Your Federal Life

Your Federal Life -- Feb. 18, 2026

After a year of deep disruptions to the career civil service, lawmakers have created a bicameral caucus attempting to defend federal workers and promote long-term reforms. Its goals range from protecting the nonpartisan public service to improving federal pay and retention. We hear more from a co-leader of the new Federal Workforce Caucus, Rep. James Walkinshaw (D-Va.).Plus, we tap into the perspective of Dave Lebryk, who spent a career leading teams through both calm and crisis across government. After recently stepping away from public service, he’s now watching former colleagues shoulder one of the toughest years in recent memory. We hear his thoughts on how leaders still on the job keep themselves grounded, keep their teams motivated and keep pushing for better performance.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Your Federal Life -- Jan. 28, 2026

We the Doers is a new organization proposing a different path forward for government reform and improvements to agency performance. In our last episode, we featured the first part of this conversation. Now, we dive into the final piece of Federal News Network executive editor Jason Miller’s discussion with the co-founders of We the Doers, April Harding and Maureen Klovers.Plus, the Office of Personnel Management is out with more details on how agencies should implement the new “rule of many” in federal hiring. OPM says it will streamline the recruitment process. But implementation also depends on agencies’ resources and staffing levels. We get more from Jenny Mattingley, the vice president of government affairs at the Partnership for Public Service.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Your Federal Life -- Jan. 21, 2026

Over the last three decades, there has been no shortage of ideas for how to improve federal agency performance. But now, a group of former federal executives called We the Doers is offering a different path to reforming the government, based on more than 88 years of combined federal service. For more on what We the Doers is proposing, Federal News Network’s Jason Miller sat down with the organization’s co-founders, Maureen Klovers and April Harding.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Your Federal Life -- Jan. 14, 2026

From TSP contributions to investment choices and building a stronger safety net, a few smart moves now can set federal employees up for financial confidence all year long. Certified financial planner Thiago Glieger joins us with helpful hints for building a strong financial plan in 2026.Plus, financial strain, workforce upheaval and uncertainty marked the past year for service members and veterans. Mike Meese, president of Armed Forces Mutual, reflects on the biggest challenges of 2025 and looks ahead to the workforce policies that could shape 2026. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Your Federal Life -- Dec. 17, 2025

Federal senior executives have some new training and development opportunities from the Office of Personnel Management. The optional courses cover many of the Trump administration’s new priorities for the federal workforce. OPM launched the training programs in November, but there will be continuous updates to the content moving forward. We get more from OPM Director Scott Kupor.Plus, the Trump administration’s deviation from norms as it transitioned into the White House earlier this year is raising questions about the future of presidential transition planning. A new report from the Partnership for Public Service’s Center for Presidential Transition takes a deeper look at that transfer of power — and says there is a need for transition reforms, especially when it comes to transparency and security. The Partnership’s vice president of government affairs, Jenny Mattingley, tells us the details.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.