Audiences for Spring Training for the Major Leagues of Government.
This book fills a space between two levels of publications. At the top-level, political appointees, especially those heading cabinet level departments such as the Department of Defense, U.S. State Department, and the U.S. Treasury write about their experiences in government. In addition, academics provide top-level insights based on research into government operations and policy.
At the lower end of the hierarchy are project management publications targeted to entry-level or mid-level managers for programs ranging from $25 million to about $100 million in life cycle costs. Some of these managers will one day become the high-level officials that this book addresses.
Between top level agency heads and mid-level project managers are those government officials working one or two levels below agency heads. They carry titles like Deputy Commissioner, Assistant Deputy Commissioner, or other invented titles for officials positioned below the agency head.
This book answers questions that Brian raises about performing in government. The insights, anecdotes, and advice, to Brian, and, by extension, to real life officials have value for current and future generations of government executives, and to others interested in government operations.
Advice to Brian delivers insights and advice for current and future government managers, especially those in the ever-changing pool of political appointees (8,000 was Obama’s goal during his two terms), plus 8,000 Senior Executive Service officials, and thousands more at the top level of General Schedule jobs (GS-15’s), in addition to industry officials considering federal positions or selling to the government.
The goal of Spring Training is to accelerate the learning process of high-level officials:
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Improve their chances for success,
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Help them avoid pitfalls that threaten reputation and performance,
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Enable them to move smoothly through the ranks of senior government jobs, and
- Position them for advancement to even higher-level jobs in government, or in the private sector.
Spring Training for the Major Leagues of Government has insights for graduate students of public administration, and the curious who seek information about how the government works one or two steps below the agency head.
For industry officials working on or seeking contracts with government, the book reveals a mindset of government managers that will stimulate ideas about how to develop a professional and working relationship with senior government officials.
In academia, professors could consider the book for final semester graduate students who intend to work in or market to the government.
Lastly, citizens seeking a greater understanding about the internal workings of government can use the book to learn how federal workers make decisions and manage the thousands of programs that serve the nation’s 315 million people.
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