When you decide to purchase a certain product or pay for a needed service, it is your expectation that you will receive something of value and of good quality. When quality is not up to par, think about how it makes you feel. I have been places where my first visit was my last due …
Continue reading “Effective Quality Control to Support Your Customer”
Every year the federal government awards contracts worth $100 billion to small businesses, according to the Small Business Administration (SBA). That makes for a lot of opportunity, but there’s stiff competition to win those contracts. Relationships, connections and trust are crucial to doing business with the government, advises the SBA on one of its blogs. …
Continue reading “Market Research for Small Business in a Time of Limited Interaction”
We took a pause from our normal hectic workday schedules to gather here at our headquarters for a potluck Thanksgiving lunch. It was nice to slow down, enjoy a meal together and talk about peoples’ families, holiday plans and traditions. It is the people, after all, who make our company and any company succeed. We …
The latest in our Health and Wellness series of yoga classes for employees started last week and I began thinking how some of the fundamentals we’ve been learning in yoga can be applied to managing during an unexpected or challenging situation, such as the government shutdown. The implications of the shutdown have been far-reaching – …
Continue reading “Breathe! How a Holistic Approach Helped Us Survive the Government Shutdown”
In this time of tight budgets and mandates to do more or the same with less, the need for innovation is greater than ever. This is the case wherever you add value to your organization, including acquisition. Frans Johansson, author of The Medici Effect, talks about intersections as “the place that ideas from different groups …
Continue reading “Does Your Organization’s Roadmap Have Enough Intersections?”
When the pressure is on to perform at a higher level due to limited resources and tight time constraints, your team’s morale is likely suffering. As a manager, you are probably also feeling overwhelmed. Many of us have experienced wanting to be proactive but struggling to find time to focus on the less tangible aspects …
Continue reading “How Investing in Your Team Can Pay Off – Even in Tight Times”
America has faced a tough economic climate the past few years and the fallout is extensive. Think about the number of people who wake up in the morning and want to go to work but can’t find a job. It not only affects their ability to provide basic needs for their families, it lowers their …
Continue reading “A Simple Philosophy: Growth Solves All Problems”
During the Thanksgiving holiday many of us sit down with family and friends to celebrate and reflect on all that we have to be grateful for. We did just that here at our headquarters, enjoying each other’s company and fine food at a potluck lunch. It got me to thinking about how much I …
Routine monitoring of your acquisition program is important but is it enough to prevent problems that could damage your mission? Conducting a program assessment can reveal insights on a program’s health that will not only lead to a better outcome, but could also improve other programs and the organization as a whole.
I have many friends and colleagues in the Federal Government and the industry that supports it. Just like in any field, they’re always thinking about how to make the most of their career. When I was asked to be a panelist at the Government Contract Management Conference (GCMC) Career Fair, I thought about what would …
Continue reading “My Top Government Contract Career Advice – Get Your Certifications!”
