I was definitely at a reception

Happy April!?

Here are 4 things I learned, experienced, accomplished, and stumbled upon in the last month.?

1. Since last month, I’ve started my new job at ServiceNow and spent lots of time at the old proverbial firehose learning a whole new organization, getting clarity on how I fit into it, and making progress on a plan to add value. I am impressed with the ServiceNow onboarding experience - they’ve clearly put investment and planning into the experience. I’ve also truly enjoyed my first month here. If you’re going to Knowledge 2024 in early May, let’s meet up in the Global Public Sector space.?
2. I stumbled upon Rob Walker’s Dictionary of Missing Words and I’d love to come up with some for US Federal Gov life. Here’s a try:?

When you’re mandated by the President and Congress to get input and feedback from the people who use government services, but then when you propose to engage government customers someone will inevitably argue that the Paperwork Reduction Act precludes the engagement.?

What would be your Missing Word contribution??

1. I went to the inaugural Government DX conference last week. Organizers enticed some heavy hitters for its first year including Clare Martorana Dana Chisnell , GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan, former US CTO Megan Smith, Andy Lewandowski Amira Choueiki Boland , and many others.? The content was top notch, and the themes were predictable - modernization and digital transformation are much more than digitizing previously paper-based transactions; they’re about reimagining a digital experience that’s simple, seamless, and secure. ServiceNow was a sponsor of this event, which got me a fancy invitation to a reception at the British Embassy after the conference. I dutifully showed up at the Embassy, my name was checked by someone with a clipboard, and I was instructed to walk up a hill and head to the left into the residence. Wow! It was beautiful, with amazing art and picturesque gardens. Champagne and passed hors d’oeuvres floated about. I was definitely at a reception. Robin Carnahan approached me and we chatted for a few moments, so I must have been in the right place. I introduced myself to a number of different groups, most of whom were British bankers in impeccably tailored suits. I listened to remarks by Jeremy Hunt, Chancellor of the Exchequer, and started looking around for anyone from the GovDX event - I had lost sight of Robin and didn’t recognize anyone else. After the speech, I bid farewell to my new banker friends and was walking toward the embassy exit when I saw Robin again and she said, “Oh, by the way, the Gov DX folks are in that building over there!” So. I had been at the wrong reception for 90 minutes and had a pocketful of British banker business cards to show for it. I went to the right reception and had a ball chatting with the wonderful public servants there.?
2. I hopped into a wayback machine while reading this ode to IOTA. I arrived in DC from Boston 22 years ago. I was ready to start my job with a small nonprofit, but they had a last-minute board meeting and decided they couldn’t afford me, so I leaned on my only proven skillset and started working with a group of 5 local-to-DC bands. IOTA became my office from the early to mid oughts.?I'm sad it's gone but glad it existed.