Despite new methods, agile processes, and more certified project managers than ever, large, complex programs are not achieving mission goals faster or more cost effectively. Can legislation make a difference?
Two main types of problems can make it difficult to make data-driven decisions: technical and cultural. Technical difficulties could include data that is messy, incomplete, or split between different departments or components. Cultural factors might include a resistance to change, an environment that favors trusting your instincts, or a belief that things are fine the way they are.
When it comes to retaining your workforce, one feature correlates to 87% increases in retention and 57% increases in employee effectiveness. It is not compensation. It is employee engagement. Engagement measures an employee’s emotional commitment to an organization and willingness to use discretionary effort to achieve organizational goals. In other words, engaged employees strive to exceed the status quo.
Gratitude is one of a great leader’s most powerful tools. It creates positive energy among an organization and the sense of appreciation permeates through the work the collective group is performing. Influential leaders listen to the needs of their colleagues and express gratitude. This helps them bring out the potential in the people they lead and inspire them to achieve what is most important to them and to the project.
Design Thinking requires two things that don’t always come naturally in Government initiatives: empathy and rapid change. However, Government leaders are constantly challenged to identify and implement Quick Wins to inspire their workforce as they solve big challenges.
Project Management best practices and methods continue to evolve to address the biggest challenges Government agencies face in today’s market. The increased use of Agile and the move from traditional waterfall methodologies is fairly common in Information Technologies. Projects use Agile methods such as Scrum or Kanban, and organizations invest a lot of time and effort to make this cultural shift on projects.
While social media is often the center of people’s personal lives, it remains an untapped resource in many workplaces. Though often seen only as a way to assess stakeholder engagement, social media can have major positive effects on employee productivity and morale.
The rise of Big Data technologies and data-driven approaches of business functions has created a demand for data architects and scientists that is growing by as much as 12% annually. These highly technical resources and capabilities address part of the challenge, but organizations still struggle with how to effectively use the data they have to make timely and informed decisions to improve business and mission outcomes.
Everyone is familiar with the “bandwagon effect”, where fans and followers join and root for the winning team, popular group, or must-have item. Does this psychological phenomenon apply to everything? A common misconception is that people assume correlation equals causation.
Google Flu Trends (GFT) is a poster child for big data gone wrong. Under this program, Google tracked flu-related searches, as the company expected those with the flu to search how to treat it. However, in 2013, Google miscalculated the outbreak of flu season.
Design Thinking and the customer experience go hand-in-hand. While customer engagement with a Government agency can be difficult, an agency can navigate this tenuous process using a Customer Journey Map – a key tool in our Design Thinking approach. This can also inspire innovative ideas.
Meetings are an essential part of day-to-day work and collaboration in every organization. There are an estimated 37 million meetings every day in the United States, yet up to 67 percent are considered failures. Sources estimate the cost of unproductive meetings in the billions and say meetings may take up 15% of an organization’s collective time.
In 2004, the 9/11 Commission published a report that identified communication and intelligence failures leading up to the September 11th attacks. The Commission determined there was a significant disconnect between intelligence agencies and their ability to work together in counterterrorism efforts and empathize across agencies and missions.
