It is nice to see someone talk about employee development using the words "powerful and rewarding." Those words were used by Jim Warner, chief learning officer at the Veterans Health Administration, to describe his work with midcareer professionals who are developing themselves by advancing their professional knowledge.

He works with 300,000 employees at 1,700 sites who are taking care of 9 million veterans.

"The healthcare industry is constantly evolving. There's always something new to know. There are always changes in medicine, changes in practices, and changes in treatments," says Warner in Insider's View. "It's less about staying ahead of the curve and more like riding the wave. Fortunately, healthcare workers are lifelong learners by nature. We have a lot of individuals who are organized as a group to hone their own proficiencies. Whether that's emergency room nurses or medical doctors of a particular clinical specialty, there is a community of practice with a common standard of work."

In another feature article, Yvonne Jones of the General Accountability Office highlights telework guidelines and the training needed to keep the guidance fresh in employees' minds and to help managers work better in virtual environments. "At GAO, we determined that learning how to develop a rapport with team members was a basic management skill that took on even more importance for teleworking teams," Jones writes. "Helping managers understand how to adapt their management skills to a different environment has been crucial to teleworking success."

This issue also focuses on holding employees accountable for their performance, creating a welcoming workplace for employees with disabilities, and infusing science into learning to help agencies and their employees develop and retain the skills and knowledge needed to fulfill their mission and best serve the public.

Check out the work of Miguel Joey Aviles or the reports and stories on Millennials' attitudes toward work, Hispanic employee advancement, and a resource for moving to the private sector. There is something for everyone in this month's issue. Enjoy and let me know if you have ideas for future articles.