REFlections
Following are a collection of reflections and learnings from the MSW program
September 10, 2012 ( practicum journal entry)
This past week, I have learned about what it is like to inspire change within an organization and that a leader's role is to create new paths and to inspire innovation. Part
of this learning has been to find a balance between providing guidance and letting nature take its course.
I have learned a lot about courage this past week. It took courage to introduce new ideas into our organization, to find new ways of solving problems, and to find new ways of interacting
with the people around me.
Without knowing it, I was practicing the most important asset in leadership..... authenticity. I genuinely believed that taking this new path was in the best interest of the organization of the clients we serve. Once I started talking about my ideas, which, due to sleepless nights thinking and reflecting, were well thought out, organized and well planned, nature did take its course. I knew I had made an impact when our president and formal leader thanked me for keeping the organization focused on what really matters.
As I am writing this, I am thinking about the "dancing guy" video that we used in a class presentation to represent our topic of "Leading Others" (http://sivers.org/ff).
A leader needs to have the guts to stand alone, and it takes guts for others to follow in my new ideas.
I must remind myself that sometimes I must be the "lone nut" if I want to inspire change.
September 24, 2012 (excerpt from a Discussion Board Post on Managing Resources)
For my practicum, I am directing a race, which is a project that I will be managing from beginning to end. The goal is to raise funds for the foundation I am working with, as well as to promote awareness in the community of domestic violence. I was advised by our sponsor, the Running Room, that I needed to be clear from the beginning what my priorities are. It seems
the role of a Project Manager is essentially to find balance between the four elements; time, resources, money and scope. If the scope is too broad, the resources will not be available to complete the task in a timely manner. It also seems that three of the elements- time, money and resources are what are needed in order to achieve the fourth element- the goals and scope of the project.
I can definitely see how all of the four elements are present in my project. Thanks again, this really helped me to integrate learning into my practicum!
October 31, 2012 (excerpt from a Discussion Board Post on Leading Organizations)
Both Wheatley (2005) and Black (2012), in their own way, have emphasized the need for mindfulness, especially as it relates to how one impacts those around us. Wheatley (2005) states that “When an individual changes, its neighbours take notice and decide how they will respond.” (p.47). She goes on to discuss the process of coevolving. Black (2012), on the other hand, states that when a leader is excited and hopeful, those around them will also feel invigorated and motivated.
I have seen a similarity in these statements with my experience in my practicum. Although our endeavor to open a safe haven for victims of domestic violence can be overwhelming at times, it has become evident that we look to one another for the confidence and drive to move forward with the project. I myself have been guilty of expressing my doubts about our ability to move forward and have seen the impact this has had on those around me. Although I continue to strive to be genuine and authentic, I now know that I also must be mindful of how verbalizing my fears can negatively impact the overall wellbeing of the organization. My hope is that as we co evolve as individuals and as an organization, we are able to create a supportive environment where we can all feel excited and hopeful.
November 21, 2012 (excerpt from a Discussion Board Post on Leading Organizations)
Jim Pritchard (2012) encourages us to reflect on what leadership means to us. Although this appears to be an easy task, it is a challenge to come up with an answer that embodies all of
our learnings to date about leadership. I decided to refer to Wheatley (2005) for some answers and quickly found what I was looking for.
This is how Wheatley (2005) would answer Pritchard's (2012)questions:
Leadership is...... helping others to become more insightful.
Leadership is important because.... it is a channel through which one can provide information, access to one another, resources, trust and follow through.
Leadership within organizations looks like.... making sure that the organization knows itself.
Leaders..... support diversity, welcome surprise, expect invention and rely on employees.
Wheatley (2005) has assisted me in developing my practice framework in terms of looking at what is important on a larger scale and trying to apply that to day to day practice. My
perspective on the meaning of leadership has changed significantly throughout the masters program. My new perspective on leadership is a lot more compatible with my role as a social
worker now that I understand that leadership is possible without command and control (Wheatley, 2005). The task of defining leadership has assisted me as I recognize that as time goes on, many of the learnings from the masters program will fade, and I must decide now what is most important for me to "stick" to and hold on to as I move forward in life.
This past week, I have learned about what it is like to inspire change within an organization and that a leader's role is to create new paths and to inspire innovation. Part
of this learning has been to find a balance between providing guidance and letting nature take its course.
I have learned a lot about courage this past week. It took courage to introduce new ideas into our organization, to find new ways of solving problems, and to find new ways of interacting
with the people around me.
Without knowing it, I was practicing the most important asset in leadership..... authenticity. I genuinely believed that taking this new path was in the best interest of the organization of the clients we serve. Once I started talking about my ideas, which, due to sleepless nights thinking and reflecting, were well thought out, organized and well planned, nature did take its course. I knew I had made an impact when our president and formal leader thanked me for keeping the organization focused on what really matters.
As I am writing this, I am thinking about the "dancing guy" video that we used in a class presentation to represent our topic of "Leading Others" (http://sivers.org/ff).
A leader needs to have the guts to stand alone, and it takes guts for others to follow in my new ideas.
I must remind myself that sometimes I must be the "lone nut" if I want to inspire change.
September 24, 2012 (excerpt from a Discussion Board Post on Managing Resources)
For my practicum, I am directing a race, which is a project that I will be managing from beginning to end. The goal is to raise funds for the foundation I am working with, as well as to promote awareness in the community of domestic violence. I was advised by our sponsor, the Running Room, that I needed to be clear from the beginning what my priorities are. It seems
the role of a Project Manager is essentially to find balance between the four elements; time, resources, money and scope. If the scope is too broad, the resources will not be available to complete the task in a timely manner. It also seems that three of the elements- time, money and resources are what are needed in order to achieve the fourth element- the goals and scope of the project.
I can definitely see how all of the four elements are present in my project. Thanks again, this really helped me to integrate learning into my practicum!
October 31, 2012 (excerpt from a Discussion Board Post on Leading Organizations)
Both Wheatley (2005) and Black (2012), in their own way, have emphasized the need for mindfulness, especially as it relates to how one impacts those around us. Wheatley (2005) states that “When an individual changes, its neighbours take notice and decide how they will respond.” (p.47). She goes on to discuss the process of coevolving. Black (2012), on the other hand, states that when a leader is excited and hopeful, those around them will also feel invigorated and motivated.
I have seen a similarity in these statements with my experience in my practicum. Although our endeavor to open a safe haven for victims of domestic violence can be overwhelming at times, it has become evident that we look to one another for the confidence and drive to move forward with the project. I myself have been guilty of expressing my doubts about our ability to move forward and have seen the impact this has had on those around me. Although I continue to strive to be genuine and authentic, I now know that I also must be mindful of how verbalizing my fears can negatively impact the overall wellbeing of the organization. My hope is that as we co evolve as individuals and as an organization, we are able to create a supportive environment where we can all feel excited and hopeful.
November 21, 2012 (excerpt from a Discussion Board Post on Leading Organizations)
Jim Pritchard (2012) encourages us to reflect on what leadership means to us. Although this appears to be an easy task, it is a challenge to come up with an answer that embodies all of
our learnings to date about leadership. I decided to refer to Wheatley (2005) for some answers and quickly found what I was looking for.
This is how Wheatley (2005) would answer Pritchard's (2012)questions:
Leadership is...... helping others to become more insightful.
Leadership is important because.... it is a channel through which one can provide information, access to one another, resources, trust and follow through.
Leadership within organizations looks like.... making sure that the organization knows itself.
Leaders..... support diversity, welcome surprise, expect invention and rely on employees.
Wheatley (2005) has assisted me in developing my practice framework in terms of looking at what is important on a larger scale and trying to apply that to day to day practice. My
perspective on the meaning of leadership has changed significantly throughout the masters program. My new perspective on leadership is a lot more compatible with my role as a social
worker now that I understand that leadership is possible without command and control (Wheatley, 2005). The task of defining leadership has assisted me as I recognize that as time goes on, many of the learnings from the masters program will fade, and I must decide now what is most important for me to "stick" to and hold on to as I move forward in life.