171. Public Service Motivation and Belonging with Doug Wilson

Meet Brian Wilson, organizational change manager at the Security and Echange Commission. Cool title, right? He walks us through how he approaches change and what you need to know if you're working on a major org change.

You can find him on LinkedIn here.

Brian mentioned a change management certification in this episode. You can find it here.

I've joined forces with Jason Coleman of the FedFam group to bring you a new resource! We've created FedFam.org, a membership site for federal employees only. We bring tons of standard operating procedures, info and advice and we're adding more every week. In this episode you'll hear from us what you'll get as a member. We're offering this tailored info for only $2.99/month. Join us today at fedfam.org

Meet Steve Goodrich. He's the author of Transforming Government from Congress to the Cubicle, CEO at The Center for Organizational Excellence, and a board members for the Shared Services Leadership Coalition.

In this episode, he describes his book (which you can purchase here) and how you can get involved in the Shared Services Leadership Coalition, which brings together government and industry leaders to find cost-saving solutions for the service you and your teams provide.

More about the SSLC:

SSLC’s Definition of Shared Services
SSLC defines “shared services” as the transformation of service delivery in the Federal Government through implementation of standardized, scalable capabilities, services, and technologies that improve government operations and allow agencies to focus on mission, while enhancing employee and customer experience in a secure and efficient environment.

SSLC’s Mission Statement
SSLC’s mission is to support accelerated implementation of shared services in government by: (1) educating the government about how shared services work and deliver value to employees and citizens; (2) providing technical assistance to help government modernize successfully; and (3) advocating policies to accelerate shared services modernization. 

SSLC Goal Statement
SSLC’s goal is to promote and facilitate accelerated implementation of shared services and related modernization initiatives in service of the President’s Management Agenda objectives of strengthening and empowering the Federal workforce, delivering excellent, equitable, and secure Federal services and customer experience, and managing the business of government to build back better.

Value Proposition for Participation in SSLC Activities  
SSLC is a community of government and industry leaders who share a passion for accelerating the pace of shared services implementation and government modernization.  SSLC provides opportunities for leaders to build relationships, learn from each other and become shared services evangelists, thereby creating through their combined efforts a force multiplier for cultural change necessary to sustain government-wide transformation.  

Kevin Moss of Consumer Checkbook is back on the podcast to help you make sense of all the choices available during open season. Use code fedupward and get 20% off the already VERY reasonable priced tool Kevin and team built. 

https://www.checkbook.org/newhig2/year24/membership/orderonline.cfm?type=online

No one knows more about FEHB plans than Kevin! He outlines major changes, things ot consider, and which plans now offer the best fertility treatment coverage.

Heard of Humans of New York? Well, Brian Whittaker founded Humans of Public Service. https://humansofpublicservice.org/

You can nominate your coworkers to be featured on the site/LinkedIn/Instagram page. Brian, currently a FDIC employee with tons of experience in federal agencies, founded the site to recognize people like us who often get a bad rap in the press. 

I hope you're inspired by Brian's story and support his efforts to recognize - and humanize - people who do the hard work of the nation everyday.

Never heard of the Holman Rule? Probably not, but members of the House or Representatives can use it to eliminate your individual salary or the program you work on as part of deliberations on appropriations bills. Lucas Schleusener, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of OUT in National Security explains how members of the House used the Holman Rule this week and what that means for all federal employees.

To learn more about the work of OUT in National Security and how you can help, click here.

Want to learn more about the Holman Rule: Links below.

https://nffe.org/nffe_news/the-holman-rule-planting-the-seeds-of-corruption/

https://www.taxpayer.net/budget-appropriations-tax/five-fast-facts-about-holman-rule/

https://federalnewsnetwork.com/congress/2023/01/house-republicans-introduce-plans-to-revive-holman-rule-in-congress/

Anxious about the potential government shutdown? This episode outlines resources, news sources and discounts for feds. Here are the links you need to get educated and stay that way.

OPM guidance and Agency/Dept Shutdown Plans:

https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/furlough-guidance/#url=Shutdown-Furlough

Washington Posts's Shutdown Guide

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/09/27/federal-workers-government-shutdown-guide/

Sites Offering Federal Shutdown News Without Much Partisan Spin:

https://www.fedfam.org/copy-of-connections-1

https://www.facebook.com/groups/fedfam

https://www.govexec.com/federal-news/?oref=ge-nav

https://federalnewsnetwork.com/

https://www.fedweek.com/reports/shutdowns-furloughs-what-you-need-to-know/

Businesses Offfering Support:

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230926338205/en/Navy-Federal-to-Offer-Paycheck-Relief-to-Members-Impacted-by-Government-Shutdown

https://www.usaa.com/inet/wc/ent-gov-shutdown-assistance-landing-mkt?akredirect=true

https://www.capitolhillbooks-dc.com/

Public administration guru Dr. Don Kettl joined me on the podcast to talk about what feds can expect over the next month - will the gov shut down? Will feds get repaid if it does? Explore these questions and more.

Don recently authored a book, one of many he's written about public management and operaitons. You can find it here.

Don specializes in public management and public policy. He previously served as dean in the School of Public Policy at the University of Maryland, and is a nonresident senior fellow at the Volcker Alliance, the Brookings Institution and the Partnership for Public Service. It was an honor to have him back on the show.

Looking for a degree program that fits YOUR needs? UMGC might be just what you're looking for. Justin Hasty, director for UMGC's federal strategic partnerships, and Daniel Mintz (daniel.mintz@umgc.edu), Department Chair for information technology, joined me on the show to discuss how an online degree program can help build your skills in areas needed across the federal government.

https://www.umgc.edu/learn-more/gen/degree/bachelors-degrees-online.html?marketcode=WB307001&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw44mlBhAQEiwAqP3eVqp4Kj9QX0zlkipgg9wofvk07SwV_Z5BoqrIiHeJAEgEOmICPTbnRhoCgeIQAvD_BwE

Nominated by President Obama and confirmed by the US Senate in February 2010 as Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs, Doug Wilson was the first openly-gay individual to be Senate-confirmed to a senior-level Pentagon position. Prior to retiring from government in March of 2012, he served as Senior Spokesman for the Department of Defense and the Principal Communications Advisor to the United States Secretary of Defense and Deputy Secretary of Defense.

Doug brought us a master class in motivation and belonging in this episode. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did! He touched on how to stay excited about service, working on politically sensitive issues, belonging, combatting negative perspections of public servants, and so much more.

Learn more about Doug's charity here:

https://www.vetscommunityconnections.org/