Anyone who has done investigations has encountered a witness who is reluctant, difficult, argumentative, or fill in the blank… It’s never easy, but being able to deal with the witness in a professional way that moves your investigation forward must remain your goal. Sometimes that is easier said than done. Here are some ideas for…
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Improving Your Influence, Part 2: Creating Strategic Alliances
This is the second in our series How to Improve Your Influence. In our last post, we discussed assessing where you are. Today we’re going to discuss how to create strategic alliances as part of your strategy. In essence creating strategic alliances is the ability to build coalitions internally and with external organizations to achieve…
Investigator Tricks of the Trade, Part 2: Preparing to Investigate
“If you don’t know where you are going, you’ll end up someplace else.” ― Yogi Berra Imagine an experienced airline pilot not having a flight plan because she has flown the route countless times. Imagine beginning any home improvement project without even a basic project plan. Imagine having an attorney represent you in court…
57,000 Federal Employees on Paid Administrative Leave? Five Basic Steps to Keep You Out of the Headlines
The numbers reported in the October 20th Washington Post article of federal employees placed on administrative leave after being accused of misconduct are staggering: More than 50,000 on leave up to three months; 4,000 on leave three months to a year; and Several hundred on leave from one to three years. This is probably not…
Improving Your Influence in an Organization… Step 1: Determine Where You Are
This is a part of a series of how you can improve your influence in your organization. Today’s post focus is on assessing where you currently are. Whether you work in the federal government or private sector, your image and reputation is everything. This is true whether you are an employee or a manager, although…
Investigator Tricks of the Trade, Part 1: Top 10 Ways to Improve Your Investigation Technique
This is the first in a series called Tricks of the Investigator Trade. The more we do something, the easier it gets. That is true of most professions, and especially true of EEO investigators. The more you conduct interviews, the easier it gets. The problem is, you can become so good at preparing and…