In an era of sequestration and potential government shutdowns, it’s more important than ever for agencies to understand the concerns of their workforce — and vice versa. And, ideally before unions and management sit down for formal bargaining. In the spirit of “problem resolution,” the National Council on Federal Labor Management Relations is developing some tools to help labor representatives and managers do just that. Julia Akins Clark is general counsel at the Federal Labor Relations Authority, one of the key players in the labor relations council.