Driving and Implementing Strategy

In March 2018, the President’s Management Agenda (PMA) was released to the public. The PMA “lays out a long-term vision for modernizing the Federal Government in key areas that will improve the ability of all agencies to deliver mission outcomes, provide excellent service, and effectively steward taxpayer dollars on behalf of the American people.”

So how will the U.S. Government carry out these goals? In this blog series, we will explore some of the actions, processes, and practices it can leverage to ensure success.

In our fast-paced work environments, there is a natural inclination to keep our heads down and accomplish only the tasks directly in front of us at any given time. From the moment we wake up to the moment we fall asleep, we are bombarded with emails and social media alerts that require our immediate attention. Indeed, we are often rewarded on the job for our ability to navigate daily emergencies and constantly be available.

The end of the 2017 fiscal year has come and gone, and most organizations are in the midst of performance appraisals and planning for 2018. Whether you are a front-line supervisor, an experienced senior leader, or a new employee in the Federal government, this is an important time for reflection on how you can improve and expand your capabilities.

If you take a quick look at Glassdoor.com and their “50 Best Jobs in America” for 2017, you will notice that Data Scientist ranks at #1, among several other “data/analytics” titles in the list. Although this is evidently a highly desirable job, there appears to be a large talent gap in the field. Recent research by McKinsey Global Institute has projected that by next year, the US could face a shortage of 140,000 to 190,000 professionals with deep analytical skills, i.e., advanced statistical training and knowledge of machine learning. What exactly is data science? While not an entirely new concept, the terms “data science” and “data scientist” have exploded in popularity in the past 5-10 years. At its core, data science is about using scientific methods along with new technology systems to gather insights from massive amounts of heterogeneous data.

We can’t say this enough: People are an organization’s greatest asset. Period. Full stop.

Always and evermore relevant, this axiom is frequently emphasized in the HR realm as a guiding principle of talent acquisition and management. Research shows that focusing on employee engagement has many tangible benefits, including lower rates of turnover, increased productivity, and improved customer ratings. With uncertainty about budgets and staffing in the Federal government – as well as the churn of ongoing leadership changes – effectively managing talent is an urgent need.

The Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) Bid Protest Annual Report, published at the end of 2016, revealed that the number of protests increased for the third consecutive year. Furthermore, GAO’s statistics show that bid protests have been climbing for the last several years:

Succession planning is becoming a valuable strategy for organizations to undertake when looking to minimize the impact of changes on its workforce. Although still not widely utilized across Federal agencies, it is becoming recognized as an important talent management and change management strategy for retaining leaders at all levels and thus reducing disruptions caused by continual turnover. Here are two reasons this rings true:

Tag: Driving and Implementing Strategy