How can young feds make a difference?
Young federal employees should convey their skills to senior leaders, expert says.
How can young feds make more of a difference? One good start: find what they’re good at and then convey those skills to senior leaders, suggests Tom Fox, vice president of leadership and innovation at the Partnership for Public Service.
On the Washington Post’s Federal Coach blog, Fox discusses the ways young federal employees can make a connection and support their agencies without being in upper management.
There are several approaches to take, Fox noted. First, consider the interests and talents you could bring to resolving any problems, whether it’s finding cost-savings measures or having experience in process improvements and re-engineering.
Next, you should talk to your direct supervisor about your interest and ideas, Fox wrote.
“Your supervisor should be aware of any ongoing or planned efforts to address agency challenges, and can outline those efforts for you and make some suggestions for outreach to different executives or agency working groups,” he says. “Your supervisor also might have some ideas for things you can do to support the team.”
Read the column linked above for more of Fox's ideas. Meanwhile, consider your own career wisdom. What are your best ideas for making a connection with senior leaders? Any approaches that you tried and didn’t work out well? Share your stories in the comments.