Grants Oversight and New Efficiency Act (GONE Act) into law. Congress designed the GONE Act to hold Federal…

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How to Recruit and Retain the Best Talent with the 3Rs

Posted by on Jan 29, 2016 in Human Resources | 0 comments

How to Recruit and Retain the Best Talent with the 3Rs

For Federal HR professionals and managers planning their staffing, there is good news to help you ensure that highly-qualified employees fill key government positions…

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Breaking Up Is Hard to Do

Posted by on Jan 28, 2016 in Coaching & Mentoring | 0 comments

Breaking Up Is Hard to Do

We all know the value of productive mentoring relationships for career growth and development. But, like any relationship, the relationship between mentor and protégé…

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Can the Government Violate Existing Policy to Save Money?

Posted by on Jan 27, 2016 in Financial Management | 0 comments

Can the Government Violate Existing Policy to Save Money?

While the Consolidated Appropriations Act passed in December raised agency spending limits, the increase was modest. As a result, Federal budgets remain tight…

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Performance Measurement in the Pre-Award Phase

Posted by on Jan 26, 2016 in Grants & Assistance | 0 comments

Performance Measurement in the Pre-Award Phase

In the last year, the grants community has had to adapt many new practices and processes to implement the requirements found in 2 CFR 200 (Uniform Guidance)…

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Employee Wellness

Posted by on Jan 25, 2016 in Leadership, Workforce Management | 0 comments

Employee Wellness

Last week I lost my house key. And then a replacement house key. And then my wallet. Yesterday I dashed out to do an errand and upon returning to my car realized I had…

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Acquisition and Appropriations Law – Making the Connections

Posted by on Jan 20, 2016 in Acquisition, Financial Management | 0 comments

Acquisition and Appropriations Law – Making the Connections

There are many intersections between the two disciplines of Acquisition and Appropriations Law. Federal Acquisition managers more and more must have a fundamental…

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Federal Grants Update 2016 – Learning from Experience

Posted by on Jan 15, 2016 in Grants & Assistance | 6 comments

Federal Grants Update 2016 – Learning from Experience

Because 3,500+ of you completed Federal Grants Update in 2014 and 2015, we realized that we had the opportunity to go a bit deeper into the key issues surrounding…

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The FY16 NDAA Acquisition Provisions

Posted by on Jan 14, 2016 in Acquisition | 0 comments

The FY16 NDAA Acquisition Provisions

Last year, as we all brined our turkeys and prepared for the annual harvest feast, President Obama signed S.1356, the National Defense Authorization Act…

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A Quick Refresher on Giving Feedback

Posted by on Jan 12, 2016 in Leadership | 0 comments

A Quick Refresher on Giving Feedback

As a supervisor during the recent review cycle, were you uncomfortable addressing your employees’ poor performance? Did you cringe when you needed to have a conversation…

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Can Federal Agencies Get Ready for HR Tech?

Posted by on Jan 11, 2016 in Human Resources | 0 comments

Can Federal Agencies Get Ready for HR Tech?

The beginning of the New Year is a chance to kick off fresh initiatives that benefit the Federal HR workforce. Emerging HR technologies are focused on supporting…

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What to Expect in 2016?

Posted by on Jan 7, 2016 in Grants & Assistance | 2 comments

What to Expect in 2016?

Last month, one of my blog posts examined some of the significant developments for grants administration in 2015. Last year was, to put it mildly, a very busy year…

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Making Waves: Observing Yourself and Employee Performance in 2016

Posted by on Jan 6, 2016 in Coaching & Mentoring | 0 comments

Making Waves: Observing Yourself and Employee  Performance in 2016

January is a popular time to reflect on personal and professional change. Creating New Year’s resolutions is a powerful way to implement meaningful change. As a…

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Federal Spotlight: Kevin Baker

Posted by on Jan 5, 2016 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

Federal Spotlight: Kevin Baker

Kevin Baker serves as the Associate Chief Information Officer (CIO) for Enterprise Planning and Performance at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Here’s our…

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Resolve to Make 2016 a Great Grants Year

Posted by on Jan 4, 2016 in Grants & Assistance | 0 comments

Resolve to Make 2016 a Great Grants Year

Happy first workday to the 2016 grants community! If you’re like me, I have given up on making New Year’s resolutions at home. I like chocolate, wine, and enjoying…

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NCMA GCMS 2015 Recap: Breakout Session Edition

Posted by on Dec 23, 2015 in Acquisition | 0 comments

NCMA GCMS 2015 Recap: Breakout Session Edition

Last week, I was fortunate enough to attend the National Contract Management Agency (NCMA) Government Contract Management Symposium (GCMS) for the first time…

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Linking SES Performance and Organizational Performance

Posted by on Dec 22, 2015 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

Linking SES Performance and Organizational Performance

Last week the White House published an executive order aimed at strengthening the senior executive service. The Obama administration has made a priority of…

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Data Analytics in the Workplace

Posted by on Dec 21, 2015 in Analytics | 0 comments

Data Analytics in the Workplace

Did you know that the United State Postal Service (USPS) photographs and documents every single piece of mail it processes? In 2012, this accumulated to 160…

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A Year in Review for the Grants Community

Posted by on Dec 18, 2015 in Grants & Assistance | 0 comments

A Year in Review for the Grants Community

December 19 marks the one year anniversary of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) releasing the interim final rule for the Uniform Guidance. In the last year…

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Gov-Scared!

Posted by on Dec 17, 2015 in Acquisition | 0 comments

Gov-Scared!

Phaedra Chrousos, Associate Administrator of Citizen Services and Innovative Technologies at GSA captured the attention of an audience of about 900 people on Tuesday…

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Strengthen Your Nontraditional HR Skills

Posted by on Dec 16, 2015 in Human Resources | 0 comments

Strengthen Your Nontraditional HR Skills

HR is changing, and organizations are discovering new needs, new functions, and new responsibilities in this field—not that anyone rightly thought it was a field…

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HCMG Recap: Are You Accountable, Adaptable, and Resilient?

Posted by on Dec 15, 2015 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

HCMG Recap: Are You Accountable, Adaptable, and Resilient?

Management Concepts was one of the three lead sponsors of The Human Capital Management for Government (HCMG) Training Series event, “The Next Generation of Federal & Defense Human Capital” held…

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The Art of Coach Matching

Posted by on Dec 14, 2015 in Coaching & Mentoring | 0 comments

The Art of Coach Matching

A strong coaching relationship is based on just that…relationship. While some of the factors that we’d think to be important are meaningful matching criteria, some considerations carry more…

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Fraud and the Role of Internal Controls

Posted by on Dec 11, 2015 in Financial Management | 1 comment

Fraud and the Role of Internal Controls

Fraud is defined as “perversion of truth” or “false representation of fact” where the government is a victim. Obviously the fraudster hopes to gain at the expense…

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Working as an Acquisition Team

Posted by on Dec 10, 2015 in Acquisition | 0 comments

Working as an Acquisition Team

Under the Guiding Principles in the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), FAR 1.102-3 – Acquisition Team states that identifying the members of the acquisition team…

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Choosing the Right Consultant for the Right Results

Posted by on Dec 9, 2015 in Workforce Management | 1 comment

Choosing the Right Consultant for the Right Results

Every now and then, I encounter professionals that appear to have a love/hate relationship with contractors and/or consultants working with organizations in…

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Millennials: Are We Really Any Different?

Posted by on Dec 8, 2015 in Workforce Management | 3 comments

Millennials: Are We Really Any Different?

I’m a Millennial. There, I admitted it…but just barely. As most determine this generation to be born roughly after 1980 and brought up in the new millennium, I was…

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Federal Spotlight: Isaac E. Hernandez

Posted by on Dec 7, 2015 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

Federal Spotlight: Isaac E. Hernandez

Isaac Hernandez serves as Director of IT operations at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Here’s our Federal Spotlight interview with Isaac E. Hernandez…

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Getting to the Root of Federal Employee Engagement

Posted by on Dec 3, 2015 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

Getting to the Root of Federal Employee Engagement

Each year when the Office of Personnel Management releases the results of the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS) agencies across the Federal government get…

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The Learning Organization: Insights from NASA

Posted by on Dec 2, 2015 in Project Management | 0 comments

The Learning Organization: Insights from NASA

In my last blog I discussed the findings from a study the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA), in conjunction with the Project Management…

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Inclusive Workplaces Care for Caregivers

Posted by on Dec 1, 2015 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

Inclusive Workplaces Care for Caregivers

A recent flash poll conducted by the Government Business Council found that 51% of Federal employees surveyed have been, are currently, or plan to be a caregiver…

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Pentagon’s Personnel Focus: Analytics

Posted by on Nov 30, 2015 in Analytics | 1 comment

Pentagon’s Personnel Focus: Analytics

There is a growing interest in people analytics in both the public and private sectors. I applaud Defense Secretary Carter’s decision to create an Office of People Analytics…

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Show Me the Data?

Posted by on Nov 24, 2015 in Grants & Assistance | 0 comments

Show Me the Data?

If there is one theme I have tattooed in my brain as a result of all the conferences I’ve attended this quarter, including the Grant Professionals Association (GPA) National…

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Scientific Team Collaboration

Posted by on Nov 23, 2015 in Leadership | 2 comments

Scientific Team Collaboration

Early in my career, I realized that succeeding as a researcher involved more than technical skills. As a new assistant professor who was focused on research and teaching…

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Federal Spotlight: Rebecca Ayers

Posted by on Nov 19, 2015 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

Federal Spotlight: Rebecca Ayers

Rebecca Ayers serves as the Manager for Performance Management Solutions at the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). Here’s our interview with Rebecca Ayers…

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Congress Approves Two-Year Budget Framework

Posted by on Nov 13, 2015 in Grants & Assistance | 1 comment

Congress Approves Two-Year Budget Framework

Last month, President Obama and Congress agreed to a two-year budget. The budget increases Federal discretionary spending by $80 billion over the two year period…

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Contracting Light Bulb

Posted by on Nov 12, 2015 in Acquisition | 0 comments

Contracting Light Bulb

Our acquisition community takes a lot of hits for failures in the information technology arena. We all know there are many more reasons for those failures than the…

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FEVS: Finding Your “One Thing”

Posted by on Nov 10, 2015 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

If you are like me and were a teenager in the early 1990’s there’s a good chance that you are also a fan of the movie City Slickers with Billy Crystal and the late…

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Federal Spotlight: Tony Scardino

Posted by on Nov 5, 2015 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

Federal Spotlight: Tony Scardino

Tony Scardino serves as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Here’s our Federal Spotlight interview with Tony Scardino…

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Meet me in St. Louis #GPAConf2015

Posted by on Nov 3, 2015 in Grants & Assistance | 0 comments

Meet me in St. Louis #GPAConf2015

It’s hard for me to believe that I’m getting on a plane next Wednesday morning for St. Louis for the Grant Professionals Association (GPA) 17th Annual Conference…

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COR Competencies: The Art of Working Smarter, Not Harder for the Contracting Officer’s Representative

Posted by on Oct 30, 2015 in Acquisition | 4 comments

COR Competencies: The Art of Working Smarter, Not Harder for the Contracting Officer’s Representative

As a COR, you are the treasured resource on the acquisition team. For that reason, it is important that you are always improving your skills.

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Building an Emotionally Intelligent Team

Posted by on Oct 26, 2015 in Leadership, Workforce Management | 1 comment

Building an Emotionally Intelligent Team

Why is emotional intelligence so important for teams? Quite frankly, organizations need teams to get the work done. Historically, the most consistent and effective…

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2 CFR 200: A Living Document

Posted by on Oct 23, 2015 in Grants & Assistance | 3 comments

It has almost been a year since 2 CFR 200 – Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (Uniform Guidance)…

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We Asked the CHCO

Posted by on Oct 22, 2015 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

We Asked the CHCO

For the past six months, Management Concepts sponsored the “Ask the CHCO” radio interview series, hosted by Lauren Larson of Federal News Radio. Every Wednesday…

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Coaching’s Impact on Training

Posted by on Oct 19, 2015 in Coaching & Mentoring | 0 comments

Coaching’s Impact on Training

How many times have you left a training program excited to implement newfound skills and ideas, only to get caught up in old habits and fast paced office life, leaving…

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The “ABC’s” of Economy Act Intergovernmental Transactions

Posted by on Oct 16, 2015 in Financial Management | 0 comments

Intragovernmental Transactions (reimbursable transactions) abound in the Federal government today. But what is the primary law that allows one agency to do work…

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Paying for Non-Federal Travel

Posted by on Oct 13, 2015 in Financial Management | 0 comments

Paying for Non-Federal Travel

Can appropriated funds ever be used to pay travel expenses for a non-Federal person? Don lives and works in Houston for NASA. He was recently notified that he will…

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Check Your Stakeholders’ 2 CFR 200 Knowledge

Posted by on Oct 9, 2015 in Grants & Assistance | 4 comments

Check Your Stakeholders’ 2 CFR 200 Knowledge

This is a bit of a mea culpa. At the end of the summer, I checked in with you on your Uniform Guidance implementation. One thing I asked you to do is, “Don’t assume…

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Federal Spotlight: Gary Washington

Posted by on Oct 8, 2015 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

Federal Spotlight: Gary Washington

Gary Washington serves as the Chief Information Officer (CIO) for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). Here’s…

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Managing Requirements: Verification vs. Validation

Posted by on Oct 2, 2015 in Project Management | 0 comments

A common source of project failure over the past two decades has continued to be the management or mismanagement of project requirements. We are not going to discuss…

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Ask the CHCO: SBA’s Bridget Bean

Posted by on Sep 30, 2015 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

Ask the CHCO: SBA’s Bridget Bean

When you hear the term “Main Street” it characteristically conjures up the image of a retail hub in a small town where residents shop and socialize about the day’s…

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Grants at Home

Posted by on Sep 29, 2015 in Grants & Assistance | 0 comments

Grants at Home

My Sunday morning ritual includes a walk with my son to our neighborhood farmers market. It’s a mix of the donut truck, county council candidates, and farmers and…

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Management Concepts: The Next Evolution

Posted by on Sep 28, 2015 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

Management Concepts: The Next Evolution

Here are just a few of today’s challenges and priorities the Federal government is wrestling with as it strives to evolve its workforce: Knowledge sharing, Targeting…

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To Shutdown or Not

Posted by on Sep 23, 2015 in Financial Management, Workforce Management | 0 comments

To Shutdown or Not

It’s seven days until a partial shutdown of the U.S. government could occur. If Congress does not pass a Continuing Resolution (CR) or 12 appropriation bills, or…

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Wrap it Up – Grant Closeouts

Posted by on Sep 21, 2015 in Grants & Assistance | 0 comments

Wrap it Up – Grant Closeouts

Today I had the opportunity to preview some of the initial work for our upcoming FAPIIS webinar. It’s exciting to work on something new and informative. Then my…

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Three Ways DATA Act Standards Will Help Government Act Using Data

Posted by on Sep 18, 2015 in Analytics | 0 comments

Three Ways DATA Act Standards Will Help Government Act Using Data

The standards are set for government data. The end of this summer marks a significant milestone achievement in the push for the Federal government to make more…

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Success is Difficult: Part Three

Posted by on Sep 11, 2015 in Project Management | 0 comments

I started this series of blogs on project management challenges with a discussion of project management success factors (“Three Pillars of Project Management”)…

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BIG’s National Training Recap

Posted by on Sep 10, 2015 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

BIG’s National Training Recap

Last month, Management Concepts attended the Blacks in Government (BIG) 37th Annual National Training Institute (NTI) held in Orlando, Florida from August 24-27…

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Ask the CHCO: State’s Arnold Chacón

Posted by on Sep 9, 2015 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

Ask the CHCO: State’s Arnold Chacón

In a recent “Ask the CHCO” Federal News Radio interview, The U.S. Department of State Director General, Ambassador Arnold Chacón, emphasized the ongoing…

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Establishing a Successful IT PM Mentoring Program

Posted by on Sep 8, 2015 in Coaching & Mentoring, Project Management | 0 comments

Establishing a Successful IT PM Mentoring Program

Welcome back and if you did not read my previous blog post for August, you might want to quickly do that as it is background material for this follow-on post…

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Ask the CHCO: SSA’s Dr. Reginald F. Wells

Posted by on Sep 2, 2015 in Human Resources, Workforce Management | 0 comments

Ask the CHCO: SSA’s Dr. Reginald F. Wells

The latest “Ask the CHCO” interview with Dr. Reginald F. Wells, the Deputy Commissioner of the Office of Human Resources of the Social Security Administration…

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Risk Assessments Under 2 CFR 200

Posted by on Sep 1, 2015 in Grants & Assistance | 0 comments

Risk Assessments Under 2 CFR 200

The grants community is under increasing scrutiny and pressure to protect Federal funds from waste, fraud, and abuse. 2 CFR 200 (Uniform Guidance) establishes…

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FY End Spending – a Webinar Recap

Posted by on Aug 31, 2015 in Financial Management | 2 comments

FY End Spending – a Webinar Recap

On August 19 Management Concepts conducted a one-hour webinar entitled It’s About Time: Appropriations Law and Year-End Spending Webinar. More than 300 attendees…

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Integrating Internal Controls with Best Practices

Posted by on Aug 28, 2015 in Financial Management, Project Management | 2 comments

In my previous blogs I talked about the different components that comprise the organizational environment where best practices can survive and thrive and the…

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So, How Is Uniform Guidance Implementation Going?

Posted by on Aug 27, 2015 in Grants & Assistance | 0 comments

So, How Is Uniform Guidance Implementation Going?

Some of you might be thinking, “It’s only four months until Christmas.” I’m thinking, “wow, only four months until the Uniform Guidance first anniversary. So how…

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What’s the RISK in Ignoring RISK?

Posted by on Aug 25, 2015 in Financial Management | 0 comments

What’s the RISK in Ignoring RISK?

Everybody knows what risk is: the possibility that something can go wrong. But the question is this: How often do we consider risk in the Federal workplace? Now if you work…

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Can You Be an Anytime Coach?

Posted by on Aug 19, 2015 in Coaching & Mentoring, Workforce Management | 0 comments

Can You Be an Anytime Coach?

We would all like to create a more encouraging and empowered workplace, and see better performance from our employees, colleagues and leaders. One way to do…

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Ask the CHCO: DoD’s Paige Hinkle-Bowles

Posted by on Aug 16, 2015 in Leadership, Workforce Management | 0 comments

Ask the CHCO: DoD’s Paige Hinkle-Bowles

In her interview with Federal News Radio for our Ask the CHCO series, Ms. Hinkle-Bowles shared some key areas of focus for the civilian workforce that support the…

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IT Project Management Theory vs. Practice

Posted by on Aug 13, 2015 in Project Management | 2 comments

IT Project Management Theory vs. Practice

A question that is asked in many of my seminars is: “This is fine in theory, but what about practice: how do you manage IT projects in real life?” This is the fine line between…

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Corrective Action Plans: Opportunities for Improvement

Posted by on Aug 11, 2015 in Grants & Assistance | 0 comments

Corrective Action Plans: Opportunities for Improvement

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if all of the billions in Federal Financial Assistance were spent without any violations, overpayments, or nefarious actions? While the…

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Challenges in Acquisition Training

Posted by on Aug 10, 2015 in Acquisition | 0 comments

Challenges in Acquisition Training

I ran across this article in the July edition of NCMA Contract Management. It was written by a colleague of mine, Denean Machis. I found that it provided an…

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Building Resilience

Posted by on Aug 7, 2015 in Leadership, Workforce Management | 0 comments

Imagine you are in the water at the beach on a stormy day. The surf is high, and each time a wave comes it knocks you over. You stand back up, and another wave…

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Thanking My First Mentor

Posted by on Aug 6, 2015 in Coaching & Mentoring | 0 comments

Thanking My First Mentor

I’ve recently begun following the #thankyourmentor series on LinkedIn where various bloggers, some famous and some not, are sharing a letter of thanks to those who…

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Unique Federal Grants Challenges for Tribal Entities

Posted by on Aug 5, 2015 in Grants & Assistance | 1 comment

Unique Federal Grants Challenges for Tribal Entities

This week we’ll focus on some of the particular issues that arise, both in general and under the Uniform Guidance, when a grant recipient is a tribal entity…

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Why Success is Difficult: Part Two

Posted by on Aug 4, 2015 in Project Management | 0 comments

Why Success is Difficult: Part Two

I started this series of blogs on project management challenges with a discussion of project management success factors (“Three Pillars of Project Management”)…

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Ask the CHCO: Intel’s Deborah Kircher

Posted by on Jul 31, 2015 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

Ask the CHCO: Intel’s Deborah Kircher

In FY14, the Intelligence Community (IC) was ranked one of the best places to work in the Federal government and fourth overall among large agencies. Workforce…

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Funded or Perish

Posted by on Jul 30, 2015 in Grants & Assistance | 2 comments

Twenty years ago next month, my family and I boarded a plane bound for Baltimore and my freshman year at Johns Hopkins. While I never set out to be a researcher…

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FEW’s National Training Recap

Posted by on Jul 29, 2015 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

FEW’s National Training Recap

Management Concepts was a proud Emerald Sponsor of this year’s Federally Employed Women’s (FEW) National Training Program (NTP) held in New Orleans, Louisiana…

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Leadership – The Critical Element in Best Practices

Posted by on Jul 27, 2015 in Project Management | 0 comments

Leadership – The Critical Element in Best Practices

In my last blog, “What makes a ‘Practice’ Best?” I used a client example to cite various components that create an organizational environment where best practices…

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FAPIIS is Here – What You Need to Know

Posted by on Jul 24, 2015 in Grants & Assistance | 2 comments

FAPIIS is Here – What You Need to Know

On July 22, 2015, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released the final rule to implement the Federal Awardee Performance Integrity Information System (FAPIIS)…

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AGA Rocked Music City at PDT 2015

Posted by on Jul 22, 2015 in Financial Management | 0 comments

AGA Rocked Music City at PDT 2015

I had the privilege of attending the Association of Government Accountants (AGA) Professional Development Training (PDT) in Nashville last week and returned with…

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Survey Fatigue: Do You Have It??

Posted by on Jul 14, 2015 in Leadership | 2 comments

Survey Fatigue: Do You Have It??

Survey fatigue is a common occurrence in agencies. I often work with them to collect information from their employees in an automated way, whether it is a training needs assessment, a training evaluation survey…

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Ask the CHCO: DHS’ Catherine Emerson

Posted by on Jul 13, 2015 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

Ask the CHCO:  DHS’ Catherine Emerson

The Ask the CHCO interview with the Department of Homeland Security’s Catherine Emerson served as a reminder to me as how it was to work at DHS, because…

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How Sponsors Are Different

Posted by on Jul 10, 2015 in Coaching & Mentoring | 0 comments

How Sponsors Are Different

Professional guidance comes in a variety of forms. It is important for leaders to recognize the different roles they may play in others’ professional development…

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OMB Releases the 2015 Compliance Supplement

Posted by on Jul 8, 2015 in Grants & Assistance | 3 comments

OMB Releases the 2015 Compliance Supplement

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released the long-awaited 2015 Compliance Supplement this week. The Compliance Supplement is annual guidance designed…

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How HR Can Support Better IDPs

Posted by on Jul 7, 2015 in Human Resources | 6 comments

How HR Can Support Better IDPs

Although Individual Development Plans (IDPs) are used throughout the Federal government, their usefulness varies greatly based not only on how they are used …

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FITARA: Improvement or Impasse?

Posted by on Jul 6, 2015 in Acquisition, Project Management | 0 comments

FITARA: Improvement or Impasse?

Anyone associated with government IT acquisitions, project management, or systems operation is likely to be familiar with the recently passed (Dec. 19, 2014) Federal Information Technology…

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The PMP® Exam Is Changing – Update

Posted by on Jul 1, 2015 in Project Management | 0 comments

The PMP® Exam Is Changing – Update

In May, we told you about how the PMP Exam is changing effective November 2, 2015 to align with the annual PMP® Role Delineation Study (RDS) conducted in March…

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Ask the CHCO: GSA’s Antonia Harris

Posted by on Jun 30, 2015 in Human Resources, Workforce Management | 0 comments

Ask the CHCO: GSA’s Antonia Harris

Federal News Radio recently interviewed Antonia T. Harris, Chief Human Capital Officer (CHCO) for General Services Administration (GSA), as part of our Ask the CHCO…

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The New Meaning of Jobs and Careers

Posted by on Jun 23, 2015 in Human Resources, Workforce Management | 0 comments

The New Meaning of Jobs and Careers

I grew up in a small town in central Florida with an economy driven, in large part, by agriculture – cattle ranching, farming, and citrus growers were the economic…

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From QUIET to LOUD: Military Personnel Reform

Posted by on Jun 22, 2015 in Human Resources, Workforce Management | 0 comments

From QUIET to LOUD: Military Personnel Reform

A Military Times article published last month reported that the Pentagon is quietly pushing for military personnel reform. While this is an exciting development…

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What Makes a “Practice” Best?

Posted by on Jun 16, 2015 in Acquisition, Project Management | 1 comment

What Makes a “Practice” Best?

During the Civil War (as the story goes) a Union Soldier’s widow approached President Lincoln to complain about her husband’s death. Her complaint was that…

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Ask the CHCO: Interior’s Mary Pletcher

Posted by on Jun 15, 2015 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

Ask the CHCO: Interior’s Mary Pletcher

In case you missed it, last week’s “Ask the CHCO” segment on Federal News Radio featured an interview with Mary Pletcher, the Department of Interior’s Acting Assistant…

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Diversity and Inclusion

Posted by on Jun 8, 2015 in Leadership, Workforce Management | 1 comment

Diversity and Inclusion

Government agencies serve the American public, and thus should not only be representative of the population they serve, but demonstrate the value of that diversity…

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Ask the CHCO: NSF’s Dr. Joanne Tornow

Posted by on Jun 2, 2015 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

Ask the CHCO: NSF’s Dr. Joanne Tornow

The latest “Ask the CHCO” interview with Dr. Joanne Tornow from the National Science Foundation (NSF) reminded me of the essential need for subject matter expertise…

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Dispelling Training Evaluation Myths

Posted by on May 26, 2015 in Workforce Management | 1 comment

Dispelling Training Evaluation Myths

A few months ago, I attended a local professional group meeting where the topic of training evaluation was discussed. I learned a lot about what many people think…

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NAPA Forum Recap: The List

Posted by on May 20, 2015 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

We recently had the honor of sponsoring the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA) monthly May program – The Government Accountability Office (GAO…

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Ask the CHCO: NASA’s Jeri Buchholz

Posted by on May 19, 2015 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

Ask the CHCO: NASA’s Jeri Buchholz

During an interview on our sponsored, “Ask the CHCO” series on Federal News Radio last week, Jeri Buchholz of NASA highlighted the importance of leveraging the…

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TOC Recap: Connect, Learn, Lead

Posted by on May 13, 2015 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

TOC Recap: Connect, Learn, Lead

Thank you to everyone who stopped by our booth at the Training Officers Consortium (TOC) 2015 Annual Institute held in Roanoke, VA from April 26-29, 2015. There…

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Recruiting the Next Generation of Feds

Posted by on May 12, 2015 in Leadership, Workforce Management | 0 comments

Recruiting the Next Generation of Feds

Over the past several weeks, we’ve heard from a number of Federal leaders through our sponsored “Ask the CHCO” series on Federal News Radio about the work going on…

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PSRW: Q&A with Dr. David A. Bray

Posted by on May 6, 2015 in Workforce Management | 1 comment

PSRW: Q&A with Dr. David A. Bray

David: While my official title is Chief Information Officer for the Federal Communications Commission, I’d describe my role as 80 percent “digital diplomat” encouraging…

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PSRW: Q&A with Mika Cross

Posted by on May 5, 2015 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

PSRW: Q&A with Mika Cross

Mika: I have been working as a civilian Federal employee since May 2004. Prior to that, I served with the United States Army – I combined my time served and now am…

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Our Dedication to Public Servants

Posted by on May 4, 2015 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

Our Dedication to Public Servants

Nancy Potter spent 62 years at GSA and upon her retirement she noted, “I take satisfaction in knowing I was part of a team and organization dedicated to improving…

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Is Your Ecosystem Thriving or Collapsing?

Posted by on Apr 27, 2015 in Leadership, Workforce Management | 0 comments

Is Your Ecosystem Thriving or Collapsing?

Imagine a thriving ecosystem, and you may envision a lush landscape with great diversity, energy, and balance. Now imagine an ecosystem that is suffering and you probably see…

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Holacracy and Coaching and Being A Manager

Posted by on Apr 22, 2015 in Coaching & Mentoring | 0 comments

Holacracy and Coaching and Being A Manager

This month I had the pleasure of attending and presenting at the Human Capital Institute’s Summit in Orlando. The keynote speaker – David Novak, Executive Chairman of Yum…

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Project Management Plans

Posted by on Apr 21, 2015 in Project Management | 0 comments

When I am asked for a template for a Project Management Plan, I have to give my usual consulting answer – “It depends.” Because I have found that there is no one template…

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Ask the CHCO: FLRA’s Vicki Barber

Posted by on Apr 20, 2015 in Human Resources, Workforce Management | 0 comments

Ask the CHCO: FLRA’s Vicki Barber

On this week’s edition of Federal News Radio’s Ask the CHCO series, reporter Lauren Larson interviewed Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA)’s Chief Human Resources Officer Vicki Barber. Ms. Barber took…

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The Future Generation Workplace

Posted by on Apr 17, 2015 in Human Resources, Workforce Management | 1 comment

The Future Generation Workplace

Last Friday, I attended the session, The Future Generation Workplace, led by Mika Cross, Director of Work/Life and Flexible Workplace Strategy at the Consumer Financial…

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5 Steps to Take to Escape Old Employee Engagement Ideas

Posted by on Apr 15, 2015 in Leadership, Workforce Management | 0 comments

5 Steps to Take to Escape Old Employee Engagement Ideas

Last week I was having a conversation with some colleagues about the renewed focus on employee engagement in the Federal government and how…

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Survey Says: Take Federal Grants Update 2015

Posted by on Apr 14, 2015 in Grants & Assistance | 0 comments

Survey Says: Take Federal Grants Update 2015

Thank you to everyone who took the time to respond to our 2015 survey. The Management Concepts team is combing through the results now as part of our continuous update process for our Grants & Assistance…

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When is an RFI not an RFI?

Posted by on Apr 9, 2015 in Acquisition | 0 comments

When is an RFI not an RFI?

Answer: When the government mistreats it as a solicitation, which is a Request for a Quote (RFQ) (FAR Part 13), Invitation for Bid (IFB) (FAR Part 14), or Request for Proposal (RFP) (FAR Part 15)…

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Ask the CHCO: HHS’ John Gill

Posted by on Apr 7, 2015 in Workforce Management | 0 comments

Ask the CHCO: HHS’ John Gill

As part of the series “Ask the CHCO*,” Federal News Radio’s Lauren Larson interviewed Chief Human Capital Officer and Deputy Assistant Secretary John Gill. Currently, he…

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No More Generation Bashing

Posted by on Apr 1, 2015 in Leadership, Workforce Management | 2 comments

No More Generation Bashing

We’ve been hearing the same complaints about generational differences for, literally, millennia. The old lament the youth of today, while the young believe…

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Support Your Mentors

Posted by on Mar 31, 2015 in Coaching & Mentoring, Workforce Management | 0 comments

Support Your Mentors

Throughout my career, I have had the good fortune of having several excellent mentors. They naturally took me under their wing, took an interest in my development…

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Procurement Policies and the Uniform Guidance

Posted by on Mar 25, 2015 in Grants & Assistance | 0 comments

In a previous blog post, we discussed changes to procurement policies in the 2 CFR Part 200 – Uniform Guidance: Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit…

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Inside the Minds of Chief Learning Officers

Posted by on Mar 24, 2015 in Coaching & Mentoring, Leadership, Workforce Management | 0 comments

Inside the Minds of Chief Learning Officers

On March 10 Steve Maier, President of Management Concepts moderated a thought-provoking panel discussion at a recent Training Officers Consortium (TOC) luncheon…

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Grants Professionals Appreciation Week

Posted by on Mar 19, 2015 in Grants & Assistance | 0 comments

Grants Professionals Appreciation Week

Management Concepts is a proud partner of this year’s International Grant Professionals Week. I especially appreciate that the Grant…

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The Struggle to Improve IT Acquisition

Posted by on Mar 13, 2015 in Acquisition, Project Management | 0 comments

The Struggle to Improve IT Acquisition

The Federal government wastes about half of the $80 billion per year it spends on IT. Agencies spend, on average, seven times more on IT…

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Considerations for Building a Strong Coaching Culture

Posted by on Mar 12, 2015 in Coaching & Mentoring, Human Resources, Leadership | 0 comments

So you’re thinking about bringing coaching into your organization, but not sure where to start. How do you know what kind of coaching is…

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Individual Talent Acquisition Skills Key to Solving the Government’s Recruiting Woes

Posted by on Mar 11, 2015 in Human Resources, Workforce Management | 0 comments

Individual Talent Acquisition Skills Key to Solving the Government’s Recruiting Woes

On Monday, The Office of Personnel Management Director, Katherine Archuleta, revealed an ambitious, data-driven approach to “untie the knots” in Federal hiring and…

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Building Leadership Capability: A Roadmap for Improving Employee Engagement

Posted by on Feb 23, 2015 in Leadership, Workforce Management | 0 comments

Building Leadership Capability: A Roadmap for Improving Employee Engagement

Just a couple short months ago, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) released the results of the annual Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS)…

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Telework: The “Just Right” Solution to New Types of Workspaces

Posted by on Feb 13, 2015 in Leadership, Workforce Management | 0 comments

Telework: The “Just Right” Solution to New Types of Workspaces

When it comes to office space these days, a lot of people are feeling like Goldilocks. For some moving to an open concept environment, all that space to collaborate…

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How Leaders Can Bridge the Gap Between Where They Are Now and Where They Want to Be – It’s All in the Mind

Posted by on Feb 11, 2015 in Leadership, Project Management, Workforce Management | 0 comments

In a previous post I presented a basic approach to goal setting that could be used to help leaders acquire new skills as they set goals to make the required behavior changes…

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Managing the Diverse Needs of Expecting and New Parents in the Workplace

Posted by on Feb 3, 2015 in Human Resources, Leadership, Workforce Management | 2 comments

Managing the Diverse Needs of Expecting and New Parents in the Workplace

A few weeks ago, the President issued a memorandum “Modernizing Federal Leave Policies for Childbirth, Adoption and Foster Care to Recruit and Retain Talent…

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Achtung!

Posted by on Apr 3, 2012 in Human Resources | 1 comment

The kind of attention we pay is as important as whether we pay it or not.

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Steve Jobs, 1955-2011

Posted by on Oct 5, 2011 in Leadership | 0 comments

It’s the end of an era, and I sincerely hope Apple can keep the vision alive.

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Glue

Posted by on Mar 9, 2011 in Leadership | 0 comments

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Call It Leadership If You Want To, But . . .

Posted by on Oct 15, 2010 in Leadership | 2 comments

The November, 2010 issue of Vanity Fair offers a fascinating and in-depth, if depressing, insight into the world of Merrill Lynch’s leadership before and during the financial crisis, when Stanley O’Neal was at the helm.

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Reality Depends on Where You Sit

Posted by on Oct 4, 2010 in Leadership | 0 comments

A locus solely out of “what works for me” is doomed to fail. This is really a matter of consciousness, not tools or techniques.

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In the Groove

Posted by on Oct 4, 2010 in Leadership | 0 comments

For those of you who have tried to change a habit, you know how hard it is.

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The Long Run

Posted by on Oct 1, 2010 in Leadership | 0 comments

All this may have worked in the climb up, but once people like this arrived at the top, things started to change.

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I’m Interested in That

Posted by on Sep 23, 2010 in Leadership | 0 comments

One client I worked with once said, “I learned as a leader that if I don’t tell people my story, they’ll make one up for me.”

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“It’s All a Priority”

Posted by on Sep 22, 2010 in Leadership | 0 comments

Effective leaders don’t make the mistake of trying to do everything. They forge strategy. Telling employees they should do everything makes no sense.

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Progress

Posted by on Sep 21, 2010 in Leadership | 0 comments

But when people take responsibility – and it’s a very big responsibility — for figuring out where they are going to do their best work, then new and better things can start to happen.

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The Best Quote in the Business

Posted by on Jul 2, 2010 in Leadership | 0 comments

George Carlin once said, “Have you ever noticed that everyone driving faster than you is a maniac, and everyone driving slower than you is a moron?”

Think about it.

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Organizational Laryngitis

Posted by on Jul 1, 2010 in Leadership | 0 comments

Organizational laryngitis is widespread, culturally entrenched, a sapper of new ideas and a demoralizer.

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An amazing statistic

Posted by on Jun 7, 2010 in Leadership | 0 comments

Listening is a powerful leadership and management skill.

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The Role of Fairness in the Workplace

Posted by on Jun 4, 2010 in Human Resources | 1 comment

Fairness activates the reward center in our brains. Inequity activates disgust and an automatic threat response in our brains. What role do you play as a leader to create the optimal conditions for success as it relates to your staff’s perception of fairness in achieving the team’s objectives?

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Development and the Dripping Faucet

Posted by on Apr 7, 2010 in Leadership | 0 comments

Using the power of time makes leadership development effective.

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The How of the What

Posted by on Apr 2, 2010 in Leadership | 0 comments

A lot of management and even leadership thinking focuses on the “what” of work – deadlines, meetings, delegation, feedback, and so on. These are defined activities with a purpose, result and presumably some kind of measure.

What is often missed in mechanistic models of workplace performance, however, is an understanding, let alone embracing of the “how.”

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Share It. Often.

Posted by on Mar 31, 2010 in Leadership | 0 comments

Was Apple’s iPod envisioned, designed, built, managed, delivered, and serviced all by one person? What I wonder is, “How do leaders…

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A Radical Haven of Innovation

Posted by on Mar 16, 2010 in Leadership | 0 comments

What would happen if for one day you led a group of your colleagues to create a radical haven of innovation? Every day…

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When You Leave: Victim or Victor?

Posted by on Mar 10, 2010 in Leadership | 0 comments

How you leave a job may be an important factor to consider when searching for your next one.

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Leadership and the Olympics

Posted by on Mar 2, 2010 in Leadership | 0 comments

As someone who watched many hours of the Olympics, I noticed an underlying, yet present connection between my work in the field of leadership and those Olympians on television. Leadership was…

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Let’s Go to the Data: What Really Works in Leadership?

Posted by on Feb 23, 2010 in Leadership | 0 comments

Go into your neighborhood bookstore and you will find countless titles on leadership. It can be confusing, and overwhelming.

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Learn from Failure or Fail to Learn

Posted by on Feb 16, 2010 in Leadership | 0 comments

It may sound almost heretical in an achievement-driven culture to spend much time thinking or talking openly about failure.

After all, the reality is that…

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The Courage to Lead

Posted by on Feb 10, 2010 in Leadership | 0 comments

It takes a lot of courage to lead. It takes courage to step up to the challenge. It takes…

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Are you a producer, or a performer?

Posted by on Feb 2, 2010 in Leadership | 0 comments

We all know what a producer is: gets the job done, churns out product, is a volume operator. You can be sure there’s a check-mark next to the task. We may not be so sure about…

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What Unlocks Potential in People?

Posted by on Feb 2, 2010 in Leadership | 0 comments

This is an intuitively, inherently appealing topic. After all, who doesn’t want to see others (or himself or herself) fulfill individual potential?

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Keep the Change

Posted by on Jan 29, 2010 in Leadership | 2 comments

Keep the change. No, it’s not just what people say when they get your morning coffee
from the local barista. It’s something…

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