National Transition Community of Practice Forum Session 5: Leadership on All Levels in the Community of Practice February 6, 2006.

National Transition Community of Practice Forum

Session 5:

Leadership on All Levels in the Community of Practice

February 6, 2006

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Topics Leadership Strategies that Empowers All

Stakeholders (State, Local, Individual) State Leadership Support of Regional and

Local Leaders Discussion:

What Works in your State and/or Your Role What are the Challenges we Face How can we help one another to Enhance our

State to Local, Local to State Efforts to Improve Youth Outcomes?

Leadership Strategies that Empowers All Stakeholders (State, Local, Individual)

Hal Bloss, Assistant Director

Luzerne County Intermediate Unit

Vance Coover, NE Division Administrator

Office of Vocational Rehabilitation

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Leaders. Leaders? Who are they?Service Providers/Teachers

Intrinsically motivated. Positions of service. Make a difference!

Empowerment Implies we will “allow” them…. Who “allows” them outside of work?!? Empowerment is an attitude of freedom. (H)

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Leaders. Leaders? Who are they?

Servant Leadership Assumption is that they know how to do their job. Provide them the resources to do their job.

Exemplary Leaders have... Strong sense of purpose. Courage to act. Consideration for others.

Leadership is Everyone’s Business!! The Leadership Challenge, by James Kouzes

and Barry Posner, 1999

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Leadership is Everyone’s Business!

How do you see your role?How do you:

Challenge the Process? Inspire a Shared Vision? Enable Others to Act? Model the Way? Encourage the Hearts of Others?

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Leadership is Everyone’s Business!

Paradigms and Change (A) Who Moved My Cheese? (H) Be Proactive!! (H) Emotional Intelligence What’s Next? What, me worry? Change and Connectedness No X-mas Tree Programs!!!

Where to start? What to do?

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COMMUNITIES of “PRACTICE”

STARRT by building COMMUNITIES of “PRACTICE” (CoP’s)

Definition (H)Circles of Concern

& Circles of Influence (A)Be Influence-able!!! Six Interrelated Strategies (STARRT)

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COMMUNITIES of “PRACTICE”

Stewardship

Trustworthiness

Ambiguity

Reflection

Refinement

Time…STARRT.

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COMMUNITIES of “PRACTICE”

Stewardship - is the willingness to be accountable for the well-being of the larger organization by operating out of service, rather than control, of those around us. It is accountability without control or compliance. (Peter Block, 1993) Create diverse committees, communities of practice. Provide Opportunities AOAP! Stop the Monologue! Start the Dialogue! … and

Listen! Be Ambiguous - Sell the problems, not the solutions! Create a “Welcoming Environment!” … and Listen!! Encourage and Reward “Risk Taking!” … and

Listen!!!

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COMMUNITIES of “PRACTICE”

Trustworthiness Trust Personal competence Professional performance (Covey, 1996) (H) Check It Out Club! Problems…. are opportunities!! Credibility of Action!!!

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COMMUNITIES of “PRACTICE”

Ambiguity-When to be and when not to be? Ambiguous- be uncertain, of doubtful nature or

meaning, open to various interpretations. In the creative process -

Be Ambiguous! Sell the problems, not the solutions.

In the implementation process - AVOID Ambiguity! Most important implementation strategy ...is the

clarification of the roles and responsibilities of the various stakeholders involved in the process.

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COMMUNITIES of “PRACTICE”

Reflection & Refinement Ongoing dialogue and regular reflection result in

shared vision, shared commitment, and shared responsibility.

Make Connections!! No X-mas Tree Programs!!

Based upon the reflective experience the community must “continually refine” its models of service delivery to broaden its continuum of services.

Culture of commitment. Broad based support.

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COMMUNITIES of “PRACTICE”

Time Law of the Farm!!! (A) Legitimate Participation. Full Engagement. No Puppets!!! The Dynamic Systems Perspective (H)

Dynamic Complexity Success Time and Change

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COMMUNITIES of “PRACTICE”

Stewardship

Trustworthiness

Ambiguity

Reflection

Refinement

Time…STARRT Now!

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Highly Effective “CoP’s” …

Close the Implementation Gap!! Community Living Programs

VITAL House 1995 Tiger House 2001 Plus others across

PA!! Victory Village 2002 REAL Academy 2004

College Experience Programs COOP 2004 CORE 2005 BSU, Lackawanna 2005/06

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COMMUNITIES of “PRACTICE” Move off the Dime!! Start the Journey!!! Vision comes later!!! Be Ambiguous - Sell the Problems, not the

solutions! Stop the Monologue, start the Dialogue!! Listen! Listen!! Listen!!! (DC-S-T & C) Provide opportunity and choice. AOAP!!! Make Connections!! No X-mas Tree Programs!! Be consistent with the message!!

State Leadership Support of Regional and Local Leaders

Ellen Romett, Managing Director

PA Training & Technical Assistance Network

Joan Kester, Statewide Transition Specialist

Office of Vocational Rehabilitation

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State to Local Support: Expanding Capacity through Replication of Effective Practices

Peer mentoring – Program to Program connections for replication of evidence based practices Informal (Informal network of the community) Formal mentor-mentee model (Mini–grants, PDE

Employment Grants)

Use of technology to support formal mentor-mentee replication projects Blackboard:

Group E-mail Communication Discussion Boards Resource Sharing (online toolkit) Electronic Data Submission

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State to Local Support: Ongoing Opportunities to Network & Communicate

Integrated Professional Development to create ongoing opportunities to share effective practicesStatewide Transition Conference (July

19-21, 2006)Biannual Regional Outcome & Issue

Forums

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State to Local Support: Ongoing Opportunities to Network & Communicate

Use of Technology to Support Open and Ongoing Communication Transition List-serv sponsored by the IDEA

Partnership. Practice groups (outcomes/issues

identified by stakeholders as priorities)Vision of small learning communities

within practice groups, centered around program models (e.g. college experience programs) and program elements (e.g. job coaching)

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COMMUNITIES of “PRACTICE”Three Central Value Themes (K & P,

1999) High Performance Values are best reflected in

our commitment to excellence. Caring Values communicate how others are to be

treated. Uniqueness Values communicate to those both

inside and outside our organization HOW what we do is uniquely different than others.

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How can we learn from one another’s experiences?

Discussion: What works within your state and/or

your role?What are the challenges we face?After we leave this forum, how can

we help one another to enhance our leadership at the state, regional and local levels to improve youth outcomes?

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Feel free to contact us!

Hal Bloss, Assistant Director, Luzerne County Intermediate Unit, [email protected]

Vance Coover, NE Division Administrator, Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, [email protected]

Ellen Romett, Managing Director, PA Training & Technical Assistance Network, [email protected]

Joan Kester, Statewide Transition Specialist, PA Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, [email protected]