My "speak up or sell out" moment

I've been thinking a lot about the "Authenticity" chapter of our curriculum this week. A glaring example of this concept came up in my job, and it threw me into a career-existential crisis. Decisions were being made at the executive level that would shape my work, and the direction of the organization, for the next year and possibly beyond. When I first learned about them, I tried very hard to fully understand what might have been driving the decision-making process and really get my head around what it meant for my team and for me, personally. After several internal deliberations, I found myself very conflicted.

I realized very quickly that the work I do is very much driven by my personal mission and values. It's much more than just a job, and my role as a leader is both to help others believe deeply in what it is I'm working toward and also to help them connect to that mission and set of values in order to find a way to make a difference.

I was encouraged by my boss (someone I regard as an amazing leader and mentor) to stand up for what I believed in and spend a little bit of my professional/social capital to get my point across to people who could change the direction of the ship. Her advice was to stick to the facts, trust that logic and sound values were on my side, and try to keep unnecessary emotion out of it as much as possible. That last part was pretty challenging given the deep-seated feelings I had about the issues at hand.

In the end, my point was well heard by the decision-makers and I felt tremendous resolve from choosing to speak up.

Team

I am enjoying getting to know my team. Moving forward from this point on, I feel like these are relationships that will be part of our lives well after Snohomish County Leadership is over. I look forward to making a difference with this group not only with this project but possibly many more in the future.

If you watch the pennies, the dollars will take care of themselves

That was a quote I always remember from the Founders of StockPot. They literally meant it in terms of making money. But, I wanted to share how that principle applied with Meals on Wheels and our company (and there really will be a point to this that applies to the class). In November 2009, a few of us were talking about 'past lives' and how we'd done Meals on Wheels. I decided to contact Senior Services, and the idea of volunteer drivers seemed kind of new to how Snohomish County operates its program. But, we all went into it together, and we signed up for weekly delivery. We set up a voluntary sign up sheet, and the same folks started out signing up. Slowly we got up to about 6 regulars, and a half dozen sometimers. A different employee caught on to what we were doing, and informed the team that we were eligible for Campbell's Angel Points, which contributes $500 for every 25 hours you volunteer with a charity. Long story short, they submitted the teams hours, and last week we were able to present 3 $500 checks to SSSC, AND because of the total hours of the team for 2010, we were able to present a check for $6,000. Needless to say, Martha and Jane (at SSSC) were surprised and giddy over the events. The point, and how I relate leadership to all of this, is that small contributions individually, when cumulated is enormous. Leadership is about getting as many small contributions as possible, to have an enormous impact.

Gratitude

Yesterday, I went to the final meeting on our group project for the class of 2011 (best class ever.) The closing of a chapter always makes me look back at what came before, and so, as I read the section on
gratitude, I have the last nine months in my head.
I came to Leadership Snohomish excited to learn about the community I live and work in, and that my child is growing up in, and also apprehensive- feeling I had nothing to contribute in terms of actual 'leadership' (aptitude or ability.)

The first day's survey of styles revealed- unsurprisingly- my own tendency toward introversion. While I
didn't think I needed a class to tell me this about myself, I was interested to begin to look at new opportunities in working with people with different innate styles.
I was somewhat surprised when put into project groups to find myself with people who also (to varying degrees) tended toward introversion. The project we were assigned- a feasibility study for Bridgeways looking at expansion- was also the one that I felt least comfortable about. Over the coming weeks and months I found myself working with a group of incredibly intelligent, compassionate and, above all, humorous individuals. Sarri said she picked the groups at random, but I think
there may be more to it than that. Our group was supportive, efficient,effective and able to laugh at ourselves. I am incredibly grateful to have had the chance to get to know all of them and hope to count them among my friends through all our future roles in Snohomish County.

In gratitude,
Nicole

Reflections on Health and Human Services

I couldn't have been more thrilled about the topics discussed during this particular education day. For two reasons:  1) Greater insight into some of the hardships taking place in Snohomish County, 2) Leadership and the importance of human services were discussed as going hand in hand.


1)   I  first became acquainted with the violence and hardships that were and are happening at both a national and international level some years ago and remember finding it so disheartening and so upsetting that I wrote a few letters to Congress.  After reading material such as "Half the Sky," and other relevant works I have been inspired to focus on women empowerment in my next career, so I found this education day to be very informational as it touched on many of the different components I should consider being aware of. 

2)  The interpersonal component is either missed or mentioned briefly in much of the Leadership and management curriculum because there is always such a high focus on power and money. I sincerely believe that often times caring for one another becomes foreign and lost in the shuffle, at least from my perspective. For example, I have taken countless courses on management, marketing, accounting, finance, etc. where the focus is on maximizing profits and enhancing the bottom line and can only count on my hand a class or two geared toward expanding on the social dynamic in relation to being sensitive to people's needs and how to treat people like people and social responsibility owed to the community.  Afterall, it would make no sense to discuss community building without acknowledging some of the hardships experienced by many in the community. 
 


I just couldn't help but be reminded of a quote spoken by Dr. Martin Luther King that, "power without love is abusive and reckless, while love without power is sentimental and anemic."  Given this quote there clearly must be a balance between power and care for humanity especially when focusing on Leadership within a given community.  Thank you LSC!  I am grateful to impart a deeper knowledge of some of the travesties happening in the Snohomish County area. 

January

At our most recent education day, we had several representatives from the local business community present on a wide variety of topics. The local economy was a central theme, and it was interesting to hear different viewpoints. Clearly, times are challenging, with Snohomish County unemployment trending slightly higher than the national average. Several business owners told us about their personal experiences in having to lay off employees and struggling to keep their businesses solvent. Despite that, there was a tenacity and resilient spirit that shone through. Puget Sound Regional Council Executive Director Bob Drewel was most optimistic as he pointed out how global our region is in its approach. He indicated that the Puget Sound remains vibrant and innovative, and is better positioned than many areas of the US to pull ahead as the economy recovers.

Our discussion topic for the day was sponsorship, the willingness to advocate for a cause or idea, with the determination to move beyond words to action. What struck me about this was just how important it is for all of us to be more actively engaged in our communities, especially in challenging economic times. Leadership Snohomish County has broadened my perspective considerably, and introduced me to several ways I can be a more engaged citizen and sponsor.