Leadership Skills for the 21 st Century (Part II)

Peace Time Management & War Time Leadership

by Wanda J. Smith and Kathy White

October 26, 2004

Leadership Skills for the 21st Century/

Peace Time Management and War Time Leadership.

What War Time Leaders Do.

Define the Business of the Business

Create a Winning Strategy :

Communicate Persuasively

Behave with Integrity and Respect Others

ACT.

Psychological Leadership.

These are the notes from group 1 regarding two items chosen to focus on from slide handout page 1.

Define the Business of the Business

(1) What the organization should do and what it shouldn’t do.

A. Should :

i. Provide effective comprehensive services to children and families

Effective is the key word. This will be accomplished by fulfilling other listed items.

vi. Hire and maintain competent staff.

a. Develop a training plan – Tim Devaney is primary contact.

I. State how training takes place.

II. Set out steps on how to develop goals.

III. Develop a check list.

IV. Develop pre-evaluation and post-evaluation forms of employee competence that include key elements from family partnership agreement.

1. Provide two-way (supervisor/employee) feedback.

V. Develop comprehensive audit check list for each content area that ties in or relates back to check list in III above. Managers should use this as a part of performance evaluations.

b. New hires must go through a two-week orientation.

I. Orientation should include, or if time allows, be followed by an experienced employee shadowing the new employee.

II. Designate several persons as mentor

from resource associates, Sam, Kathryn.

III. Designate a person as trainer in each triad in each position.

c. Experienced staff must go through update training.

d. Review advertising procedure and simultaneously advertise and interview in-house and externally to increase base.

e. Recognize staff in Mini-Spirit and during celebration meetings.

B. Shouldn’t :

i. Alter from policies and procedures.

iv. Stray from mission statement.

a. Stay focused on the mission.

b. Reinforce behaviors that focus on the mission.

I. Design and distribute reward stickers for doing “the mission,” such as “Caught doing the mission!”

II. Leaders to constantly reinforce via meetings and role modeling. Example, say: “I’m on the mission!”

c. Add mission-focused activities on reports – Tom Valant is primary contact.

d. Add question to a document to be distributed to and answered by each employee: “What will you be or what are you doing in this position to fulfill the HSGD mission?” Determine when to distribute to each employee (in orientation or at the pre- and post-evaluations or some other appropriate time).

(2) The organization must focus on what matters the most.

A. Children and families.

B. Affect positive change to the services provided to children and families.

(3) How the organization achieves the mission against all odds.

B. Think outside of the box.

D. Team keeping their “eye” on the mission.

(4) How a good organization frames the missions and values.

A. Practice what you preach.

C. Retain staff members who buy into agency’s mission and values.

These are the notes from group 2 regarding two items chosen to focus on from slide handout page 2.

Create a Winning Strategy

(1) Create a strategy that will cause the organization to succeed, to grow, to prosper, to beat the competition.

D. More collaboration agreements (YMCA, YWCA, school districts, community colleges) for both education and staff.

i. Have a “partners” fair to orient staff on what we have to offer to be attended by partners, site managers, resource associates and appropriate content area managers and staff. Invite partners to orient staff as to what is offered and also what our responsibility is.

ii. List collaborations on web page.

iii. Participate in development trainings of partners (such as Dallas Housing Authority).

I. Strong marketing.

i. Develop a marketing plan. Rob is primary contact.

ii. Inform Board’s Community Development Committee Chair Vincent D. Jackson of needs.

(2) Define how the organization will do better than anyone in our business.

A. Continue comprehensive care in addition to strategies listed in (1) above.

D. Continue assessment and individualization.

(3) How can you create commitment in the organization’s members?

B. Salary study based on independent school districts and others. (N/A inasmuch as salary studies are already done against DISD, which is main competitor.)

C. More recognition at agency (vs. center) level, such as in the Mini-Spirit .

These are the notes from group 3 regarding two items chosen to focus on from slide handout page 3.

Communicate Persuasively

(1) How does the organization communicate in order to build trust and eliminate confusion?

A. Correct type of communication.

· In group, individual, etc.

· Verbal, written, etc.

i. Changes in practices and polices must be reviewed by all Associate Head Start Directors and Head Start Director prior to distribution.

ii. Outlook broadcast distribution lists should be reviewed.

iii. Recipients of communication should be clearly delineated by supervisor to employee distributing item.

a. Broadcast distribution lists that are needed and do not exist should be created and preserved.

B. Communication must be:

· Well thought out.

· Consistent.

Content, intent and audience should be consistent

· Precise/accurate.

· Clearly stated.

· Honest but respectful.

· Two-way.

(2) How does an organization know how to measure too much or too little communication?

Too little or too much communication should be measured by our OUTCOMES !

We did not choose a second item because all groups are striving for the main goals thast produce the outcomes.

(3) What are the most effective forms of communication?

Depends on situation.

Examples are meetings, E-mails, written, face-to-face, training, posters, web page, directives/S.O.P, phone calls (conferences), teleconferences, etc

These are the notes from group 4 regarding two items chosen to focus on from slide handout page 4.

Behave with Integrity and Respect Others

(1) How do leaders “walk the talk?”

A. Leading by example.

E. Effective communication.

(2) How are values of the organization conveyed to employees?

A. Ethical policies in place.

i. Distribute and review Code of Ethics as a part of orientation. Employee signs for receipt.

ii. Add abbreviated Code of Ethics covering values to web page.

iii. Add abbreviated Code of Ethics covering values to required postings.

iv. Add distribution and receipt signature of Code of Ethics to Standard Operating Procedures.

D. Flexibility.

(3) What is the balance between being humble or arrogant?

A. As leaders, you must display at all times that you are willing to do whatever it takes to complete the mission.

C. Must be aware of your own confidence.

(4) What is the best way to get input from others and utilize it?

A. Be sure to engage the source (ones who are directly responsible).

D. Follow up. Revisit suggestions given.

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