Monday, November 18, 2013

Michelle's Experience


Specific Blog assignment 10

Bring your vision to life--> page 244

            Michelle tries to invest in her staff instead of always having to let them go.  She notices that her quality with her staff is greater when she invests time, money, training, and reflection.  Not only does Michelle adjust her budget so that her staff may benefit from it, but she also adjusts her orientation habits, training techniques, and staff roles.  In doing this Michelle doesn’t rely on herself to manage her center, but she spreads out her responsibility to her staff, which she trusts.
            Having to rethink different possibilities so that I don’t get stuck in the same routine that isn’t making my vision move forward is something I would like to work on.  Noticing that I need to change, and taking action is another thing I would like to work on.  I would like to work on expanding my horizons to other possibilities so that I can come up with what can or can’t work for me.  I feel that I work great with other staff, and I hope that I can build upon my relationships with the staff at my center. 
            Many aspects of Michelle’s vision appealed to me.  I liked how she noticed that her staff could be invested in.  I liked how she spread her responsibilities out to her staff so that she wasn’t flustered with all the duties of managing.  I liked how she had her staff reflect using the Thinking Lens, and how her staff thought in a particular way instead of a bias and one-sided way. 
            I could imagine myself investing in my staff.  I like Michelle’s idea when she included her staff in the hiring process.  I would want to debrief with my staff to see who they can see themselves working or not working with.  I enjoyed the fact of how Michelle conducted meetings with her staff, but to add I would want to have informal meetings with my staff.  I would want to invest in staff bonding.  Especially in my won center there is sometimes a divide in the staff, and bringing my staff together is something that I would want to work on.          


2 comments:

  1. Hi Jadelynn,
    As you discuss both Lettie and Michelle, I find the concept of time prevelant. How do you think time impacts the actions of a director? Can time define the priorities and choices of a director? How often does time dictate the culture of a program? What is the director's role in this defining?

    If you consider time as central to your own triangle framework, how might you define time? How might this definition help you to define each side of the triangle? Can an awareness of time help a director to develop deeper relationships and understanding of the community she serves? How might this awareness ontirbute to policy-making and practice at the program?

    Jeanne

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  2. Hey Jadelynn,
    I also like the way Michelle directed staff into leadership positions and sharing responsibilities. This is a great way to allow staff members to not just be involved but sincerely invest a bit of themselves into the program. What steps will you take to make sure that you are hitting goals that will further enhance your vision. Maybe that could be a shared responsibility of your staff,-- analyzing together the programs practices and policies relate to your shared vision.

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