Here's How GSA Changed Its Ways

That's no longer the case -- thanks to Changemasters, a one-time GSA program that helped administrative-level employees make the leap from old-style bureaucracy to new ways of working. "Now that the world is changing so quickly, there are some people who get it and jump on it, and other people who tend to get stuck," says Martha Johnson. "We wanted to reengage these people, to reignite their excitement about work."

The reignition process lasted six months, during which 14 women (no men chose to participate) focused on two issues: service and creativity. The Changemasters talked to architects, educators, and businesspeople. They also made collages, wrote haiku, and delivered briefings to Dave Barram.

The program was a crash course in planning, teamwork, and creativity. For Colleen Toney-Wright, a staff assistant in the HR office for the past four years, Changemasters allowed her to expand her graphic-design skills. She worked on a book that recounts the group's experience -- a book that has made its way around Washington. "I'm real popular now," she jokes.

Leigh says the program gave her the confidence to ask questions when she doesn't understand something. "I'm not just letting stuff fly past," she says. "Now it's like, 'Tell me what I need to know.' "