Weekly Roundup: August 17-21, 2020

Pentagon advances domestic drone plan. The Defense Department names five U.S. vendors for domestic sourcing of small drone aircraft.

Energy Dept. looks for AI impact. Two recently-announced artificial intelligence collaborations show how the technology can affect real world problems, according to the head of the Energy Department's AI office.

After early surge, pandemic buying stabilizes for GWACs. Now, federal contract managers are prepping for the annual end-of-year spending spree.

DOD eyes large COVID payments for contractors. The Pentagon is looking to issue contractors large payments rather than per contract for COVID-19 related costs. Ellen Lord, the Defense Department's undersecretary for acquisition and sustainment, said the organization is working on final guidance for the implementation of section 3610 the CARES Act, which authorizes the government to pay contracting companies when personnel can't work due to COVID-19 restrictions.

4 motivation traps to watch out for. Research shows motivation isn't permanent, as employees can be demoralized when they don't see progress, as well as when work feels too hard, disconnected from bigger goals or seems not to matter, writes David Burkus. "Make sure your people know who their work helps -- make sure they know who they are fighting for," he writes. David Burkus

Clear, truthful leaders can easily build trust. Build trust during a crisis by identifying your values, being truthful at all times and laying out a clear and inspiring plan for the future, writes Gregory Shea of The Wharton School. "Get your followers what they need to succeed, tend to their well-being, and then (and only then) do you tend to yourself," he writes. Knowledge@Wharton

How are you undermining your strategy? Strategies founder when they are driven by unfocused attention, being reactive to competition or failing to help employees understand the desired behaviors and processes, writes Paul LaRue. "A leader who only wants immediate results fails to understand how a strategic plan creates a process to make better results sustained over a longer period of time," he writes. The Upwards Leader

Leadership is symbolic, but you still have to lead. The best leaders understand the impact they have when it comes to the job's symbolism, being able to hire people smarter than them and demonstrating organizational values, writes Ed Batista. "So great leadership means committing to understanding those principles, internalizing them, and being very deliberate about following through on them, especially when they don't align with what the leader believes to be their self-interest," he writes. Ed Batista Executive Coaching

Pentagon advances domestic drone plan. The Defense Department names five U.S. vendors for domestic sourcing of small drone aircraft.

Energy Dept. looks for AI impact. Two recently-announced artificial intelligence collaborations show how the technology can affect real world problems, according to the head of the Energy Department's AI office.

After early surge, pandemic buying stabilizes for GWACs. Now, federal contract managers are prepping for the annual end-of-year spending spree.

DOD eyes large COVID payments for contractors. The Pentagon is looking to issue contractors large payments rather than per contract for COVID-19 related costs. Ellen Lord, the Defense Department's undersecretary for acquisition and sustainment, said the organization is working on final guidance for the implementation of section 3610 the CARES Act, which authorizes the government to pay contracting companies when personnel can't work due to COVID-19 restrictions.

4 motivation traps to watch out for. Research shows motivation isn't permanent, as employees can be demoralized when they don't see progress, as well as when work feels too hard, disconnected from bigger goals or seems not to matter, writes David Burkus. "Make sure your people know who their work helps -- make sure they know who they are fighting for," he writes. David Burkus

Clear, truthful leaders can easily build trust. Build trust during a crisis by identifying your values, being truthful at all times and laying out a clear and inspiring plan for the future, writes Gregory Shea of The Wharton School. "Get your followers what they need to succeed, tend to their well-being, and then (and only then) do you tend to yourself," he writes. Knowledge@Wharton

How are you undermining your strategy? Strategies founder when they are driven by unfocused attention, being reactive to competition or failing to help employees understand the desired behaviors and processes, writes Paul LaRue. "A leader who only wants immediate results fails to understand how a strategic plan creates a process to make better results sustained over a longer period of time," he writes. The Upwards Leader

Leadership is symbolic, but you still have to lead. The best leaders understand the impact they have when it comes to the job's symbolism, being able to hire people smarter than them and demonstrating organizational values, writes Ed Batista. "So great leadership means committing to understanding those principles, internalizing them, and being very deliberate about following through on them, especially when they don't align with what the leader believes to be their self-interest," he writes. Ed Batista Executive Coaching

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Next Week on The Business of Government Hour:  A Conversation with Dan Mathews, Commissioner, Public Buildings Service, U.S. General Services Administration (GSA). How have the strategic priorities of GSA's Public Buildings Service (PBS) changed in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic? What is PBS doing to adapt to the changing expectations of its federal agency customers arising out of the pandemic?  Join host Michael Keegan as he explores these questions and more with Dan Mathews, Commissioner, Public Buildings Service within the U.S. General Services Administration next week on The Business of Government Hour.

Broadcast Schedule: The show airs Monday at 11 a.m., and Friday at 1 p.m. on Federal News Network 1500AM WFED

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