Post by John Uliano on Jun 9, 2021 14:11:28 GMT
Are you more of a Why, a What, or a How person? Where do YOU begin when "selling" your vision?
This is a challenging question, as I think I try to incorporate all three types, especially when I have tried motivating my teams in the past. The what it is we are trying to achieve, how we are going to do it, and the why we are doing it in the first place. Also, I think the type of “person” I embody is dependent on the audience I am “selling.” If I was pinned down to one, I may be more of a “what” person. I like to connect with folks on what it is we are actually doing or at least that it is where I start. I have focused with some of my teams on the relational work that we do with our participants and the change we are trying to affect. I heard Simon Sinek note that what we do serves as the proof of what we believe, so I do believe that my “why” is eventually addressed and explained. Also, I think I assume that my colleagues or staff already “believe what I believe,” so maybe I am less focused on explaining the why of what we are doing in the social services workplace, although it is something I will be more mindful of moving forward.
I also reflect on my first job in the non-profit space. I worked at a small family shelter, and it was my responsibility to recruit volunteers for the shelter for a variety of activities. In that role, as I was “selling” the shelter and the need for volunteer supports, I was entirely focused on the “why.” Why the shelter was vital to the community, why we needed their support, and, maybe most importantly, why I was doing the work and why it was important to me. The groups I would present to were not individuals that normally volunteered (although were interested in doing do) and did not necessarily have experience in social services. I fondly look back on that now…I could sell those crowds! In consideration of how I “sell” now and looking back at my first paragraph, I think I likely take for granted that colleagues know my “why” and maybe I would be more effective, whether as a leader, or even a communicator, if others more fully understood how I relate to the “why” of our work.
How do you help your team (or your colleagues) "see the vision, live it, and breathe it"? (See Chapter 5 Winning)
Similar to my leadership style of “rolling up my sleeves” at times, I think in my current role I always try to make myself available to my colleagues and offer my assistance where applicable. I think back to my mission statement that we shared in the first class and I labeled myself a collaborator and I firmly believe that we (whether it’s ourselves or even our work here at Fedcap) when we work together. I think by living that mission and trying to lead/collaborate by example, other folks will catch on and operate similarly and “believe what I believe.”
What types of questions might you ask of your team that are "answered with action"?
“What is not working well? What can we do to change that?”
“How does your position support the agency’s mission/vision?” and “program performance?”
“How can we improve our participants’ experience?”
What one thing would you add to Welch's "Leadership Rules"?
Personally, I would add something along the lines of finding, if not a mentor, a colleague or someone that can assist in your ongoing development. This could be dependent on where the individual may be in their leadership journey, but in some cases, I see supervision stopping when leaders reach a certain level, and I think, based on my experience, this is unfortunate. At times, it has felt that once you’re a “leader,” you have all the answers and no longer need intentional support. While the modules, our studies, and assignments clearly suggest that this is not the case, I feel like I need to more intentionally seek out that support as a leader.
This is a challenging question, as I think I try to incorporate all three types, especially when I have tried motivating my teams in the past. The what it is we are trying to achieve, how we are going to do it, and the why we are doing it in the first place. Also, I think the type of “person” I embody is dependent on the audience I am “selling.” If I was pinned down to one, I may be more of a “what” person. I like to connect with folks on what it is we are actually doing or at least that it is where I start. I have focused with some of my teams on the relational work that we do with our participants and the change we are trying to affect. I heard Simon Sinek note that what we do serves as the proof of what we believe, so I do believe that my “why” is eventually addressed and explained. Also, I think I assume that my colleagues or staff already “believe what I believe,” so maybe I am less focused on explaining the why of what we are doing in the social services workplace, although it is something I will be more mindful of moving forward.
I also reflect on my first job in the non-profit space. I worked at a small family shelter, and it was my responsibility to recruit volunteers for the shelter for a variety of activities. In that role, as I was “selling” the shelter and the need for volunteer supports, I was entirely focused on the “why.” Why the shelter was vital to the community, why we needed their support, and, maybe most importantly, why I was doing the work and why it was important to me. The groups I would present to were not individuals that normally volunteered (although were interested in doing do) and did not necessarily have experience in social services. I fondly look back on that now…I could sell those crowds! In consideration of how I “sell” now and looking back at my first paragraph, I think I likely take for granted that colleagues know my “why” and maybe I would be more effective, whether as a leader, or even a communicator, if others more fully understood how I relate to the “why” of our work.
How do you help your team (or your colleagues) "see the vision, live it, and breathe it"? (See Chapter 5 Winning)
Similar to my leadership style of “rolling up my sleeves” at times, I think in my current role I always try to make myself available to my colleagues and offer my assistance where applicable. I think back to my mission statement that we shared in the first class and I labeled myself a collaborator and I firmly believe that we (whether it’s ourselves or even our work here at Fedcap) when we work together. I think by living that mission and trying to lead/collaborate by example, other folks will catch on and operate similarly and “believe what I believe.”
What types of questions might you ask of your team that are "answered with action"?
“What is not working well? What can we do to change that?”
“How does your position support the agency’s mission/vision?” and “program performance?”
“How can we improve our participants’ experience?”
What one thing would you add to Welch's "Leadership Rules"?
Personally, I would add something along the lines of finding, if not a mentor, a colleague or someone that can assist in your ongoing development. This could be dependent on where the individual may be in their leadership journey, but in some cases, I see supervision stopping when leaders reach a certain level, and I think, based on my experience, this is unfortunate. At times, it has felt that once you’re a “leader,” you have all the answers and no longer need intentional support. While the modules, our studies, and assignments clearly suggest that this is not the case, I feel like I need to more intentionally seek out that support as a leader.
