Distilling your stories into insights and actions that will help our whole community become better at change.
Stories of Change
We have collected dozens of stories, met amazing change leaders and hosted Story Jams. Read on to learn about the stories and lessons learned we've collected and distill into insights and actions that will help our whole community become better at change.
Digital Transformation: It’s all about the People
Thank you for sending us your Stories of Change. We heard that you want to learn more about how to ensure that the people – employees, stakeholders, partners and the American public – are front in center in your work. Click to read why focusing on the people side of digital services and digital transformation is important, as well as tips, resources and videos to help you succeed.
Top 5 Superpowers Every Change Leader Needs
In response to the call for Stories of Change, we received dozens of compelling entries from leaders in business and government. We have reviewed them all and click here to learn the top 5 leadership lessons we've gathered.
Story Jam, Stories of Change Showcase Events
To honor Public Service Recognition Week, we gathered to explore how we can build the government’s digital workforce of the future. The panel, hosted in partnership with the Digital Services Coalition, highlighted “boomerangers” who have worked in BOTH government and industry, including roles at USDS, 18F, USAID, state government and the White House.
Our four storytellers shared their experiences and discussed what type of public servants and skills are needed to meet government priorities, including improved customer experience, increased diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA), a more robust remote-focused workforce and increased digital transformation across government.
Digital Transformation: It’s all about the People
Thank you for continuing to send us your Stories of Change and participating in our recent Story Jam. We heard that you want to learn more about how to ensure that the people – employees, stakeholders, partners and the American public – are front in center in your work. This year we are focusing on the people side of digital services and digital transformation, and we will be sharing tips, resources and videos to help you succeed.
Creating a Cybersecurity Culture to Support Digital Services
October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month and we are celebrating by exploring the importance of building a strong cyber culture to support digital services. As agencies work to meet the Federal Government’s zero trust architecture strategy, it is important to also look beyond procuring and updating technology. Like any digital transformation, addressing the people side is integral to a successful cybersecurity strategy. Check out these articles and resources to learn how to cultivate a cyber mindset and instill a resilient cyber culture at your organization.
October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month and we are celebrating by exploring the importance of building a strong cyber culture to support digital services. As agencies work to meet the Federal Government’s zero trust architecture strategy, it is important to also look beyond procuring and updating technology. Like any digital transformation, addressing the people side is integral to a successful cybersecurity strategy. Check out these articles and resources to learn how to cultivate a cyber mindset and instill a resilient cyber culture at your organization.
Cyber Culture is More than Technology, It’s a Mindset
By Kathi Scott, Cadmus
In an ever-evolving landscape of more sophisticated threats, technology is only one part of the equation for protecting against cyberattacks. Another crucial part is a robust cyber mindset. Today, successful organizations are creating environments conducive for implementing change, while communicating frequently about cybersecurity and what’s coming next.
Cybersecurity is a Journey not a Destination
By Robin Camarote, Cadmus
Cybersecurity tops agency priority lists across government. And for good reason, as Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas recently stated, “Cyberattacks have emerged as one of the most significant threats to our homeland.” Additionally, the recent Executive Order and guidance from the White House mandates that agencies move towards Zero Trust cybersecurity principles.
Creating an Inclusive Workplace of the Future
Our last series focused on building the future digital workforce. An important piece of that future is ensuring Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA). Organizations are using technology in a variety of new and exciting ways to help support this effort. This month we are taking a closer look at some of the ways digital services can help workplaces be more inclusive.
How Extended Reality Can Support Employee Mental Health
By Ashley Coffey, Cadmus
Did you know that your employees may already use extended reality (XR) tools for mental health support? Virtual, augmented and mixed reality (collectively known as XR) tools have many applications. Popular examples range from gaming to helping medical professionals train for complex procedures. However, as more experiences are created for XR technologies, mental health assessment and support are becoming more widely available.
How Virtual Reality Supports Employees: Spotlight on Vision Loss
By Alexa Huth, Cadmus
I always assumed that exploring digital worlds with virtual reality (VR) just wasn’t in the cards for me. In 2009 I was diagnosed with lattice degeneration and had an intense year of sight-saving surgeries. The result was permanent double vision, no depth perception, no 3D vision, flashes, floaters, limited peripheral vision – the list goes on.
Making up excuses to avoid VR became my norm. I even created a blog post explaining how I write about technologies that I cannot use in the hopes it would help other disabled communicators tackle work and exclusion simultaneously. When I joined Wheelhouse Group and learned I would be working with VR experts, I figured it would be business as usual.
Building the Digital Workforce of the Future
Over the past year there have been multiple executive orders highlighting the importance of improved customer experience, increased diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility, a more robust remote-focused workforce and increased digital transformation across the government. This month we are exploring building the future digital workforce to meet these mandates.
Story Jam Recap: Building the Digital Workforce of the Future
By Mateo Haddad, Cadmus
Earlier this month, we gathered in honor of Public Service Recognition Week to explore how we can build the government’s digital workforce of the future. The panel, hosted in partnership with the Digital Services Coalition, highlighted “boomerangers” who have worked in BOTH government and industry, including roles at USDS, 18F, USAID, state government and the White House.
Our four storytellers shared their experiences and discussed what type of public servants and skills are needed to meet government priorities, including improved customer experience, increased diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA), a more robust remote-focused workforce and increased digital transformation across government.
Can Civic Sector Apprenticeships Help Government Build the Workforce of the Future?
Dina Klimkina, Program Director, The Council of State Governments and Josh Christianson, Cadmus
Governments at all levels are struggling to attract and retain workers. A 2021 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report on Science and Technology: Strengthening and Sustaining the Federal Science and Technology Workforce found that this is especially evident in technology fields, whose workforce needs to be highly qualified and agile. Solving these workforce challenges is essential for the government to meet both their mission and federal mandates around customer experience and cybersecurity.
Much of the solution lies in strengthening the pipeline of trained workers, and one effective tool is apprenticeship. “Earning while Learning” provides the public and private sectors with mechanisms for combining on-the-job training and classroom instruction to help the apprentice master the skills necessary to succeed.
Improving Customer Experience and Service Delivery
Last year we ended our Top 5 superpowers countdown with a focus on Customer Experience (CX). However, we shared these tips and resource BEFORE the President’s December 13 CX Executive Order. This seminal directive lays out specific policies, actions and accountability measures for government agencies to transform the customer experience. We are providing additional articles and resources to help our community put this guidance into action.
Delivering on the CX Presidential Order: Start Turning your Vision into Results
By Mara Goldberg, Cadmus
Customer Experience (CX) is how customers perceive and engage with an organization, throughout the full lifecycle of their interaction. In today’s world, rapid technological advances have a significant impact on these interactions. In response, there has been a recent, substantial shift in the way leading organizations think about CX. And it is working. Organizations with great CX initiatives have identified measurable benefits: increased customer satisfaction, engaged employees and revenue growth.
This combination of rapidly changing innovation and the positive outcomes of CX has made investing in CX more important than ever. When private organizations don’t focus on CX, it impacts their bottom line. Digital innovation has made it easier for new companies to enter the market, increasing competition. And because consumers are more willing (and able) to adopt new technologies and products, their loyalty to specific brands decreases.
CX Deep Dive: Meeting the Needs of the Complete User
By Joiwind Ronen, Cadmus
At the recent Story Jam: Digital Transformation Edition, I hosted a panel of expert strategists and technologists to share stories of transformations and modernization efforts – big and small.
Our speakers discussed how government is working to improve the customer experience for the American people. They acknowledged that we now rely on ubiquitous access and just-in-time support in our private-sector interactions. It’s simply the norm. They shared examples of how the government is working hard to model the same conveniences in accessible, equitable and secure ways.
As part of this discussion, our storytellers referenced the importance of focusing on the “complete user.” It’s a thread that I wanted to pull as we all look to implement the December 2021 Executive Order to transform the federal customer experience.
Top 5 Superpowers Every Change Leader Needs
#1: Engage Your Customers AND Your Employees
Improving Customer Experience (CX) is a top priority for all government organizations. However, in an effort to stay focused on customers, a vital stakeholder group is often overlooked – your employees. Effective employee engagement is key to a great customer experience.
A Dash of HCD, a Sprinkle of CX and a Healthy Dose of Engagement Makes for Happy Customers!
By Lee Frothingham, Cadmus
I have been working in the customer experience (CX) field with the federal government since before it had an official title! When I began, we were primarily focused on how to more effectively run call centers. This was, after all, the primary touchpoint for most people to interact with their government.
Watching this field grow and change over my career has been exciting and, frankly, sometimes challenging to understand all it encompasses. Once you dive into this work you tend to see CX everywhere! In every interaction with customers. In most employee communications. In many partner meetings.
So, when I sat down to document our own Wheelhouse Group method and approach with my team, I really wanted to embed all we have learned in our recent journeys with the IRS, Mint, DOJ, DOL, GSA, EPA and DOI.
Designing and delivering successful CX isn’t about managing a checklist but rather, producing a shift in thinking. That’s why I like to focus on the intersection of Human-Centered Design (HCD) documented by IDEO and the employee engagement and organizational change management principles detailed in the Wheelhouse Group book The Method and the Magic: Every Leaders Guide to Making Transformational Change.
Your Employees Know Great CX. Just Ask Them!
By Lee Frothingham, Cadmus
Before I joined Wheelhouse Group, I was the Chief Employee Retention Officer for a Fortune 100 health insurance company. My job was to find ways to keep 5,000+ call center employees engaged and fulfilled so that they wouldn’t leave the organization… because the cost of replacing them was about 20% of their annual salary.
What I learned is that employees often quit their job because their great ideas aren’t heard. Year after year, employee survey results showed that our team members didn’t see their feedback or ideas in action. This was especially true in the service we delivered to our customers. So, in employee focus groups across the country, I committed to becoming a content-oriented listener, or someone who hears all the information being presented before forming any sort of judgment. I also asked for big ideas, like “If you had a magic wand, how would you improve the service we deliver to our customers?”
#2: Invest in Inclusion
In honor of National Disability Employment Awareness Month we are sharing tips and resources on investing in diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA). It’s not only the right thing for leaders to do, but it also helps more effectively meet agency missions and business’ bottom line.
Why I Invest in Inclusion (and How You Can Too)
By Beth McDonald, Cadmus
One of the first things we as leaders do is decide which key areas we want to invest in within our organizations. We know that where we spend our time and our resources impacts our people, our clients and ultimately our success.
As President of Wheelhouse Group*, I knew early on that that I wanted to build an inclusive and welcoming company. Instinctively, I understood that building such a culture would be good for business. And now, 18 years later, I take pride in leading a women-owned business that is majority female and where:
- Over 10% of our workplace identifies as a person with a disability
- Over 16% identified as LGBTQ+ in a staff survey
- Over 25% of our client work is in diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA)
But our company has more work to do, and so do I as a leader. Wheelhouse Group has made a formal commitment to invest in DEIA as a company-wide initiative. I made a personal commitment to learn and build my individual awareness of racial brokenness and systemic injustice so I can recognize and remove additional barriers to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging.
Why CIOs Should Invest in an Accessible Government
Guest Blog by Mike Gifford, Senior Strategist from CivicActions, our Digital Services Coalition Partner
There is growing momentum around inclusion and accessibility in government, and the President himself has made it a key priority through his recent Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) Executive Order.
So, what does this mean for government leaders, especially CIOs? It’s time to invest in accessibility — which in turn will help you build more inclusive teams AND future-proof your organization.
Inclusive by design
1 in 4 people in America has a permanent disability — and many more have temporary disabilities — so it is hard to think of any government project that wouldn’t benefit from considering accessibility. From returning Veterans with limited mobility to people who are reading on a smartphone in the sun, everyone should be able to engage with important digital content from their government.
The pandemic has demonstrated how crucial modern digital services are to our economy and daily lives. We cannot assume that people will be able to engage with their governments in person or over the phone. All citizens — of all abilities — need to be able to utilize digital tools to engage.Read More
#3: Be Authentic
Authenticity is key to creating a workplace environment that responds effectively to change. To motivate and support others, authentic leaders are continually working on themselves. Being authentic sets an example for employees and promotes a healthy space that encourages honesty, vulnerability, and mindfulness. Organizations that do this have proven that they foster better relationships, higher trust, more productivity and a positive work environment. Sound like a place you want to create? This month we provide tips and resources for being an authentic leader.
What’s the First Step to Being a Great Leader? Be Yourself!
By Joiwind Ronen, Partner and Managing Director, Wheelhouse Group
Over the last 18 months, we’ve all been stretched in new and often uncomfortable ways. As leaders we have struggled with the balance of being authentic and professional in a time of such challenge in our workplaces.
We are also trying hard to support our teams and the people that come to work each day willing to help us reach our shared vision and important organizational goals. We recognize that many of the ways to connect aren’t readily available anymore. Grabbing coffee with a team member, a welcome lunch for a new employee, watercooler catch-ups and hallway conversations have mostly disappeared.
So how do we lead in a way that provides connection and motivation?
How One IRS Executive Harnesses the Power of Meditation to Meet the Mission
Reprinted from Government Executive Magazine
Interview with Anne Shepherd, ACIO, IRS by Lee Frothingham, Managing Director, Wheelhouse Group
Anne Shepherd is a problem-solver. As the associate chief information officer for user and network services at the Internal Revenue Service, she has a lot of problems to solve. Her portfolio includes responsibility for the architecture, design, engineering and operations for the IRS enterprise-wide area network, unified VoIP communications and contact center infrastructure, end-user desktop computing services and more. Her team also manages the service desk to solve IT problems for staff.
How does she manage it all? How does her staff? In a word: Meditation.
#4: Sustain Momentum
We know that change leaders don’t just make a big change at one moment in time, but most changes happen over a period – months, even years, and in phases. And during a change effort, many things shift, including changes in leadership. These shifts, often beyond our control, can cause us to lose momentum. Whether it’s a new administration, new priorities or new leadership, we hope these tips for sustaining momentum will help you succeed.
In My Experience: How to Survive and Thrive During Leadership Change
By Karen Freeman, former SES and Deputy CIO at the IRS
So, a new leader is coming into your organization. And with that new leader, a new perspective on your work. We as federal careerists are no stranger to this. While we expect leadership turnover during a new administration, if you work for the federal government long enough, this will happen regularly throughout your career. Personally, I experienced 10 top leadership changes during my tenure in the Senior Executive Service (SES). As the Deputy Chief Information Officer (DCIO) at the IRS, I had to balance the delivery of ongoing mandated services and the planning, development, and execution of changing strategic initiatives that aligned with the vision of new leaders.
How the Best Leaders Maintain Momentum During Times of Change
By Janet Andrews
Leaders in government and business are all too familiar with that fact that change is constant. However, that awareness doesn’t make keeping up with the pace of change – particularly when you are also trying to implement change – easy. A single factor can cause a slow-down or a milestone miss, whether that factor is organizational, such as a leadership transition, a strategy refresh, or a realignment of priorities; or a shift in some external condition whether political, financial, environmental, societal or technological.
#5: Master Storytelling
For Today’s Leaders, Storytelling is a Skill to Master
Stories are for entertainment, for sense-making, for sharing something important about your values or your identity, for teaching a lesson, or simply—and perhaps most importantly—for connecting. In the workplace and beyond, storytelling is a skill to master. Telling someone that you believe “flexibility is important” is never going to be as compelling as sharing a personal anecdote of a time in your life when you had to be flexible or learned to adapt to a difficult situation—and thrived.
There’s brain science to back this observation. Character-driven stories produce oxytocin, the chemical that enhances cooperation and motivates kindness. It’s no surprise that many of the world’s greatest leaders have been exceptional storytellers. And with a few tips and pointers, we can each learn to more effectively use stories as part of our communications repertoire. Whether you’re preparing for an important presentation, leading a big change effort, or simply wanting to strengthen a relationship, it’s time to brush up on your storytelling.
We have a few pointers to help you improve your storytelling.
- Know the takeaway.
Stories are a dynamic, powerful, and indispensable communications tool. As you think about the story you want to tell, get crystal clear on what the takeaway is. Decide in advance the one thing your listener must walk away with, and focus your details around that takeaway. - Consider your audience.
As you think about who you’ll be sharing your story with, anticipate their questions and expectations. Consider what common experiences you share and what they do not know—and might need more context. Of all the details you could choose to share as you tell your story, think about which will help you best connect with your audience. - Practice makes perfect.
How you deliver your story — yes, we’re talking presentation skills 101— makes a difference. As you deliver your story, remember to make eye contact, emphasize your key words, vary your tone and pitch, vary your speed and volume. Test your story a few times in front of a mirror or with some trusted colleagues. Ask for feedback, see what resonates and where you can improve your delivery, and adjust accordingly.