John Hatton, Staff Vice President of Policy and Programs at the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association (NARFE) joined me on the podcast to discuss what NARFE is, does and how it can help you. He also discussed the ups and downs of this year's FEHB open season.   https://www.narfe.org/membership-who-can-join/?utm_source=7M6&utm_campaign=NARFE_GoogleAds_Join_Search_09262023&gad_source=1 

Kevin Moss of Consumers'Checkbook is on the show to talk about the major changes in health insurance options. It's open season, y'all! Even if you love your plan, shop around.  Open Season ends on December 9th.  His organization offers an amazing calculator that can help you make the best choice for your family. Listeners of the podcast get a discount using the code FedUpward to get 20% this already well-priced tool! Find the calculator here.      

Virginia Blaser, former senior Department of State official, walks feds through her tips for managing the performance appraisal cycle. She literally wrote the book on questions to ask employees throughout the year to help them develop and achieve their goals. You can find it here. Watch the video of our conversation here.

Working with folks 20 years older, 20 years younger and all ages in between? Dr. Russell Robinson of American University's Key Executive Leadership Program and Amplified Research   talks about working with SO MANY different generations of folks. Listen to Russ' wisdom and how you can learn more at Key.

Robyn Kehoe, executive director for the Federal Employee Education and Assistance Fund joined me on the podcast to discuss how FEEA supports federal employees in need of disaster relief assistance. FEEA provides small grants to feds who need immediate cash infusions to get shelter, beds, clthing, etc. Get more dteails about applying and donating here: https://feea.org/our-programs/disaster-relief/ Robyn also covers the other great services FEEA offers including tutoring for children of feds...

Meet Sean Michael Newhouse. He's a reporter for GovExec and put out videos recently about the Hatch Act that are far more entertaining than our normal annual training. You can catch that content here. In this episode, he explains the basics of the Hatch Act and what it's like working for GovExec. Learn more about his GovExec work at this link. And here's his latest story.

On September 11, 2024, Jackie Garrick and team will host the Workplace Promise Instittute. Jackie founded Whistleblowers of America, nonprofit organization assisting whistleblowers who have suffered retaliation after having identified harm to individuals or the public. Her experience as a federal employee led her to create a network of support for whistleblowers. The conference on the 11th will explore legal protections, resources available to whistleblowers and a chance to network with...

Meet Kris Saling. a leader in the Army's recruiting command and analytics guru. She joined me on the podcast to talk about her new book, Data-Driven Talent Management and federal agencies and deparmtents can leverage better tools and processes to improve employee experience. She combines HR and data savvy to yield results. Get the book at this link. Here's what the listing on Amazion says about Kris new book: Data-Driven Talent Management is a practical guide for HR professionals which...

https://iabpia.org I love connecting listeners with professional organizations literally made for them! Enter Black Professionals in International Affairs! President Alexandria Maloney discusses membership, upcoming events, mission and how you can get involved in this episode.  BPIA upcoming events: https://iabpia.org/events Alexandria Maloney's site: https://www.alexandriamaloney.com/

https://www.eeoc.gov/wysk/what-you-should-know-about-pregnant-workers-fairness-act Have you heard about the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act? Congress passed it in 2023, but the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission just published a final regulation in June of this year.  Deborah Hopkins, attorney and president of the Federal Employment Law Training Group, joined me on the podcast to discuss what you need to know as a pregnant employee and as a supervisor. This law changes the way you should...

Raymond Limon, vice chair of the Merit Systems Protection Board (MPSB) joined me on the show to discuss what the MPSB is, what it does and why it matters. If you havent' taken training on this recently, tune in for a refresher. He also surprised me  by administering the oath of office as a way to celebrate my new federal job!  https://www.mspb.gov/ If you need a refresher on the merit systems principles and prohibited practices: Find merit systems principles here. Find prohibited...

Lindy Kyzer of Clearance Jobs joined me on the podcast to talk about the current state of the job market for clearance holders and what CJ has to offer. Join us at the Clearance Jobs Connect 2024 event on October 3rd. Listen for details and click below to register now!  https://about.clearancejobs.com/employers/events/clearancejobs-connect-2024 Govvies can take $100 off the ticket price by using this code at registration:  GOVSQUIRREL Lindy and I discussed topics that come up often on the...

Longtime listeners probably remember episode 131 - https://www.fedupwardcoaching.com/podcast/episode/3675202c/131-what-i-learned-from-my-failed-ses-application Well, I kept at it and got through the SES process successfully! In this episode I walk through the lessons I learned and things that surprised me about the process this time.  For the basics on executive core qualitification, head here.

Jason Coleman of FedFam joined me on the show to talk about discounts FedFam negotiated just for you! FedRooms is shutting down and FedFam is stepping in. Learn more about the first great rates here: https://www.fedfam.org/landing-page

Dr. Kandis Boyd, Federal Executive Institute Alumni Aassociation (FEIAA) President, joined me on the podcast to disuss their upcoming event. The Federal Executive Forum is open to GS-12s through SESs and you don't have to be a FEIAA alum to attend this hybrid event. Yes, you can participate virtually.  Register here. To learn more about FEI's course offerings, head to this link.

The Partnership for Public Service has an amazing conference planned for federal human resources professionals. Michelle Amante, the VP for Federal Workforce Programs at the Partnership, discusses what this first of its kind conference will deliver and why you should register ASAP.  Click the link below for more details: https://ourpublicservice.org/event/2024-federal-human-capital-conference/ I hope I see you there - in person or virtually. 

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...