From writing to advancing in your career, you will find tips from our authors on how to become a better leader in your job.
FedSmith.com users indicated in a recent survey a common theme: they feel there is a need for federal managers to stop micromanaging their employees. The author, who is a consultant focusing primarily on pay and performance, analyzes the responses from the survey and what they mean for federal employees.
Have you ever noticed that when it comes to promotions there seems to be little rhyme or reason to the process? Your organization has promotion criteria, and yet for every set of criteria you look around and see someone getting promoted who didn’t meet them. It can be frustrating, but there are some things you can do.
When you fail to define the specific evidence of your success, it’s practically impossible to ever get there. So how do you create this evidence? The author provides some suggestions.
Don’t get so stuck on a tiny, trivial issue that you can’t move onto the things that matter.
How do you feel when you get your paycheck each week? Do you feel appreciated for your work? The author points out that showing appreciation to employees at work goes beyond just handing out paychecks.
We’ve all learned that if you have a question, you should ask it, because chances are at least a few other people have the same question. The author describes why this is always important, even during times in which you feel shy about asking.
Writing resumes for various job openings can be a challenge. The author provides advice for federal employees regarding what content they may wish to include on their federal resumes depending on the positions being sought.
Most government organizations have an annual performance review. And many organizations also have a mid-cycle “touch base” review that allows you to see how you’re progressing. The mid-cycle review is a good time to go back and take a look at “What were those three development areas that you were going to put your attention on this year?”
The spell-check, auto-correct and voice-recognition programs on your phone, email, word processor and other tools can be useful — but they’re not replacements for a thorough review of your work before you send it out.
Do you track your accomplishments? The author says that doing this could actually prove to be counterproductive in the long run.
