11921 Freedom Drive, Suite 550, Reston, VA 20190 | www.managementstrategies.com
“Knowledge has become the key economic resource and the dominant—and perhaps even the only—source of competitive advantage.” – Peter Drucker, American-Austrian Educator
The need for Knowledge Management in an organization is made evident by the stories of struggle we often hear such as new employees not knowing where to go for guidance or seasoned team members retiring and leaving “big shoes to fill.” Although these narratives are common, organizations that have effective knowledge management practices in place will reduce the strain that these struggles can place on an organization. In the competitive business world, and especially in Federal agencies, knowledge management has become more essential for the sustainable development of organizations.
What is Knowledge Management?
Knowledge Management is the process of capturing, sharing, storing, and effectively managing the knowledge and experience of employees to increase an organization’s overall knowledge.
The primary goal of Knowledge Management is to improve efficiency, increase productivity, and retain critical information within an organization. Knowledge Management is important to organizations for five key reasons:
- Better Decision Making – Faster and higher-quality decisions are enabled through streamlined knowledge and information flow and by learning from the successes and failures of peers and predecessors.
- Reduced Risk – Risk reduction is achieved through standardizing processes and procedures, and preventing knowledge loss due to retirement or attrition.
- Team Performance & Collaboration – Improved efficacy and efficiency of operations is achieved by connecting people to each other and to the knowledge and information they need, when they need it.
- Innovation – The ability to locate and use shared knowledge has a direct affect upon the ability to create new knowledge and ideas.
- Increased Productivity – Reducing search time empowers team members to act quickly, encouraging them to contribute back into the community of knowledge sharing and focus on higher-value work.
- Increased Client Satisfaction – Teams are able to provide faster answers or shorten the time it takes to improve a product or service.
Getting Started with Knowledge Management
Management Strategies has supported several knowledge management initiatives in Federal agencies. Typical pain points that we help our clients overcome include a lack of: enterprise search capabilities, knowledge management standards, inter-office knowledge storing and sharing, overall knowledge management vision and strategy, and overall training and skills development. Our solutions often include one or several knowledge management initiatives such as: designing new, or improving existing, knowledge management systems, mitigating risks posed by a key person as sole knowledge owner, centralizing libraries, improving change management, creating a knowledge map, assessing knowledge bases, and standardizing knowledge management processes.
How Our Work Supports Federal Knowledge Management Initiatives
Management Strategies is proud to support knowledge management efforts across several Federal organizations including the U.S. Department of the Treasury, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. If you are interested in learning more about how we can support your organization with knowledge management, please contact us at info@managementstrategies.com.
Management Strategies is proud to have recently earned an ISO 9001 Quality Management certification. This certification speaks to our drive towards continuous quality management improvements.
This certification underscores the strong focus we have always had on quality management and continuous improvement in client service delivery and our own internal operations. ISO 9001 sets a high bar for quality management systems. This standard is based on several quality management principles including a strong client focus and the discipline of firm leadership. Management Strategies was formally assessed by TCB Audit Services and certified as meeting the requirements ISO 9001:2015 (Quality Management Systems).
The Management Strategies team was excited to meet up last week at our annual All Hands meeting in Washington, D.C. We reviewed 2022 results, discussed our strategy for continued success in 2023, and enjoyed the opportunity to collaborate and share ideas in person.
“It is the responsibility of all contractors and Federal employees that create or receive recorded information which contributes to the missions of an agency to preserve those records in accordance with approved record schedules.”
Records are the memory of organizations such as Federal agencies. In today’s nearly all-digital work environment, most Federal agencies are saddled with a large number of electronic records (email, video, voicemail, etc.) and some physical records that they must properly organize and store. Not all records are created equal—records designated as permanent are kept “for the life of the republic”—while temporary records are destroyed after their fiscal, legal, and/or administrative use is up. There are rules and regulations that outline how records should be managed and every Federal agency should have an approach to managing records that meets their unique needs. Your agency may be missing an opportunity to streamline processes and may even be at risk of lawsuits if it lacks a detailed plan for managing its records.
Records Management aims to manage records across their entire lifecycle (creation or receipt, maintenance and use, disposition) with the goal of:
- Promoting effective file maintenance practices;
- Preserving records of continuing value;
- Removing noncurrent paper records from office space to less expensive storage facilities through either physical transport, or conversion to an electronic format; and
- Destroying records (both paper and electronic) of temporary value as soon as they have served the purpose for which they were created and are eligible for destruction.
Rules and regulations for Federal records management are covered by the Federal Records Act, which dictates that agencies must create a records management office to manage the records of the agency. Agencies create records schedules to provide mandatory instructions on how to treat records when they are no longer needed for current government business. Once a record becomes inactive, obsolete, or is superseded, a records schedule provides instructions on how to handle that record (the disposition). It is the responsibility of all contractors and Federal employees that create or receive recorded information which contributes to the missions of an agency to preserve those records in accordance with approved record schedules.
Getting Started with Federal Records Management
Management Strategies has supported several Federal records management initiatives. Our typical Federal records management support project begins with a kick-off meeting with the appropriate Federal personnel to outline goals of the effort and lay out a high-level project schedule. It is imperative in these engagements to work with the Federal personnel who have been given authority to manage records and the personnel who are producing the records that must be managed. Once we have outlined our proposed approach, we need to identify where records are stored so that we can perform a records inventory. We will work to map the inventory to existing records schedules, create a file plan to serve as a quick reference and begin the process of creating and managing a folder structure in accordance with established processes to help facilitate better records management practices moving forward.
How Our Work Supports Federal Records Management Initiatives
Management Strategies is proud to support Federal records management efforts across several Federal organizations including the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. If you are interested in learning more about how we can support your organization with records management, please contact us at info@managementstrategies.com.
Our team here at Management Strategies wishes everyone peace, health, and joy during this holiday season and throughout 2023!
Today’s work environment is becoming more diverse and inclusive than ever thanks to White House Executive Orders, Federal and state laws, changing organizational ideas of diversity and inclusion, and organizations’ Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) initiatives. Despite recent strides towards DEIA, there remains ample opportunity for organizations and teams to continue to improve through the strategic development and implementation of DEIA plans. The White House’s update to the President’s Management Agenda states four goals: creating more equitable employee engagement, revamping federal hiring process, attracting new federal workers in mission-critical jobs, and promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. DEIA is on the precipice of unprecedented momentum because of the commitment from the White House to use metrics to measure agencies’ performance. It will take strategy and leadership to usher in these priorities.
What is DEIA and Why is it Important?
There are four tenets to DEIA and are defined as follows per the recent Executive Order (see the Executive Order for expanded definitions):
- Diversity – The practice of including the many communities, identities, races, ethnicities, backgrounds, abilities, cultures, and beliefs of the American people, including underserved communities.
- Equity – The consistent and systematic fair, just, and impartial treatment of all individuals, including individuals who belong to underserved communities that have been denied such treatment.
- Inclusion – The recognition, appreciation, and use of the talents and skills of employees of all backgrounds.
- Accessibility – The design, construction, development, and maintenance of facilities, information and communication technology, programs, and services so that all people, including people with disabilities, can fully and independently use them.
DEIA is important because it spotlights underserved communities and helps bring more talent to the modern workplace. It drives innovation by bringing more minds to the discussion, drives retention by having valued employees feel welcomed and supported in the workplace, and creates opportunity for employees no matter their needs.
Getting Started with DEIA Initiatives
Studies have shown that diverse groups increase performance, increase quality, and foster team collaboration—understanding the value of a DEIA-centric work environment is a necessary prerequisite. Getting started with DEIA initiatives requires a planned and coordinated approach. The first step to creating a fair and inclusive workplace is to develop a DEIA Strategic Plan. These plans are customized to each organization and guide an organization—along with its vision and mission—holding leadership accountable, guiding recruitment, hiring, and retention, developing employees through training and activities, and guides marketing and branding efforts along with many other aspects that create an overall healthy and flourishing environment for employees.
Examples of DEIA Initiatives
Examples of DEIA initiatives in the public sector include:
- U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) – The GSA recently issued Requests for Information (RFIs) regarding DEIA Practices in the Design and Construction Industries. These RFIs support the set of recently released public buildings goals outlined in GSA’s Equity Action Plan for Executive Order 13985, Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government.
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) – The CFPB is a government agency dedicated to making sure consumers are treated fairly by banks, lenders, and other financial institutions. CFPB’s DEIA initiatives include monitoring progress and best practices with regulated entities. CFPB reaches out to minority-owned and women-owned businesses to offer information and assistance. The CFPB requires all contractors who work with the Bureau to certify that they have made good faith efforts to ensure the equitable inclusion of women and minorities in their workforce.
- National Institutes of Health (NIH) – The NIH have many DEIA initiatives. For example, they announced the launch of the UNITE initiative, which was established to identify and address structural racism and to establish an equitable and civil culture across all of NIH. Also, the NIH has a centralized interpreting program that enables employees who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing to request interpreters or Communication Access Real-time Translation (CART) services. And more recently, during COVID-19, NIH ensured that the Director’s town halls were fully accessible by providing closed captions and certified American Sign Language interpreters.
How Our Work Supports Federal DEIA Initiatives
Management Strategies is proud to be supporting critical components of DEIA initiatives across several Federal organizations. This includes project management and communications support for DEIA-related efforts, and the design and administration of DEIA-focused leadership surveys and climate assessments. The latter delivers actionable data that helps our clients shape their DEIA strategies and plans, prioritize their activities and efforts, and allocate their resources for maximum impact. If you are interested in learning more about our DEIA-related capabilities, please contact us at info@managementstrategies.com.
What is Process and Task Automation?
Process and task automation has quickly become an essential tool that enhances modern teams and organizations, especially those teams that are looking for ways to reduce time-consuming, routine, and administrative tasks. Implementing process and task automation into your organization should not require the purchase of elaborate tools or in-depth technical resources. Members of our client support teams often use automation to streamline internal business reporting processes (invoicing, financial reporting, and dashboards) as well as client support initiatives (risk reporting, project status dashboards, and document compilation and formatting).
Process and Task Automation using Power Automate
In addition to using Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), Management Strategies also specializes in using Power Automate, a low-code automation platform that makes it easy for developers and non-developers to automate the most repetitive and mundane processes and tasks. Automation is the key to enabling teams to focus attention on where it is needed most. Power Automate is available across desktop, web, and mobile. Some examples of what you can do with Power Automate include:
- Automate repeatable business processes
- Send automatic reminders for past due tasks
- Move business data between systems on a schedule
- Connect to more than 500 data sources or any publicly available API
- Automate tasks on your local computer like computing data in Excel
All it takes is a little experimentation with your first Power Automate flow and you then start to see other examples of manual processes and tasks that are perfect for automation.
Specific Examples
Management Strategies uses Power Automate for process and task automation across client support activities and company operations. The use of automation frees our team members to focus on value-added, high-skill activities. Some specific automations we use include:
- Automated Email Reminders – When an activity is not completed on time, Power Automate will send an automated email reminder.
- Recurring Tasks in Microsoft Planner – When a Planner task is marked as recurring, Power Automate will create a new task once the original task is completed.
- Create Tasks from Teams Chat – When discussing a new task with a coworker on Teams, you can prompt Power Automate to run a workflow that will automatically create a task in Planner based on a specific chat message.
- Automatic File Backups – When Outlook receives an email with specific keywords, Power Automate will automatically save a file to a folder to serve as an automated backup.
How Can We Help You?
Task automation using Power Automate is a powerful tool that teams and organizations use to maximize efficiency and free up personnel to focus on more value-added activities. To discover more about process and task automation and how Management Strategies customizes our support for your team or organization, please contact us at info@managementstrategies.com.
What is Executive Coaching?
Executive Coaching is a term that many have heard, but few understand fully. When a leader is motivated to make a change—whether it be to change oneself, a team, or an entire organization—they may seek the support and guidance of an executive coach. The best executive coaches bring years of experience successfully navigating executives through complex changes. The typical coaching process takes place over 6-12 months but can also last multiple years. The approach is highly customized based on an individual’s goals, areas of strength and opportunities for growth. As with any change initiative, there are some keys to executive coaching success:
- Focus on development rather than performance,
- A motivation to change,
- Management support, and
- Ability to prioritize the coaching.
Management Strategies & Executive Coaching
Our team of executive coaches provides executive coaching and leadership development services to leaders across a number of federal agencies. Our work typically involves us developing custom programs to provide senior leaders with a baseline of leadership and management knowledge and skills, while also helping them achieve the leadership and professional development goals they have established for themselves and their teams.
How Can We Help You?
If executive coaching sounds like something you or someone in your organization could benefit from, contact us to discuss more about how we can help: info@managementstrategies.com.
We are happy to announce that Management Strategies was recently certified as a Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Federal Contracting program. This new certification allows us to compete for WOSB set aside federal contracts and allows the government to directly award us sole-source contracts. The federal government’s goal is to award at least 5% of all federal contracting dollars to women-owned small businesses each year.
Achieving WOSB certification is no easy feat. The eligibility requirements to qualify as a WOSB are fully defined in Title 13 Part 127 Subpart B of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). To be eligible for the WOSB Federal Contracting program, a business must:
- Be a small business according to SBA size standards
- Be at least 51% owned and controlled by women who are U.S. citizens
- Have women manage day-to-day operations who also make long-term decisions
Partner with Us!
Let us help you achieve greater business and mission success. We are an award-winning management consulting firm supporting federal agencies with strategy and management services. Learn more about our services and partnering and industry information.
Wishing you and your family joy, health, and cheer this holiday season and throughout 2022!
About Us
Management Strategies is an award-winning management consulting firm with 12 years of experience helping federal agencies address complex business challenges and manage mission critical programs.
Contact
Management Strategies
11921 Freedom Drive, Suite 550, Reston, VA 20190