and how he could do it. Later on I became closer to him and he ... gave me more under the wing kind of
advice. And that was very useful to me. I think it’s hard to imagine not having that sort of resource ...
very hard to get past that level without getting that kind of help from the older generation. And the
other thing I’d say about specific experiences: when I was a GS-14, I got an appointment to a temporary
GSrunning a huge computer system build via a big -15 project management position – which was
contract. That was really a great, great developmental opportunity. It was the kind of thing
where there was a whole lot of exposure to critical, risky decision-making that had to be done on a daily
basis contractor did things and the complexity of working – exposed you to how the private sector
with the contractor. Had my governmental hat to wear, but also had to accomplish the task. In this
particular effort, tand that, you know, had political implications and he project was a gigantic failure
obviously millions of dollars were at stake. It was a risk-taking situation -- my career could have tanked.
I think that was invaluable; I don’t think I would have ever learned the degree to which (a) you can
get lot of stuff done and (b) there’s lot of risk out there that can take you down. And you gotta wind
your way through that stuff. What happened, I managed to survive even though the project crashed.
And that was a huge learning experience.(^) Advice
(^)
(^) Generational
(^)
(^)
Developmental opportunity
Exposure
(^)
(^)
(^)
(^) Risk of failure
(^) Learning
(^)
(^) Learning
experience
how he could do it”
(^) “hard to imagine not having that
resource”
“help from the older generation”
(^)
(^)
(^)
(^)
(^)
(^)
(^)
(^)
(^)
(^) “I managed to survive even though the
project crashed”“that was a huge learning experience” (^)
(^) MENTORING
(^)
(^) MATURITY
(^)
(^)
OPPORTUNITY
ROTATION
(^)
(^)
(^)
EIPRESSURE
(^) LEARNING
(^)
(^) LEARNING
R8 Here’s my first example of it, my Dr. Seuss example: When I was made Director of the
(from another part of the (organization) at the (agency nameagency name), I was brought ) and was
brought under fairly difficult circumstances. And I called an “all hands” meeting – and all these people
filed into this auditorium. And they didn’t know
Storytelling
(^)
Difficult circumstances
(^)
(^)
(^)
STORYTELLINGDEFINMOMENT
(^)
EIPRESSURE