Some general thoughts about leadership (Journal #2)

The beauty of organization is that it could pull resources and wisdom together and accomplish big tasks/mission that individuals could not do. An organization is just like a person: good leadership helps the organization keep healthy mentally and physically, and develop good personality (like open minded, hardworking, pleasant and kind, etc) in order to be successful and powerful. From my point of view, the first step to lead an organization is to make it clear what the organization is going to be like, including missions, future orientation and most important “personalities”. The second step is to set the rules and culture. The power system, communication system and the affection system (which Professor Coltoff mentioned last week) can all be carried out by rules and culture. Both rules and culture can be set by two ways: by force (punishment/encouragement) and by personal impact (charisma, employee’s respect/fear/trust/beliefs towards leaders). Third is staffing. Who you are looking for/ what you are looking for inside a person is highly corresponded to the first step. How to "make the best use" of the staff is set by the second step.

Leadership is a delicate art, which could be conducted in different styles. But I feel one of the most important factors is proactive, always holding to the core mission/vitality of the organization. In a group, members tend to seek for the benefit and avoid risks. Majorities may not always make the best decisions at the right time. Organizations may get trapped in ambivalence / interest conflicts/ risk taking. A proactive leader with firm belief in the mission is able to take the responsibility/ risk to make a move towards the best decision. Also, in order to reach long term goals, leaders should be able to keep the balance between organization mission (task) and staff needs (morale). In addition, a leader need to have enough self-awareness/self-discipline to separate the interest of organization and needs of him/herself (power transparency and monitor mechanisms help).

Mind-Sets for Social Work Managers

One of the two best benefits of getting my EMBA when I was Dean of Social Work at Tulane University were: One, I got to see what it was like to be a student with a demanding full time job and a family, and 2) I was able to observe how another profession organized its curriculum. As a result I think I am much more empathic with my students today than I was before, knowing the pressures they are under. And, Two, because I was working on a professional degree that was completely oriented toward practice and the ability to meet the demands of employers and customers I could see ways that social work education could be improved.

A couple of years after I completed my degree at Tulane an article was published that was to revolutionize management education, and I immediately could see its potential for social work education. That article was The Five Minds of a Manager by Jonathan Gosling and Henry Mintzberg published in the Harvard Business Review in 2003.

What do you think? How might "mind-sets" revolutionize social work education? How would you add to the mind-sets?

            There has been a dramatic change in the past couple of weeks at the placement I am currently working in.  I work at Urban Justice Center specifically the Domestic Violence Project.  Urban Justice is a non-profit law firm who provide legal and advocacy services.  Unfortunately, as a result of budget cuts, the Queens branch of my project had lost its funding and is in jeopardy.  Although it’s a small branch (there are only three of us; 2 attorneys plus myself), it has been disheartening for the whole project.   It seems the director of our project is still trying to fight for the Queens branch trying to keep alive despite what seems to be the inevitable.  

            What I find remarkable in this whole ordeal, however, is the director’s handling of the situation and the employees’ reactions.  The director, Madeline, has been very open and supportive.  Because our project is located in three different boroughs, she mostly contacts everyone through emails.  Since the breakout of the unfortunate news, she has sent out mass emails to inform everyone of the status of what is going on.  This past week she has been trying to set up face-to-face meetings with everyone so they can voice their concerns and ask any questions.  Madeline has also set up casual meetings with “no agenda other than to support each other”.  She understood the limitations of the financial aspects but she is willing to listen to her staff and provide support.

            Being that I work directly with the two attorneys that are in danger of losing their jobs, I have observed their reactions.  Despite knowing that their days at the agency are limited, they are still working hard on the cases.  I can tell that they do not feel bitterness but sadness.  One can tell that they enjoy their work and work environment.  I was very impressed that the director was able to cultivate such a positive environment where workers are comfortable with their setting and have strong bonds with one another. 

            It was surprising to me that the staff members all work in different boroughs because it seems they are very familiar with each other.  I think this has to do with the constant conversation flowing between the staff via email.    They often send mass emails about the latest news on social justice regarding domestic violence and equality to share with one another.  The employees are also always announcing their whereabouts (for example, I’m in court in Brooklyn all day, accessible by phone).  I think another factor that helps with the openness of the agency is the director’s flexible working style—she would allow staff to work from home or to leave early to pick up children from school, etc. 

I think this type of management is commendable and worth emulating.  Madeline takes on the director’s role while trusting her staff to work independently.  She is also caring for her staff; she listens and takes into consideration their suggestions and needs.  As a result, the culture that it cultivates is an open-minded and comfortable environment.  It promotes communication between employees and employer and a sense of belonging for employees within the agency.

Are Some Jobs "Undoable"?

In case you didn't hear about it the Bishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, is retiring and they are looking for his successor.

If you are not Episcopalian you probably are not sure what exactly the Bishop does. Here is the wikipedia entry Archbishop of Canterbury but all you might need to know is that he (and it is always a he) is the "senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England and symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and in this role he leads the third largest group of Christians in the world.

Why then is one prominent favorite for the position, the right Rev. Graham James, praying that he is not called? Here's the story.
Bishop prays not to be Archbishop of Canterbury

Why does Rev James view the job as undoable"?

Do you think some jobs may be undoable?  If you can think of an example, what about the job or the organization makes the job undoable?

Looking forward to your comments.

Log #1: Tanya Simon

Tanya Simon
Nonprofit Management & Organization
September 21, 2012
Log #1

As I read through the article on Mario Batali's kitchens, I found myself really appreciating his style of leadership.  What came through in my reading was that the values of the leader, in this case Batali, truly shine through in a system. Thinking as a potential leader, I can only hope to work within a system that holds positive values, as Batali's kitchens appear to.  What is clear to me is that values and morality can be seen both internally and externally, and it is in choosing those sets of values, and remaining steadfast in those beliefs, that we ultimately form the environment of our agencies.

I did find myself laughing as I reflected back on the seven years in which I worked in restaurants, while also working in the non-profit sector.  I often joked to the restaurant staff that my life was a parallel, and that while in one place we called folks customers and another clients, really serving someone else has its ups and it's downs and provokes all sorts of emotions and reactions from the staff.  I also often joked that walking in the kitchen, where plates were thrown and curses yelled, was not nearly as intimidating as walking into the Main office" of my day job, where the attacks could feel just as violent.

What I learned over time, and through experiencing different chefs and also in becoming part of that "main office" myself, is that the tone is set at the top.  I once worked briefly for a chef like Batali, who enforced a no shouting rule, and it really did change the whole kitchen - employees were not on edge, and things seemed to run more smoothly.  More notable to me was that during this tie, employees often came early and stayed late, and I viewed that as comfort forming to loyalty, which is ideal and necessary in a well functioning system.   I too, ran my small staff in a very quiet manner, trying to preach and practice respect toward our clients as well as one another - and for me the resolve of tensions once there was palpable in that environment.

From reading the Children's Aid Society book, as well as the Batali article, it's clear to me that organization and power within an agency play extremely crucial roles to forming the best environment and outcomes possible.  In continuing in this class, I hope to continue to develop my learning of not only how to conceptualize this respectful atmosphere, but also how to aid in implementing such conceptions, especially in already formed organizations where resistance may be developed.