In the interest of building and enhancing our skills as employees and leaders, there is always time to ’sharpen the saw’ as Stephen Covey recommends in "The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People." It is up to us to renew and refresh our physical, spiritual, mental, and social/emotional nature so that we can be more effective in our life’s work. This means investing in ourselves on a regular basis so that we can gain benefits on a recurring basis. Sharpening the saw means working smarter, not harder and deliberately investing in one’s self-care.
Whether you want to take 15 minutes or an hour, here’s an opportunity to invest in yourself, increase your competencies and enhance your influence in the long-term. Learning something new can rejuvenate your mental state and give you insights and ideas that can circle back to your professional success.
Skillsoft is available to every federal employee through the e-learning management system (eLMS). Many books and webinars are available free of charge, and each month we plan to offer you some of the worthwhile training that’s available. Whether you want to hone your skills, or explore leadership topics, there’s something for everyone within every organization. You decide what’s right for you.
Leadership
If We Can Put a Man on the Moon...Getting Big Things Done in Government
By William D. Eggers, John O’Leary
308 pages
Harvard Business Press © 2009
At a time of unprecedented challenges, this book, with its abundant examples and hands-on advice, unearths the hidden pitfalls that plague public projects, as well as examines the success factors of great achievements.
Organizational
Trust In Transition: Navigating Organizational Change
By: Bob Whipple
289 pages
Association for Talent Development © 2014
Professional Development
Get to the Point! Sharpen Your Message and Make Your Words Matter
By Joel Schwartzberg
129 pages
Berrett-Koehler Publishers © 2017
Whether you want to improve your impact in speeches, staff meetings, pitches, emails, PowerPoint presentations, or any other communication setting, this book provides a novel approach that teaches you how to go from simply sharing a thought to making a difference.
Self Help
Se#MOJOtweet: 140 Bite-Sized Ideas on How to Get and Keep Mojo
By Marshall Goldsmith
122 pages
THINKaha © 2010
Exploring the vital ingredients for building Mojo, this book teaches readers how to discover and nurture them within ourselves and how to use them as building blocks for creating our own personal Mojo.
Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World
Live Event - Thursday Sep 26 11am CST (1 hour)
Featuring Cal Newport
Skillsoft Ireland Limited
Digital minimalists are all around us. They&rsque;re the calm, happy people who can hold long conversations without furtive glances at their phones. In this session, Cal Newport gives us a name for this quiet movement, and makes a persuasive case for its urgency in our tech-saturated world.
The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups
Live Event - Tuesday Nov 12 11am CST (1 hour)
Featuring Daniel Coyle
Skillsoft Ireland Limited
Culture is not something you are–it’s something you do. Where does great culture come from? How do you build and sustain it in your group, or strengthen a culture that needs fixing? In this session, Coyle unearths helpful stories of failure that illustrate what not to do, troubleshoots common pitfalls, and shares advice about reforming a toxic culture.
As a reminder, within Skillsoft there are a variety of on-demand courses, videos, books, and podcasts. The FAA Skillsoft website has been revamped and redesigned to be intuitive and easy to use. Skillsoft provides all FAA employees -- regardless of level or Line of Business /Staff Office -- with the resources and courses needed to enhance one’s leadership skills and develop professionally. Isn’t it time that you sharpened the saw?
