If you are like me – stuck halfway up the career ladder, far enough that you can see the light of leadership and authority to come, but not too far up that you don’t still relate to the newbies – then you are what we call a “mid-level” or “mid-career” professional.Many of my colleagues and close friends are also at the mid-level point in their careers and we talk about that a lot. Specifically, what does it feel like…
Nobody works in a vacuum, especially when you work for the government. We may all have our specific lanes but, ultimately, we are working towards the same objectives and the same larger, overarching goals. The trick is finding a way to communicate with counterparts who may not “speak the same language” you do or whose approach to things may seem diametrically opposed to your or your agency’s views. So how do you do the interagency tango? Here’s how you…
Before we get into the nitty-gritty, we need to address the elephant in the room which is that many people are put off by the thought of traveling with kids —- to the next town, let alone to another country. I’m here to tell you that traveling with children is worth it and could very well be the experience of a lifetime for you and for them. This post is to help remove some of the mental barriers we…
I have been privy to many conversations with colleagues at work and friends working in other sectors recently about having difficult and uncomfortable conversations with people when they say something or do something inappropriate at work.
Sadly, many of my female colleagues feel as though they can’t speak up when someone makes a rude or inappropriate comment, especially when the comment is perceived as being made “innocently,” without malice, or is purely ignorance-based. This is dead wrong. If you are…
We are all professionals and we all have jobs to do, but do you ever feel like you are getting stale or that your skills “ain’t what they used to be”? Do you find yourself in a professional rut or do you feel like you don’t have the requisite skill set to change positions or move up in your job should you want to? If you feel this way or even if you don’t and just want a change…
Government employees are known for their hard work, dedication, ethical standards, commitment to public service, non-partisanship and many other positive qualities and traits. What they aren’t known for is their style and general fashion sense. In fact, over the years, government employees have been widely panned for their lack of style and the continued reliance on the standard “uniform” of blue and black, often out-of-date and ill-fitting suits.
So how do we project the image of who we really are…
Let me address the proverbial elephant in the room that is mental health, resilience and mindfulness and the way in which mental health is handled or not handled by employees and employers. The United States experiences more workplace violence and on the extreme end, workplace shootings, than any other comparable nation historically and globally.
Why is this? What makes the work environment in the United States conducive to violence? What are the extenuating circumstances that precipitate an environment where individuals…
If you’ve never heard of Mashramani or Guyana, then you need to put this celebration and this country on your radar especially during the carnival season. Typically, when people think of Carnival, they think of Brazil, Trinidad, Jamaica, Barbados, and other places, but there is a lesser-known but no less thrilling and exciting cultural celebration that takes place all over Guyana called Mashramani.
Mashramani also referred to popularly as “Mash,” is an annual cultural festival celebrating Guyana’s independence in 1966….
Disclaimer: I was provided an advanced copy of this book from the author to facilitate this review. As always, all opinions are my own.
The Facts: Let The Children March, written by Monica Clark-Robinson and illustrated by Frank Morrison, published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, New York, NY 2018, 32 pages, ISBN: 9780544704527 (hardcover).
Summary: Let The Children March is a visually stunning and important book that children of all ages should read and be exposed to. It is the…
Disclaimer: I was provided an advanced copy of this book from the author to facilitate this review. As always, all opinions are my own.
The Facts: Little Freddie’s in A Zone, written by Tasha Fuller and illustrated by Andrew Smart, published by Go2Girls in Woodbridge, VA, 2015, 24 pages, ISBN: 978-0-9860656-1-3
Summary: Little Freddie’s in A Zone is the story of a little boy with big dreams and aspirations. Little Freddie loves sports and is inspired by some of…