3 Tips for Managing in Uncertain Times

What are the best ways to maximize output and drive efficiencies during the US Presidential transition?

There’s no shortage of press coverage around President-Elect Trump and his transition team. Between the high-profile cabinet picks, the controversial Department of Energy questionnaire requesting names of employees focused on climate change, and the reduction of intelligence briefings from 7 to 3 per week, its anything but business as usual.

With so much uncertainty, it’s easy to “wait and see” what happens. But in reality, the business of government doesn’t grind to a halt. So as we learn to navigate unfamiliar territory, what can we count on?

In a recent Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association (AFCEA) breakfast focused on the transition, one of the speakers offered some sage advice. With so much in flux, three key areas remain the same:

  1. People
  2. Procurement
  3. Technology

These three areas are the backbone of government. Each requires attention and nurturing. And each, if well managed, will lay a solid foundation for meeting your mission, even if the mission itself shifts. Check out these three practical tips for maximizing output and driving efficiency:

We take a look at focus in concert with the US Presidential transition:

1. Maximize your talent.

“People are your #1 asset.” How many times have we heard that? Despite the cliché, it was true yesterday, is true today, and will remain true tomorrow. Managing your agency’s talent is a critical and broad task that is key to success. Creating a holistic view of the current organization—role, title, rank, years in service, retirement eligibility, etc.—is a great start. By visualizing this data, you can see where you may have gaps due to an aging workforce, where talent is being underutilized, and where the organization is bleeding talent, enabling you to make informed decisions that maximize your workforce. See it in action by taking a look at this Human Capital Management demo.

2. Know where the money goes.

Strategic sourcing is simple in theory—consolidate government’s ample purchasing power to command better rates. Implementation, however, isn’t always so simple. A quick and easy starting point is to create a single, consolidated view of spend across the agency. See how the EPA leverages analytics to monitor spend, build industry partnerships and reduce acquisition costs.

3. Eliminate duplication in IT.

Odds are, you’re paying to maintain multiple systems designed to accomplish the same purpose. It’s a common occurrence, particularly in large agencies, and often goes undetected. Reclaim a significant chunk of IT budget by using Qlik to visualize your asset inventory and associated spend. That’s the easy part. The tricky (and most important) part is this: be prepared to purge what you don’t need.

Need inspiration? Preview our Contract Spend App, which visualizes six years of federal spending with the Top 100 vendors.

By focusing on the certainties in government—people, money, and technology—we’ll further the business of government and be better prepared for whatever the future holds.

 

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