March 2014

March is in like a lion and (hopefully) out like a lamb

with Newsletter Editor, Elizabeth Fischer Laurie

Although it may not seem like it this week, spring is so close we can taste it. The National Cherry Blossom Festival will be here on March 20th and with it warmer days and fewer winter accessories. 

For me, spring is always a time to reinvent myself and try new things. It is an opportunity to clean out cobwebs and closets and let some fresh air into my home. I find it is also an excellent time of the year to improve oneself professionally. I like to take stock of my career and see where I want to head in the upcoming year. 

If you are like me and prefer to make your resolutions during a warmer and brighter time of year, this edition of the newsletter should help you do just that. From our National President's suggestions on helping others to find a new workplace to call home to our CLO's introduction of YGL University, we at the YGL National Board hope that we can help you move into this time of rebirth with enthusiasm and excitement.  

President's Corner

by Ginny Hill

I've had one thing on my mind this month: Jobs!  It just seems to be that time of year when a lot of my peers and colleagues are looking for new jobs in government.  Also, I've seen a renewed emphasis by hiring managers to bring in young talent, including through the new Pathways Programs and Presidential Management Fellows Program.  But there are a lot of people out there struggling to get into a government position.  It's important that current public servants do their part to recruit the next generation into our ranks.  Even if you reach out to one peer and encourage them to apply through Pathways or USAJobs.  Give them your take on federal resumes and the application process.  Let them know it's worth the effort to get into government and start (or resume) their public service career.  Or simply talk to your boss about filling your office's vacancy with a PMF.  Each one of us who helps someone find a job in government is contributing to the overall hiring needs and succession planning of the government at-large.  Every one of us can make an impact! 

Two of YGL's Own Win Prestigious Awards

Miguel Joey Aviles, YGL's Chief Learning Officer, received the Office of the Secretary of Defense Award for Excellence. The award was in response to the 2014 Fed Feed Families Campaign. Miguel was the co-lead managing a team comprised of over 75 individuals around the globe and most importantly, collected almost 2 million pounds of food for people in need.

Isaiah Joo, YGL's Chief Information Officer, received a 2013 FedScoop 50 Award for "Government Up & Comer of the Year". The award was in recognition for his work at the U.S. Department of State's Office of eDiplomacy. The FedScoop 50 Awards recognize the achievements of 50 of the federal IT community’s best and brightest minds and innovators.

Survey - Career Goals and Their Impact on the Future of Government

YGL is committed to being the authentic voice for the next generation of aspiring government leaders. 

Work can encompass a lot of one's time. Many of us have goals for what we want to get out of our work. At YGL we want to be able to help in any way we can. To help us better help you please fill out the following survey.

This survey should take about 5 minutes. Your contribution is very valuable and will provide powerful insight into issues related to how you engage with work and the world around you. Please note that all responses are confidential and we do not tie individual responses to personal information. 

You can take the survey here.

We want to hear from you!

Did your chapter do something awesome this month? Have a member who deserves to be featured in an upcoming newsletter? Want to share information about a nationally available event?

Contact Newsletter Editor and YGL Chief of Staff, Elizabeth Fischer Laurie, at chiefofstaff@younggov.org to share your story. Content and photos may be featured in our newly redesigned national monthly newsletter.

Why just network, when you can "Sweatwork" with YGL and District Team Charities?

Join District Team Charities and YGL as we work out for a cause!

On Thursday, March 27th, socialize, network and work out with fellow rising professionals from across the public, non-profit, and private sectors at District Team Charities first Sweatworking event. Choose your activity (Kettlebells, Yoga, Running, or Zumba) and then join us for networking following your workout. Participants will enjoy healthy beverages like limeade with mint and cucumber cranberry provided by Capital Connoisseurs. 

Please contact the YGL National Board Events Chair, Lillian Amaechi, at eventschair@younggov.org if you have questions. For additional details and to register, visit  www.sweatworking.org.

The Details: 

• Thursday, March 27, 2014
• 5:30 pm
• Jordin’s Paradise, 1215 Connecticut Ave. NW, 4th Floor, Washington, DC 200036

Proceeds from this event will benefit Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship. The Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship teaches middle and high school students how to start and run their own business, inspires them to stay in school, to recognize business opportunities, and to plan for successful futures.

YGL and District Team Charities/DC Connect Fundraising Happy Hour

Join District Team Charities, DC Connect, and YGL in a fundraising happy hour benefiting the Navy SEAL Foundation on Saturday, April 5th. The Navy SEAL Foundation's mission provides immediate and ongoing support and assistance to the Naval Special Warfare community and their families. 

Join us for drinks, fun, networking, socializing, all for a good cause! L2 Lounge will be offering drink specials and no cover charge for those who donate.

For more information, please contact Lillian Amaechi at eventschair@younggov.org. Register on Eventbrite or RSVP on Facebook, or MeetUp.

The Details: 

• Saturday, April 5, 2014
• 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
• L2 Lounge, Georgetown, Washington, DC

Brookings and YGL Teaming up to Help You go Farther in 2014

When Ron Fournier's article “The Outsiders: How Can Millennials Change Washington If They Hate It?” was published in The Atlantic last year it started a conversation about the role of this new crop of professionals within all spheres of government. YGL is partnering with Brookings to continue this conversation in the coming months. 

Clearly there are many barriers getting Millennials into and to stick with government careers. YGL and Brookings want to explore these barriers and ways to overcome them by asking about the opportunities that exist and establishing what current government employees and groups like YGL can do to promote public service to this generation as they begin their careers. 

We are excited about this partnership and look forward to sharing information on upcoming events related to this topic in future newsletters.

CLO Connection by Miguel Joey Aviles

The New YGL University: Millennials Disrupting Education

No one dreams of having a mediocre career and every emerging leader dreams of making a difference. Our new initiative is YGL University, a University created by Millennials for Millennials. This university will equip young leaders with the right skills at the right time for the right mission. 

Federal Agencies are facing tremendous budget constraints and often funding for training and development is the first department to feel ill effects. This is our time as young leaders to stand up and offer a solution to the people who need it the most. YGL University will solve the dilemma of reduced budgets by providing cutting-edge learning programs for free. This initiative is a work in progress, and I would like to share with you some key lessons that we have learned so far about virtual education .

First lesson. Get married to the big picture.  Virtual learning can help organizations with succession planning, workforce development, retention, recruitment, and diversity efforts. When trying to sell a virtual approach to the boss, take it to the higher level. I have seen whole programs shutting down due to the inability of going virtual. Marry your learning goals to the big picture of what is possible.

Second lesson. Jane Bozarth said, "We complain that learners want to be spoon-fed, but then we won't let them hold the spoon."  For me, her meaning is that it is very important to involve the people you are trying to teach. What do they want to learn? How they want to learn? When do they want to learn? Where do they want to learn? At YGL University we are in the process of developing a survey that is going to be sent to our entire membership to ask these questions. The results of the survey will be maximized with focus groups and anecdotal data. We want to make sure that we hear the voice of our people.

Third Lesson. You must leverage resources. At YGL, we don’t have the resources for a project this ambitious, so we have to develop strategic partnerships with companies that are an authority in the field. Our vision is to have a cloud-based Learning Management System that will provide an unparalleled learning experience by connecting formal, informal, and collaborative learning. This innovative approach will deliver targeted learning when and where our members want to learn and it is only possible through leveraging our resources.

Fourth lesson. Keep the human side of learning. Sometimes organizations get too fancy with virtual strategies and forget the most important aspect of learning -- the human interaction. We are keeping the human side of learning through our second mentoring program cohort in conjunction with the Senior Executive Association. Keep it real, keep it human.

Fifth Lesson. You have got the talent, so explore your organization to find it. YGL just recruited two new positions for the Learning and Development Department. We also have a group of advisors who guide us throughout the process. You got the talent; find it and then strategically use it.

We are learning how to disrupt an organization through virtual learning through the creation of YGL University. This is a work in progress. While we achieve the ultimate goal of a cohesive center of learning at YGL, we will keep sharing our lessons learned in the hopes that they help you too. 

The Latest from FEDManager.com with Lynnie Martin

Recently Lynnie Martin interviewed Joshua Ederheimer, Principal Deputy Director for the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services at the Department of Justice. Ederheimer shared his best leadership lesson - to communicate decisions, whether they are popular or not, and explain why a particular decision was made. He also talked about what he looks for in potential employees and his proudest career accomplishments. You can read the full article here.

Each month, the Young Government Leaders' feature column offers a fresh perspective on news and information, not just for current and future generations of YGL, but to all feds interested in hearing from those who will meet the next set of challenges facing the federal government. More articles relevant to your professional life can be found on fedmanager.com.

YGL and the Federal Times

with Tyler Robinson YGL's Chairman, Tyler Robinson, recently started writing for federaltimes.com. About twice a month, Tyler will be covering topics of interest to young feds. We will be featuring some of the articles here on our monthly newsletter but encourage you to visit the website more often. Last month Tyler wrote about several interesting topics. First he discussed "The risks and rewards of rotations." The article was based on a YGL member survey, asking our members what they thought should be included in a recent graduates program. The top answer? Rotations. Read more about why rotations are so important by accessing the full article here. Tyler also wrote about another part of the survey where members were asked about their "Career aspirations." It is clear, says Tyler, that many young people working in government are seeking long-term careers. Tyler goes on to discuss the Senior Executive Service and opportunities beyond your daily job to help prepare you for leadership roles in the full article.

YGL National Board Advisor David Bray Profile in the Huffington Post

David Bray, CIO for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), was recently interviewed for the Huffington Post. Bray shared his "5 Ways to Create Change in a Change-Averse Culture," an essential skill in his new role at the FCC. You can read the full article here.

Public Service Week 5k Run/Walk To kick off Public Service Recognition Week (PSRW) 2014, government employees, their families, and friends and area running enthusiasts are invited to participate and show their support and appreciation for our country's dedicated public servants. Early bird pricing is available through mid-March. Proceeds will benefit the Federal Employee Education and Assistance Fund, a non-profit organization devoted to helping civilian federal and postal employees through scholarships and emergency assistance. Learn more and register at the PSRW website. The details: Sunday, May 4th 9:00 a.m. Anacostia Park, Washington, DC

Special Opportunity from GOVonomy.com

GOVonomy’s goal is to regularly introduce cost-effective, cutting-edge, targeted commercial off the shelf technologies that specifically address the needs, challenges, and opportunities facing the federal government. GOVonomy connects public organizations with new technology products and productized services from growth companies and helps arrange strategic discussions, demonstrations and pilots for increased understanding, education, purchasing, and integration. Federal government technology, procurement, budget, and contractor professionals can join for free. 

GOVonomy has three upcoming events in March:

• March 5th - Public Private Innovations
• March 6th - Enterprise HD Cloud Video Conferencing
• March 13th - Next Generation Unified Email Management

You can learn more and register here.

Young Government Leaders is a 5,000 member, non-profit organization committed to providing the authentic voice for our generation of aspiring government leaders. We are actively building a community of leadership for young public servants across the country through professional development activities, networking opportunities, social events, seminars, fellowships, and scholarships. You can find out more and join for free on our website.