Exploring 2018: Trends in Consulting and the Government
Alabama inspires everyone with the leadership and persistence to #explorethefuture
My niece attends the University of Alabama School of Law. As an undergraduate at the university, she became an avid football fan and caused our family to follow the adventures of the Crimson Tide. The recent championship game between Alabama and the Georgia Bulldogs is one that will go down in history. We were glad we were watching – for the excitement, for my niece, and for the example of leadership.
The team, led by a great coach, inspires all of us with a great example of leadership and persistence in the face of tremendous obstacles. Sometimes, challenges in the Government seem to be similarly overwhelming, but are often much larger and require even more leadership.
This year provides an opportunity for the Government to seek out new ways to serve their stakeholders, embrace new mission priorities, and tackle their toughest challenges. Despite a rocky start, it even holds promise for agencies to define their moonshots, as we’ve seen several in the Department of Homeland Security already do.
Here are the 2018 trends to watch if you are in a Government agency:
- Trend 1: Innovation. Budgets are still unclear and generally shrinking. So, the demand for innovative solutions is growing. The key, this year, will be how leaders can inspire their programs, divisions, and organizations to adopt an entrepreneurial, innovative mindset for the organization as a whole, and look to take calculated risks more often
- Trend 2: Behavioral Science. This emerging discipline has begun to see light at Government agencies. NYC sends text reminders about upcoming court dates (reducing missed dates and saving resources). In the Pacific Northwest, schools send emails and reminders to parents to reduce student absenteeism. Think of the potential for encouraging homeowners to buy flood insurance, engaging the public in preparing for emergencies, enabling the traveling public to take part in the security element of their journey
- Trend 3: Smaller, Shorter Engagements. Have you noticed that there are more one-year projects? Periods of performance are getting shorter for some strategic problem-solving projects. These projects infuse innovation, inspire senior-level leaders to inspire their people, and help agencies get from a blank piece of paper to an executable vision and strategy
- Trend 4: Even Smaller Engagements…Micro-services. Using the recently increased $10,000 micro-purchase threshold, agencies can access consulting services for one-time mini projects to jump start an acquisition or strategic plan, develop a stakeholder engagement strategy,
- Trend 5: Exploration. Trying new things and taking risks in open field areas for Government is critical. Encourage your teams to explore – through Shark Tank-like competitions, hackathons, design thinking challenges, and pilots. Harness the technology talent of the latest generation entering the workforce to push the boundaries of how things are done today
So, it’s time to explore. To lead. To persist. To overcome and do the impossible.
Alabama did and so can the Government.
Roll Tide.
About Arc Aspicio
Arc Aspicio is a management, strategy, and technology consulting firm that takes a mission-oriented approach to complex client challenges. As a rapidly growing company, Arc Aspicio has a bold strategy for 2016-2018 that drives growth through new capabilities in strategy, design, human capital, data analytics, information sharing, cybersecurity, and strategic communications. The company is known for a strong, collaborative culture that values gratitude – for its clients and its great team. And, #welovedogs! Follow us on Twitter @arcaspicio or learn more at www.arcaspicio.com
