A Personal Reader on Management, Change and Technology in Government

Digging through the archives can be a dangerous pastime.  You just have to take a look at Indiana Jones 1, 2, or 3 -- I trust we can all agree that the 4th installment never ever ever ever should be mentioned -- to know that what you find here may lead you to lost treasure just as easily as it may lead you to a run in with a crazy witch doctor or the Nazis.   In the case of my archives, you may need to dig a little deeper to get anything at all.

In the coming days, you'll see the full text of stories I have done for Public CIO and Governing Technology that touch on the themes we have set out to explore here in Public Great.  In the meantime, here is the essential digest of articles that reflect my view of the world -- or at least that part of it that relates to government, technology and management.  If Public Great is a buffet of new ideas, here is a sampler plate:

• In order to be successful, today's IT Leaders need to be part computer geek, part politico, and part action star.  While they may never look as good swinging around nunchucks at blazing speeds, they can learn a lot from Kung Fu master Bruce Lee.
• If Bruce Lee isn't your style, how about a game of darts?  There is a lot to be learned about performance measurement by throwing sharp objects!
• Our annual surveys say we're doing great!  BUT, strong words in the staffroom, the rumor mill, and the water cooler tell another story.  How do we accurately measure customer satisfaction with IT and target our improvements?  One way is to ditch the survey. •An open letter to Vivek Kundra and Aneesh Chopra askied the federal government to consider franchising IT...  It's not Quiznos, but I think it could be equally delicious!
• The stimulus debate has died down, but the point of this blog remains true -- spending one time money on IT is a gamble.