5 agency project

On Monday we will be presenting our People Power Leadership seminar to Executive Teams from 5 nearby agencies looking to become more positive and proactive. These organizations have sent many of their employees here over the last 6 months to learn more and generate support for change. The great majority (actually I think it has been unanimous) have commented on the enthusiasm and competence of our staff. They also mention how well people communicate and relate to each other. They are very interested in our philosophy and approach and we always get excited about helping people do a better job of helping others. We're bringing a great team of four people and are looking forward to giving them new information, sharing our innovations with them but mostly about having the opportunity to inspire and support improvements. I'm looking forward to it.

You never know.

Hi, Last Friday we had two visitors from another county experience Vantage Point. At 5:15 or so a couple of our staff and I had a conversation. They were interested in my take on the visitors since they seemed distant at times and communication was not as free flowing as is usual.

At the debrief I found the same to be true and was ready to say good-bye at 3:30 but, of course I didn't. I kept the conversation going even though they were short on questions.

One of the folks had about 11 years of experience in the filed and one, a fellow I will call Brian, only about a year. He was a truck driver who got laid off and need a job. Looked to me like he was in his early 40's.

I kept the conversation going until we struck on a matter Brian could relate to. How to address serious behavior problems, assaults, though positive action. I explained our approach and gave a couple of examples and I saw the lights went on a bit, wasn't sure how bright they were, for him.

Overall my feedback was that while they were more quiet and not as enthusiastic as visitors usually are, I thought they did get something out of the visit. That it wasn't a complete disappointment to them . Then on Saturday I received the following.

My conclusion is twofold. First, you never really know how people will react, what will sink in and what will hit home. Secondly, our stuff is so good that everyone can get something out of a visit. As always the challenge to us is finding the piece that makes sense to each person.
Enjoy.



From: Brian
to: georges
03/19/2011 10:56 AM

Dear George
Thank you for the magnificent and life changing experience the folks you serve, you and your staff shared with me yesterday! There are to many wonderful thoughts
and ideas running around my mind to express in this email. I've started reading Shift Happens. There is no doubt it will change the way I deal with all the people in my life.
I too, wish I had learned this info much earlier in my life. Looking forward to visiting with you and hopefully working with you in the future.
May this spark in our hearts be fanned into a raging fire of compassion that consumes the whole world !!!
Thanks Again !
GOD BLESS YOU ALL.
Brian / DSP

The U. S. Constitution and Shift Happens

Recently I watched "Thurgood" a one man performance with Larry Fishburn as Thurgood Marshall. If you don't know who he is you owe it to yourself to learn about him. Former Supreme Court Justice and the person, earlier in his career, who presented and won the Supreme Court case now known as "Brown vs. the board of Education" which is the basis of racial integration which was also used to force the education system to educate all children with or without disabilities.

At one point Fishburn stated the following and it made me think of our field, our agency and Shift Happens. I wonder if it strikes the same cord with you? Take a look, give it some thought and let me know.

“The basic thrust of the U.S. Constitution is people to people.

Strike them and they will cry.
Cut them and they will bleed.
Starve them and they will wither away and die.
But treat them with respect and decency,
give them equal access to levels of power,
attend to their aspirations and to their grievances
and they will flourish and grow
and they will join together to form a perfect union.
We recognize how far we have come and how far we have to go.”

Thurgood Marshall