Hey there, I need to correct the record. I last wrote that 20 agencies and nearly 250 people participated in our first webinar last week. We learned there 14 agencies and just over 200 people who participated. Still solid numbers. The folks at Interhab tell us they are the best attended webinars they have sponsored. Very promising indeed.
We also learned that while agencies could have registered for any of the four webinars individually all 14 organizations registered for the full series of four.
The sponsoring organization, Interhab of Kansas, is conducting a brief survey we hope people will respond to. We and the folks at Interhab think they are going well. But it would be good to hear directly from those who participated.
It sure is different speaking into a webcam and not being able to see, read or get feedback from the audience, but I shuck it off and think I adjusted well. Hopefully, the survey will tell us they agree.
In webinar #2 eight spectacular Delarc staff joined in with live examples of how they have used the Caring Chain with real people to make a real difference in those people’s lives. All eight did us proud with very thoughtful and effective examples. Again, we hope the surveys confirm this.
Our focus now becomes next week’s webinar Assessing Caring Relationships on May 6. We think this will be a winner. We have developed a form and process for people to use to assess caring in individual staff members. The form is user friendly and people usually like that. And the process is good too. Based on direct observation; not hear say, in several situations; not about a one time mistake. Supervisors will be asked to provide feedback on a number of indicators in 5 key areas including: Language, Interactions / Attentiveness, Promotes Independence, Projects the Attitude and Body Language of Caring, Uses Time Well.
We tested this form with one of our departments and it went very well. We based it on a number of other tools we have developed over the years.
I’ll let you know how it goes.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Friday, April 23, 2010
Moving Mountains
In addtion to moving into the world of webinars (see prior entry) another exciting development is we have been notified Delarc’s Life and Career Model has been selected as a winner of the Moving Mountains Best Practice Award. This prestigious award is presented by National Association for Direct Support Professionals (www.nadsp.org) for Delarc’s significant achievement in workforce development.
Award winners are expected to participate in a case study process. On June 14 and 15 a team from the University of Minnesota’s Research and Training Center on Community Living will be visiting Delarc to begin the case study process.
The award will be presented at NADSP’s 2010 Reinventing Quality Conference in August.
Aiyiyiyiyi!
Award winners are expected to participate in a case study process. On June 14 and 15 a team from the University of Minnesota’s Research and Training Center on Community Living will be visiting Delarc to begin the case study process.
The award will be presented at NADSP’s 2010 Reinventing Quality Conference in August.
Aiyiyiyiyi!
Venturing into the Webinar world
Yesterday The Arc of Delaware County conducted it's first ever webinar. We believe approximately 250 people spread throughout 20 or so agencies across the state of Kansas participated. This was the first of four webinars Interhab of Kansas sponsored. Interhab is a trade association of rehabilitation agencies in Kansas (www.interhab.org). They have approximately 38 member agencies located throughout Kansas. So over half of their members participated. Some had five people in the audience some had over 50.
The Webinar, titled, Introduction to a Positive Approach, was scheduled to last 90 minutes, it ended up going an extra 10 minutes. From our end it seemed to go well. We expect to be talking to the folks at Interhab within the next day or two to hear what they thought.
We have three more webinars scheduled for the next three Thursdays from 11:00 to 12:30. The titles of the next three are:
Webinar #2 Exploring the Caring Chain
Webinar #3 Assessing Caring Relationships
Webinar #4 Effective use of Praise and Reinforcement
If these go well, and we are confident they will, our plan is twofold. First we will continue to offer these and additional webinars through Interhab. Secondly we will begin to market them outside Kansas directly.
The Webinar, titled, Introduction to a Positive Approach, was scheduled to last 90 minutes, it ended up going an extra 10 minutes. From our end it seemed to go well. We expect to be talking to the folks at Interhab within the next day or two to hear what they thought.
We have three more webinars scheduled for the next three Thursdays from 11:00 to 12:30. The titles of the next three are:
Webinar #2 Exploring the Caring Chain
Webinar #3 Assessing Caring Relationships
Webinar #4 Effective use of Praise and Reinforcement
If these go well, and we are confident they will, our plan is twofold. First we will continue to offer these and additional webinars through Interhab. Secondly we will begin to market them outside Kansas directly.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
The Energy of Caring
Seems like every few months I dwell on a particular aspect of organizational development or personal performance. Lately I have been having discussions and thinking a lot about what I call the Energy of Caring.
On the positive side I watch our Direct Service Professionals in action and that’s what they are, in action. They are on their feet, they move from person to person, they are giving the attention of proximity, they are pulling out material or putting it away, they are ready to provide hand on hand assistance if needed because they are at the person’s side. They’re also ready to catch someone who slips or give a reassuring hand because they’re physically close by.
When I visit other organizations of hear from folks who do, I see and hear about people sitting at desks or tables and spewing directions “long distance”. I heard one of our great team members say “couch potato parenting doesn’t work”. I think the same is true about providing services. It can’t be done from a chair, desk or table. People need to be on their feet and moving to provide good supports.
Think about seminars you have attended or speeches you have heard and I think the ones that inspired you, the ones you learned from, the ones you remember were form people who demonstrated energy.
Pay attention to this over the next few days and let me know what you think. Is your energy and that of those around you more like a couch potato or is it reflective of the caring our folks need. What can you do about it? What are you doing about it? I would love to hear from you.
On the positive side I watch our Direct Service Professionals in action and that’s what they are, in action. They are on their feet, they move from person to person, they are giving the attention of proximity, they are pulling out material or putting it away, they are ready to provide hand on hand assistance if needed because they are at the person’s side. They’re also ready to catch someone who slips or give a reassuring hand because they’re physically close by.
When I visit other organizations of hear from folks who do, I see and hear about people sitting at desks or tables and spewing directions “long distance”. I heard one of our great team members say “couch potato parenting doesn’t work”. I think the same is true about providing services. It can’t be done from a chair, desk or table. People need to be on their feet and moving to provide good supports.
Think about seminars you have attended or speeches you have heard and I think the ones that inspired you, the ones you learned from, the ones you remember were form people who demonstrated energy.
Pay attention to this over the next few days and let me know what you think. Is your energy and that of those around you more like a couch potato or is it reflective of the caring our folks need. What can you do about it? What are you doing about it? I would love to hear from you.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Leadership style continued
My February 12, 2010 entry explained I have been asked to write down my thoughts regarding my leadership style. What follows is the second of several elements I think about. As I pointed out in that posting, the more I write the more I realize the idea of giving any of them priority over the rest is futile. The numbers only serve to keep me organized and to enable me to write about other things and then come back to continue the list. Each number is preceded by LE which stands for Leadership Element.
LE#2: Listen and Respect Minority Opinions.
Sorting through the continual barrage of information and misinformation leaders face every day is a huge challenge. The key is acute listening. Listening to the emotions; to the behavior and the body language to find the real message behind the words which are spoken requires hard work (dedication), practice (further dedication) and the ability to put aside issues of power and control. It also means admitting when we are wrong ( a huge power issue) and seeking win – win solutions; at once, humbling and gratifying.
One of the things I take particular pleasure in is when one person with a minority position convinces the group to go a different way; to continue searching or flat out convinces them their opinion was wrong. These occurrences please me because they demonstrate people respect each other; that the minority person is comfortable and not afraid they will be ridiculed, ostracized or placated. It means the team has been properly recruited, trained and supported. I believe a track record of listening to minority opinions (and all that goes with that) may be the single best measure of a Leader’s accomplishments.
LE#2: Listen and Respect Minority Opinions.
Sorting through the continual barrage of information and misinformation leaders face every day is a huge challenge. The key is acute listening. Listening to the emotions; to the behavior and the body language to find the real message behind the words which are spoken requires hard work (dedication), practice (further dedication) and the ability to put aside issues of power and control. It also means admitting when we are wrong ( a huge power issue) and seeking win – win solutions; at once, humbling and gratifying.
One of the things I take particular pleasure in is when one person with a minority position convinces the group to go a different way; to continue searching or flat out convinces them their opinion was wrong. These occurrences please me because they demonstrate people respect each other; that the minority person is comfortable and not afraid they will be ridiculed, ostracized or placated. It means the team has been properly recruited, trained and supported. I believe a track record of listening to minority opinions (and all that goes with that) may be the single best measure of a Leader’s accomplishments.
Friday, February 12, 2010
My Leadership Style
It’s been way too long since my last posting but I’m back now and glad it is so.
A couple of months ago one of our key team members asked a few of us to write about our leadership styles. Of course I was flattered she thought to ask, but more than that I was impressed. I’m not sure what her plan is for these thoughts but I know it will be fascinating. I’m excited to be part of her brainchild. Thanks Molly.
Over these many weeks I’ve been jotting down a list of random thoughts with the idea of eventually putting some words in front of them. As I look at my list I find it very hard to prioritize the various facets of this thing called style. So I stopped trying and started writing. The more I write the more I realize the idea of giving any of them priority over the rest is futile. You see at any given time, in any given circumstance any one of them will always take precedence. And maybe that’s what leadership is all about. An accumulation of elements that compliment each other and are used to solve problems, define a path and inspire others.
There’s a danger in giving things numbers because numbers imply priority. In this case the numbers only serve to keep me organized and to enable me to write about other things and then come back to continue the list. Each number is preceded by LE which stands for Leadership Element.
So my list starts here. Who knows when or where it will end?
LE #1: The Twist of Creating a Learning Organization.
You hear a lot about the need to be a learning organization but little about how to become one. Does it mean everyone being enrolled in some form of higher or adult education? Does it mean spending huge sums on new technologies? Hiring the most expensive consultants? I guess it could mean any or all of those.
But for me it means creating an atmosphere; an atmosphere that encourages questions from anyone to anyone at any time. An atmosphere that seeks the right answers; no matter how difficult or where that search takes you. An atmosphere passionately obsessed with mission and vision and values and empowerment.
The result is learning by everyone, all the time. And here’s the twist. When everyone is learning, everyone becomes the teacher. When someone asks me a question, as I am giving them the answer, I’m learning a little about them. When they get the answer they’re prepared to answer that question the next time someone else asks it.
Each year I view myself more as a teacher of teachers and I mean that in the broadest sense possible. And I see the same thing in our most talented staff. We don’t hire a lot of certified teachers and yet everyone we hire has teaching responsibilities. We expect supervisors to be teachers of their subordinates and staff to share what they know with each other. Everyone searching and learning from each other. Seems like a learning organization to me.
A couple of months ago one of our key team members asked a few of us to write about our leadership styles. Of course I was flattered she thought to ask, but more than that I was impressed. I’m not sure what her plan is for these thoughts but I know it will be fascinating. I’m excited to be part of her brainchild. Thanks Molly.
Over these many weeks I’ve been jotting down a list of random thoughts with the idea of eventually putting some words in front of them. As I look at my list I find it very hard to prioritize the various facets of this thing called style. So I stopped trying and started writing. The more I write the more I realize the idea of giving any of them priority over the rest is futile. You see at any given time, in any given circumstance any one of them will always take precedence. And maybe that’s what leadership is all about. An accumulation of elements that compliment each other and are used to solve problems, define a path and inspire others.
There’s a danger in giving things numbers because numbers imply priority. In this case the numbers only serve to keep me organized and to enable me to write about other things and then come back to continue the list. Each number is preceded by LE which stands for Leadership Element.
So my list starts here. Who knows when or where it will end?
LE #1: The Twist of Creating a Learning Organization.
You hear a lot about the need to be a learning organization but little about how to become one. Does it mean everyone being enrolled in some form of higher or adult education? Does it mean spending huge sums on new technologies? Hiring the most expensive consultants? I guess it could mean any or all of those.
But for me it means creating an atmosphere; an atmosphere that encourages questions from anyone to anyone at any time. An atmosphere that seeks the right answers; no matter how difficult or where that search takes you. An atmosphere passionately obsessed with mission and vision and values and empowerment.
The result is learning by everyone, all the time. And here’s the twist. When everyone is learning, everyone becomes the teacher. When someone asks me a question, as I am giving them the answer, I’m learning a little about them. When they get the answer they’re prepared to answer that question the next time someone else asks it.
Each year I view myself more as a teacher of teachers and I mean that in the broadest sense possible. And I see the same thing in our most talented staff. We don’t hire a lot of certified teachers and yet everyone we hire has teaching responsibilities. We expect supervisors to be teachers of their subordinates and staff to share what they know with each other. Everyone searching and learning from each other. Seems like a learning organization to me.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Web-based training
I met with a couple of extremely well qualified people yesterday to learn more about web-based training. I think it may be in our future and am anxious to discuss it with our Administrative Leadership Team. Will keep you posted.
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