FedUpward Podcast - Tips for Federal Government Employees

Dr. Heath Harding of the Office of Personnel Management's Center for Leadership Development, described what the Federal Executive Institute is and why you want to attend. FEI, located in Charlottesville, VA, offers leader development and networking opporunities you should know about. I attended many years ago and had a great exerpience that included working in teams with representatives from agenc...

Consumers' Checkbook, a non-profit organization that helps youi make better financial decisions, offers a fantastic tool to compare FEHB plans. With open season coming mid-November, you should explore changes to your current plan, what other plans offer, and how much premiums are changing (spoiler - rate increases are NOT uniform across plans). Kevin Moss explains how you can leverage the tool and...

Tom Davenport, an AI/machine learning expert who also happens to be my first cousin once removed (yes, I said it), discussed what AI is, how feds might leverage it. If you feel like you *should* already understand AI but you don't, this is a great place to start. Tom  is a world-renowned thought leader and author, is the President's Distinguished Professor of Information Technology and Management...

What should you be thinking about when higher level leadership says it's time to return to the physical office? If you're facing questions and resistance from your team, this episode is for you. FEDS Protection CEO and founder Tony Vergnetti reminds us of the liability coverage his company, a proud aponsor os this podcast, offers federal employees. Tony runs through many considerations you should...

Something awful happened at work and you're considering an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) complaint, or maybe you should go to the Inspector General (IG) in your agency/department. Or maybe your supervisor's supervisor could help. Where do you even start? Enter Kevin Shehan.of Shehan Legal. He's worked in federal employment law for a federal agency and served as a fed. Now he serves folks like...

Wish there was a playbook on how to work more efficiently in a federal agency or department? Look no further. Marina Nitze and Nick Sinai wrote the book on strategies you can use in your daily work to get things done. They've worked at the highest levels of the federal government and were both known for getting the job DONE. Marina joined me on the podcast to discuss why they wrote the book, what'...

Sunayna Tuteja, the first ever Chief Innovation Officer at the Federal Reserve System, isn't your typical civil servant. She spent most of her career in fintech working on emerging technologies (think crypto currency). She laughed when a recruiter claled her about taking on the role of innovation officer at the Fed. But her outsider status made her exactly the right person to take the job. In this...

SOOO excited to welcome Rob Seidner back to the podcast. While working at the Office of Management and Budget, he explained how the rules for civil service really suck. The history lesson helped us understand WHY they suck. You can listen to that episode at this link. Rob recently transitioned to a job outside government. He talks about why that was a difficult decision and why the mission of his...

The Federal Training Academy, a company dedicated to your learning, offers tailored training, consulting, and coaching to federal agencies and departments. Angela Kochuba, the founder and managing director, created the organization in 1999 and never looked back. Grounded in public service, she offers a long list of services that can help you and your team. Their offerings are specifically tailored...

Do you hear the outrageous accusations against federal employees just doing their jobs (think IRS, FBI right now) and think, "I really wish someone was sticking up for them!" The Professional Managers Association (PMA) does just that. Executive Director Chad Hooper shared thoughts on what the PMA is and how they advocate for IRS employees right now. Learn how you can help in this podcast. Want to...

Your TSP statement making you cry? I talked to certified financial planner Brian Sigwart about the long-term outlook and new funds available for us to choose. Need personalized advice? You can contact Brian here: Brian Sigwart  CFP ®   , RICP   ® CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™   Professional Financial Services Representative  11350 McCormick Road, Executive Plaza IV, Suite 200         Hunt Valley, M...

If you live outside the DC/VA/MD area and haven't connected with your regional Federal Executive Board, you need to explore all your FEB has to offer. They provide regional news for feds, policy changes that may impact you, training, development opportunities and much more. Here's the FEB website and a few examples of the regional board sites: https://www.feb.gov/ https://www.feb.gov/locations/los...

Have you watched the TV show Government Matters?  It's about our work as federal employees and the topics that matter most to the leaders of our organizations. Hosted by Mimi Geerges, Government Matters is a multi-platform news program dedicated to providing non-partisan information and analysis to federal managers, contractors and those supporting the federal marketplace. Government Matters is fo...

Meet Vince Micone, the Executive Director of Enterprise Services at the Dept of Commerce. He's served in a variety of high-level positions in several federal agencies and departments. He understands what it takes to be succiessful at every level and he delivers advice on how to be good at your job - the basics. We discusse what makes a good staff member/officer, a good chief of staff, and a good f...

Deborah Hopkins, president of the Federal Employment Law Training Group (FELTG), returns to the podcast to discuss a recent Merit Systems Protection Board ruling on a conduct unbecoming case. If you're a supervisor working through your options with an employee who's testing the limits, this episode is a must-listen. Learn more about training events from FELTG here: https://feltg.com/

Heard of the Office of Personnel Management's Federal Executive Institute? In this episode, Steven Frid (FEI Alumni Association Board Member), gives us a quick rundown on what FEI is and the upcoming alumni association event you won't want to miss! Steven Frid currently works as Director of Security at Federal Student Aid, where he manages programs, handles budgets, plans, coordinates personnel in...

Arianne Gallagher-Welcher, OPM leader and director of the PMF program, gives us the details you should know about the premiere pathway to bring talent into government. Whether you're interested in applying or bringing a fellow into your organization, this episode gives you the program basics you need to move forward. Learn more here: The Presidential Management Fellows Program

We've all heard of exit interviews and why to conduct them. But what about stay interviews? If we understand the problems facing our teams, maybe we can solve those problems. Retaining our best talent is SO important, given it takes so long to get through the hiring process. Mr.  John   Willison , a long-time SES and leader at Army's DEVCOM, explains how to conduct stay interviews and what his org...

ATD's Government Workforce Conference is coming! On September 8th, the Association for Talent Development (ATD) is hosting a conference to help connect training and development industry leaders with you.  Dr. JJ Walcott and Mr. Reese Madsen, government training experts, explain why this event will be helpful and productive for you and your teams. Click here to register.

What do you actually know about cyber? What does the word cyber even mean?  As you move forward in your career as a government leader, you'll need to know at least SOMEthing about cyber vulnerabilities, how to keep your team's data safe, and what your agency or department is doing to keep services running in the event of cyber intrusions. Huh? Enter Dr. Sasha Cohen O'Connell at American University...

Executive Women in Government, or EWG, is the OG in networking for women in government. https://execwomeningov.org/ Founded in 1973, Executive Women in Government is a non-profit, nonpartisan organization comprised of Federal Government women executives. Members prepare, promote, and support women for senior leadership positions in the Federal Government and the military through networking, shared...

Erin Carter of the National Active and Retired Federal Employees (NARFE) explained what the organization does and what's in store for feds and retirees who attend the upcoming FedCon 2022 conference.  NARFE Membership is open to civilians who are or will be eligible to receive an annuity or survivor annuity from the federal retirement programs of any agency of the United States government. That in...

Ms. Evanna Hu,  CEO of Omelas and nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council,  explains the mission and work of the Asian American Employees for Nondiscrimination. She wrote a pwoerful article last year describing the driscrimination federal employees of Asian or Pacific Islander descent face. You can find her aricle here. To join and support the work of AAFEN to help ensure ALL federal emp...

Meet John Schuhart. He spent 17 years as a SES in the intelligence community and now coaches full time. He created a new supervisors guide you can get FOR FREE at his webiste: https://graybeardcoaching.com/ He and I talked about being a new supervisor, coaching and the similarities between the two.

So, I applied for a SES job. Got through two rounds of interviews. Didn't get the job. Here's what I learned: 1. Ask for feedback on your interview from the folks on the panel. They'll give it to you. 2. Don't expect the status of ANYTHING to change in USAJOBS during the process. 3. Thank everyone involved, including the people who helped you schedule. 4. I had several people cheering me on, which...