Generously funded by the Shinnyo-en Foundation and the University of California, Berkeley
ABOUT THE SIX BILLION PATHS TO PEACE INITIATIVE We live in an interconnected world. The actions of people around us impact us every day. In the same way, our actions impact those we live near, shop with, drive next to and work with. On a global level, what we do on one continent impacts others. What happens to one species affects others. As humans, our lives are linked by stories that connect to each other. We have experiences and histories that are individual and idiosyncratic, but there is a shared essence. Regardless of our differences, we are all impacted by birth, death, illness, aging, and a desire for happiness. It is easy to feel overwhelmed or hopeless by the suffering, violence or war going on in our world. The antidote is to take action and notice that there is much we can do through daily actions. Each of us has a choice. We can turn away and ignore the challenges. We can react to challenges with anger and frustration. Or we can approach challenges with an attitude of service. Choosing to see the world from the perspective of service creates the possibility of great joy and peace. Like a ripple in the water, each tiny act of peace reverberates out into the world expanding the experience of peace for all of us. A grandfather and war veteran sits with his grandson telling him stories about his life, and offers a perspective that life is a precious, precious thing. At the security line in the airport, a person hands a tray to the person in back of them. The next person follows their lead. An employee begins wiping down the counter top in her college’s bathroom each morning. By the end of the year, it’s a practice almost all employees share. Two people talk about creating an international day of peace; years later more than 800 events in 170 countries are held to bring attention to the power of peace worldwide. Just as an act of violence sends out shock waves effecting everyone around, so too does an act of peace. Six Billion Paths to Peace represents the idea that it is possible to inspire new reverberations of peace if we each step up and investigate our daily actions and make a commitment to offer our unique contributions to the world We invite you to reflect upon how you can contribute to peace in this moment, in this day, in this lifetime. For more information go to: http://www.sef.org/projects/six-billion-paths-to-peace/
TABLE OF CONTENTS WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION
WELCOME AND TOOLKIT PURPOSE.......................................................................................................................... 5 OVERVIEW OF THE CENTER ........................................................................................................................... 6 VITAL CONTACTS: PROFESSIONAL STAFF ................................................................................................. 7 BASIC INFORMATION ABOUT THE EAST BAY ........................................................................................... 8 TAKING ACTION IN OUR COMMUNITIES
ENGAGING IN SERVICE ................................................................................................................................................... 7 CIVIC ENGAGEMENT ........................................................................................................................................ 11 DEFINITIONS OF SERVICE .............................................................................................................................. 12 VALUES THAT DRIVE OUR WORK ............................................................................................................... 13 AXIS OF SOCIAL ACTION ................................................................................................................................. 14 HEALTHY GROUPS......................................................................................................................................................... 16 DIMENSIONS OF HEALTHY GROUPS .......................................................................................................... 16 SAFE PROGRAMS AS JUST PROGRAMS ...................................................................................................... 18 DOCUMENTS TO KEEP ON FILE FOR STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS ....................................................... 20 LEADERSHIP 101 ........................................................................................................................................................... 22 LEADERSHIP STYLES/COMPASS.................................................................................................................. 22 SITUATIONAL LEADERSHIP .......................................................................................................................... 27 FINDING YOUR VOICE...................................................................................................................................... 29 PLANNING FOR YOUR OWN LEARNING AND GROWTH ....................................................................... 29 TIME MANAGEMENT ....................................................................................................................................... 33 COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS.................................................................................................................................... 35 DEVELOPING AND MAINTAINING STRONG COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS................................... 36 ASSET MAPPING – APPRECIATIVE INQUIRY ........................................................................................... 38 Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
1
MULTICULTURAL COMPETENCE ................................................................................................................. 39 SOCIAL JUSTICE AS A PRACTICE-ABLE PRINCIPLE ............................................................................... 41 PROJECT PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION
PROJECT PLANNING...................................................................................................................................................... 45 SETTING GOALS – MAKE THEM SMART .................................................................................................... 46 BACKWARD PLANNING .................................................................................................................................. 47 BUDGETS AND MONEY MANAGEMENT ..................................................................................................... 48 FUNDRAISING: IN-KIND DONATIONS ........................................................................................................ 49 COALITIONS AND MOVEMENT BUILDING ................................................................................................ 51 RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION .............................................................................................................................. 52 THE GOLDEN KEYS TO RERUITMENT ........................................................................................................ 52 MARKETING 101 ............................................................................................................................................... 50 DESIGNING AND POSTING FLYERS ............................................................................................................. 55 POSITION DESCRIPTIONS AND APPLICATIONS ..................................................................................... 57 INFO SESSIONS, INTERVEWS, AND SELECTION ...................................................................................... 57 INTRODUCTION TO PEER-LED PROGRAMMING ................................................................................................. 59 PROGRAM ORIENTATION .............................................................................................................................. 59 LEADING AND MANAGING ............................................................................................................................ 60 LEADERSHIP TRANSITION ............................................................................................................................ 62 FEEDBACK AND PERFORMANCE EVALUTION......................................................................................... 66 EVALUATION AND ASSESSMENT .............................................................................................................................. 71 ASSESSMENT V. EVALUATION ...................................................................................................................... 71 MEASURING IMPACT AND IMPROVING PROGRAM EFFECTIVENESS .............................................. 72 FACILITATING MEANING-MAKING AND LEARNING
LESSON AND TRAINING PLANNING ......................................................................................................................... 77 2
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING ............................................................................................................................. 80 KNOWING AND INTERACTING WITH YOUR AUDIENCE ...................................................................... 81 DECALS ................................................................................................................................................................. 82 FACILITATION ................................................................................................................................................................ 84 FACILITATION BASICS .................................................................................................................................... 84 FACILITATING DIALOGUE.............................................................................................................................. 85 FACILITATING A MEETING ............................................................................................................................ 87 TEAMBUILDERS ................................................................................................................................................ 90 REFLECTION .................................................................................................................................................................... 93 REFLECTION ACTIVITIES AND RESOURCES ............................................................................................. 95 JOURNALING: A PRIMER................................................................................................................................. 96 SERVICE-RELATED REFLECTION PROMPTS ............................................................................................ 97 BRINGING YOUR WHOLE SELF TO SERVICE
CATEGORIES OF FULFILLMENT ................................................................................................................ 101 RENEWAL ......................................................................................................................................................... 104 A HEALTHY FUTURE ..................................................................................................................................... 105 STEPS IN THE JOB SEARCH: BUILDING YOUR NETWORK ................................................................ 107 RESUME WRITING AND COVER LETTERS.............................................................................................. 107 COVER LETTER HOW TO’S.......................................................................................................................... 110 APPENDIX, INSPIRATIONS, AND ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
CAL CORPS POLICIES AND PROCEDURES .............................................................................................. 111 FACTS ON LOCAL POVERTY ....................................................................................................................... 120 SAMPLE MEETING AGENDA ....................................................................................................................... 123 LESSON AND TRAINING PLANNING FORM ............................................................................................ 124 INSPIRATIONS AND CITATIONS ............................................................................................................... 125 Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
3
WELCOME AND
INTRODUCTION
4
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
Welcome and Introduction
WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION Section at a Glance: Welcome and Toolkit Purpose Overview of Cal Corps Public Service Center Vital Contacts Basic Information about the East Bay WELCOME AND TOOLKIT PURPOSE Dear Student Leader, Thank you for your commitment to acting for social justice! As a student leader, you have taken on an important responsibility for inspiring your peers to commit to a life of service and for modeling how to create healthy community-both within your student group, and in the world. I hope that you take this responsibility seriously and that you model the Center’s core values. This toolkit will help you develop the skills and knowledge that you need to ensure that your service has a meaningful impact in the community, and that as a leader you are a positive model for your peers. We encourage you to refer to the toolkit regularly as different parts will speak to you at different times. Feel free to share any of it with others, and please give us feedback so we can improve next year’s edition! I especially encourage you to reference our Center’s core values, selected and written by Cal Corps staff this summer. Our values (experiential and reflective learning, collaboration and commitment, community wisdom, student agency, and equity and social justice) guide our work and we are confident that if they can be powerful tools for guiding your work as well. I hope that you take the time to access the many resources available at Cal Corps to support you in your work, and that you also develop networks with other student leaders that can support you in not only achieving your project’s mission but who can support you in developing the skills to be a wise and inspiring leader for equity and justice throughout your lifetime. I speak for all the Cal Corps staff in saying that we are honored to work with you and look forward to working together. Megan Voorhees Assistant Dean of Students Director, Cal Corps Public Service Center Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
5
Welcome and Introduction
OVERVIEW OF THE CENTER Cal Corps Public Service Center connects ideas, resources and people to act for social justice, build healthy communities, and foster life-long commitments to public service. The Center meets these broad goals by focusing on three key areas: Engaged Scholarship, Campus-Community Partnerships, and Student Leadership. Engaged Scholarship…The Center connects academics to real world social issues. Staff and student leaders provide students with practical opportunities to apply what they learn in the classroom to solve problems our world faces. This happens through faculty-led and student-led courses. Campus-Community Partnerships…The Center has spent years developing relationships with several hundred community-based organizations and schools, as well as local and national government agencies. We break down the campus/community divide and provide our partner organizations with opportunities to tap into the resources of our University as they address key issues in the community. Student Leadership…Cal Corps believes that everyone can be a leader if they are willing to put energy into improving and strengthening basic areas (see below). Leadership is not a position or title, but rather an approach you take to contribute to your community. The Center helps students develop leadership through service opportunities, student groups, work-study jobs, and internships. Opportunities range from one day- to year-long projects with opportunities to earn units or scholarships. Item Cal Corps Student Leaders Community Partners Student Participants Service Hours Hours of Leadership Training AmeriCorps Members Enews Subscribers Youth Benefitting from Literacy Programs Students Earning Units through Cal Corps
2011-12 162 221 3,835 222,841 28,005 242 4,695 1,345 724
Our goal is that by participating in social change programs and projects through Cal Corps you will learn continue to develop your capacity to: Articulate a vision for a "healthy community" Discern your role in creating social change aligned with your preferred leadership style Form and maintain healthy groups while cultivating leadership among your peers Understand root causes of pressing social issues and explore solutions originating from the local community Facilitate reflection activities that provide greater context and/or challenge assumptions. Develop transferable skills: relationship building, self-care, time management, communication, and goal setting/assessment
6
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
Welcome and Introduction
The above list is the Core Leadership Competencies for Cal Corps. We see these competencies as essential elements in your journey to becoming leaders in the community. We anticipate that the participants/peers you will lead will learn similar though more basic skills, understanding, and knowledge: Articulate personal beliefs, values, and identities Expand awareness of the ways of making social change Identify local pressing issues in communities and community strengths Engage in reflection activities that provide greater context or challenge assumptions. Develop transferable skills Throughout this toolkit you will see how the various “tools” provide an opportunity for you to develop in these areas. While there is no specific number of competencies to acquire, we encourage you to challenge yourself and take on opportunities that will allow you to develop in your leadership role so that you become wellrounded servant leaders in the community at Cal and beyond! VITAL CONTACTS: PROFESSIONAL STAFF Check out our bios on the website and visit us during office hours in 102 Sproul! Suzan Akin, Program Coordinator 510-642-6772 suzanakin@berkeley.edu Office Hours: Mon, 2-4pm
Mike Bishop, Assistant Director 510-642-7811 bishop@berkeley.edu Office Hours: Fri, 3-5pm
Damali Burton, Program Coordinator 510-643-0307 damali-burton@berkeley.edu Office Hours: Mon, 3-4:30pm
Carrie Donovan, K-12 Program Manager 510-642-5753 carriedonovan@berkeley.edu Office Hours: Fri, 10am-12pm
Brendan McVeigh, Program Coordinator 510-642-3916 bmcveigh@berkeley.edu Office Hours: Tue, 3-4:30pm
Marlena Reimer, BUILD Equity Fellow 510-642-6772 marlena_reimer@berkeley.edu Office Hours: Thur, 10am-12pm
Angela Taylor, Program Coordinator 510-642-5429 taylora@berkeley.edu Office Hours: By appointment
Mong Vang, Administrative Assistant 510-642-5886 mongvang@berkeley.edu Office Hours: Wed, 3-5pm
Ingrid Villarreal, BUILD Equity Fellow 510-642-6772 ingrid.villarreal@berkeley.edu
Megan Voorhees, Director 510-642-1081 voorhees@berkeley.edu Office Hours: Thur, 9-11am
Sunshine Workman, Program Coordinator 510-643-0303 workman@berkeley.edu Office Hours: Tue, 10-11:30am
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Who do I talk to about? Leadership Development – Program Contact Campus-wide Leadership Training – Mike DECal Support – Mike Service Group Sponsorship – Damali BUILD /Youth Programming – Carrie, Damali, Dana Volunteer Match/Public Service Calendar/E-newsletter – Brendan Advocacy for support of service – Megan Ways to do outreach – Brendan
Leadership Toolkit
7
Welcome and Introduction
BASIC INFORMATION ABOUT THE EAST BAY As leaders in the community most of you are serving in one of the 9 San Francisco Bay Area counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, and Sonoma. The Bay Area is one of the most diverse places in the United States. While bound by geographic proximity, these cities – and neighborhoods within cities – demonstrate extreme differences. For example, although only 12% of Berkeley children are in poverty, 34% of children in West Berkeley live at or below the poverty line. (See the Appendix for more data on local poverty.) The information below is intended to give you a broad view of four local cities. Please beware not to use this information to stereotype specific communities. It is important that you gain firsthand experience of each community, in order to learn about the history, people, and culture. Berkeley
Oakland
Alameda
Richmond
History
Was a territory of the Huichin band of the Ohlone people; Huge player in Free Speech and Anti-Vietnam War Movements; Vied to be the state capital city
Was a territory of the Oholone; Conquered by Spaniards; Most land owned by Peralta Family; Major port in the West Coast; Home to the Black Panther Party
Was a territory of the Ohlone, an island that was a peninsula of Oakland; Major transportation link for Southern Pacific Railroad and SF ferries; Home to the USS Hornet
Was a territory of the Ohlone; Major shipyard during WWII; Chevron refineries play a huge role in the city; Home to the largest solar installation training program
Population
113,905
395,817
74,774
105,380
Ages
12% under 18
21% under 18
21% under 18
25% under 18
88% 18 +
79% 18 +
79% 18+
75% 18+
12% over 65
11% over 65
14% over 65
10% over 65
60% White
35% White
51% White
31% White
10% Afr-American
28% Afr-American
6% Afr-American
27% Afr-American
<1% Native Am.
1% Native Am.
1% Native Am.
1% Native Am.
19% Asian-Am.
17% Asian-Am.
31% Asian-Am.
13% Asian-Am.
6% Mixed Race
6% Mixed Race
7% Mixed Race
6% Mixed Race
11% Latino
25% Latino
11% Latino
40% Latino
Household Median Income (2010 Census)
$56,051
$50,469
$66,937
$55,705
# of public schools
17
103
16
27
% Below Poverty Level Average rent (one bedroom) Education for those over 25 years
19%
19%
10%
16%
$1480
$1659
$1195
$1100
68% BA or higher
36% BA or higher
46% BA or higher
27% BA or higher
Rate of Violent Crime per 100k people (2010)
519
1,530
230
1,134
Race/Ethnicity
8
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
COMMUNITIES PART ONE: TAKING ACTION IN OUR COMMUNITIES Here are the top things the Cal Corps Public Service Center emphasizes related to this section of your toolkit and what others have learned through their past experience in the past: 1. Discern your role in creating social change aligned with your preferred leadership style “I have learned strategies that have allowed me to encompass individual needs in group settings. I believe having a skill like this is so essential.” – Destiny Walker “I have Cal Corps to thank for teaching me how to love the struggle – to live for it.” – Anthony Trochez 2. Understand root causes of pressing social issues and explore solutions originating from the local community “It is very difficult to do this [service work] alone and that’s why it’s essential to have the community play the bigger role.” – Waleed Salaheldin “The most incredible part of my experience has been the stories. Each one of us, at some point, has sat down to meet veterans, construction workers, mothers, fathers – people who were happy, lost, struggling, learning, and living.”– Kana Yoshida 3. Form and maintain healthy groups while cultivating leadership among your peers I learned to always make time for reflection and create space for feedback from participants about their needs. It’s not just about doing orientations; you got to help the program evolve through community expression.” – Dana Brown
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
9
NOTES
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
Engaging in Service
ENGAGING IN SERVICE Section at a Glance: Civic Engagement Definitions of Service Values that Drive Our Work Axis of Social Action CIVIC ENGAGEMENT There is a growing body of scholarship around the service you will engage in this year as a student leader. In a higher education setting grounding your service in foundational definitions and models might be useful. There is no clear definition of what it means to be civically engaged. In fact, there is confusion around the rhetoric of engagement. What is the difference between public service, social action, civic engagement, community engagement, and civic education? These terms are often used interchangeably. One useful definition of civic engagement comes from Thomas Ehrlich, who has written extensively on the issue. He writes, “Civic engagement means working to make a difference in the civic life of our communities and developing the combination of knowledge, skills, values and motivation to make that difference. It means promoting the quality of life in a community, through both political and non-political processes.” He goes on to write, “A morally and civically responsible individual recognizes himself or herself as a member of a larger social fabric and therefore considers social problems to be at least partly his or her own; such an individual is willing to see the moral and civic dimensions of issues, to make and justify informed moral and civic judgments, and to take action when appropriate.” Civic engagement can take many forms – from volunteerism to organizational involvement to electoral participation. It can include efforts to directly address an issue, work with others in a community to solve a problem or interact with the institutions of representative democracy. Meredith Minkler from UC Berkeley’s School of Public Health writes, “Civic engagement places an emphasis on partnering with the community and taking actions that address their concerns.” Cal Corps staff challenge students to view your commitment to others as “critical service-learning”, or “Service 2.0”. This form of service-learning– infuses social justice into service-learning
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
11
Engaging in Service
DEFINITIONS OF SERVICE Volunteerism: The act of engaging in service that addresses immediate material needs, but does not necessarily address the conditions from which those needs emerge. Community service: Action taken to meet the needs of others and to improve community welfare. Grassroots community organizing: The process of building power that includes people with a problem in defining their community, defining the problems that they wish to address, the solutions they wish to pursue, and the methods they will use to accomplish their solutions. Politics: A process by which groups of people make collective decisions, generally within civil governments, consisting of "social relations involving authority or power" and refers to the regulation of a political unit, and to the methods and tactics used to formulate and apply policy. Community-Based Research: Research that is conducted as an equal partnership between traditionally trained "experts" and members of a community. â&#x20AC;&#x153;CBRâ&#x20AC;? requires sharing power, resources, credit, and results, as well as a reciprocal appreciation of each partner's knowledge and skills at each stage of the project.
SERVICELEARNING 1st Service-learning is a form of experiential education in which students engage in activities that address human and community needs together with structured opportunities intentionally designed to promote student learning and development. Use Part Three and Four of the toolkit to help you reflect and facilitate reflection.
12
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
Engaging in Service
VALUES THAT DRIVE OUR WORK Regardless of the form of social action, it is important to be clear about the values or principles that you embrace as a leader, as these often – consciously or not – inform your practices. As a Center Cal Corps embraces the following values: Experiential and Reflective Learning We believe people learn best through hands-on learning coupled with intentional reflection. This “praxis” offers each of us -students, scholars and community members- an opportunity to explore social issues, grounded in our own communities, academic disciplines and personal experiences. Through this process we also learn about our own values and strengths, deepening our ability to take intentional action. Collaboration and Commitment We believe the challenges facing our communities are complex, and can only be addressed through long-term, sustainable relationships. Our work relies heavily on relationships with community partners, students, staff and faculty. These relationships take time to build and require continuous investment and renewal. We are committed to the process required for successful collaboration and seek to form mutually beneficial partnerships for long-term community impact. Community Wisdom We believe wisdom comes from lived experience and so community members can be some of our best teachers. We rely on our community partners’ strategic wisdom to help us identify community assets and needs, and we value our community partners as co-educators who support student learning in ways the classroom cannot. Student Agency We believe in the power and possibility of students taking action. Students can use their privileged position to serve others and contribute to wider movements for social justice. We value student passions, talents, ideas and experiences and believe in their capacity to be successful change agents and leaders. Equity and Social Justice We believe societal structures tend to privilege the powerful. Without the intentional actions of individuals, the needs of those with fewer resources are overlooked. We believe that there are enough resources to meet the basic needs of all, and to enable each person to live a full life with dignity. UC Berkeley has a responsibility to promote the general welfare and to challenge inequitable policies and systems.
“If there is no struggle, there is no progress.” -- Frederick Douglass
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
13
Engaging in Service
AXIS OF SOCIAL ACTION This tool is designed to help you identify the type of social action project you are leading. First reflect on WHY your group exists. Often this is found in your mission statement. After serving the community what will be different in that community? Are you providing direct material assistance? Trying to build leadership within the community? Make a mark on the x axis. Next answer HOW your group works in the community. Did you independently identify community problems and potential solutions? Was the community you are serving involved in this process? Make a mark on the y axis. Having charted the WHY and HOW, you should be able to locate your project or program within a quadrant that *roughly* identifies the â&#x20AC;&#x153;typeâ&#x20AC;? of social action project you are leading Community Driven
Grassroots Community Organizing or CommunityBased Research
H O W
ServiceLearning
D O W E
Provide Direct Material Assistance
W
H
Y
D
O
W
E
E
X
I
S
T
?
W O R K I N
Volunteerism
C M M T Y
Politics
?
No Community Input
14
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
Build Leadership and/or Power in the Community
Engaging in Service
QUESTIONS TO REFLECT ON: What does this model say about movement building? Do you agree with how this model characterizes your program? How does your group currently describe the service it performs? What other forms of social action are not covered by this model? What assumptions does this model make? What other aspects of social action programs are equally/more important in how you think about your service? Are you working in collaboration/partnership/coalition with groups that take a different – or even opposite – approach? Is it possible for one organization to take multiple approaches? What might this look like? Are there current or past social movements that utilize/d all four approaches? How can you use this model to advance the mission of your organization?
VALUES/ PRINCIPLES PRACTICES
OUTCOMES
GOALS OF ADVOCACY
“Electoral politics without grassroots organizing is a politics without a base. Grassroots organizing without electoral politics can be a marginal politics. Electoral politics and grassroots organizing without public policy and program is a movement without a direction. All of those ingredients have to be put together.” --Senator Paul Wellstone
AXIS OF SOCIAL ACTION *Values/Principles – Practices – Outcomes – Goals of Advocacy* of forms of social action GRASSROOTS COMMUNITY ORGANIZING VOLUNTEERISM SERVICE-LEARNING OR COMMUNITY-BASED RESEARCH Belief in People to Provide Charity Reform Unjust Own Leadership and Alleviate Suffering Conditions Solutions Harness Power of Community as Mutually Individual/Groups Recipient Beneficial/Reciprocal Community as Co-Creator Develops Citizens/Actors Through Participation Develop Student Assist Clients Leaders Build Capacity of Community Leaders/Orgs More Funding for More Institutional Community Services for Those Resources to Advance Empowerment/Justice Who Need Them S-L
POLITICS
Representation Coalition/ Majoritarian Govern
Pass Legislation
Policy/ Legislation
Regardless of the type of social action your student organization is engaged in, the most important takeaway is that you are taking intentional action to change an unjust situation.
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
15
Healthy Groups
HEALTHY GROUPS Section at a Glance: Dimensions of Healthy Groups Safe Programs as Just Programs: Managing Risk Documents to Keep on File for Staff and Volunteers INTRODUCTION TO HEALTHY GROUPS Creating and maintaining a healthy group is everyone’s responsibility. The Center believes in the power of groups and the need for those working for social change to see the value of collective efforts. As a student leader it is up to you to assist the group in running safe and strong programs, which means offering useful feedback and understanding your own leadership style, while cultivating leadership of your peers within the group. Most groups engaged in service consist of people from different backgrounds and life experiences. Even though your groups may have a common purpose, it is good to recognize and respect the differences that can and do exist. This section on Healthy Groups focuses on some of the elements important to ensuring that your group is “healthy”: productive, effective, and inclusive to not just each other but the community that you are serving. The degree to which you can successfully build healthy communities off-campus with your partners is equal to the degree of health and well-being within your group. This idea of a “parallel process” encourages you to put energy and time into building group cohesion and a service mindset within your group in order to build and maintain a healthy community DIMENSIONS OF HEALTHY GROUPS Creating a space so that healthy risks can be taken by your participants in part involves placing physical risk management into a social justice context. There is a handy acronym that takes into consideration the different dimensions of group dynamics. “SPIES” is a common tool or “checklist” used to inventory if your group is “healthy”. This section is to be used as a resource for you and your group to develop and/or maintain a healthy group. Successful leaders are able to think holistically about and form healthy groups. You can gauge if your group is “healthy” along each of these dimensions depending on your response – and the response of your participants – to the following statements: 16
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
Healthy Groups
There are many tools that leaders can use to build stronger relationships within your group thus making your work more effective and meaningful in the community. See below for the Forming – Storming – Norming – Performing of group development and Part Three for a more in depth look into teambuilders and icebreakers that you can use you help your group form. To support the success of your group, reflect on these questions throughout the year: 1. What stands in the way of you being able to agree fully with each statement? 2. What can you do to address these obstacles?
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
17
Healthy Groups
SAFE PROGRAMS AS JUST PROGRAMS As a leader, one of the important things you can do is ensure the physical and emotional safety of all participants in your project. Only by running safe programs for your participants can you make transformational shifts – within your participants, within your group, and between campus and community. Leaders who successfully attend to this area can create situations where participants can then courageously explore the other dimensions of SPIES. If you prepare in advance so that neither you nor any of your community partners suffer any injury or harm while you serve and document everything that you do to ensure safety, you can also avoid the possibility that someone might sue you or the University in connection with your community service work.
Two Key Principles of Risk Management: 1. Being safe, talking about safety and doing all you can to be safe in all dimensions. 2. Documenting everything you do so that if an accident happens then volunteers and the program are safe from a lawsuit. Accidents always happen, what is important that you did everything you possibly could to run a safe program and the documentation will show that you did it.
It is important to note that when many people think of running safe programs, they make assumptions about what communities are “safe” or “unsafe”. Different communities are safer for different people – for some people being on campus is much more unsafe. It is important to be paying attention to safety at all times and taking action quickly to minimize risk. The most useful tool is common sense. Try to prevent accidents. If something you are about to do seems risky or unsafe, then don’t do it. If you notice a hazard when you’re volunteering on site, report it or try to fix it, and try to keep your community partners safely away from it. Just use your best judgment and be intelligently cautious. When you take any of these actions, be sure to document what you did. MANAGING RISK
In “Managing Risk” let’s first note two glaring inherent tensions when it comes to social justice projects/programs: “Managing risk” v. “healthy risk taking”…here we are focused on minimizing risks and at the same time we ask each of you as student leaders to take a “healthy risk” this year. The two need not be mutually exclusive! While we are talking here today about running safe programs, we also need to punctuate that the very idea of “what it means to be safe” varies depending on our own backgrounds, identities, experiences. RM itself can be a topic of reflection and growth!
These tensions often indicate a cutting edge to give attention to, rather than try to do away with.
18
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
Healthy Groups
ONE WAY TO THINK ABOUT MANAGING RISK: MASLOW’S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS “Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs” might be useful in thinking about joining the principles and practices of harnessing the power of the collective while running safe programs. This model states that basic needs – food, shelter, clothing, healthcare – must first be met before more complex needs – can be addressed.
Unlike this model – and since you are leading a group of people – managing risk involves both personal and group issues, fitting with the Center’s model of collaborative, group-based experiences. While the group is a powerful tool for social change, it also complicates risk management! Good planning manages risk. A risk management plan is part of the natural planning of a service-related event. Here are other things that you should do at all times to ensure safety. WAYS TO PREVENT ACCIDENTS
Each time you start a new project, you should check the Cal Corps website to see if there are additional things that the University needs you to do or that we suggest to help you ensure safety. You should always do the following (all the forms mentioned are accessible on the Cal Corps website, and several are included here): Conduct a site visit with your community partner(s). What do they think might be safety issues? What skills and knowledge do they think volunteers need to be safe and run safe programs? Select people to work in your service group who have the skills and experience to run a safe program. Train your staff and volunteers to operate safe programs and to pay attention to potential safety issues. At the beginning of each service project (even if your program meets off-campus daily), spend 5 minutes on-site to go over possible safety issues and document them on the “Safety Report” Form. For programs with children under 18: Ensure all staff and volunteers are trained in policies and procedures for addressing suspected child abuse. Require every staff member and volunteer to go through training about operating programs that are harassment-free and culturally sensitive. Take a First Aid and CPR class. Although not an absolute requirement, these are skills that are important to have. (Especially recommended for programs with a sports or outdoors component.) Try to arrange your program’s activities so that you don’t have to rely on cars. Make drivers aware that they are liable if they have an accident while driving for your program. Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
19
Healthy Groups
DOCUMENTS TO KEEP ON FILE FOR STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS Risk management is not just about completing forms; it is about taking the time to provide a context for the risks your group will encounter, to interrogate those risks, and to document these conversation s and the practices you have in place to minimize the physical risk so you can maximize the personal risk-taking. At the same time, it is important to document everything you do to manage risk, since this written documentation can help protect you in the event of an accident. Your program files should include a “personnel file” that includes all of the following completed forms, which you should keep on file for 3 years before shredding: Waiver of Liability Emergency Medical Photographic Release Safety Report Travel Insurance (if your service project takes your group outside the State of California)
All forms can be found at http://publicservice.berkeley.edu/experiential-learning
WAIVER OF LIABILITY This form helps to shield you from a lawsuit by a client who has been injured. This does happen, and community volunteers just like you have been held liable for injuries incurred by the people they are helping, even where they were acting reasonably. However, as you might expect, it will not protect you if you do something illegal or if you intentionally try to harm someone or cause damage. The waiver should be signed by all volunteers. In addition, if your program is responsible for the clients you are serving then they need to also sign it (and their parent or guardian, as applicable)-for example, if your student group is brining a group of youth to campus then they each need to sign the waiver but if you are providing tutoring in a school classroom then they do not. Participants must sign a waiver form at least once a year, and waivers should be kept in program files for at least three years after the activity ends. To download the current form, go to the link above, then to the “Waivers” section, and then click on the English or Spanish version of the Elective/Volunteer Activities Waiver. When you complete the form, be sure to do the following: 1. Write your name (or your client’s name, as applicable) at the top. 2. Make sure the “campus” box says “Berkeley.” 3. Fill in the box in the first paragraph as follows: If the form is for you: “all activities relating to Cal Corps and [Name of your volunteer/service group within Cal Corps] during the academic year of 2011-2012.” If you give a wide range of dates, then you only have to have participants fill out the form once during the year. If the form is for your partner: “all activities relating to [brief description of services you are providing] provided by [Name of your volunteer/service group within Cal Corps] and any of its members (all of whom shall be considered “agents” of the Regents of the University of California for purposes of this Agreement) during the academic year of 201112 and summer 2012” 20
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
Healthy Groups
4. Have your participant sign in the two spots designated for signature. 5. Please note: do not change the font of the form or any of the pre-printed text. If you do, it’s possible that the form will not be enforceable. EMERGECY MEDICAL: Each participant should complete this form that includes insurance information, allergies, and emergency contact information. A copy of each medical form should be with team leaders at all service projects in case an accident happens; you can store original forms at Cal Corps.
Please remember to contact your Cal Corps advisor immediately if you have any questions, or if an accident happens or something occurs to affect a participants’ overall safety.
PHOTOGRAPHIC RELEASE: Once completed, this form will allow you to use photos/video/recordings you take at your site on websites, marketing materials, etc.
Store completed forms for three years; Cal Corps can store documents for you if necessary.
SAFETY REPORT This form: 1. A written description of any hazards or unsafe conditions discovered at a program site. 2. A written description of any accident that occurs at a program site. TRAVEL INSURANCE: If your service project takes your group outside the State of California, you need to complete a University-sponsored Travel Insurance form for each participant. The university offers free travel insurance for all volunteers. In addition, it is good practice to keep documentation of the following actions that you have taken to ensure safety: Site Visit Form: You should do a site visit with your community partner at least once a year. Learn from them what they think might be safety issues and document every possibility. Let this visit inform your risk management plans. A list of everyone you hire to join your group, along with a description of their relevant experience (this can be as simple as keeping any application form that they may have filled out and a description of your selection process). A schedule of all training offered to staff and volunteers, with a list of the attendees at each training session. For anyone who will be driving, copies of written proof of insurance and a valid driver’s license. A list of all staff and volunteers that have received training in First Aid and CPR. For programs with children under 18: confirmation that each staff member and volunteer has been fingerprinted to screen for a criminal record, if required by your community partner. (Note: Some school districts also require that everyone working in their schools be given a TB test.) A sign-in/sign-out log that tracks where all participants (volunteers and community partners) are during all of your program hours. A set of written safety policies, specific to your project, signed by all staff and volunteers.
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
21
Leadership 101
LEADERSHIP 101 Section at a Glance: Leadership Styles/Compass Situational Leadership Finding Your Voice Time Management INTRODUCTION TO LEADERSHIP 101 With a service mindset and a focus on group action, a leader already has a lot going for her. In this section we will look at the interplay between healthy groups and healthy leadership before moving on to healthy communities. There are many leadership models; here you will find information on what has worked in the past based on past leader feedback. LEADERSHIP STYLES/COMPASS The Leadership Compass is a great tool to help you explore your leadership style and the style of others in which you may lead or work. As stated in the City Year handbook “There are no “right” or “wrong” styles on the Leadership Compass. Each leadership styles has its own merits and weaknesses. Just because you excel in one style, don’t think of it as a label—we all demonstrate each of the leadership styles at different times. Leadership styles are like shoes—you should try then on and walk around in them to see how different styles fit.” During your time with Cal Corps, you will participate in a training that will help you identify your leadership style. Below is an overview of each of the styles.
It is important to look at the present situation because it is what informs our vision. We should ameliorate what we can, but we must do more, we must keep our eyes looking toward our ultimate goal of building healthier communities. --Bonner Leader 2007-08
22
You bring a unique set of experience, knowledge, passion and skill to the world that no one else has. Finding your voice is connected with your effectiveness as a leader. See the section on “Bringing Your Whole Self to Service” for more information on this.
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
Leadership 101
LEADERSHIP COMPASS ASSESSMENT
Rank each row in the order which each cell describes you, with “1” describing you best and “4” describing you least. Think about: What’s your first inclination when you get a new project? What feedback have you been given about yourself? What’s your tendency when you’re under pressure? What seems most comfortable? Innovative, Creative and sees the big picture
Seen as practical, dependable, and thorough
Allows others to feel important
Very idea oriented, focuses on future thought
Quick to act, expresses urgency for others to act quickly also
Supportive, nurturing and caring towards colleagues
Risk-taker, adventurous, spontaneous
Provide planning and resources to others Moves carefully, deliberately, and follows procedures and guidelines
D
Enjoys challenging people and situations
Willing to trust others’ statements at face value
E
Thinks in terms of the “bottom line”
F
Likes a quick pace and the fast track
G
Courageous, Ambitious, GoalCentered, and Confident
Peace-loving, sympathetic, and helpful Feelings-based, trusts own emotions and intuition as truth Able to focus on the present moment
H
Hardworking leader who is comfortable being in front
I
J
A
Assertive, Active, Decisive
Friendly, Likeable team player
B
Likes to be in control and determine the course of events
C
Has insight into mission and purpose Looks for overarching themes and ideas Appreciates a lot of information Strong spiritual awareness, free spirited, unconventional
Use data to make logical and analytical decisions Weighs all sides of an issue, balanced Introspective, self-analytical, focused, reserved Careful, thoroughly examines people’s needs in situations Works well with existing resources – gets the most out of what has been done in the past
Process-centered
Likes to experiment and explore
Perseveres – Not stopped by “NO”
Generous, non-competitive and likes to build on the ideas of others
Persuasive and energetic, likes newness
Skilled at finding the fatal flaw in an idea or a project
Value Words – “Do it now!” “I’ll do it.”
Value Words: “Right” and “Fair”
Value words: “Option” “Possibility”
Value Words: “Objective,” “Organized”
TOTAL
TOTAL
TOTAL
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
TOTAL
Leadership Toolkit
23
Leadership 101
WEST - ANALYST*TRADITION Understands what information is needed to make decisions Seen as practical, dependable, and thorough in task situations Provides planning and resources and comes through for the team. Moves carefully and follows procedures and guidelines Uses data analysis and logic to make decisions Weighs all sides of an issue, is balanced Introspective, self-analytical, critical thinker Careful, thoroughly examines people’s needs in situations Maximizes existing resources—gets the most out of what has been done in the past Skilled at finding fatal flaws in an idea or project Value words: “details” and “objective” and “analysis” SOUTH - NURTURER*PRODUCER Understands how people need to receive information in order to act on it Integrates others’ input in determining direction of what’s happening Value-driven regarding aspects of professional life Uses professional relationships to accomplish tasks, interaction is a primary way of getting things done Empathetic, supportive, nurturing, to colleagues and peers Willing to trust others’ statements at face value Feeling-based, trusts own emotions and intuition; intuition regarded as “truth” Team-player, receptive to other’s ideas, builds on ideas of others, noncompetitive Able to focus on present moment Value words: “right” and “fair”
NORTH - WARRIOR*NOW Assertive, active, decisive Likes to be in control of professional relationships and determine course of events Quick to act, expresses sense of urgency for others to act now Enjoys challenges presented by difficult situations and people Thinks in terms of “bottom line” Likes quick pace and fast track Courageous Perseveres, not stopped by hearing “NO,” probes and presses to get at hidden resistances Likes variety, novelty, new projects Comfortable in being in front Value action-oriented words, phrases “do it now” “I’ll do it!” “What’s the bottom line?”
EAST - EXPLORER*FUTURE Visionary who sees the big picture Generative and creative thinker, able to think outside the box Makes decisions by looking towards the future on future thought Insight into mission and purpose Looks for overarching themes, ideas Likes to experiment, explore Strong spiritual awareness—attuned to “higher level” Appreciates a lot of information Persuasive Energetic, barnstormer Likes newness Turns resources into new ideas/products Value words: “option” and “possibility”
A lot of people are waiting for Martin Luther King or Mahatma Gandhi to come back -- but they are gone. We are it. It is up to us. It is up to you. -- Marian Wright Edelman
24
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
Leadership 101
APPROACHES TO WORK NORTH The Warrior
SOUTH The Healer
Assertive, Active, Decisive Likes to be in control and determine the course of events Quick to act expresses urgency for others to act quickly Enjoys challenging people and situations Thinks in terms of the “bottom line” Likes a quick pace and the fast track Perseveres – Not stopped by “NO” Hardworking leader who is comfortable being in front Value Words – “Do it now!” “I’ll do it.”
Friendly, Likeable team player Allows others to feel important Supportive, nurturing and caring towards colleagues Willing to trust others’ statements at face value Feelings-based, trusts own emotions and intuition as truth Able to focus on the present moment Process-centered Generous, noncompetitive and likes to build on the ideas of others Value Words: “Right” and “Fair”
EAST The Visionary Innovative, Creative and sees the big picture Very idea oriented, focuses on future thought Risk-taker, adventurous, spontaneous Has insight into mission and purpose Appreciates a lot of information Strong spiritual awareness, free spirited, unconventional Likes to experiment and explore Value words: “Option” “Possibility”
WEST The Teacher Seen as practical, dependable, and thorough Moves carefully, deliberately, and follows procedures and guidelines Use data to make logical and analytical decisions Introspective, selfanalytical, focused, reserved Works well with existing resources – gets the most out of what has been done in the past Skilled at finding the fatal flaw in an idea or a project Value Words: “Objective,” and “Organized”
Building Accountability into Your Organization Unfortunately there are too many examples of people acting in ways unaccountable to the community they are serving. Within any service program there are layers of accountability: Yourself to your own values Participants to each other and to the program Program to community partners Community partners to the wider community When and where you can, seize the opportunity to talk openly about these many layers; interrogate the term itself. There are subtle yet profound differences in “holding others accountable” and “creating the conditions so they can hold themselves accountable”!
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
25
Leadership 101
SIGNIFIERS OF AN OVERUSE OF STYLE
NORTH: THE WARRIOR
• Can easily overlook process and strategic planning Can get defensive, argue, and try to “out expert” others • Can lose patience, push for decision before it’s time and avoid discussion • Can be autocratic, want things their way • See things in black and white, little tolerance for ambiguity • May not heed others’ feelings, be perceived as cold • Has trouble relinquishing control and find it hard to delegate
SOUTH: THE HEALER
• Can lose focus on goals when perception is that relationships are compromised • Has trouble saying “no” to requests • Internalizes difficulty and assumes blame • Prone to disappointment when relationship is seen as secondary to task • Difficulty confronting or handling anger (their own or others’) • Can over-compromise in order to avoid conflict • Immersed in the present; loses track of time; may not see long-range view • Can become too focused on process
EAST: THE VISIONARY
WEST: THE TEACHER
26
• Can put too much emphasis on vision at the expense of action or details • Can lose focus on tasks • Poor follow through on projects, can develop reputation for lack of dependability • Not time-bound, may lose track of time • Tends to be highly enthusiastic early on, and then burn out • May feel frustrated and overwhelmed when outcomes are not in line with vision
• Can be bogged down by information and doing analysis • Can become stubborn and entrenched in position • Can be indecisive, collect unnecessary data, and stuck in “analysis paralysis” • May appear cold with respect to others’ working styles • Tendency toward remaining on sidelines • Can become distanced • May be seen as insensitive to others’ emotions or resistant to change
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
Leadership 101
SITUATIONAL LEADERSHIP This one leadership model suggests that the best leaders are able to adapt their supervisory styles to the needs of their group members. In this model, leaders provide only that which their members cannot (yet) provide for themselves. Supervisors should observe their group members and ask about their skill levels (called “competency” in the model) and their motivation (“commitment”). Supervisors should then determine the amount of direction and support the group member needs and adjust their leadership style accordingly. Regardless of style, a leader makes certain that: Goals are set Progress is monitored Feedback is given Styles vary by: Amount of direction the leader provides Amount of support the leader provides Amount of follower involvement in decision-making
Strong people don’t need strong leaders. -- Ella Baker
For each task, first ask your participants if they have done something like it before, and how comfortable they feel taking on the project piece you are assigning them. Delegation Specifics By delegating, you’ll save yourself time and give your group members a chance to build new skills and try different types of work. When presenting a new project, provide directions and context or the reason for the job. Be clear about authority and what the group can do without needing to check in first. After delegating, you should let your group claim ownership and trust in their skills (if they do the work differently than you would have, ask yourself whether the differences matter or are maybe even good before providing constructive feedback.) Also, be clear about what you can and cannot delegate.
DIRECTING If a person has never done a particular task before, they need more direction than normal; generally they are enthusiastic and do not need support as they already are providing this for themselves. COACHING Coaching is a form of supervising that refers to supervision that is both higher than normal direction and support. If a supervisor is coaching and gives a group member a project, they provide details, a timeline, and background information, and they check-in regularly and make themselves available for questions and brainstorming. SUPPORTING Individual and groups familiar with a specific task do not need a lot of direction – they in fact know how to do what is being asked/delegated. Instead, they might still need higher than normal support as commitment might wane. Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
27
Leadership 101
DELEGATING If you like to be in control, delegating might be hard. Leaders use this style effectively when the individual or group is supplying its own direction and support; as a leader you still observe and provide feedback. High
PARTICIPATING (OR SUPPORTING) Low Direction High Support
Support
FOLLOWER READINESS Able but Unwilling Insecure
DELEGATING Low Direction Low Support FOLLOWER READINESS Able and Willing Confident
SELLING (OR COACHING) High Direction High Support FOLLOWER READINESS Unable but Willing Confident
TELLING (OR DIRECTING) High Direction Low Support FOLLOWER READINESS Unable and Unwilling Insecure
Low High
If the group needs…
member
Direction: provide structure, control, and close supervision Support: encourage them, listen to them, and facilitate their work You can build the competence and commitment of group members by combining higher or lower directive and supportive behaviors to: Tell participants Show them Allow them to try Observe Give feedback Encourage
Direction Provided by Supervisor LEADING GROUPS USING SITUATIONAL LEADERSHIP
Many Cal Corps staff use the Situational Leadership and SPIES models in our work to build healthy communities. The 4 stages don’t necessarily follow in this exact order, and not all groups go through them all. Some groups get stuck in a stage or dissolve before making it to all of them. Long-functioning groups might cycle through the stages many times, or might suddenly find themselves at a new stage and surprised by their group dynamics. For example, a change in leadership may cause a performing team to revert to storming if the new leader challenges the existing team dynamics and norms. You can use this model to help you think of how you want to frame your teambuilders. (Also check out Part Three on Facilitating Meaning Making and Learning.)
28
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
“I start with the premise that the function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers.” -- Ralph Nader
Leadership Toolkit
Leadership 101
FORMING – STORMING – NORMING – PERFORMING MODEL OF GROUP DEVELOPMENT Forming The group begins to identify common goals and values and explores how members will work together. Team members tend to act independently and focus more on their own interests than those of the group. The group can benefit from a lot of direction if a leader is in place to give it. Storming Conflict! At this stage, different ideas come up and the group struggles with priorities, process, or values. Members might compete for power and try to convince others that their ideas are the best. Some might become fixated on process and lose sight of larger goals; others might focus only on the mission and ignore questions about group process entirely. This stage can be really rough! But, storming can actually help a team define itself better. If team members operate with mutual respect and patience – with high support and direction or “coaching” from a leader – they can open up to each other and grapple with new perspectives. Norming Team members adjust their behavior to the goals, mission, and processes the group has decided on so that teamwork seems natural and fluid. The group tends to demonstrate strong trust and motivation, but can risk losing creativity if norming is so strong that members are afraid to raise new ideas or question the group. Performing At this level, the team is interdependent and motivated. Individual team members are competent, autonomous, and can operate without much supervision. Dissent is expected and allowed and there are methods in place to voice conflicting opinions. Realizing that not all groups need to last forever, Tuckman later added a fifth phase, adjourning (or mourning), which is when a group finds its work is no longer needed and dissolves. FINDING YOUR VOICE Finding your voice means figuring out your life’s purpose. You bring a unique set of experiences, knowledge, passions and skills to the world that no one else has. Finding your voice can help you live a fulfilling life and contribute to the world to your greatest capability. As a lifelong process, sometimes you will have a clear image of how your unique gifts fit into the picture; at other times, you won’t. Lifecoach Ryan R Rigoli suggests that when this happens, that we find a way to live purposefully until our purpose is revealed. These next set of exercises will help you do that. CLARIFYING YOUR VALUES
The first step in finding your voice is clarifying your values—the principles that are most important to you and should guide your actions big and small. Use the following exercise to help you start thinking about the values that are most important to you. Fill out the chart below or use a separate sheet of paper if you need more room. An example and short word list are provided to help you get started. From this list of values (both work and personal), select the ten that are most important to you – as guides for how to behave, or as components of a valued way of life. Feel free to add any values of your own to this list.
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
29
Leadership 101
Achievement Affection (love & caring) Change and variety Honesty Country Job tranquility Effectiveness
Working alone Arts Fast paced work Competition Creativity Ecological awareness Efficiency
Pleasure Challenging problems Inner harmony Having a family Decisiveness Economic security Truth
Excellence
Excitement
Adventure
Fame Sophistication Growth Helping society Influencing others Purity Knowledge Loyalty
Fast living Freedom Cooperation
Close relationships Friendships Helping other people Independence Intellectual status Democracy Location Money Order – tranquility, stability and conformity
Integrity
Ethical practice Community Leadership Meaningful work Being around people who are open and honest
Personal development – living up to the fullest use of my potential Power and authority Nature
Physical challenge Responsibility and accountability Recognition – respect from others, status
Public service Quality relationships Reputation Self respect Stability Time freedom Wisdom Advancement and promotion Privacy Religion Security Involvement Supervising others Wealth Work with others Competence
Quality of what I take part in
Work under pressure
Serenity
Status
Expertise
Financial gain
Once you have your 10 values, narrow it down to five. If you had to narrow this list down to 3, which would you pick? Why? Reflect on why it is important to you and what you do to show that it is important to you. Use the example below for help. YOUR VALUES Example: Family
WHY DO YOU VALUE THEM? Example:
BEHAVIORS – HOW YOU SHOW IT Example:
I grew up in a large close-knit family and really appreciate the relationships I have with them.
Spend weekends at home, share things about my life, confide in them, call/email regularly.
Look for more information on Categories of Fulfillment and Renewal in Part Four.
30
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
Leadership 101
PLANNING FOR YOUR OWN LEARNING AND GROWTH Why create learning goals for myself when I am serving others? The Cal Corps Public Service Center strives to create healthy communities both on and off campus; student leadership is at the heart of this vision. As part of our commitment to advising you in your development as a person and as a leader, Cal Corps professional staff expect that you will engage in reflection so as to increase your self-awareness. In the context of your learning, the service you engage in and reflect on will have as much to show you as you are willing to seek. Will you utilize your learning, growth and development to benefit the common good, or for private gain? This critical question leads to the fact that there are divergent motivations for engaging in service. Service is a two-way street in many ways. Who benefits from the service you will be dedicating yourself to in the coming year? In the ethical sense that “my liberation is bound up with yours”, or that “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,” we might gain as much (or more) than those we are serving. We hope you will “hold” – not seek to immediately dissipate – the tension that this question might create throughout the year. The Center believes that a well constructed service project/program, aims for mutual benefit between campus and community. And who leads well constructed service projects at Cal? Students who (in part) are conscious of their strengths, areas of improvement, and are willing to accept that we each have blind spots, or things that “we do not yet know that we do not know.”
“Study without reflection is a waste of time; reflection without study is dangerous.” -- Confucius
“Hope is a state of mind, not of the world. Hope, in this deep and powerful sense, is…an ability to work for something because it is good.” --Vaclav Havel
“If I am not for myself, who will be for me? And if I am only for myself, what am I?” -- Rabbi Hillel
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
31
Leadership 101
INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN WORKSHEET
Name:
____________________________________
Date:
__________________
Adviser:
____________________________________
Program:
__________________
This plan or “IDP” will serve as a map for your learning experience. Please reflect on your personal strengths and areas for improvement and note these below. List the strengths/experience that you possess that will help you succeed in your position and with your team. See pages 2-3 for examples of “Leadership Competencies” and list any others not on that list.
List the skills, knowledge, and/or understanding that you want to further develop through your service. List 3-5 items only so you can focus on these areas. In your advising session you will talk with your advisor about where/how you will develop these skills etc.
How will your service/continuing growth and development benefit: 1) Your team/group/program/organization?
2) The community you will serve?
What else should we know in order to help you grow and develop as a person and leader this year?
32
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
Leadership 101
TIME MANAGEMENT Time (noun): That thing you don’t have enough of and wish you could manage better Manage (verb): The process you try to apply to time but seemingly always wish you could do better Time Management (noun): A skill you can practice to help you maximize a precious resource called time Personal time management includes scheduling tasks according to priorities (student responsibilities and planning so that your health comes first.) Project time management centers around analyzing what needs to be done by when, breaking projects into steps, making accurate predictions of how long tasks take, and following through with your plan. Prioritize Start with the “big rocks” (or Covey’s Quadrant 2 activities, see below). Know what scheduled items are most important so that as plans change you can make decisions for how to be flexible. And remember “less is more”! Have a time management system for tracking all meetings, dates, and classes. Whether it is a datebook, notebook, electronic organizer, or some other system, make sure your time management system is small enough to carry everywhere. Schedule time to get different projects done, from course work to obligations in your living situation. Schedule time at the end of the day to plan the next day. Create your to-do list for the next day. Leave/schedule time to prepare before meetings. Allow yourself unscheduled time, this is important, too! Know yourself. Know what times in the day are better for which kinds of activities. For example, if you’re able to focus best in the early morning, plan to do difficult or complicated things at that time. Learn to say “no.” You cannot do everything, so stay true to your priorities. It’s okay to respectfully say, “No.” Don’t let perfectionism get in the way….sometimes mediocrity is appropriate. Time is often seen as something we just can’t get our hands on. It slips through our fingertips and if we could only just…But time is not an object! It’s a convention used to help us measure the duration of events and to coordinate or schedule life’s happenings. Before jumping in to action, reflect on these things: 1. Everyone owns time. Time is not something that someone owns and distributes to you. This is your life and your time. Who makes decisions about your time? Do you take in to account other’s opinions? Why or why not? What restrictions do you self-impose on your time? 2. Only one life to live. Most of us live only one life. What’s important to you? What roles do you play in your life that are central to your enjoyment and fulfillment?
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
33
Leadership 101
3. Diagnose before treatment. Determine your problem areas before trying to solve them. What are your biggest time wasters? Are you studying at night when you have more energy in the morning? Do you write things on your hand and then wash them off? (Get a planner!) 4. Saying “no” isn’t wrong. You can’t do everything! Stay true to your priorities. Think about what you will gain from saying no, instead of what you might lose or miss out on. There will always be too many opportunities. 5. Put the horse before the cart. Set aside time to plan your time! Use the matrix below to consider your responsibilities and spend the most time in the Quadrant of Sustainability. (Matrix adapted from Stephen Covey’s First Things First book)
34
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
Community Partnerships
COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS Section at a Glance: Developing and Maintaining Strong Community Partnerships Assets Mapping – Appreciative Inquiry Multicultural Competence INTRODUCTION TO COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS: ONE PERSON’S PERSPECTIVE Mike Bishop, the Assistant Director of Cal Corps shares the following: Throughout my 20 years of taking social action in a variety of settings I have arrived at some tentative conclusions about working across power divides. I have learned to acknowledge the privilege I bring with me into any community; this acknowledgment comes through reflecting on my direct experience volunteering in soup kitchens, protesting war, and lobbying my representatives. But even this “privileged/underprivileged stance” – while perhaps an important step in my own personal development – at times has further reinforced my own privilege, rather than being genuinely useful in the eyes of the individual/community I am serving. My formal schooling generally taught me to 1) conform to either/or, win/lose, us/them ways of thinking and 2) utilize my critical thinking skills from a deficit-based approach: what is missing or lacking from this individual community. Whether mentoring youth in Washington DC or rural Missouri or seeking solidarity with communities on the Gulf Coast, I have had to struggle within myself and (more importantly) with co-workers/peers/comrades to overcome this mentality and explode this way of thinking altogether. Why is it important to struggle against this mindset? To me it means the difference between a “helping” or “charity” approach and a “serving” or “solidarity” stance. I believe there is a time to help others – for example when individuals or communities are not able to provide for their own physical needs. Inherent in a “helping” mindset is a belief that I am the gift giver. Even when I have acknowledged my privilege, it does not mean I have done away with this “helping” mindset.
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
The mindset I take with me as I interact with others has helped me cross power divides when I view the relationships between those I am serving and myself as mutually beneficial. -- Mike Bishop
Leadership Toolkit
35
As a servant-leader or ally I might also provide direct material assistance, but the mindset I take with me as I interact with others has helped me cross power divides when I view the relationships between those I am serving and myself as mutually beneficial. I have determined for myself that I want to act from a position that I am not free until all are free. When I approach any individual from a place of solidarity and humility – believing that those I am serving have as much to offer me as I have to offer them – I have experienced rich personal relationships, as well as successful projects. In the end this means trusting that those I am seeking to serve will tell me when I am being “useful” – which might contradict how I feel I am being useful. This trust takes time to build. When I have placed the strengths as well as the needs of my constituents – and myself – into service projects I have witnessed transformational relationships across power and privilege divides, which has been the most rewarding part of my work. DEVELOPING AND MAINTAINING STRONG COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS Your community partners are the experts in the community you are serving; they will be there long after you leave Cal. Their assets and needs should be at the center of your service efforts. Your relationship with them should be as valued as the participants in your organization. It is this partnership that offers the force and potential to make significant change in the community you are serving. Collaboration with community partners is at the core of everything that we do. To help you think through how to seek community input and collaboration, we have adapted the Triangle of Quality Community Service with y/our partners in mind. Triangle of Quality Community Service: Incorporating Partners
On the service side, partners know best what the community needs and how to deliver it.
On the educational side, partners have wisdom of experience and knowledge not widely known or written down. Service Needs
Community Partner Input
Education/ History
36
Reflection
On the reflection side, partners have a wealth of knowledge and wisdom they can incorporate into reflection exercises; for instance, the community partner could provide some background into why community members have not initially been enthusiastic to welcome newcomers or the service being provided. They can also speak on the importance of the work you’ve done and the ways that it will impact the community.
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
Community Partnerships
One goal as a leader of a campus-based student program is to maximize mutual benefits to campus and community. Be clear about what students can contribute to the improvement, expansion, maintenance and/or continuation of the agency or project – and vice versa. Here are some helpful tips to help get you started. LEARN ABOUT YOUR COMMUNITY PARTNER Research and keep a file of news articles and websites about each of your partners. Learn their missions and history, including if they emerged from a social movement. Find common goals between students and community partners and respect their goals/needs. Visit your site at least twice/year. If you can't visit each site personally, you should at least know where the facility is and exactly what your students will do there. Ask questions. Take note of names of people you meet and talk with and ask what their role in the organization is. Ask about their path to service and what motivates them to serve. This is important for building relationships and maintaining good communication. BE RESPECTFUL AND RESPONSIBLE You are a guest in their community and they will be there long after you leave Cal. At all times, be polite, considerate and give thanks even when you receive a “no,” reach a disagreement, or have a negative experience. Take responsibility for your part in the partnership and make sure your community partner agrees with your role. If you and your group have decided to take on specific roles be sure that you carry them out effectively and efficiently. It is also good to set realistic timelines and give yourself roles that you are skilled in doing. Some partners may provide trainings or workshops for you and your members; however, it is always a good idea to come as prepared as possible to carry out the tasks since you are providing the service. Be prepared and organized. Be considerate with your time, planning and communication. Be respectful when conflicts arise, recognizing that the partner agency is probably underresourced/staffed – that is why you are needed! PRACTICE GOOD COMMUNICATION Exchange schedules. Let organizations know vacation and dates students will be gone on break. Learn your partner’s schedule and availability. Use concise, clear, consistent communication with email and phone options. Recognize/learn the preferred method of communication and best person to speak with at the agency and adjust accordingly. Sometimes in the heat of battle, under pressure of great sacrifice Ask for feedback. Consistently ask partners for feedback on and great commitment, true the quality of partnership relations. Provide partners with human relationships between feedback and thank you’s. Let them know the impact the individuals do develop, even if relationship is having on you and your peers/program. temporarily. It is a start. It is Encourage agency partners to be co-educators. Invite enough to prove it can be done. -- Anne Braden community partners to speak at meetings, retreats, and events. Engage their expertise! CREATE LONG-TERM, LASTING PARTNERSHIPS Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
37
The social problems you are tackling have taken decades to manifest and most likely are still persisting. Your partners are in this struggle for the long haul. Consider: Making a long-term (3 + years) commitment to an organization, and develop mutual commitments. Let them know what you are doing with participants to train/orient/prepare them for future projects. Keeping open the doors for other groups/opportunities. Even if a partnership won’t work for your particular project, know that there may be partnerships in the future or with other Cal Corps programs. Recommend community partners to other groups. If it is fitting, let other Cal Corps groups know about the organization’s work and their upcoming needs. Perhaps, they could partner too. Continued gratitude. Letting partners know the impact of working with them and mentioning that ‘you look forward to future opportunities to partner’ goes a long way in maintaining relationships. Celebrate success and their commitments. Lastly, it’s all about trust! Partnerships take time to build trust; and trust can be broken in an instant. It is crucial that relationships are treated with care because a single incident can destroy a relationship – not only for your group, but for the entire campus. ASSET MAPPING – APPRECIATIVE INQUIRY Asset mapping is about fostering the “power” and resources of your community. It’s about seeing the world and approaching the work from a position of strength rather than weakness. Asset‐based Community Development holds: Community development must happen from the inside out Communities already have what they need to address issues Community builders must focus on the positives, or the assets a community has, rather than deficits The people of the community are central to solutions to its most pressing problems/needs It is key to identify and mobilize assets – human, organizational and community strengths, resources and capacities McKnight and Kretzmann encourage us to see change and power as things that most appropriately come from within. Often this is done using a process called appreciative inquiry. Appreciative Inquiry is about asking questions and listening attentively. It’s about learning from our stories and the stories of others and is a strategy for learning what communities need, for building community, and developing positive strategies for change. All of this is in contrast to the old approach of working from deficits, problems and limitations – perpetuating the stereotype that communities were powerless and had to depend on outside intervention, resources, and problem-solvers.
38
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
Community Partnerships
Rather than naming and organizing programs around problems like hunger, poverty and disease, community builders following the model of McKnight and Kretzmann believe that building on strengths is the best way to address difficulties. For example, asset-based youth development strategies were developed to focus on uncovering and building the innate strengths and interests of the individual young person, a shift from fixation on their shortcomings and categorization by their deficiencies. If you have come to help me you are wasting your time, but if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine then let us work together. -- Lilla Watson, Australian Aborigine
Tom Borrup writes, “Developing capacity to see assets is not about looking at the world through rose-colored glasses, about putting a positive spin on bad situations or about ignoring problems or deficiencies. Asset-based strategies are centered in mobilizing strengths to leverage change and to overcome deficiencies. Simply in terms of rallying people’s energies to a cause, it’s more effective to lead with vision and possibility rather than stories of defeat.”
MULTICULTURAL COMPETENCE Community is about joining together with others, and serving a community that might be unlike your own means working across difference; a huge part of being able to co-create healthy communities is multicultural competence: having the skills, knowledge, and awareness to effectively engage in cultural difference. Co-creating healthy communities involves understanding the convergence of multiple identities within 1) the individual, 2) within cultural groups, and 3) across cultural groups. Thus, it is essential to understand how different behaviors, values, and identities (race, class, gender, sexuality, ability, etc) influence our perceptions and actions. This is especially true given the vast power/privilege differential that exists between “on-campus” and off-campus” The Cultural Iceberg Model helps us think about how culture influences our relationships with others, which is especially important in a service context where power differences can too easily be magnified .
Multicultural competence is something that we develop over time through continuous learning and curiosity. Being open-minded is more than an attitude, it is a skill-set. It is important to remember that just thinking of ourselves as “openminded” is not enough. Our hope is that through your experiences, you will have many opportunities to develop what King & Baxter Magolda (2005) describe as “intercultural maturity” which includes a “complex understanding of cultural differences,” a “capacity to accept and not feel threatened by cultural differences,” and a “capacity to function interpedently with diverse others.”
CULTURAL ICEBERG MODEL Edith Ng shares the following: “In the picture (below), there are two icebergs. The wavy line is the water. Each iceberg represents a person or a group of people. Behaviors, which are ways people act and which we can see, are above the water line. So are acknowledged beliefs and articulated values. These are the beliefs and values that we demonstrate or talk about openly to others. These behaviors, beliefs, and values are conscious, may be easily changed and are usually taught to us directly by someone else, e.g., family member, relative, friend, etc. This is what we see. Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
39
Below the water line is what we don’t see which also includes beliefs, values, and thought patterns. However, these are unconscious, difficult to change and are things we learned even though they were never discussed. Notice where the two icebergs collide; this is where a lot of diversity conflict happens – between the parts of people which are below the surface and unconscious. They are difficult to deal with because we can’t even see what’s clashing: it’s below the water line. We tend to focus on the behavior above the water line because we are unconscious of what’s below the water line and it makes it difficult to resolve the conflict.” The goal in learning about diversity, cultures, others and yourself is to lower your own personal water line so that when your iceberg and someone else’s iceberg run into each other, you have a better chance of seeing where the problem is. Lowering the water line means you become more conscious of your own motives, resentments, fears, beliefs, etc. Lowering the water line does not mean exposing yourself to others. If you lower the water line, you have choice. If you remain unconscious about your issues, you have no choice because you don’t know. You can also lower the water line of someone else’s iceberg by asking questions. Explore his/her feelings, intentions, assumptions, perceptions, etc.
In a service context, first becoming comfortable with your own identity and culture and then challenging yourself to notice – but not judge – cultural differences with partners is paramount if the change envisioned in
40
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
Community Partnerships
the community is authentic and not forced on the community – in which case the change will be short-lived if it ever comes to exist. SOCIAL JUSTICE AS A PRACTICE-ABLE PRINCIPLE Social justice is a term used widely on the UC Berkeley campus. Cal Corps’ values point to a useful definition of the concept that can be applied in your daily service. Like leadership, justice is both a process and a group pursuit: group reflection/dialogue is key to arriving at a reasonable working concept of social justice. In addition, one does not have to have a fully formed vision for a perfectly just world before taking action, but instead demands recognition and confrontation of any manifestly unjust situation. The following story adapted from Amartya Sen illuminates different claims to justice… Three children, Ami, Beth, Carla, have made claims to a flute: Ami is the only child who knows how to play this particular instrument; Beth is so poor that she own no other toy; and Carla who has worked for months to make the flute. In considering who is the “rightful” owner, we see that is not easy to brush aside claims on human fulfillment, removal of poverty, or, “To ask how things are entitlement to enjoy the products of one’s own labor. going and whether they can be improved is a
constant and inescapable Some questions that emerge from our Center’s own value “Equity and part of the pursuit of Social Justice” include: justice.” Why is it so that societal structures tend to privilege the -- Amartya Sen powerful? How is it that without the intentional actions of individuals, the needs of those with fewer resources are overlooked? Why does UC Berkeley have a special responsibility to promote the general welfare and to challenge inequitable policies and systems?
These essential questions have taken up by philosophers and political economists; two of the most well-known and who have contributed greatly to advancing a theory of justice are Sen and John Rawls. While Rawls argues for justice as fairness – and makes an enormous contribution by opposing justice as merely a utilitarian measuring exercise – Sen observes that a theory of justice must be alive to both the fairness of the processes involved and to the substantive opportunities that people can enjoy. His realization-focused comparison also demands an “open-minded” dialogue. Cal Corps gives priority to the removal of “manifest injustices”, which we often recognize through disproportionality – while checking our assumptions about why such inequality exists and persists. As Sen writes in “The Idea of Justice”, “Injustices relate, often enough, with hardy social divisions, linked with divisions of class, gender, rank, location, religion, community, and other established barriers.” (For a look at these comparisons see Appendix, “Facts on Local Poverty”.) These manifest injustices – seen through inequality of opportunities – are connected to power and oppression. John Gaventa writes of 3 forms of power that might be useful to consider: 1. A first form of power that focuses on behavior: who prevails in decision-making? Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
41
2. The second form of power that takes into consideration the first form, and sees power as exercised towards the exclusion of certain participants and issues altogether 3. A third form of power – inclusive of forms one and two – that shapes ways in which “potential issues are kept out of politics, alters political conceptions, and increases susceptibility of internalization of the values, beliefs, or rules of the game of the powerful.” At the same time the idea of social oppression advanced by Hardiman and Jackson sees when one group – whether conscious or not – exploits another social group for its own benefit. In this model, individuals, institutions, and the culture as a whole work on the conscious and unconscious levels to systematically reflect and produce inequities based on one’s membership in a “targeted” social identity group.
“Never forget that justice is what love looks like in public.” -- Cornell West
Marilyn Frye writes eloquently Oppression is the experience of being caged in. Consider a birdcage. If you look very closely at just one wire, you cannot see the other wires. If your conception of what is before you is determined by this myopic focus, you could look at that one wire, up and down the length of it, and be unable to see why a bird would not just fly around the wire…it is only when you step back, stop looking at the wires one by one, microscopically, and take a macroscopic view of the whole cage, that you can see why the bird does not go anywhere; and then you will see it in a moment. As students, what is your role in uncovering and disrupting this internal and external oppression? How does your service connect to this notion of systemic change? And how are we sure that our service is not simply reinforcing oppressive dependencies? As Keith Edwards writes, “Individuals who are supportive of social justice efforts are not always effective in their anti-oppression efforts. Some who genuinely aspire to act as social justice allies are harmful, ultimately, despite their best intentions, perpetuating the system of oppression they seek to change.” Fortunately, our privilege to be on this campus offers us several tools to excavate ourselves from this difficult position. While we ourselves could be conveyers of this oppression (unintentionally or not) the power of groups points to one way to recover from our individual blind spots. Group-based reflection and an open and safe atmosphere to question the process are key elements in social justice work. See Section 1 “Dimensions of Healthy Groups” for more information on this. 42
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
PART TWO: PROJECT PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION
Community Partnerships
Ultimately, it is up to you to construct your own action-oriented concept of justice. Whether or not you first envision the world you want to bring into existence, we encourage you to develop your own values and principles while taking action and serving the public good.
Here are the top things the Cal Corps Public Service Center emphasizes related to this section of your toolkit and what others have said they learned through their experience in the past: 1. Form and maintain healthy groups while cultivating leadership among your peers Cal Corps has provided me with an opportunity to contribute to the community around me. As students we tend to forget that the world does not revolve around Berkeley, and the Public Service Center does a great job at bridging the two communities.” – Nestor Espinoza
2. Develop transferable skills: relationship building, time management, communication, and goal setting/assessment Cal Corps taught me the importance of time management and balancing my extracurricular activities. As a former BUILD Director, it taught me the importance in foreseeing my responsibilities and the amount of time I would have to give to each.” – Angelo Castro “Performing a variety of tasks while working at Cal Corps has improved my technical skills and time management. It is a satisfying feeling to cross off a completed task.” – Katie Chen
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
43
NOTES
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
Project Planning
PROJECT PLANNING Section at a Glance: Setting Realistic or SMART Goals Backward Planning Budgets and Money Management Fundraising: In-kind Donations Coalitions and Movement Building INTRODUCTION TO PROJECT PLANNING Ken Black writes about planning: “The most important key to a project’s success may be planning…In a survey of engineers, the No.1 rated reason for project failure was ‘the project was not adequately defined at the beginning’. The third most highly rated reason was ‘a lack of clearly defined project goals and objectives’.” TOP 10 CHARACTERISTICS OF AN EFFECTIVE PROJECT MANAGER 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
Sets clear goals Has good time management Creates a clear work plan Updates stakeholders Is extremely specific Documents every step of the process Provides resources to those who need them to get the job done 8. Is decisive 9. Thinks through possible obstacles and how to mitigate them 10. Adapts when faced with obstacles that cannot be avoided
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
“A development project, to be successful, must at the right time in the right place for the right people whom it is intended. Too often the view from above…fails to comprehend the historical, geographical, and social context of a project that may stand in the way of project objectives.” -- Ken Black
Leadership Toolkit
45
Project Planning
SETTING GOALS â&#x20AC;&#x201C; MAKE THEM SMART All your goals or outcomes should have a precise measurable statement of what your project intends to achieve during a specific time period (check out the evaluation section below for ideas on how to do this well). An easy way to write a good goal is to make them SMART. You can use your SMART goals at the end of your project to evaluate your success! SMART goals are:
EXAMPLE Not a SMART Goal: The Building Blitz will build three homes and people will get along. A SMART Goal: Sixty students and 32 community residents will participate in a Habitat for Humanity Building Blitz day on May 5, 2010. The day will result in the construction of three homes and an increase in communication between the residents and students. We will measure success by a log of completed homes and a survey of students and residents (90% of the students and residents will report that their involvement in the building blitz has increased the communication between both groups). QUESTIONS TO GUIDE THE GOALSETTING PROCESS 1. Does the goal support the project vision and mission? 2. Does the goal describe what the project intends for participants to experience, know (cognitive), think (affective, attitudinal), or do (behavior, performance)? 3. Is the goal important/worthwhile? 4. Is the goal detailed and specific? 5. Is the goal measurable/identifiable? 6. Can you create activities that result in the desired goal? 7. Can the goal be used to make decisions on how to improve the program? 46
Example in Action: Goals of Student Leaders in Service Orientation 2011 Introduce Cal Corps student leaders to one another and develop awareness of the range of projects and experience. Expose student leaders to essential skills and ways of thinking that will help them work effectively in first month of their positions. Enjoy each other!
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
Project Planning
BACKWARD PLANNING Backward planning helps us think about when we need to complete tasks in order to have a successful project. Start with when things need to be done and then work backward to see how much time you have for each step of the process. In this stage of your project, you are attempting to take a big idea and break it down into smaller and smaller manageable parts. In the project management world, these smaller parts are called deliverables. They are the activities that you plan to ensure you meet your goal. Based on the SMART goal above, a deliverable could be "Register and confirm sixty students and 32 community residents for the Building Blitz."
“A different world cannot be built by indifferent people.” -- Horace Mann
You would break that deliverable into specific work tasks that take no longer than 1-2 hours to complete. List the deliverables that you must do in order to make the goal a reality. If it is too big, or has too many “to-dos” – break it into separate deliverables. From here: Think backwards from the deadline, due date or event date when analyzing what needs to get done. Break down each step of the project into tasks. Sort the tasks. Determine in what order they need to be completed, and record the deadline (or the “by when” date). Create a to-do list. Include how long each task will take, and set time limits for tasks. Check items off as they get completed. Delegate tasks, and ask for the help you need. CREATING CLEAR WORK PLANS: AFFINITY ACTIVITY One of the easiest ways to create a work plan for your deliverables is the affinity activity. On a sticky-pad or on pieces of scrap paper - Write one word or phrase to identify a task that needs to happen. Write one idea per sticky-note. 1. Brainstorm as many as you can identify. 2. Once you have completed your brainstorm, look for the themes by clustering the index cards into categories. Those clusters become your categorized work tasks organized into categories. 3. Arrange them in the order that they need to be completed. Sometimes it is also helpful to think about how long each task will take. DETAILED WORKPLANS – CHART IT OUT! Below is an example of a spreadsheet header that you can use to document your work plan. DELIVERABLE: Category (Work Package)
Tasks
Supplies needed
Point Person
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Who needs to be involved?
Leadership Toolkit
Due Date
47
Project Planning
BUDGETS AND MONEY MANAGEMENT Now that you have mapped out your event, including goals and a timeline, it’s time to make a budget. You will find that planning ahead by outlining your goals and your budget will help you think through the scope of your project. If you have less time to plan an event, it is harder to be creative in seeking outside resources. By creating a budget, you can forecast where you can look for and seek in-kind donations. A good budget can also help you decide what you are actually able to do for your event. TIPS FOR CREATING AND MANAGING A BUDGET
List all anticipated expenses including all project expenses (materials, equipment, transportation, etc.). If applying to a foundation you may be able to include expenses such as salaries and overhead (see below). List all anticipated sources of funding under “income” including grants, membership fees, in-kind donations, etc. To repeat: in-kind donations should be listed in the income section. Your totals for your income and expenses should match unless you are saving some of your income or planning to carry some forward. Your expenses should not be less than your income (you can still list “anticipated” grants under income.) Your budget – and the priorities for which you are seeking funding – should reflect what you outlined in the narrative or project description section of your application. Be specific about what the requested funding will provide for your project/group. Be realistic about actual costs. Greatly exaggerating costs, either above or below, does not reflect well on your overall application. Provide explanations for surplus or deficit in last year’s and/or current year’s budgets. Once you have determined your expenses and budget, be sure to have all expenses clearly outlined as line items on an expense sheet. For instance, if you know that you will need to distribute 100 flyers to promote your event, there should be a line item on your expense sheet showing that exact expense. So, if you know that each flier will cost 5¢, your line items for those fliers should show that you’re spending $5 for those fliers. If your group will be hosting several events that require fliers, you can include all flier costs on the same line item adding those costs together. Below is a sample expense sheet from a community service project. The expense sheet will help you track all of your expenses as well as the sources of the item. You’ll notice that every item needed to carry out the project is included, including the quantities, unit price, total expense (per item), and the source of the item (store, donation, etc.) Expenses: Describe Each Expense associated with your Organization Supplies (list all materials by event/program) 10 boxes crayons for youth art projects 500 paper plates for final reception 2 ink cartridges for annual printing Postage Alumni Donation Solicitation Mailing (to 200 people)
Unit Price
Total Expense
Payment Source
$2.00/box $3/bag of 100 $25/cartridge
$20 $15 $50
Cal Corps Target Office Max
.39 each
$78
ASUC or Post Office Note: some items can be donated, providing your group with needed materials without having to come of pocket
48
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
Project Planning
Creating and sticking to a budget can save a lot of time when planning events or projects for your group. It’s never too early to plan ahead! Always be sure to keep an accurate account of expenses going out and coming in—you don’t want to put your group in the position of not having enough resources for any aspect of programming. It is also a good rule to plan for more rather than less. For instance, if you think you’ll need to buy paint brushes for 15 people but may get additional volunteers, it would be a good estimate to buy 20 brushes. Last but not least, be sure to save any left-over materials that you may be able to use on your next project. That can save you time and money in the long run. USEFUL BUDGET DEFINITIONS WHEN APPLYING FOR FUNDING:
OVERHEAD OR INDIRECT COSTS The ongoing administrative expenses of an organization which cannot be attributed to any specific activity but are still necessary. Examples include rent, heat, electricity, phone bills, etc. Many funders have policies regarding the percentage of overhead that they will allow in a project budget. Some do not allow any overhead at all to be included, while others allow overhead to be a specific percentage of project costs or of salaries (for example 15% of the total amount requested for salaries). BUDGET NARRATIVE OR BUDGET JUSTIFICATION A written description included in a grant application, usually following a budget table, that explains each expense in detail. 501(C)(3) A nonprofit tax designation from the IRS that many foundations/funders request as proof of applying organization’s nonprofit status. All Student Initiated Community Project groups have 501(c)(3) status through the ASUC and you can request a letter that states your tax-deductible code. This code should be referenced in all thank you letters along with the total amount donated to you and the date on which it was given (donors need this info when they file their taxes in April.) FUNDRAISING: IN-KIND DONATIONS Where do funds come from to support community benefit programs? Usually from a blend of government funding, earned income or “fee for service” (especially in social enterprise organizations), but mainly from individuals! Some facts and figures from 2009: Private Sector………………. $360billion o Corporations……….. $14billion o Foundations………… $38billion o Individuals………… $308billion
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
In 2009: 75 million households donated 86% of all money given was given by individuals Seven out of 10 people give money away Who are the individuals most likely to give to your service project?
Leadership Toolkit
49
Project Planning
Fundraising is organizing by another name; all fundraising is about relationships! For example, why might alumni be interested in supporting your program? They want to see their work continue after they have left. They share the same values and interests. It is hard to turn down students. They know a little money will make a big difference.
Thanking your donors…in general:
Note that alumni can provide more then funding, including trainings, advising, support, access to other resources, in-kind donations, etc. Cal Corps can help you track alumni and –if previous program leaders put energy into this tracking in past years – can provide you with lists of Cal alumni who served with your group.
Thank before you bank. Get a thank you card into the hands of donors before you deposit their check! Include inspiring reflections from past years in your thank you Ask donors if you can acknowledge them in future newsletters
IN-KIND DONATIONS
Donations can come in many forms: food, money, services. Be creative about what you solicit! Ask businesses and individuals that are at least three blocks from campus, as many nearby businesses are asked a lot. Remember donors typically give for the following reasons: It is hard to turn down students! Tax-deductions Good publicity They can get rid of items they no longer need. They are passionate about your cause or project. TIPS FOR SOLICITING IN-KIND DONATIONS Start early; it often takes 2-3 months to arrange for donations, especially from corporations. Call the organization and get a contact name (manager, PR person, owner) and a correct mailing address. Try to talk to the contact person, introduce yourself, your position and what you are doing, try to mention why they might be interested in donating (publicity, etc.). Tell them you will send a formal letter explaining the program and the donation request in detail. If it feels appropriate and they sound interested, ask for a donation right then instead of offering to send a letter. Send a formal letter Send confirmation letter/make a reminder call o “Hello, my name is _______ and I sent you a letter about a donation 1 week ago, have you had a chance to look at it yet?” Find out if they need any information from you (tax ID number, paperwork they need submitted, etc) Send a thank you letter! Include publicity materials, information about the program or event, how many people came, etc. Remember: The biggest problem in fundraising isn’t getting people to give, but to find the right people to ask. People give money because of relationships. Recognize your donors creatively! 50
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
Project Planning
COALITIONS AND MOVEMENT BUILDING You have established goals for your program or project – now, let’s explore how the power of numbers can elevate your efforts to the next level. In your daily service, it is easy to become focused on the goals and tasks of your program or project. The Center challenges you to see beyond the immediacy of your organization, a hallmark of leaders serving within strong social movements. Connecting and collaborating with others that have similar interests or are doing similar service can often make your service much more effective. TIPS IN WORKING IN COALITION Determine the challenge, problem or issue that you want to address. Students often confront a range of problems and issues on and off campus that may seem overwhelming. Find out if there already is a coalition or student organization on campus doing the service you envision. Determine what has been done in the past or what is being done presently to address the problem or issue. This may be the most important step in addressing concerns through coalition building. Understanding what has already been done to address the problem is imperative for the coalition to implement ideas and be effective. Brainstorm possible solutions to the problem or concern. After brainstorming, develop a short list of ideas that you can easily share with other student organizations in gaining support for the coalition. Once the coalition is formed, the group can revise or develop further ideas. Develop a list of “core” student leaders, community partners, faculty, and staff members that you think might be interested in addressing the problem or issue through a coalition; or, can potentially be powerful allies in doing so. This is an exercise in power mapping. Avoid choosing only groups that are in your immediate orbit…the power of coalitions is building bridges across different organizations!
Movement building practices are used by change agents to connect issues and resources. Some practices include: Coalition building Strengthening leadership within the community Supporting the issue regardless of the programs/projects
Call the first meeting. Once most of the leaders have signed on, call the first meeting, and introduce yourself as the temporary facilitator. See Part 3 on Facilitation. Conduct further outreach and come to agreement on goals (mission). When forming to address one issue, the efforts of the coalition must be focused on an action plan that will guide the group. The plan should include a purpose, goals, background of the problem or issue being addressed. Create a plan of action. The finished action plan will act as a proposal as well as a guide for the coalition. Announce/Market the coalition; come to agreement on a project that is simple to get going (e.g. bring a speaker to campus) – one small success is best when trying to gain momentum…once you have had a small success, build on it.
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
51
Recruitment and Selection
RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION Section at a Glance: The Golden Keys to Recruitment Marketing 101 Designing Flyers Finding and Recruiting Participants Making an Application Holding an Info Session Interviewing and Selecting Participants INTRODUCTION TO RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION With program/project goals in place you now have a good sense of who you need to recruit. As a volunteer or participant or member of a program, your primary focus was “getting things done”. With a firm understanding of your leadership style and approaches to service, as a leader it is just as important to be proactive in taking action. Typically, as the Center views the most effective social change efforts as collective efforts, your first action will involve recruiting a group of volunteers or interns or community organizers – your participants or group membership. Who are your potential participants who have both the ability to make a positive impact in the community and the leadership potential you are looking to cultivate? Here are some nuts and bolts of taking action: where to go, who to talk with, and resources at your disposal as a Cal Corps student leader. THE GOLDEN KEYS TO RERUITMENT Develop a great program or organization to volunteer with. If the volunteer opportunity is not stellar, it won’t be worth your time to recruit. People want to take part in amazing programs.
Bring me the people! Why have programs if there aren’t dedicated people to carry out your mission? The information below will help you find potential participants and then decide who makes a good fit for your program.
52
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
Recruitment and Selection
Set a SMART goal and create a timeline! How many people are you trying to recruit? What populations or groups do you want to target? Remember, more people aren’t always better! Determine when your recruitment campaign starts and ends. Decide on your recruitment strategies (see below for examples) based on how much time you have. Set dates for info sessions and other recruitment events/activities. Prepare, Prepare, Prepare! Assemble your recruitment team and outline roles that each person will play. Make sure everyone in your program is spreading the same message. Develop necessary materials to implement your strategies. Implement your plan. Now it’s time for action. Follow up with your recruitment team and make sure everyone is active. Evaluate your tactics. In surveys or on applications, ask your volunteers, “How did you hear about our program?” to determine what worked and what didn’t work during your recruitment campaign. Alter your strategies for the future. MARKETING 101 Getting the word out on campus may seem daunting, but with these specific guidelines you will know the ins and outs of reaching a vast population of students. As with all other aspects of your leadership role, consider how you can create a cohesive marketing vision or a campaign, instead of unconnected strategies. Note that the following strategies are in order of most to least effective methods of reaching out to others! WORD OF MOUTH! Never underestimate the power of spreading the word oneon-one. Talk to your friends and raise awareness within your own community of peers, teachers, and others!
Create and Hone Your Elevator Pitch This is a 30-second to 1-minute “speech” that will grab someone’s interest in your program. Speak from the heart Provide a statistic that is striking Seek to connect the values/principles of the program to their interests Learn to tell your story in a way that engages others!
PRESENTATIONS/CLASSROOM ANNOUNCEMENTS Using your elevator pitch and a quarter sheet handout, giving short presentations to classes on campus offers more information than a flyer and introduces your group to a large audience. This is a good way to target a specific audience is to make presentations in specific clubs or classes. (A listing of all registered student groups is online http://campuslife.berkeley.edu/orgs) Encourage existing group members may pass the word on to other groups they belong to. To present to a class, get the professor’s permission before class begins. SOCIAL MEDIA AND INTERNET Utilize Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, etc. Create a website! If you are a student group, check out the Open Computing Facility http://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/ on campus. A great way to keep in touch with present and past participants and quickly distribute information on any upcoming events or announcements. Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
53
Recruitment and Selection
EMAIL Have multiple people review drafts before distribution. Send out messages to individual students, student group leaders, and campus contacts Make sure to send recruitment emails to Cal Corps at publicservice@berkeley.edu. Cal Corps sends out a monthly eNewsletter across campus. Be sure to include eNews in the email subject line. We do not post full recruitment pitches/blurbs. You must have the announcement listed on another website that we can link to with a webpage and the words you want us to use for the link, e.g. “Mentor Middle School Youth.” Draft an email to major advisors, requesting that they share your program/event information with students in their department. For a listing of major advisors in all departments, email publicservice@berkeley.edu. CALENDARS Post your event on the UC Berkeley Campus Events Calendar! This calendar is printed online at UC Berkeley’s main website and also in The Berkeleyan, a campus newspaper. To add your event to the campuswide Public Service calendar Go to http://events.berkeley.edu Click on “Submit or edit an event” on the left side When entering your event, remember to select the “Public Service Calendar” as one of the calendars you want to be listed on.
TABLING
Tabling Tip: Send a Clear and Consistent Message Provide talking points for your tablers to use. For example, when staff and students table for Cal Corps we make sure to let folks know: How to Talk About Cal Corps We are Cal Corps. It’s pronounced “core,” not “corpse.” Please refer to us as the “Cal Corps Public Service Center” (it’s one-whole name). What is Cal Corps?
We provide a number of services to students, staff, Publicize tabling dates/times on faculty, and student groups to help them make an website/flyers impact in the community. Have “giveaways” We’re a volunteer center and a programming Pick high-traffic areas other than Sproul. center in one. We do a number of volunteer Student Groups currently registered with placements (long-term, short-term, onetime, Center for Student Leadership may maintain a student group, and postgraduate) like a traditional table or other display materials at the Upper volunteer center. We also manage programs and Sproul Plaza area; Lower Sproul Plaza; North provide many workshops/trainings/resources for Gate; Tolman Hall breezeway; and the area undergraduates, graduates, and faculty. between Kroeber Hall and Boalt Law School Sound-bytes: buildings. The areas listed above are available CONNECT your interests with social change on a daily first-come, first-served basis. efforts of local communities and agencies Calapalooza: A resource fair extravaganza for LEARN leadership skills through participation in Cal students is held every year on Thursday public service during Welcome Week. To table at the fair, GROW as a student by linking academics with real you must be a registered student group or life experience department on campus. Tabling in the Dining Commons Recognized student organizations can table in DCs. Procedure is at http://caldining.berkeley.edu/tabling_request.html.
54
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
Recruitment and Selection
CAMPUS AND LOCAL PRESS Daily Cal: Reach a large student population by placing an ad in the Daily Cal. This option can be costly but if done well and timed well, it can be highly effective. Details and prices can be found at: http://advertise.dailycal.org/. KALX Radio: Make a Public Service Announcement on the campus radio station. It announces campus events every day at 1:15pm and 8:15pm. Submit who/what/where/when/why sound byte about your event to campus@kalx.berkeley.edu. Pitch a story about your program to local newspapers. DESIGNING AND POSTING FLYERS While a well placed flyer is very useful, the Center has strong evidence that flyering is one of the least successful methods of attracting students to your service efforts. That said a flyer that educates as well as can serve as a valuable marketing tool when used together with other methods of marketing. DESIGNING FLYERS
Effective flyers cut through the static of competing flyers. Some tips for designing materials that “pop”: Begin with the end in mind. Decide on your purpose and the goal of your message. Your flyer should only have 1 objective: Inform, Persuade, or Remind. Be sure to cover: Who, What, When, Where, Why. Narrow down content to 20-30 words. Refer people to your website for detailed descriptions. Put the most pressing and interesting information at the top, less interesting, nitty gritty details at the bottom. Make details easy to read. Choose your one or two fonts. Sans-serif fonts work well for large fonts. Use Serif font when making a narrative. Do not use a lot of different competing fonts that might make it hard to focus. Break up information by subject matter or logical groupings. Using headlines is a plus to differentiate topics. White space allows the eye to rest; Unequal white space draws the eye to important points. Layout needs to be interesting, but professional. Boxes, shading, alignment, and color, are important. Graphics – logos or photos – help break up text. Place heavier elements at the bottom of the page. Use the Cal Corps logo! Use the ASUC logo if funded by the ASUC and include required messages about accessibility for events.
Two key principles in designing flyers: Simplicity/Keep it clean. Limit your typeface (but different size fonts of same type is OK) and leave a lot of white space Creativity. Why always print on the same thing? Be memorable!
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
55
Recruitment and Selection
Design Do’s Be as concise as possible Use SMALL CAPS Use fun fonts Play with margins Remember to proof read! Look at it from a distance – is it easy to read?
Design Dont’s Use more than 3 effects Use ALL CAPS Use Courier New Use Times New Roman Underline, especially e-mail addresses
When you’ve finished: Refer back to your original message Why and how will this flyer attract the audience you’re targeting? How will this flier convince them to attend your event? Does it stand out enough to be noticed in a sea of similar items? Think about your font, spacing, graphics, and text. Did you carefully consider each choice? Do you have a reason for each choice you made? POSTING FLYERS
Flyering itself can serve as a teambuilder; flyer as a group and it might even be fun! Please keep in mind that all flyers must be in accordance with policies outlined by the Center for Student Leadership Bulletin Boards Flyers can be posted on any public bulletin boards across campus. Do not post on Departmental bulletin boards inside buildings. Flyers cannot be placed on or against, attached to, or written on any structure or natural feature of the campus. These include (but are not limited to) the backs of chairs, sides of doors or buildings, windows, surface of walkways or roads, Sather Gate, fountains, posts, waste receptacles, trees, stakes, or the backs of chairs. Make sure you hit parts of campus that tend to be ignored, such as North Gate, Haas Business School, Tolman, Etchevery, etc! Also, don’t forget the narrow strip of cork board above chalkboards! Flyers on RA Bulletin Boards This approval process generally takes 1-2 weeks from the date of event to ensure that there is enough time for publicizing of the events. The process is: o Registered student organization should email their 8 1/2" x 11"flyer sample to osd@berkeley.edu o Someone will respond with approval or not (and anything that needs to be clarified, corrected) o Groups are also informed of the # of flyers that need to be delivered to 2610 Channing Way o Office of Student Development staff will place the flyers in the Resident Director mailboxes and then Resident Directors will give them to Resident Assistants to post; see Bear Necessities Guide, page 33-34 for details on posting policy: http://issuu.com/gobears/docs/bn1112 Table Tents in the Dining Commons Recognized Student Organizations can place table tents in DCs. Procedure is at: http://caldining.berkeley.edu/table_tent_info.html
56
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
Recruitment and Selection
POSITION DESCRIPTIONS AND APPLICATIONS POSITION DESCRIPTION Create a clear and concise description of what each participant will do and what is required of them. Include benefits to joining. Make expectations clear, especially regarding time commitments and required events. PARTICIPANT APPLICATION Keep this as short and simple as possible, only ask for necessary information, and determine how you will use the information to grant/deny the position. For sample applications check out the Cal Corps website under “currently accepting applications”.
Application Tip: Use your application to collect participant information for program assessment purposes! For details on what Cal Corps will ask from you at the end of the year, see http://tinyurl.com/calcorpsdata
INFO SESSIONS, INTERVEWS, AND SELECTION INFORMATION SESSIONS Keep information sessions to no more than 1 hour. Best practices include: Create and post an agenda Invite past and present members to speak Utilize community partners when possible Have a sign in sheet to collect contact information Follow up with people afterward. THE BENEFITS OF GROUP INTERVIEWS Your applicants can learn important lesson through the selection process you create – take advantage of this opportunity! It is important to develop a standard or rubric to measure your volunteers. Decide on “minimum requirements” such as GPA, volunteer experience, year in school, etc. Then, determine the “ideal” responses to application essays and interview questions based on your program goals. For in–person interviews develop questions that will reveal volunteer interest and skills, and for the sake of fairness ask the same questions to each candidate. Consider holding group interviews to save time (see below) and inviting outgoing leaders or alumni to participate in interviews as a form of their continuing ownership of the program. Conducting group interviews is a common practice for student-led programs and also is used by professional organizations. While there are some drawbacks to conducting group interviews, for large applicant pools the ability to save time – our most precious resource – is an efficiency that often outweighs individual interviews. Also consider that group interviews: Allow students to observe how their peers respond to questions, strengthening their own ability in future interviews Begins to build group cohesion, as individuals in the same group interview already are starting to build relationships Give the selection team more time with each person, even if it is in a group setting. As an example, if your selection team has 50 applicants, then it would take a total of 18 hours to conduct these 20-minute individual interviews…versus 10 interviews of an hour each for 10 groups of 5 applicants. Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
57
Recruitment and Selection
Provide an opportunity to conduct a team exercise as part of the selection process to see how applicants relate to each other, even if it is within the contrived space of the interview Gives you a chance to ask each candidate for feedback – not only on themselves, but for each applicant. This exercise can provide a glimpse into each applicants’ mindset: do they look for the positive in each of their peers? Focus only on the negative? Offer a glimpse at the social skills of your candidates SELECTING PARTICIPANTS Selecting participants is an exercise in power and privilege as well as program management. As you move through the selection process, which often is individually based, consider the impact of your process on the make-up of the group overall. If equity and social justice is a value or principle of your program, what practices are you using that “get at” that principle throughout the selection process? This is a balance between selecting people who want to learn and want a good experience with those best suited to make your program a success – often not an either/or proposition!
Participant Selection: Questions to Ask How are you accounting for the fact that some people present better in person? Does your final group represent demographically the overall make-up of your applicant pool, e.g. if transfer students were 15% of applicants are they roughly 15% of participants? What will accepting mostly 4th year participants – often the most prepared to contribute – mean for next year’s leadership?
58
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
Peer-led Programming
PEER-LED PROGRAMMING Section at a Glance: Leadership Transition Program Orientation Leading and Managing Feedback and Performance Evaluation INTRODUCTION TO PEER-LED PROGRAMMING Students leading other students is at the heart of student agency and if done well holds great hope for advancing social justice. All that follows is based on sound program planning and recruitment of the right people for the right positions. Because of the nature of student-led programming with typically short-term leadership positions – especially in relation to the decades-long oppression you might be confronting – we hope you will be thinking leadership transition from the moment you assume your role. PROGRAM ORIENTATION Orientation plays an important role in retaining the participants and volunteers you worked so hard to recruit. Through a formal orientation, you welcome the participants, communicate expectations, train and connect participants with the larger picture of their work with the group.
There are two areas of orientation to remember: 1. Introduce the participants to your organization. 2. Introduce the participants to the community agency/agencies where they’ll be serving.
Familiarizing the volunteers with the organization and their role will equip them with the appropriate background and skills to work in your program. Also remember to communicate to the community agency any training the volunteer has received. It may also be a good idea to communicate to the community partner any skills that they (the agency) could provide to help your volunteer be that much more effective. Keep clear, consistent communication with the agency.
EFFECTIVE ELEMENTS OF AN ORIENTATION
Set goals beforehand; some might include: Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
59
Peer-led Programming
Use this time for participants to complete all necessary paperwork – see section on “Healthy Groups”
Introducing your organization and the leaders Introducing the community partner Making clear expectations of their role Training in necessary skills (if applicable) Having fun and getting to know one other! WELCOME EVERYONE Include a team-building exercise and get-to-know-you opportunities Introduce Student Leaders/Agency Staff Explicitly state and discuss the mission statement of the student group and agency partner Give background and history of organizations Agree on expectations for one another: provide this in writing and Share the timeline and/or work plan GO OVER THE LOGISTIC ESSENTIALS Directions and method of transportation Discussion of safety precautions and steps Provide and collect all contacts, materials, resources needed to move forward Contact information for appropriate student leader or agency staff Host a tour of the service site TRAIN AS NECESSARY FOR SPECIFIC SKILLS Open the floor for questions and answers or have breakout groups for questions/discussion Be respectful with participant time. Make good use of it, and start and end when you say you will Leave time for questions! TIPS Don’t overwhelm, inspire. Share stories and your passion for the program Make it fun! Move away from lecture style when possible. Use multimedia options and group participation Connect participants to the larger context of their work Include other programs coordinated by the agency Talk about the social issue you are addressing and why it is important Involve past volunteers or student leaders, current agency clients, etc. LEADING AND MANAGING There are times when we use the terms “leading” and “managing” interchangeably for ease of use, but there are in fact differences between the two roles. Oftentimes it is not as simple as “Leaders do the right things, managers do things right.” We hope you will sort through this terminology and come to some tentative conclusions by the end of the year. As a leader, it is clear you will manage several details in order to model a 60
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
Peer-led Programming
healthy community internally within your project, so that ultimately your group has a positive impact in the wider off-campus community. It’s important to set up a regular time to communicate, whether it is regular weekly meetings, or check-in phone calls. Also, clarify how staff should ask questions that come up in between regular meetings; should they email questions as they occur, stop by to ask, or save them for a check-in meeting? Be available to your staff and provide feedback as soon as possible especially as they are learning. If possible, provide time when participants can watch you or others working in similar roles so that they can learn by observing. Let the new participants know how their performance will be formally evaluated and whether their evaluation is tied to an annual raise or disciplinary measures (and if your organization does not have a formal performance evaluation process, ask your supervisor about getting one started!) If possible, show them the evaluation tool you will use to assess their work, in order to outline what you consider important. Also, let participants know how their professional development goals will be tracked, and what resources are available to them for professional development. RECOGNITION AS RETENTION
Through recognizing volunteers’ importance to the organization, you continue to affirm their connection to the mission and community at large. Participant recognition not only honors the individuals, but also encourages volunteer retention and commitment. VOLUNTEER RECOGNITION: Play by the “platinum rule”: recognize each volunteer the way the volunteer prefers to be recognized, which takes communication. Ask why they choose to stay with your group? Recognition and appreciation must be authentic and not contrived to meet group goals. You can delegate recognition to others in the group as well. Do not feel that you have to do it all! Delegation can help with retaining other volunteers who are considering taking leadership roles. Also, take note that though the focus is on volunteers, recognizing all contributing members to your work is crucial. For example, all community partners, advisors, funders, etc. NON-TRADITIONAL VOLUNTEER RECOGNITION: Go on a family-like outing. Have volunteers, staff, board members, clients, families, friends, go on a picnic, to the zoo together, play softball, hike, etc. Having fun together becomes an unpretentious yet powerful way of celebrating all of us in a non-competitive atmosphere. It’s more fun than fussiness, more party than pompousness. Don’t reduce volunteer appreciation to one event- it should be ongoing. Daily informal, unforced appreciation, expressed in manifold ways: a smile, a "thank you," a challenging assignment, a respectful consultation, etc. No single event can substitute for regular, unstaged appreciation. HOW TO RECOGNIZE THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF PARTICIPANTS Send a welcome letter and a small welcome gift. Publicize their names and work in the office, on web, in pamphlets, campus media outlets, etc Send birthday and get well cards. Remember important events. Smile and take time to talk. Recognize personal concerns. E.g. Religious holidays, schooling, etc. Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
61
Peer-led Programming
Include daily on-the-job praises and informal thank yous. When appropriate, introduce volunteers to staff and community partners. Good supervision and evaluation recognizes the volunteers’ needs and contributions. Highlight a volunteer’s work and interests at meetings Take the volunteer(s) out to lunch or a coffee break Promote by giving new title, responsibilities and encouraging them to pursue a leader position. Praise about the volunteer(s) to others End with a bang! Letters of thanks, note of all the accomplishments, and tons of fun! WHERE TO RECOGNIZE Organizations’ website or newsletter Hallway in building or the office In the community on site or at shopping centers Media outlets: online, radio, television, newspapers, etc LEADERSHIP TRANSITION As a leader, at some point you transitioned into your new leadership position. When you did, did you have a job description beforehand that reflected your actual responsibilities well? Did you meet with outgoing leaders who walked you through your responsibilities and a transition plan? Were you given all documents, files, paperwork and contacts that you needed and personally introduced by outgoing leaders to important contacts? These are important elements of a leadership transition plan, which is crucial because student-led programs turn over their leadership almost every year! Here are some tips for preparing for a successful transition, so that your project does not lose momentum between leadership teams: VISIONING What types of leaders does your group need next? Where is your project headed? What would be the best qualities of the next leader? Remember that these are not necessarily the same qualities that you brought to the project! PREPARATION Choose your leaders long before you leave so you can train them in. Document everything that you do: Contacts, calendars, membership (including alumni so alumni development can happen in the future!). See Transition Binder Check list for more ideas. Ask your group for support in thinking through the best leadership transition plan. RECRUITMENT Constantly be watching for who in your group might be a good leader in the future. TRAINING, MENTORSHIP AND SHADOWING What do your future leaders need to develop the skills and knowledge to successfully lead your group? How can you get them that training?
62
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
Peer-led Programming
LETTING GO! Once you leave your leadership position, be careful to be supportive of the next leaders without imposing your style or beliefs! Especially if you are the founder of the group, it is very likely that you will need to work on this step! LEADERSHIP TRANSITION CHECK LIST Job Descriptions Create definitive job descriptions for new coordinators. Make sure all the expectations; duties, and responsibilities are clear. Training Sessions Be sure to give thorough and comprehensive training to new coordinators. New coordinators should feel confident about the training they receive. An experiential training session can be very helpful. Instead of simply telling coordinators what to do, show them and then let them try it for themselves! Archival Binder (see below) Compile a project archive to give an overall sense of your project structure and to include essential information and responsibilities for the successful implementation of your project’s goals and activities. This information will serve as a check-off list for the coordinator and organization so that they do not have to “reinvent the wheel” each time an activity is organized. Examples of timelines, meeting minutes, letters, fliers, etc., are also helpful. Contact Information Provide a list of important contacts that the new coordinator can use as a resource. Contacts play an ongoing role in providing assistance and feedback when coordinators are planning activities. Coordinator Recommendations Provide inside tips. Talk to the new coordinators about what you wish you had known before you entered the position. On the basis of your experiences, let them know what worked well, what did not work, and what suggestions you have to improve the effectiveness of the organization. Volunteer Recruitment, Management, & Training It’s critical to provide continuous training in order to constantly improve service programs. Keep a log of what has been working and what needs to be improved. END OF YEAR TASK-ORIENTED WRAP-UP FOR STUDENT LEADERS
With the end of the typical program year taking place at the same time as the end of the academic year, it is often useful to package all end of year tasks to complete into one checklist that you can refer to: Attend a year-end advising session with Cal Corps staff. Submit a Final Reflection Paper or report by mid-May.. Compile Annual Volunteer Data and email to Cal Corps staff by mid-May. If an AmeriCorps member o Submit all timesheets with appropriate signatures. o Complete an AmeriCorps Exit Form Clean out your mailbox in 102 Sproul. Save any appropriate documents on the Cal Corps server. Write thank you notes to donors and community partners. Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
63
Peer-led Programming
TRANSITION BINDER CHECK LIST
PEOPLE
Past lists of members and contact info with phone numbers and current emails Info for students interested in becoming members Alumni contact info Contact info for faculty/Cal Corps staff/ASUC staff etc (specific people) Info for any community contacts Foundation/Donor Contacts Contacts for vendors
DOCUMENTATION
Mission statement and goals Group history Strategic Plan Statistics Community Contacts Faculty Sponsor Information Cal Corps Information Funding Sources Calendar of Even Templates for old forms, letter, recruitment fliers, meeting agendas Financial documents: receipts, invoices, budgets from prior years Job descriptions for all positions Calendars/Timelines Past Cal Corps applications
Cal Corps Mid Year and Final Reports Past ASUC applications ASUC signatory information from past semesters Website info: Login and passwords Listserv info: Login and passwords and addresses for all listservs associated with the group Member recruitment advice, e.g. contacts for major advisors, process for flyering in dorms, student group contacts for emailing recruitment messages etc Fundraising information/strategies Any past foundation applications/donation appeals Newsletters
KEY ACTIVITIES, INITIATIVES, EVENTS
Curriculum/worksheets/lesson plans Info on Decal registration if you sponsor one Info on arranging Ed units if you offer them Info for any past vendors used (i.e. caterers, transportation services, printers, t-shirt shops etc) Copies of event forms/permits filed with Center for Student Leadership Descriptions of past events
RESOURCES 64
Advice/knowledge of past leaders SWOT analyses of former leaders (see below) Reflections from past leaders Icebreakers/games Reflection Handbook Volunteer Management Handbook Websites (such as volunteermatch.org) Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
Peer-led Programming
SWOT Analysis Strengths
Weaknesses
Opportunities
Threats
Internal to program
Internal to program
External to program
External to program
What
do we do well?
What
could we improve?
What
good opps are open to
What
trends could harm us?
us?
What
Where
What
What
What
What
How
What
unique resources can we draw on?
do others see as our strengths?
do we have fewer resources than others?
are others likely to see as weaknesses?
trends could we take advantage of?
can we turn our strengths into opps?
is our “competition” (other programs) doing?
threats do our weaknesses expose us to?
End Notes Explain the above in more detail…
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
65
Peer-led Programming
FEEDBACK AND PERFORMANCE EVALUTION In order to harness the collective power of a group, you will have to create an atmosphere of feedback and know how to work through conflict. As a leader, it’s your role to help participants learn about themselves, hear what they’re good at, and identify areas they can develop. Many of us take our strengths for granted and aren’t always aware of our weaknesses, so this type of feedback from a leader/supervisor can be a huge gift! SEEING OURSELVES AS OTHERS SEE US – JOHARI WINDOW
Reflecting on who we are and what matters most to us is a big part of the “Cultivating a Healthy You” process. Another part of the process involves getting feedback from the outside world. How do others see us? Do they see something that we miss? Joseph Luft and Harry Ingham created a helpful conceptual model called “The Johari Window” which is named after the first names of its inventors. This model helps us reflect on what we notice about others and what others notice about us and why.
Each person has their own window. The “window” has four panes or quadrants, and two window “shades”; a change in any one quadrant will affect all other quadrants. The "Open" quadrant represents things that both I know about myself, and that you know about me. Open is the space where you have personal power; you have a voice, and there is authenticity and transparency between what is known to self and what is known to others. 66
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
Peer-led Programming
The "Blind" quadrant represents things that you know about me, but that I am unaware of. The "Hidden" quadrant represents things that I know about myself that you do not know. As soon as I disclose information to you, I am effectively pulling the window shade down, moving the information in my Hidden quadrant and enlarging the Open quadrant's area. What you share and what level of intensity you share are for you to decide. The point is to validate the Open pane by lessening the Hidden, as many people have feeling of pain within their Hidden. The "Unknown" quadrant represents things that neither you nor I know about me. A novel situation can trigger new awareness and personal growth. The process of moving previously Unknown information into the Open quadrant, thus enlarging its area, has been likened to Maslow's concept of self-actualization. In Johari Window, there are two “window shades”: One moving horizontally to hide or disclose who we are, what we think, and our life story. One that moves vertically to take in feedback from others that we do not see ourselves. It is up to each leader to raise or lower their window shade or move it left to right. In Johari terms, two people attempt to communicate via the open quadrants; the smaller the first quadrant, the poorer the communication. THE PROCESS OF ENLARGING THE OPEN: FEEDBACK AND SELF-DISCLOSURE Self-disclosure is being yourself; recognizing and owning your opinions, values and feelings; understanding that these are no more valid than anyone else's. Feedback is about getting to know other people's "map of the world" – their opinions, values experiences, expectations, etc. Effective relationships occur if there is a fair balance between self-disclosure and feedback. As we self-disclose, the Open extends into the Hidden As we gain feedback about how others perceive us, the Open extends into the Blind. A confidant can help expand the Open, and lessen the person's Blind (from self), by giving authentic feedback about how you influence the world around you and how you influence that person. Often by enlarging both these areas, the Open can extend into the Unknown. There is universal curiosity about the unknown area; but this is held in check by custom, social training, and by diverse fears. QUESTIONS TO PONDER How big is your Open? Are effective leaders more open than ones who maintain huge Blind areas (unknown to self, yet known to others) and Hidden areas (known to self, but unknown to others)? How open are you to feedback that shrinks your Blind? How open are you to shrinking your Hidden by telling your life stories? How open are you to disclosing your views on issues to the public (another way to shrink the Hidden)? How effective are leaders who open the shades to reveal lots of Open character? What are the limits to Open? Do you keep Blind and Hidden zones on purpose? What are applications to team development? Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
67
Peer-led Programming
INTENT V. IMPACT: A TOOL FOR RECOGNIZING/COMMUNICATING OUR IMPACT
1. When we do or say something, there is always an impact.
IMPACT MODEL
3. Sometimes, however, there is an unintended consequence; someone might be hurt or offended by our action. We may feel like saying, “I didn’t mean it” or “I didn’t intend for this to happen.” It’s totally natural to want to communicate our intent in the hopes that we will be understood. This response usually does not make the person feel any better.
INTENTION
BEHAVIOR
4. Instead, try taking responsibility for the action and deal directly with the issue by saying, “I’m sorry that hurt you, I won’t do it again” or “I apologize for doing this, what I can do to make it up to you.”
IMPACT
UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES
2. Many times, we assume that the behavior has the intended consequence, the one we expected.
INTENDED CONSEQUENCES
5. Remember: 1) it is ok to make a mistake; 2) the important thing is to acknowledge the mistake; and 3) to learn from your mistake.
FEEDBACK BASICS
FEEDBACK CAN BE GOOD! A lot of people fear feedback conversations, but remember your staff can learn as much about their strengths as they can about areas to improve. Don’t forget to recognize their skills! FEEDBACK SANDWICH When giving constructive feedback, consider starting with something positive; sandwich your constructive feedback with an observation of what the student is doing well and something you hope they’ll continue doing. Example: “You’ve shown great energy and enthusiasm this week. I’ve noticed, though, that you missed the last two report deadlines. Can you plan your time out so that you meet the next deadline while still keeping your positive energy that’s been so motivating to the team?” DON’T WAIT
What are obstacles to giving feedback - what keeps you from giving feedback? What are the costs to not giving/giving feedback? What are the benefits to not giving/giving feedback?
If a student participant says or does something that is inappropriate, don’t wait to let them know. Avoid correcting them in public, which 68
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
Peer-led Programming
could be embarrassing. As soon as possible, pull them aside and explain what they did and the effect it could have. The longer you wait the more likely one of you will forget about it. ASK, ASK, & ASK If you have general constructive feedback (that’s not time sensitive), ask your participant if they’re open to it before sharing. Sometimes people like to know beforehand when to expect feedback, and if they’re having a bad day, they might not want to hear it just then. Also, ask early on how they feel about constructive feedback and how they like to receive it (in a formal meeting, as it comes, etc.). Finally, ask for feedback yourself. You’ll build trust with and will get a better sense of what they need from you if you ask them. FOCUS ON BEHAVIOR & ITS IMPACT When giving constructive feedback, try to limit yourself to pointing out specific behavior or language used by the employee and the resulting impact, not your broader assumptions. For example instead of saying, “Your bad attitude is getting in the way of our work,” focus on the specifics, “I’ve noticed you have come late to work the last few days. It’s impacted the team as we’ve had to pull staff from other areas to cover for you.” ASSUME GOOD INTENTIONS Especially if it’s the first time you’ve brought up a performance issue, be sensitive to your staff and check in about what might be going on. For example, in the case above, it’d be a good idea to end with “you’re usually on time. Is something preventing you from getting to work?” Let the staff member know that if they have a personal issue, like a health or family problem, they do not need to tell you the specifics; in fact, their confidentiality is protected by labor laws, so they shouldn’t reveal personal information and they should certainly never be asked to do so. They should, however, let you know if circumstances will require them to take leave, call in sick, or request an accommodation. HOW TO GIVE BEHAVIORAL FEEDBACK
Trying to give feedback without making people feel defensive is often difficult. The potential for hurt feelings, bruised egos, and resentment is high. Add to that cultural differences between people and it seems like an almost impossible task. Behavioral feedback is a technique that may help to reduce some of these problems. There are many variations of behavioral feedback, but the main point is to focus the feedback on a person’s behavior. Behavior is something you can see a person do or hear a person say. For example, “You are jingling the coins in your pocket and the noise makes it difficult for me to concentrate” vs. “You’re so rude.”
“I sent a letter to Dr. King asking him not to lead all the marches himself, but instead to develop leaders who could lead their own marches.” --Septima Clark
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
“We can have democracy in this country or we can have great wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we cannot have both.” -- Louis Brandeis
Leadership Toolkit
69
Peer-led Programming
WHEN GIVING BEHAVIORAL FEEDBACK SHARE: Observations (not inferences): •Example: •“Your face just turned a bright shade of red.” vs. “You must be angry.”
Descriptions (not judgments):
Options (not advice or analysis):
•Example: •“There were five errors on this report.” vs. “Your work is so sloppy.”
•Example: •“I’d like you to follow the steps outline in the personnel manual when calling in sick.” vs. “can you tell me why you don’t call when you are out?”
Specific: •Example: •“There are five typos in this chart” vs. “I noticed a number of errors in your work today”
LANGUAGE TIPS IN GIVING FEEDBACK • • • • • • • • •
WHEN YOU’D SAY I can’t You are wrong I don’t You have to I never You don’t understand You can’t I don’t know I have no idea
• • • • • • • • •
TRY THIS INSTEAD I can My understanding I do It would help if you Today... Let me clarify You can I’ll find out I know who can help
“Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world's grief. Do justly, now.” -- Talmud
70
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
Evaluation and Assessment
EVALUATION AND ASSESSMENT Section at a Glance: Assessment v. Evaluation Measuring Impact and Improving Program Effectiveness INTRODUCTION TO EVALUATION AND ASSESSMENT Reflecting on the quality and effectiveness of your program is essential for its success. For any service oriented program or project, one of the first questions you should ask is “What is the purpose of my program?” and “How effective are the program efforts in reaching this purpose?” These are just two of many questions you should ask yourself when running a program (check out SMART goals in Section 2). However, these two questions should be the driving force of how things are carried out within your program as they set the foundation for effectiveness. The words “assessment” and “evaluation” are often used when we think about the effectiveness of our programs. In most cases, a survey is given to program participants (or service recipients) to determine how “good” the service was. ASSESSMENT V.EVALUATION The importance of assessment is that it allows your group to have a starting point for carrying out program goals. For instance, if your program exists to help eradicate homelessness in Berkeley, one of the first steps would be to assess the degree of homelessness in the area. Is it widespread or concentrated in one area? Some of the main reasons to assess your program are: Quality: Is your programming being delivered with the highest quality of service including people involved, and An assessment is an initial analysis. training, program structure (leaders, coordinators, etc.)? Regardless of whether your program is new or experienced, Evaluation uses the analysis to make there is always room for growth and improvement. Not any necessary improvements for the good of the program and the recipients assessing the “goodness” of your group could do more harm of its services. than good so don’t be afraid to see how much greater you can be! Feasibility: Are the programmatic elements of your program/project(s) feasible based on the amount of time and resources you have on hand or may have to Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
71
Evaluation and Assessment
seek out? Definitely think big! However, the ideas, programming, projects, and logistics should be ones that you and your team can carry out in the time available to you. Also consider time constraints that may be placed upon you by service partners or community members. For more tips on program and event planning see the section titled Program and Event Planning in Part Two. Strategic Planning: Have you planned ahead to adequately prepare your program to carry out its defined goals? This is key to ensure that any work that you do from holding weekly meetings to organizing files is meaningful which in turn adds to the value of your program. Some elements of assessments include being: Formative (shaping) Process-oriented (course of action) Reflective Diagnostic (analytical)
Flexible Absolute Cooperative (shared)
In the service world, the term “assessment” can serve two different purposes: 1. As it pertains to your assessing your program and how it operates in achieving goals. 2. It is used is with the population or community being served. For this type of assessment, the term Asset Mapping is typically used whereby the community and its members are involved in the process of defining and addressing the issues. You can find more information on Asset Mapping in the chapter titled “Community Partnerships”. MEASURING IMPACT AND IMPROVING PROGRAM EFFECTIVENESS The goal of evaluation is learning: about your program, its effectiveness, and ways to make it better. There are 4 key questions to consider when evaluating your program:
What is the big picture?
• What are the main objectives of your program/project? • What impact are you hoping to have within a year?
Where does your program fit (into • Is there really a need for your program/project? the community, school, etc.) that you are serving?
72
Is change evident?
• Is your program really making the difference it said that it would? • Is this change being measured correctly?
What is the way to make more change happen?
• Based on feedback and your assesments, what additional elements can you add in order to imporve your program?
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
Evaluation and Assessment
EVALUATION TECHNIQUES:
An evaluation is meant to define the impact of your project. If you were to take a before and after picture, how would you know your project made a difference? Measuring impact goes beyond measuring satisfaction. There are two ways that you can approach evaluation: quantitatively and qualitatively. By combining the two you can go into your program or project with “an understanding gained from knowing how the people perceive and react to the project [providing you with] the worth of [your] project”. Quantitative: this approach generally involves numbers. For instance, if your group tutors at an elementary school, what percentage of the students tutored improved their reading score over a period of 3 months? Qualitative: this approach looks at an issue or question in depth. In addition to this, a certain percentage of the population is included when looking for results (interviews, study groups, etc.) IMPACT V. SATISFACTION
When taking the time to assess your program, it is important not to determine the success of your program or project based on how “good” you, your group members feel. This “feel good” observation can lead to a false evaluation on the quality of your program and its work. As stated by Melanie Moore Kubo with See Change Inc. program impact is “when you can prove that a statistically significant change was because of your program, and not other influences”. See the chart for key differences that may help you determine if your program has had the impact desired. Remember, having an impactful program isn’t just about how you “feel” or what you may see, it’s about showing the difference of before and after due to the presence of your program or project.
IMPACT The presence of your program increased parent participation at the site by 60% Due to your project in a certain community, the presence of graffiti and trash has decreased by 90% in the most targeted areas
Due to the presence of 75 volunteers, each person received one-on-one attention and showed greater reading proficiency by 30%
SATISFACTION/ IMMEDIATE OUTCOME Teachers comment that there seems to be more parents around and they smile at you At the end of the service project, all of the volunteers told you how great the day was and gave high marks on the volunteer evaluation— “great job”, “I feel like I made a difference,” etc. During your programming hours, all of the kids are sitting with a tutor with a book open.
Tips for Measuring Your Impact Ask your community partner what the best indicators for success might be Utilize evaluation from previous years to improve your program this year Try to keep most evaluation measures the same year after year so you can do a multi-year analysis Many funders ask for proof that your program is effective – another reason to engage in evaluation!
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
73
REFLECTIONS BY PAST CAL CORPS LEADERS
“Leadership is knowing the difference between the ideal and reality and service is making an effort toward closing the gap between those two differences.”
“I’ve come to the conclusion that service…is necessary for a balanced, fulfilled life.”
“Service is not about ‘helping’ others by doing what you think is best; it’s about meeting the true needs of those expressed by those that you’re serving in a sustainable way.”
“Service is not charity. It is a partnership and a recognition that all of our fates are intertwined, and that none of us can reach our full potential unless everyone is allowed the same opportunities to thrive. Leaders are those that help us recognize that fact.”
“The greatest leaders are those that inspire in us the ideal of self-sacrifice, who make us want to give of ourselves and push for a better reality, in other words, to serve.”
74
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
PART THREE: FACILITATING MEANING-MAKING AND LEARNING Here are the top things the Cal Corps Public Service Center emphasizes related to this section of your toolkit and what others have said they learned through their experience in the past: 1. Facilitate reflection activities that provide greater context and/or challenge assumptions. What I love about reflection: o Helps you decompress after an activity o Allows you to discover your own thoughts and action style o Allows you to learn from others o Allows you to use activities to make real word connections o I get the chance to learn from others about my own experience o I learned how I can continue to apply myself in my community – Jenna Westendorf 2. Articulate a vision for a "healthy community” In my vision of a healthy community, the presence of social services and charity is minimal because the community is not in need of it; individuals have the tools to provide for themselves. Engaged people make healthy communities sustainable. – Catherine Nicklen It wasn’t until the second day of the trip that I began to realize the most important thing I would learn from the break – the strength of a community. – Alt Breaks Break Leader 3. Understand root causes of pressing social issues and explore solutions originating from the local community Without this position, I'm certain that I would lack much of my current awareness about the issues surrounding the East Bay community. – Janet Jin
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
NOTES
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
Lesson and Training Planning
LESSON AND TRAINING PLANNING Section at a Glance: Lesson and Training Planning Experiential Learning Knowing and Interacting with your Audience DECals INTRODUCTION TO LESSON AND TRAINING PLANNING Service is an educational learning experience for all parties involved, including your participants. By complementing the direct action with a facilitated educational and reflection component prepares your participants for service with new knowledge and skills and contextualizes their service experience, perhaps leading to a deeper commitment to the issues your program seeks to eradicate. In general, when planning for leading a workshop or DECal class, you will want to create explicit learning goals. Consider creating a timeline for your yearlong program, and how you can integrate skill building into your calendar right before a particular skill might be most useful. With specific goals it is much easier to plan activities that meet the needs of the group (see SMART goals in Part Two). After setting these goals, it is then important to consider who makes up your audience, and then, with this information, plan on how to meet the goals you have created. FOUR STAGES OF KOLB’S EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING MODEL
Experiencing Groups are presented with certain challenges in order to meet certain goals. A facilitator might ask “what happened?” or “what significant events took place during the activity” during the debrief. Reflecting After evaluating what significant events took place, it is important to reflect on the impact of the activity on the self. A facilitator might ask “So, what can we learn from this activity?” The group can learn from each other and develop group goals together. See the next section for more on reflection.
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Love cannot remain by itself – it has no meaning. Love has to be put into action and the action is service. -- Mother Theresa
Leadership Toolkit
77
Lesson and Training Planning
Generalizing Once each member has had a chance to reflect on the activity, member should share how this one experience might have a transferable lesson to other areas of their lives. Applying Once the group has discussed what they have learned from the activity, it is important to apply their lessons to their natural, everyday world of work, school, etc. A facilitator might ask “What do we do with these valuable tools we have learned when we go back to school tomorrow?”
KOLB’S EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING MODEL
LESSON AND TRAINING PLANNING The role of “trainer” in a workshop is much different than the role of “facilitator” in a DECal! This is most evident in how much content knowledge you need to have walking into the room: as a trainer, you should have a solid grounding in the content, while as a DECal facilitator you are drawing on the knowledge of participants. Regardless, the planning process looks the same and for each you should create (and save for future use) a Facilitator Guide using this template that includes these elements:
78
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
Lesson and Training Planning
CREATING AN AGENDA
See the Appendix for the Lesson Planning Form that mirrors what follows. LEARNING GOALS Remember that less is more when it comes to goal setting. No more than 2-3 goals for a 90-minute workshop/class! For example, “After this class, students will…” o “…be able to identify/name/integrate/etc.…” o “…understand…” o “…know…” Connect these to the larger goals of your course (syllabus)/program Brainstorm 3-5 guiding questions for each goal that will allow you to create activities and facilitate conversation It is important that you know your audience as you plan any workshop or class session. MATERIALS AND CLASSROOM PREPARATION What will location/room provide and what do you need to bring? Basic materials: markers (3 colors); tape; flipchart/blackboard and chalk; sign-in sheet; nametags if needed Keep a running list of materials – including hand-outs to be developed – as you plan activities to meet each learning goal What do you need to do so that when the students arrive the class tone is established, and you can start with high energy? Arrive 15-20 minutes before training is scheduled to begin Room set-up – more to less interactive: circle, horseshoe, double horseshoe, theater seating (LEAST interactive!) Notes on blackboard/flipchart Perhaps consider playing music while participants enter room Are there “prizes” you can offer for correct answers/hold peoples’ attention, like “Smarties” candy? Can people afford to bring a food item for a potluck? ICEBREAKER/OPENING HOOK AND FRAMING The opening hook is what grabs your students. It tells them that it is worth their while to get engaged for the rest of the class. A good opener will give you momentum for the whole class. Choose something that will resonate with your group’s age level and focus. Examples include a quotation or short anecdote Framing: note to class how this class/workshop connects to previous classes/meetings
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
79
Lesson and Training Planning
MAIN ACTIVITIES Refer to learning goals: how will this [activity, hand-out, Planning Tip reading, film clip] help you meet the goals you created? Overestimate time for each activity! Include This is your chance to get funky and creative. Take risks. time: Consider how the process (dyads, small groups, etc.) can At beginning for review of last session offer teachable moments, just as content can. At end for evaluations/announcements Allow yourself to be flexible. What will challenge your Include which trainer/facilitator is leading students? What will excite which section Remember to be student-centered and address several learning styles (see below). For DECals with on-going service, integrate a reflection activity on service provided about every other class. Do people need space simply to reflect on their on-going service experience? CLOSING This is your opportunity to check and see if your students understood the lesson. How can they show you what they learned? For example, “One question I still have is….” Use this opportunity to frame upcoming/next class Will you see this group again? Depending on this, what additional resources do you provide them? EVALUATION Conduct a “Plus/Delta” after each class to create a culture of feedback Take notes after your class – what would you change about this lesson plan to make it more effective, challenging and exciting? EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING
The Stickiness of Ideas There are six traits that make an idea “sticky” – they are: Simple Unexpected Concrete Credible Emotional, and/or Shared through story
80
With experiential learning at the core of both service your participants are engaged in and your lesson planning, there is a well-developed framework to assist you with creating interactive workshops. Multiple Intelligences is a learning theory that states people process information – and learn – differently. Some of us learn by interacting with others; reflecting on our own; through music; or moving our bodies. Try to address at least three learning styles as indicated by the roots in the graphic at the right– but not every style – in each lesson:
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
Lesson and Training Planning
INCORPORATING DIFFERENT LEARNING STYLES INTO YOUR TRAINING
Note that the roots in the graphic at the right represent the Multiple Intelligences
What are special challenges of incorporating the non-traditional Musical/Rhythmic, Bodily/Kinesthetic into workshops/classes for your peers?
How might certain styles honor multicultural ways of knowing and understanding?
For K-12 youth, how might overemphasizing the traditional of teaching reinforce educational inequities?
For a review of different learning styles, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Learning_styles.
KNOWING AND INTERACTING WITH YOUR AUDIENCE In leading a workshop/training or a DECal, it is important to know your “audience”. This attention to your participants is part of the responsibility of being a leader and using an approach that places the emphasis on their learning and development. At each step of planning your workshop/lesson, who your audience is takes on special significance. GENERAL QUESTIONS TO ASK AS YOU PREPARE FOR ANY WORKSHOP/CLASS What brings your participants to your session? How big is your group? Is this in “intact” group that will meet several times over the course of the year, or a one-time event? What is their attention level? What time of day is the session happening? Is it near a meal time? What is their experience level with this topic? Do you want a lot of interaction or is the group too talkative? What skills, knowledge, or awareness will they be excited to use in the future as a result of the experience? What will be unique and interesting to them?
There are four areas people tend to focus on:
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Facts and figures The way the pieces of the workshop or class fit together Usefulness of the information presented in the future How they and everyone else fit in.
Leadership Toolkit
81
Lesson and Training Planning
DECALS We give DECal lesson planning special emphasis here because in many student-led programs a DECal serves as the educational component of the service-learning triangle (See Part One: Engaging in Service). Your role as a DECal facilitator is not to be a content expert, but rather to generate and facilitate structured dialogue. Other special characteristics of DECals: you will have an on-going or “intact” group; on-going service may or may not be connected to the DECal; and working with your peers in a grading context. But first some general tips:
GENERAL TIPS AND RESOURCES FOR DECALS Use Cal Corps’ Lesson/Training Planning Form (see the Appendix for a sample form)! Consider your group’s development and level of trust when planning activities that demand a high level of exposure
The more time you put into lesson planning, the easier in-the-moment facilitation will be
Sequencing within and between lessons
With an on-going group, you must pay attention to sequencing classes so that the learning the students experience in the first few weeks becomes the foundation for future learning. Identify the topics you need to cover first in the semester.
Activities
Consider both classroom readings and in-class activities as a platform for dialogue. For each goal/activity, write down 3-5 open-ended guiding questions that will allow you to “get at” that goal. Sequence questions FOR EACH goal from easy to more difficult to answer.
Lesson planning is capacity building for your program! In the first few classes build in plenty of time for questions!!! Be thoughtful and intentional about large group-small group-dyads both as a way to develop group cohesion Build in flexibility by asking students to take ownership of class as it progresses…but do not lose the structure you have worked so hard to develop! Reflect: Is your group “Forming, Storming, Norming, or Performing” (See Tuckman’s Group Development Model in Part: One). Feedback is important in an on-going DECal - Check for understanding at end of each class - Build in a “plus-delta” from the very start and for every class.
Films: Use clips sparingly, not more than 7-10 minutes at a time Guest speakers o Contact guest speakers AT LEAST two weeks in advance – any less can be taken as disrespect! o Send speaker 3 points you would like them to cover, and the time they will have (30 minutes at most) o Provide bridges (summaries) before and after speaker o Provide formal introduction, based on a bio that you request in advance o Thank guest speakers with a written thank you from entire group! o Keep spreadsheet so we can invite to end of year celebration
Homework Assignments Connect homework to an upcoming lesson or something you want people to practice doing. If you give homework, be sure to also give feedback!
82
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
Lesson and Training Planning
CAL CORPS DECAL OBSERVATION FORM Facilitator Class Topic
___________________________ ___________________________
Observer _________________________________ Number in Attendance: _____ Date ___/___/___
Facilitator Preparation
Needs Work
Average
Very Good
Excellent
N/A
Needs Work
Average
Very Good
Excellent
N/A
Needs Work
Average
Very Good
Excellent
N/A
Well organized, knows and understands material Use of physical space: arrangement of seating, etc. Sensitive to identity/cultural differences and impact on dynamics Use of presentation tools (chalk, flipcharts) without over reliance Uses interactive elements: exercises, small group discussions Selects appropriate activities for this group at this time Presents appropriate amount of info for given period of time Establishes clear connection for how topic applies to service Handouts capture appropriate, helpful, and important points Has additional resources for participants wanting more info Facilitator Mechanics Connects class session to previous/upcoming sessions Posts agenda for class session Develops/references group guidelines Creates open and safe atmosphere across SPIES dimensions Uses stories/personal experiences to relate usefulness of topic Models non-judgmental behavior Helps participants reveal assumptions for reevaluation Advances groupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s critical thinking about oppression/inequality Addresses difficult group dynamics Keeps clear overall focus while not following rigid lesson plan Smooth and logical transitions between activities Creates space for others to share their knowledgeable on topic Facilitator Micro-skills Listening skills Aware of/Uses nonverbals (eye contact) to keep group engaged Encourages and acknowledges contributions of participants Asks the right question at the right time Appropriately offers challenges to individuals and group Tone, pace, volume, and diction Encourages sense of collective by summarizing, reflecting, linking Open to feedback and challenges from participants Responds to participantsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; questions and concerns Level of enthusiasm and energy Use of humor
Successes: 1. ____________________________________________ 2. ____________________________________________ 3. ____________________________________________
Things to focus on more in the future: 1. _______________________________________________ 2. _______________________________________________ 3. _______________________________________________
Additional Comments: ______________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
83
Facilitation
FACILITATION Section at a Glance: Facilitation Basics Facilitating Dialogue Facilitating a Meeting Teambuilders Closure and Evaluation INTRODUCTION TO FACILITATION As a facilitator – whether for a meeting, training, or class -- it is important to be clear about your role, as this defines the qualities of a good facilitator. At its root, to facilitate is to “make easier” or “help bring about”. In our service and justice context, what does a facilitator “make easier”? A dialogue or conversation toward meeting defined goals. FACILITATION BASICS In our context, a good facilitator asks the right question at the right time, and: Role models participation and respect for different types of knowledge and experience Encourages the active participation of everyone Promotes an atmosphere of cooperation Motivates critical thinking and independent action Encourages participants to personalize experiences/knowledge and relate them to real life Debriefs and summarize activities/discussion Does their best to remain neutral, refrain from sharing personal opinions unless asked directly Asks questions that challenge assumptions and facilitate critical thinking and reflection Direct participants toward resources, making yourself available as a resource Facilitating is a skill like any other; a strong facilitator can make a meeting successful by utilizing listening and questioning techniques that help to engage your audience. Here are some common listening techniques from successful facilitators; to create an engaging atmosphere, consider using the following techniques authentically and with your own skill set in mind 7-second rule for responses. Wait 7 seconds (count to yourself) after asking a question. You will be surprised how many responses are offered when you reach 5 or 6! Use the subjunctive. Phrases like “It might be…” or “Perhaps…”acknowledge that you do not have all of the answers and that you are indicating your thinking is open to change 84
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
Facilitation
CREATING COURAGEOUS SPACE One key to creating a safe space – which could very well lead to courageous space – is to establish group guidelines or “ways of being”. Some sample guidelines are: Speak from your experience – use “I” statements Suspend judgment and personal agendas Respect different points of view Challenge your own assumptions Respect personal sharing Share airtime – pass the mic Do not stop listening Challenge by choice – it’s okay to pass or choose not to speak We are all here to teach and learn
FACILITATING DIALOGUE Many of the skills that we have covered in this chapter will help you facilitate dialogue. Dialogue is the art of thinking in new ways together. That means that as a facilitator, your role is to remain neutral and withhold your personal opinions while you assist the group in developing and exploring ideas together. Your main responsibility as a facilitator is to be a “process expert” – someone who knows what elements, behaviors, and processes contribute to an effective group. True dialogue is transformative and the goal is not to decide who is right. Given this, it is important to be sensitive to the group’s needs. This requires attention to the group’s interactions and processes. By closely observing the group, the facilitator can draw out participants who are quiet, politely cut off those who are dominating the dialogue, keep the group focused on their purpose, and judge when it’s appropriate to take the dialogue deeper by monitoring the group’s nonverbal reactions. Secondly, the facilitator must create a safe space where participants feel comfortable challenging themselves. To further encourage this safe space, it is important that the facilitator listen emphatically and responds to the group without judgment. This allows the facilitator to assist the participants by asking questions that will develop new insights about thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors – a process that can sometimes be very challenging. Finally, the facilitator must be able to structure the debriefing in a way that will benefit all members. This includes using silences appropriately, encouraging application of experiences to daily lives, and summarizing and clarifying points in the dialogue when appropriate. Also, it is the facilitator’s responsibility to construct an effective opening and closing to the dialogue, providing the proper framework for the debriefing and allowing participants to understand how the dialogue should take form. Below is a chart with the key differences between debate and dialogue. Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
When the fabric of society becomes unwoven, the role of the University is to create weavers. -- Gordon Gee
Leadership Toolkit
85
Facilitation
DIALOGUE AND DEBATE/DISCUSSION: AN INTRODUCTION
86
Dialogue is collaborative: two or more sides work together toward common understanding.
Debate is oppositional: two sides oppose each other and attempt to prove each other wrong.
In dialogue, finding common ground is the goal.
In debate, winning is the goal.
In dialogue, one listens to the other side(s) in order to understand, find meaning, and find agreement.
In debate, one listens to the other side in order to find flaws and to counter its arguments.
Dialogue enlarges and possibly changes a participant's point of view.
Debate affirms a participant's own point of view.
Dialogue reveals assumptions for reevaluation.
Debate defends assumptions as truth.
Dialogue creates an open-minded attitude: an openness to being wrong and an openness to change. In dialogue, one submits one's best thinking, knowing that other peoples' reflections will help improve it rather than destroy it.
Debate creates a closed-minded attitude, a determination to be right.
Dialogue calls for temporarily suspending one's beliefs. In dialogue, one searches for strengths in the other positions.
Debate calls for investing wholeheartedly in one's beliefs. In debate, one searches for flaws and weaknesses in the other position.
Dialogue involves a real concern for the other person and seeks to not alienate or offend.
Debate involves a countering of the other position without focusing on feelings or relationship and often belittles or deprecates the other person.
Dialogue assumes that many people have pieces of the answer and that together they can put them into a workable solution.
Debate assumes that there is a right answer and that someone has it.
In debate, one shows one's best thinking and defends it against challenge to show that it is right.
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
Facilitation
FACILITATING A MEETING Ever walked out of a meeting and felt “What a waste of my time!”? There is a skill to making meetings work; a good meeting often translates into your participants being willing to come back to the next one – and completing action items in between! Three main parts of a meeting are: Planning Facilitation and Participation Follow Through
A group should check in regularly to voice how well it is meeting guidelines, and change or add any guidelines as needed.
The questions, “Where do we want to go?” and “How can we get there?” are asked and answered before the meeting.
Step 1: Identify the desired outcomes for the meeting.
Step 2: Create a sequence of events (a content and process agenda) that will help achieve the desired outcomes. Step 3: Create your agenda
PLANNING AGENDAS As a facilitator, pay attention to three areas: relationships, tasks, and process. Goals from these areas might include: o Building trust o Delegating projects (see below) o Updating the group on previous tasks and o Making decisions What type of meeting will help accomplish the outcomes? (problemsolving, planning, informational, etc.) To accomplish the meeting outcomes, who needs to attend the meeting (the entire group, people interested in the topic, one of two advisors, etc.)? Agenda = That which must be done Start with past meeting minutes and an update on action items from last meeting Depending on how “open” this meeting is, facilitator should put out a call for agenda items at least one week before meeting. This builds trust and ownership within group! How much time do we have for each item? Overall? It is too easy to talk about pressing and important items. Strong groups take on important and non-pressing items. Make room on the agenda for all types of items. How can the topic(s) effectively be introduced/ presented at the meeting? Who will present each topic?
See the Appendix for a sample agenda.
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
87
Facilitation
FACILITATING PARTICIPATORY MEETINGS
A successful meeting is everyone’s responsibility, though there are things a facilitator can do to ease the group toward success. There should be an appointed facilitator. Also, have one person take notes or “scribe”, capturing general points, questions, and action items – both in notes but also on flipchart if a large decision is needed In addition to the general facilitation role, the facilitator of a meeting: Helps participants focus on a common process and the agreed upon agenda Tracks time Facilitates decision-making Follows through o Takes action between the meetings – which is key! o Keeps a running list during the meeting of action items, including who is responsible for each item o At very end of a meeting, have each person note their action items and make sure they match with what scribe has written PARTICIPANT ROLES THE SCRIBE ALL PARTICIPANTS Create a visual record of the group’s ideas (flip Contribute your best thinking on the subject at chart, post its, etc.) that publicly acknowledges the hand. ideas expressed in the meeting and any decisions Participate in the agreed on process and support that are made. the facilitator. Provide a record during the meeting so that people Share the air – actively listen and make sure to not can focus on the big picture and latecomers can dominate the conversation. catch up. Stay open to everyone’s ideas. Stay personally neutral about the content while recording. Transcribe flip chart notes. Send draft notes to meeting facilitator or all participants. Tip: To build leadership capacity within your group consider rotating the roles of facilitator and scribe. FOLLOW THROUGH
CRITERIA FOR EFFECTIVE ACTION ITEMS Is specific to the problem, opportunity, or goal of the group or program Specifies actions to be taken Identifies the resources needed Assigns specific responsibility for implementing actions in the plan Contains specific, realistic time frames Outlines the monitoring and evaluation process (e.g. when the next-check-in or follow-up will be) DELEGATION SPECIFICS Directions: Explain carefully the task or assignment you want undertaken Rationale: Provide reasons for the job and explain its importance 88
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
Facilitation
Authority: Define the range of decision-making and responsibility that is allowed without the need for approval Deadlines: Agree on when the assignment will be completed Feedback: Ask for his/her understanding of the assignment, get responses Controls/Follow-up: Provide a schedule of milepost meetings for review, process and progress Support: Indicate that back-up and moral support is available to the volunteer...inform him/her you are available for questions LISTENING TECHNIQUES FOR FACILITATORS
DRAWING PEOPLE OUT
MAKING SPACE
Why? Supports people to clarify/refine their ideas
Why? Sends message: “If you would like to speak, here’s a chance.”
Good for: when someone has difficulty clarifying or is vague
Makes space for: shy folks or those that are afraid of seeming rude and/or competitive
How? Use along with paraphrasing speaker’s comments
How? Reassurance: “No dumb questions; no wrong answers.”
Follow with open-ended, non-directive question Ex. So… Say more… How so…. What do you mean…
Observe quiet members; watch body language/facial expressions
MIRRORING
PARAPHRASING
Why? High degree of reassurance
Why? Supports people to think out loud
Fast trust-building
Fundamental listen skill to understand
Establish neutrality rather than opinion Speeds up tempo of discussion (brainstorming) How? Exact words Repeat KEY words or phrases exactly Keep tone of voice neutral/warm; no fake!
Direct questions at them: “It looks like you want to say something…”
Calm/clarify; helps speaker understand if idea got across
How? Preface statement: “It sounds like you’re saying… Summarize/use own words; make it a dialogue Closing: Look for reaction of speaker after paraphrase
If participation is uneven, consider a structured go around to solicit everyone’s voice
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
89
Facilitation
TEAMBUILDERS Teambuilding is an essential component of what makes teams go from good to great. Without relationship and trust to serve as the “glue” of the team and when the group is stressed, it will slowly disintegrate. A positive teambuilding experience goes a long way! There are a couple of basic types of teambuilding activities. They are: 1. Games: (name games, icebreakers, energizers, etc.). These activities help team members learn each other’s names, and warm up to the idea of having fun together. These activities help people get out of their heads, learn people’s names, and activate the group connection. Introductory activities such as games, or de-inhibitizers, are key components of a teambuilding experience. Games are the foundation from which groups build on. Groups are understandably excited about getting to the rest of the experience, but without laying the groundwork through participation in these activities, there is no solid basis for developing qualities such as communication, problem solving, and trust.
Two Main Objectives of Teambuilders: 1. Help participants get to know each other and facilitators 2. Relax inhibitions and prepare group members for more challenging, higher risk activities.
2. Initiatives: These activities help a team learn how they solve problems together. Depending on the group, you can make the challenges easy or tough. While attempting to solve the problem, team members will learn each other’s leadership styles, strengths and weaknesses, how to listen to each other, ways to step out of the box, and how to overcome adversity. 3. Trust Building: These activities typically involve deeper sharing with thoughts, feelings, and/or involve trusting someone to catch you or lead you somewhere when you cannot see. 4. Low elements: Initiative problems are group challenges that require cognitive and psychomotor involvement by each member of the group in order to achieve a pre-set goal. These types of activities typically involve stretching personal and group comfort zones. Facilitators must use his or her style of creativity, sensitivity, and ingenuity in order to build rapport, trust, and to capture the enthusiasm of the groups early on. The following tips will help: Keep the rules to a minimum—you’ll lose the groups interest if it is too complex Facilitators should participate in games—be a role model Sometimes it falls upon a for silliness generation to be great. You can Stop the game when the group is having fun—this keeps be that great generation. Let your greatness blossom. them wanting more -- Nelson Mandela, in his Be flexible with rules—it’s just a game. Keep it clear, keep endorsement speech of the Make it concise, keep it simple Poverty History Campaign End games that are not catching the groups energy De-emphasize winning and losing Don’t spend too much time playing games—let them begin 90
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
Facilitation
The facilitator’s role is critical to the quality of experience. The facilitator must set the scene clearly and respond to clarification questions. While the group works out its solution, the facilitator must be observant of the dynamics and interactions occurring within the group. Initiatives provide the group with a powerful common experience that demonstrates the group dynamic, allowing them to observe how they behave as a team. It is important that you remember your role as a facilitator while the group is participating in initiatives. Your role is to observe and make sure certain safety precautions are being taken. Your role is not to be actively involved. Otherwise, a group might not get an accurate picture of how well they function on their own. Have the group police themselves – you are not the referee. Remind them of their Group Guidelines or Ways of Being before the activity. Watch for whether or not the group meets their commitments and bring that up during debriefing
“Outdoor initiative tests, in particular, give groups of students a series of clearly defined, physical problems. They are designed so that each group must attempt to work out its own solution. This problem-oriented approach can be useful in developing each student’s awareness of decision-making, leadership, and the obligations of each member within the group. Participants work on the problem in groups in order to take advantage of the combined physical and mental strength of a team. These group problems can also be used to promote a student’s sense of his own competence as an individual who can dare to become involved in a group. Finally, they serve to help break down… stereotypes.” (Cowstails & Cobras, 1977, p. 65).
Processing can sometimes be scary for a facilitator. Sometimes it is difficult to gauge exactly where a group is in their development or accurately observe group dynamics. This is a normal fear for facilitators. However, there are simple tips and tricks a facilitator can use to help ensure a smooth processing session. You do not have to process name games, icebreakers, or energizers. Processing the initiatives and low elements is critical to enhancing the groups’ development. Begin the process immediately after the activity ends. Do not allow the group to wander off or become distracted. Use the energy of the moment after each event. Participants will often begin to spontaneously process themselves. Be sure to circle them up and include everyone in the group. Facilitators should spread out in the group, making sure not to sit next to each other. Maintain eye contact with each other and be aware of the need for the other facilitator to cut short the process if necessary. Work with your facilitator to manage group dynamics during the debriefing process. Keep everyone at the same level. Don’t allow folks to stand or lie down when everyone else is sitting. Ask people not to “double park,” that is, stand or sit behind others. Maintain good eye contact with the participants. It is not necessary for participants to do this, but facilitators should, if possible. This is part of active and compassionate listening. When the energy or process begins to wind down, end it. Don’t try to over-process and go too far. When it’s over, it’s over. It’s okay to let the discussion come to a natural end.
You can find more Icebreakers, Learning games, and Closing Activities on the Cal Corps Server: S:\CalCorps\Center-Wide Resources and Forms\Curriculum, Training Plans, Research
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
91
Facilitation
DEBRIEFING/PROCESSING TEAMBUILDERS
After a group has performed an activity, it is important that they reflect. The better we are at helping the group making meaning of their experiences as a community, the better the experience will help inform what they do in the future. Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle is one model of how people learn and represents a natural reflection process to use with a group after a teambuilding experience. (Also check out the Group Formation Process and the Service-Learning Model in Part One of the toolkit.) This model is sometimes referred to as the “What? So What? Now What?” model because of the way it examines a group experience. Another way of putting it involves taking the concrete experience and breaking it down to three different levels — a reflective, observational level (What?), an abstract level where generalizations of the experience are made (So What?), and an application stage where future behavior is planned (Now What?). Knowing this cycle of experience is important in debriefing so maximum benefits are gained. Processing is… Assisting participants in understanding and internalizing their experiences Assisting in the integration of what they learned to everyday life Creating a safe environment where people can learn and talk about their experiences The art of systematically questioning participants so they analyze their experiences to create: o More self-awareness o Applications of new experiences to everyday life o New Resources for making new choices CLOSURE AND EVALUATION As a challenging and meaningful meeting or workshop session draws to an end, participants may feel that their intended objectives have not been met, that questions have not all been answered, or that a plan of action has not been finalized. Nonetheless, the group needs to recognize that progress has been made and that the process must continue. It is the job of the facilitator to initiate this sense of resolution, and to invite feedback so that the process may foster as it continues. Suggestions for accomplishing this include: Request a closing statement from each participant about what they learned, what they plan to do next, etc. Review the session with the group; recognizing participants, contributions and the necessity of further reflection. Provide participants with resources, such as written material and upcoming events, to encourage their continued involvement. Request written and verbal evaluations so that participants may voice those concerns and ideas that have been left unsaid, and so that facilitators may understand the strengths and weaknesses of their skills.
92
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
Bringing Your Whole Self to Service
REFLECTION Section at a Glance: Reflection Basics Reflection Activities and Resources Journals – A Primer Service-related Reflection Prompts INTRODUCTION TO REFLECTION Taking the time to reflect is essential in any service related field. Recall that reflection forms one side of the triangle of quality service, along with service and education. Reflection allows you to: Give meaning to the experience (was the goal accomplished, how did we do, how is community served by this, how is this part of a larger effort, etc.) “We don't see things as Help understand the limitations and opportunities of the service they are, we see things as site or community organization we are.” Relive tension and provide re-energizing -- Cicero, Philosopher
Reflection activities should push students to make specific connections between what they believe and what they have done. Through reflection, students make connections to real world situations, experience personal growth and development, connect to others, gain understanding, develop citizenship skills, share their reactions and feelings about the event, and learn. REFLECTION BASICS WHAT IS REFLECTION? Reflection is the process of thinking about our experiences and attributing meaning to them. It occurs naturally for all human beings and is the key to learning new things and increasing understanding. Reflection may include acknowledging and/or sharing of reactions, feelings, observations, and ideas about the service. Reflection can happen through writing, speaking, listing, reading, drawing, acting and other creative ways.
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
93
Bringing Your Whole Self to Service
WHY REFLECT? There is an old Chinese proverb that says, “Tell me and I will forget. Show me and I may remember. Involve me and I will understand.” We do not learn from doing, we learn from thinking about what we do. Reflection is a crucial part of service because research shows that reflection has some positive impact on the attitudes of volunteers about service and the service activity. As shared in Part One, service-learning is a form of experiential education in which students engage in activities that address human and community needs together with structured opportunities intentionally designed to promote student learning and development. For more information, check out the Service Learning Triangle in Part 1: Engaging in Service. WHEN, WHERE, AND WITH WHOM TO REFLECT Reflection typically happens after a service experience or activity. Ideally, the reflection time takes place immediately after the service activity, within a day if possible. Try to not have the reflection time when participants may be exhausted or not in the emotional space to do so, as both can take away from the ability to truly reflect and connect to the service experience. For a lot of programs, reflection can happen before, during, and after the service experience. This allows the participant to become aware of their thoughts, feelings, and actions along the way. Continuous reflection is essential because it helps your participants stay connected to the service they are involved in. You do not have to “dive deep” with continuous reflection but it is good to make connections to the experience at hand. Reflection can happen with your volunteers and, if you are comfortable with this, those you are serving.
Continuous
PRINCIPLES OF GOOD REFLECTION PRACTICE Must be an ongoing part of the service involvement. Should include reflection before the experience, during the experience, and after the experience. Links service to academic goals and intellectual development.
Connected Challenging
Provides an opportunity to explore uncomfortable and unfamiliar feelings and ideas. Raises questions that may have difficult answers.
Contextualized
Reflection can occur in various forms. Activities selected correspond in a meaningful way to the service experiences.
Source of the table: Eyler, J., Giles, Jr., D.E., and Schmiede, A. (1996). A Practitioner’s Guide to Reflection in Service-Learning: Student Voices and Reflections. Nashville, TN: Vanderbilt University.
The Volunteers/Participants Providing a time for reflection allows participants to take a step back and evaluate the meaning of their service work and experience. The Community Partner Allowing a space for your community members to reflect may provide you and your volunteers with valuable insight into your service work. Those receiving the service can provide info on what the service project and experience means to them. They can also provide feedback and advice on ways that the project can improve. 94
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
Bringing Your Whole Self to Service
REFLECTION ACTIVITIES AND RESOURCES In good service programs, reflection is well-organized, intentional, and continuous. It should happen before, during, and after the student’s service experiences. DESIGNING A REFLECTION ACTIVITY: TIPS FOR SUCCESS An effective reflection activity should: Be relevant to the experience Be appropriate for the team (size of the group, ages, culture, etc.) Be directly linked and appropriate to the project or the experience Happen before, during, and as soon after the service experience as possible Be varied for different learning styles Allow people to participate according to their own comfort level Dispel stereotypes, address negative experiences, increase appreciation for the community, increase commitment to service
“Reflection is an essential aspect of leadership.” --Bonner Leader 2007-08
FACILITATING A REFLECTION ACTIVITY: TIPS FOR SUCCESS Effective reflection activities should: Have an open-minded and flexible facilitator Have ground rules Be open and honest Listen even if you disagree Have the facilitator on the same physical level (whenever possible) as the participants Be suitable to the experience and the needs of the participants Occur when a good group dynamic has been fostered Be interactive Use silence; ask your questions and then wait (people need silence to reflect internally, some more than others) Encourage challenging issues Ensure that all participants have an equal opportunity to become involved Include the facilitator’s reflections as well as the participants Vary so that when the same group is participating in multiple reflection activities, they are doing something different each time For more information on facilitating reflection, check out Facilitation in the toolkit and the online resource Essential Guide to Reflection. REFLECTION ACTIVITIES
These activities last 30 seconds to 2 hours and can be adapted to reflect on your service experience, who you are as a leader, or your service program and its impact. Posed question Reflection does not require a product or a discussion. Gather the group, obtain silence, and ask a question (See following pages for ideas). Give a few more seconds of silence before asking for people to share their responses. Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
95
Bringing Your Whole Self to Service
Posed sensation Same as above, but ask participants to check in with some sensory stimuli (sound, smell, sight) and make a mental bookmark of the project with that observation. One to Three words Each person shares one to three words to describe the service activity or how s/he feels about the service activity. Sweet reflection Bring multi-colored candy such as M&Ms or Skittles. For each color, assign as question, such as: Yellow-something surprising you learned today; Green-something you wished for; Blue-something you felt sad about; Red-something you felt angry about; Orange-an action you’d like to take. Have everyone share it in a large group. What’s your message? Ask participants to make a bumper sticker about their values, their experience serving the community, or to describe your group. Letter to self Have participants write a letter to themselves about their personal and career goals regarding the project, or feelings about the project or community. Place it in a sealed envelope, mail them back or hand out again to the team after six months and reflect. Yarn web Stand in a circle with a ball of yarn. Ask a reflection question to the group. Have each person answer the question and then throw the ball to someone else. The yarn forms a web supported by the group. Discuss what the metaphor of a web could mean for your group. Hoshim brainstorming Ask participants a reflection question and have them list their answers, ideas, or opinions on “Post-it” notes. Have everyone place Post-It notes on the wall. Ask the group to walk-through and read all the notes. Lead a conversation about the responses. Interview each other Break the group into pairs or triplets and have them interview each other about their service experience, take notes, and summarize a couple of things to the group. Inventory Develop an inventory with the community being served regarding the problem you are addressing or the work you are doing. What are the resources, who are the leaders, what roles do certain organizations play, what relationships exist, what other work has been done, what are the challenges, what are potential action steps? etc. Quotes exercise Find service related quotes and put them on strips of paper. Put them in a hat and have everyone select a strip. Each person takes a turn in reading the quote out loud and explaining what they think it means, and how it might pertain to your service. JOURNALING: A PRIMER Journaling is one of the best reflection tools. Ideally, it’s best to schedule time immediately after the project to journal. It is helpful if the project leader provides a structure to insure quality, conscientious journaling, and even more helpful if the project leader is journaling him/herself! It is important to encourage participants to write whatever comes to mind, and to not worry about grammar, spelling, punctuation, etc. This entails a commitment to confidentiality -- that nobody will share what they have written unless they want to.
96
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
Bringing Your Whole Self to Service
The Free Write: This is the easiest journaling method, wherein people who think they “can’t write” or “have nothing to say” realize how much and how well they can write. For a predetermined amount of time, participants engage in continuous writing by keeping their pens moving, even if only to write, “I don’t know what to write.” It is helpful to trigger the free-write with an open-ended sentence such as “I don’t think I’ll ever forget . . .“ or “If I could do one thing differently, I would . . .” or make up your own! Let participants know when they are nearing the end of the writing time, and then ask them how it went. Clusters: Ask everyone to write 5-6 words that describe the project in random spaces in his/her journal. Give a short speech about the interconnectedness of everything, the web of life, or whatever and ask them to free write, focusing on those items and how they are related. The Critical Incident: Choose an incident that involved the entire team and give them a couple of minutes to think about it. Ask them to write a detailed, factual report of what happened, making sure to answer who, what, where, and when. Share the stories to see how they differ/are similar! The Fly on the Wall: Ask participants to take a couple moments to reflect on the day (where they’ve been, what they’ve done, whom they’ve worked with, tools they’ve used). Then ask them to pretend they were a “fly on the wall” observing but not participating in the scene, and write a short descriptive passage based on their observations. You can also use any animal, plant, or person that was near the project site. SERVICE-RELATED REFLECTION PROMPTS When facilitating and participating in reflection note that the entire process is question driven. We ask questions of ourselves and others in order to make meaning from our experiences. Below are statements that emphasize the social change that the simple act of asking a question can accomplish: Questioning is a basic tool for rebellion. It breaks open the stagnant hardened shells of the present and opens up the options that might be explored. Questioning reveals the profound uncertainty that is embedded deep in all reality beyond the facades of confidence and sureness. It takes this uncertainty towards growth and new possibilities. Questioning can change your entire life. It can uncover hidden powers and stifled dreams inside of you…thing you may have denied for years. Questioning can change institutions and entire cultures. It can empower people to create strategies for change. Asking a question that leads to a strategy for action is a powerful contribution to resolving any problem. Asking questions that open up more options can lead to many unexpected solutions. Asking a question that helps adversaries shift from their stuck positions on an issue can lead to acts of healing and reconciliation. Asking questions that are “unaskable” in our culture at the moment can lead to transformation of our culture and its institutions. Asking questions and listening for the strategies and ideas embedded in people’s own answers can be the greatest service a social change worker can give to a particular idea. PRE-SERVICE What do you expect to experience at the service site? What feelings do you have as you prepare for your service? Remember, feelings are emotions – happy, sad, nervous, scared, angry, excited, etc. Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley Leadership Toolkit 97
Bringing Your Whole Self to Service
What do you think is expected of you during this service experience? What do you expect to gain from this experience? What do you expect will be the impact of this activity on the service recipients? What do you think about the problem that you will address through this service activity? What do you think about the way the problem is currently being addressed? What do you think about the population being served by this activity? DURING THE SERVICE Are you doing what you thought you would be doing? (If not, why?) Are your expectations about the activity being met? Are your expectations about the community organization being met? What is going right? What is not going right? How can it be fixed? Do you think service recipients are benefiting from this service? Do you think the activity is meaningful and worthwhile? Do you want to continue with the project or quit? Why? What are you contributing to the service site? POST-SERVICE What did you learn from this experience? What did you learn about yourself? About others? Were your expectations about the service met? Was the community problem addressed through your service? If so, how? Were the goals and objectives of the project accomplished? How have your views about the problem changed? How have your views about the population you served changed? What do you think about the way those in positions to effect change are addressing this problem? What were the benefits from participating in this service activity? What were the best and challenging parts of this service experience? Has this experience changed you? If yes, how? Would you do this again? Why? What are the most important points you take with you from this experience? Do you think you will continue to be involved in service? How might the service recipients feel about the service work accomplished today?
98
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
PART FOUR:
Bringing Your Whole Self to Service
BRINGING YOUR
WHOLE SELF
TO SERVICE
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
99
Bringing Your Whole Self to Service
NOTES
100
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
Bringing Your Whole Self to Service
BRINGING YOUR WHOLE SELF TO SERVICE Section at a Glance: Categories of Fulfillment Renewal A Healthy Future Resume Writing and Cover Letters Closing INTRODUCTION TO BRINGING YOUR WHOLE SELF TO SERVICE This chapter is meant to help you think more deeply about what self-care looks like and feels like for you. Taking care of ourselves is an essential component to sustaining ourselves for a lifetime of service. This chapter will help you think about what inspires you and keeps you going, how to see ourselves as others see us, and how to dig-deep and get re-inspired when things are tough. CATEGORIES OF FULFILLMENT Once you have reflected on your values, another step you can take is to reflect on the relationship between the areas of your life and your values. Start this by listing out the major areas of your life that are most important to you. Come up with four to eight areas. These are your major life categories. List them in no particular order. Do it quickly, don’t over think it. You can always come back and revise. Once you have your categories, do the activity below. EXAMPLE 1 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
Relationship and Family Professional Financial Personal Development Physical Health Emotional Wellbeing Spiritual Growth Household and Living Environment
EXAMPLE 2 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
Family and Intimate Relationship Emotional and Spiritual Wellbeing Intellectual Development Time Management/ Daily Routine Friendships Physical Development Financial Health Career Development
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
101
Bringing Your Whole Self to Service
Feelings for a Great Year Pick an area from your categories of fulfillment that you want to work on in the coming year. Jot down all the feeling and personal impacts you want to experience this year. Use these two questions to help guide you: What do I want to feel? What do I want to experience? Review your brainstorm and underline 1-3 words that you connect with the most. You can either string them together or write a statement that includes these words. If you need help, use these questions: If I could choose one feeling or state of mind for the entire year, what would it be? What is the most important state of mind I would like to have regularly?
1. For each piece of the pie, write the name of one of your categories.
2. For each of the categories, assign a rating out of 100% based on where you are today and where you want to ultimately be for that life area. How you feel about it, versus how you want to feel in an ideal scenario. A 100% rating means you are completely satisfied, and 0% means you are completely dissatisfied. Write the percentage number down within each piece of the pie.
3. Draw a line within the pie to represent the percentage number in relation to how much of the piece of the pie has been filled up. The center of the circle is the 0 and outer edge is 100.
4. Shade in the areas. This gives you a picture of where you stand in each of the life areas that are important to you.
102
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
Bringing Your Whole Self to Service
VISIONING – IMAGINING AND PLANNING FOR SUCCESS 1. Pick 1-2 outcomes you really want to work on this coming year. Anymore than that just sets you up to be overwhelmed. When you accomplish your outcomes or are ready for new ones, you can come back to this space and create more.
2. Write the outcomes you want to focus on as statements. For example, if you wrote “get healthy” in your brainstorm, you might write a statement such as “Establish a productive, effective and healthy daily routine.”
WRITING LIFE OUTCOME STATEMENT Write a brief statement that captures what you want to accomplish this coming year here:
PURPOSE Write down the reasons why realizing this outcome is important. List as many as you can in bullet points. Use words and phrases that excite you, that move you, and that inspire you.
CATEGORIES OF FULFILLMENT Identify the categories of fulfillment that this life outcome fits in. Which “tank” will it fill up? Feel free to list additional categories, even if it wasn’t identified.
To keep our faces toward change and behave like free spirits in the presence of fate is strength and undefeatable -- Helen Keller
ACTIONS List actionable items you must do to make the outcome a reality. Break these actions into smaller chunks or steps if necessary. Ideally, each item should take less than 1-2 hours to complete.
If it is too big or has too many “to-dos” – break it into separate outcomes. 1. 2. 3. 4. Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
103
Bringing Your Whole Self to Service
RENEWAL Renewal and self care are a key component to your overall wellbeing. When our lives get hectic, it is essential to have activities or “practices” that help us feel grounded. A practice is anything that makes you feel recentered, rejuvenated, whole, and present. The activities below are small things that you can do to keep yourself well. REJUVENATING ACTIVIT IES AND SPIRITUAL PRACTICES
A rejuvenating activity or spiritual practice is simply a habit that we do regularly that gives us energy and reminds us of what matters most. No “Practices” = Life Like This:
With “Practices” = Life Like This:
Possible activities or practices: Reading Meditation Prayer Dance Yoga Writing Walking Cooking Art Music Gardening Exercise Breathing Studying Sacred Texts Silence Service Work and Volunteer
Reflect on your life as it is now and write down what comes to mind. What fits into these categories now and what do you imagine for the future? ALONE
WITH FRIENDS
WITH FAMILY
Things you do regularly Things you do occasionally Things you are interested in exploring
104
How do these current activities enhance your life? What do you want more of in your life? Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
Bringing Your Whole Self to Service
FEEDING THE BODY AND SOUL THAT SERVES
We can better serve others when we understand our emotional, spiritual and physical state. Take a few minutes to reflect on the emotions/physical states listed below. Fill in a circle on the continuum of emotions/physical state that reflects your feelings at this time: Anxiety 0 0 0 0 0 Peace Loneliness 0 0 0 0 0 Support Despair 0 0 0 0 0 Hope Guilt 0 0 0 0 0 Forgiveness Anger/Hostility 0 0 0 0 0 Resolution Grief 0 0 0 0 0 Consolation Helplessness 0 0 0 0 0 Control Misery 0 0 0 0 0 Joy Tired 0 0 0 0 0 Rested Sick 0 0 0 0 0 Healthy
One or more marks on the left side of the scale could indicate that you may need greater attention on your emotional, spiritual and physical wellbeing. 1. What is one way you can care for yourself today? 2. What is one way you can care for yourself this week?
MELTING AWAY YOUR BUSY DAY
Ask someone you know to read this meditation to you as you close your eyes and turn your awareness inward. Sit very quietly for just a moment. PAUSE. Perhaps this is the first time in your day that you have been truly quiet. Take this time to be very still and silent. PAUSE. Let all of the stress or tension from your day melt away in each breath. Let all of the experiences that you had today, anything that is in your mind and distracting you from being totally present in this moment, melt away with each breath. PAUSE. All of the worries and excitements of your day are gone and you are right here…in this room…sitting quietly…with your focus completely on your own breath. PAUSE. Now, take a deep breath and let it out………….When you are ready, gently open your eyes. A HEALTHY FUTURE How do you translate all your amazing experiences as a student into promotable skills for the “real world”? Answer the following questions and complete the exercise to get started on your next step. These will help you clarify what you want, write your resume and cover letter, personal essay or application in a way that showcases your skills. They will also help you in future interviews! QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER BEFORE STARTING THE “NEXT STEP” SEARCH What do you want next? What is important to you? (What do you value?) What will add value to your life and career? What do you bring to the table? What do you want to learn?
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
105
Bringing Your Whole Self to Service
TRANSLATING YOUR EXPERIENCE INTO SKILLS For this activity, think of a specific role that you would like to translate to the “real world”. Column A: Write down specific duties, activities, or tasks affiliated with the role Column B: What skills does each of these represent? Column C: How do these skills relate to the characteristics sought by the job, grad school, etc.? A Duties, Activities, Tasks (tutor at an elementary school)
B What SKILLS do these represent? (organization, communication, perseverance)
C Relationship to Next Step (write directly to the job or application posting)
STEPS IN THE JOB SEARCH: BUILDING YOUR NETWORK Take action, reflect on learning, be with your new self o Clarify values, your skill set, how you want to make a difference, and jobs that provide good “fit” o Reflect on type of work and type of organization that will feed you and nourish you o What type of work environment do you want to be in? o Check out your toolkit, “Bringing Your Whole Self to Service”, starting on page 91 Read Cal Corps staff bios, looking for connections and think about different career pathways Use websites below to identify organizations in your area doing the work you are interested in If possible, narrow the geographic area you are searching (makes networking easier) Timing: positions in nonprofit organizations usually get posted as they come open – there is no one “recruiting” time; these usually get posted 2-3 months before organizations look to bring on new staff (i.e. do not search for a nonprofit job in December if you cannot start until June). Articulate your story through your resume and cover letter, make specific to each and every position Search: search the web, while building your network Apply and keep network updated on search In-person interview Follow-up: with employer, network BUILDING YOUR NETWORK
Building your community or “network” is a skill that can be learned like any other. Here are some tips to build your network:
106
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
Bringing Your Whole Self to Service
Ask for informational interviews. People are usually willing to be taken out for lunch or coffee if you ask nicely and express your interest to their field and are looking to be involved and want their advice on where you would be most needed. For a “how to” see: https://career.berkeley.edu/plan/infointerview.stm. Using LinkedIn to Build Your Network o LinkedIn NOT a job board. o LinkedIn is a professional (v. social) network The 5 Golden Rules of Student LinkedIn Profiles 1. Professional photo of student alone 2. Headline with area of study and/or career ambitions 3. Keyword-rich summary that includes type of positions student is seeking 4. Inclusion of volunteer activities, internships and extra curriculars 5. Recommendations from professors, advisors, internships First connect to (start with those you know and trust) o Parents and other relatives o Internship managers and colleagues o Community partners from service experiences o Alumni from service groups o Cal Corps-specific groups! See http://learn.linkedin.com/students/, especially Step 4, Grow Your Professional Network Networking/Search Resources o Cal Corps alumni facebook groups NorCal: http://tinyurl.com/CalCorpsNorCalAlumni SoCal: http://tinyurl.com/CalCorpsSoCalAlumni New Orleans: http://tinyurl.com/CalCorpsNOLAAlumni o o o o
UC Berkeley Career Center: http://career.berkeley.edu Jobs & Internships Guide: https://career.berkeley.edu/Guide/Guide.stm CalJobs: https://career.berkeley.edu/Callisto/CalJobs.stm Idealist: www.idealist.org o Especially http://www.idealist.org/info/Careers/Guides/FirstTime o “How to land a Non-Profit Job”, http://thesjsucareercenter.wordpress.com/2012/02/28/how-to-land-a-non-profit-job/ o Young Nonprofit Professionals Network, YNPN http://ynpn.org/sfba/search-for-jobs/ o Opportunity Knocks, http://www.opportunityknocks.org/ RESUME WRITING AND COVER LETTERS You might be wondering why we put resume and cover letter work in the “Bringing Your Whole Self to Service” section. If you think about it, reflecting on your purpose, getting busy learning how to live that purpose, finding ways to keep yourself on track and learn from others, and grounding yourself when you experience “the storms” is some serious leadership training. As shared before, reflection leads to new insight Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
107
Bringing Your Whole Self to Service
and new insights lead to new actions. You can use this chapter to help you think about the life you want to live and develop strategies for how you will communicate that to others. Step 1 Write down all your work experience (full-time, summer, part-time, and volunteer), internships, community projects, special research projects, classes you have taken, extracurricular activities, leadership positions, sports, honors and awards, travel experiences, proficiency in languages, knowledge of technical subjects or other unusual areas, computer skills, public speaking experience, and any experience that required responsibility for a budget. When you are finished, go back and write in the dates and the names of organizations involved. Step 2 Think about the job you want, not necessarily the jobs you’ve done in the past. Think about the skills, knowledge, and experience that a really well-qualified person would need to get this job. Look back at your list of what you’ve done, and circle your skills, experiences, and classes, etc. that are compatible with the job you want. Step 3 Looking at what you’ve got that’s relevant to your desired job; decide what categories will best highlight your relevant experience. Traditionally, resumes might highlight the categories of: “Education” “Experience” “Skills” and maybe “Awards” or something. You only have one page so choose wisely and only include what’s relevant. Especially leave off the work you’ve done that you never want to do again.
OTHER JOB SEARCH CONSIDERATIONS/RESOURCES Consider yearlong Fellowship or “Corps” Programs o Visit http://publicservice.berkeley.edu/students/post-graduation o Offer a yearlong, somewhat guided experience o Maintain a small community of like-aged peers o Solid application/notification deadlines to plan around Look for annual events to assist you in making the transition to life after Cal: o Cal Corps’ April Life after Cal workshop o Career Center’s Spring Job Fairs o Dean of Students April Annual Student Affairs Day o Cal Corps’ May Alumni Northern California Social Mixer
108
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
Bringing Your Whole Self to Service
RESUME TIPS WRITE Choose your words carefully. Begin each bullet with an action verb, using the first person singular and correct tense - past for past jobs and present for current ones. Don't write complete sentences, just phrases. Don’t be Cal-centric or college-centric. The real world does not know what your fraternity is, what Work Study is, what Bear’s Lair is, etc. Explain what things are. Highlight your responsibilities and what you specifically accomplished. Avoid subjective adjectives like "designed excellent pamphlets," or "wrote outstanding program." Employers will make their own evaluations. Employers appreciate clarity and brevity. Aim for a tone that is positive, enthusiastic, and succinct.
FORMAT Keep your resume to one page. Use an easy-to-read font (not smaller than 10 point). Don't make your margins less than .5"; some printers might not print your resume. Put your full name, address, and telephone number at the top of the resume. Do not write the word "resume" at the top. If you have a permanent and school address, include both. Triple check that your contact info is correct!!! Don’t misspell your email! And make sure your email address and voicemail message (and Facebook page) are appropriate. Divide your resume information into clearly labeled categories. These categories may include some or all of the following (not necessarily in this order): Education Honors and Awards Experience Activities Skills Interests Laser print your resume on quality 8.5 X 11 inch bond paper that is white, offwhite, or grey.
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
REVISE Neatness is critically important. Be conscientious in the way you use white space. Don't skimp on your margins; try to avoid a cluttered look on your resume. Proofread! Spell check, grammar check, re-check and check again. Those little typos are insidious and easily overlooked by you, but they jump out to an employer. Ask several people to proof your resume, including someone who has gone through many job searches. Keep experimenting with your resume format until you are confident about it. You should be proud to give out your resume as something that represents you.
Leadership Toolkit
109
Bringing Your Whole Self to Service
COVER LETTER HOW TO’S The cover letter should be typed in business format and printed on the same color and quality of paper as your resume. It should be at least 3 paragraphs, and no more than 5 or 6, and should be one page. Always address your cover letter to a particular individual; never use "To Whom It May Concern." If necessary, call the employer and request the name of the person responsible for hiring entry-level professionals in your area of interest. State your purpose or objective in the opening sentence of your letter. Specifically name the position for which you are applying so that the employer knows immediately what you want. Mention how you learned about the job opening if it might help you. For example, "Professor Jones suggested I contact you about . . . ." Make sure you have permission from the person to whom you refer, and that the contact knows the person to whom you are sending your letter. If you don’t have some helpful connection, write why the job interests you. Be sure to show hard skills – like organizing projects, coordinating/leading training as well as the more personal or softer skills like commitment, passion for a cause, willingness to learn etc. Show some familiarity with the company or organization to which you are applying. Stress any particular strengths you have which qualify you for the job. Close your letter by thanking the employer for their consideration and requesting an interview. Always include your own contact information on your cover letter. If your resume should become separated from your letter, an employer will still know how to reach you. Do not write a general or generic cover letter and send it to multiple employers. Always tailor your letter to the employer and position for which you are applying. CLOSING After spending time with the Cal Corps Public Service Center family, we hope that you deepen your ability to care for yourself and others and share your insights along the way. We wanted to give you a couple of helpful tools that have kept us going over the years so that you could try them out and see if they work for you. While this is just the beginning, it is also the long hard work of those who come before us and made it possible for all of us to be here together. Thanks for joining the journey!
Cal Corps Public Service Center Staff
110
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
“Ain’t nothin’ to do but do it.” --Maya Angelou
Leadership Toolkit
Appendix: Policies and Procedures
APPENDIX Section at a Glance: Cal Corps Policies and Procedures Facts on Local Poverty Sample Agenda Inspirations and Citations CAL CORPS POLICIES AND PROCEDURES Welcome aboard! You are now a part of the Cal Corps Public Service Center staff, a vibrant team leading Cal’s public service efforts. The following policies and procedures will be a helpful resource to help you transition and integrate into the Cal Corps office community. THE BASICS
Public Office Hours During the academic year, 102 Sproul is open from 9am-5pm. Summer hours are 10am-4pm. Staff Office Hours Many of the Cal Corps professional staff and some student staff hold regular, weekly office hours, which are posted on the website. Closing the Office If you are the last person to leave the Cal Corps side of the office, please be sure to log off all Cal Corps computers, turn off lights and shut the windows. Please make sure the office door is completely shut. Take the time to do a final clean-up so that the office is clean for the next day. If you are leaving and there are several people left, please log off your computer! Building Access If you think you will need to work regularly in Sproul during evening and weekend hours, you can speak with Mong about getting access to Sproul Hall and getting the door code. Once you have access, in order to get into the building after hours, you will need to touch your card onto the card scanner in the basement floor on the south side of the building. The Sproul doors usually are open M-F, 7am-5pm.
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
111
Appendix: Policies and Procedures
Mailboxes Student Assistants, Shinnyo Fellows, Bonner Leaders and professional staff all have their own mailbox. Please check your mail box at least once a week. Note: if you would like to have a mailbox (and you will actually use it!), you can have one – just see Mong. Sending Mail Outgoing mail must be sent in special bar-coded envelopes. Barcodes are available from any of the fulltime staff members. No personal mail with regular stamps can be sent from the office. Phone Use Our phones are part of the campus phone network. If you are calling another campus phone, simply dial the last five digits of the phone number (for example “2-5886”). To dial an off campus number, press 9 (+1 for long distance) and then the number you wish to call. If you are answering calls at the front desk, please take message for any staff that may not be in the office at the time (this goes for drop-in visits as well). Please be sure to get the person’s name, phone number/email, and note the date/time they called/dropped by. Leave message in a place the staff member will see it. (Please note: if you have unlimited minutes on your cell phone, we encourage you to make off-campus calls on your cell phone as every off-campus call costs Cal Corps additional funds-even if they are local). Fax Use Our Fax Number is (510) 642-1672 Cover Pages are located above the Copy Machine. 1. Feed paper facing up. 2. Select “Fax” 3. Dial the number – press 9 to dial out if the number is off-campus. 4. Press Start Note: When the fax machine receives a message and is unable to print immediately for some reason (usually because it is out of paper), it will be saved and can be printed by pressing the “stop” button. Copy Machine The copy machine is available for most duplication needs. All jobs must have a copier code in order to make copies. Get your copier code for your program from any full-time staff member. If you have a large order (200+ copies) or one requiring special processing, talk to your supervisor about submitting an order through Zee Zee Copy. Office Supplies Most basic office supplies you will need are located in the cabinet behind the front desk or in the cabinet in the copier room (shared supply cabinet with ASUC). If you need an office supply that we do not have – or if you need all of what we have on hand – please tell your advisor/supervisor or work with Mong to get it. Cleaning Please clean up after yourself and make sure that all of your belongings are picked up before you leave the office. Everyone is responsible for 5 minutes of cleaning each day they work!
112
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
Appendix: Policies and Procedures
Food Feel free to use the kitchenette, but make sure you clean up after yourself (all food garbage should be put in the compost in the hallway). If you want to use the refrigerator, make sure you put your name and the date on your food, so that there is no confusion and we can dispose of old food. There will be a sign-up sheet to clean the kitchenette on a monthly basis. Attendance Policy Make sure you are at your office hours. If you have to be late or miss scheduled work hours, please contact your direct supervisor as soon as you know that you can’t be at work. Plan ahead for midterms, finals, etc. Marketing and Publicity All self-designed marketing materials need to be approved by Brendan before being distributed. Recycling and Conservation We are committed to reducing waste and conserving resources wherever possible. Please recycle all paper, cans and bottles in their respective bins. Compost bins are located in the hallway. Please reuse items when necessary and be creative about reducing waste in our office! (For example, feel free to bring in your own mug instead of using new paper cup each day-it can be kept in the kitchen)
Meeting rooms There is meeting space in Sproul that are available for our meetings, trainings, and other fun purposes. You can schedule the 102 Sproul meeting room on the calendar posted outside of the room G, and coordinate with Mong if you would like to use the conference rooms in Sproul Hall (333, 36, or 127). Student groups that also register as Recognized Student Organizations (through the LEAD Centers) can also reserve rooms through both ASUC and the Registrar’s Classroom Central. Checking Out Supplies Staple Guns We have plenty of staple guns to help with marketing efforts on campus. Please check them out at the front desk and return them within 2 hours of use so that others can use them. Tabling Tabling for the office may be assigned throughout the year. If you would like to table for your student group, please check out the table and chairs at the front desk. (Please note: student groups that are not led by Bonner Leaders may not borrow our table or chairs.) GENERAL OFFICE POLICIES
Please consider the following tips as we are all sharing a relatively small space with each and with ASUC Auxiliary staff: Noise and Distraction Work to keep noise at a minimum! Always speak in a quieter voice than you would normally. Remember to modulate your voice, your neighbors don’t always want to hear your phone calls and conversations Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
113
Appendix: Policies and Procedures
Use conference rooms or colleagues’ private offices for meetings when possible. Use headphones when watching videos or listening to music Please put cell phones on silent or vibrate Do not use speaker phone feature in open plan – use a conference room for conversations requiring a speaker phone Desk phone ringers should be turned as low as possible Use phone head set in order to ensure voice modulation (if needed) Confidential and Personal Conversations Be mindful of conversations or phone calls that involve confidential or personal information Odors and Fragrances Be mindful of strong odors including cologne and perfume Please make use of the compost bins in the hall way for food waste Environment Keep common spaces clean and tidy Keep program materials in your designated storage space Be aware of your personal belongings – lock them in a cabinet or drawer when you leave your desk Be respectful of your neighbors – interaction will increase in open plan, please try not to come to work when ill PURCHASES AND REIMBURSEMENTS
Purchases You should plan two weeks ahead on all purchases so Mong will have time to order/buy the items in time for use. Reimbursements Do not make any Cal Corps related purchases without seeking prior approval from your supervisor. Receipts should be submitted to your supervisor with all your personal information. Please try to see if there is any way you can solicit in-kind donations (this is a great fundraising skill to learn!) Travel Advances Work with your full-time staff person to arrange for travel advances as far ahead of time as possible, but at least one month before you will need your travel advance. COMPUTER POLICIES
Software & Hardware The general use computers are loaded with Microsoft Word and Excel, FileMaker, and Internet Explorer. Do not install any other software on these machines. Multiple computers have InDesign, Photoshop, PageMaker, Dreamweaver and Publisher (ask staff for info). Do not save anything on the desktop. Technical Support & Training 114
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
Appendix: Policies and Procedures
Should you have a computer-related problem that you cannot solve – please try 3 things yourself and then ask for help from staff if you truly can’t solve the problem yourself (generally a good practice to follow when trying to solve any problem!). If you do not know how to use a program, talk to staff and we can give you a brief introduction and connect you with a training session at the campus computing centers. Cal Corps Server All files are stored on a central fileserver and are accessible from any computer when you login with your Cal Corps login. This server is important as it helps us all to not reinvent documents that have already been created. Please save all Cal Corps related documents on the server so that others can benefit from your work! Also, please delete files that won’t be of use to anyone else! Give files clear names so that you work can be used by others in the future, and list at the bottom of each document where it is saved on the server. Save all personal files to your personal folder on the server NOT the program folders or the desktop. Printing Printing should only be program related. In our effort to save paper, when printing internal documents please print on recycled paper (blank paper that has already been printed on once), which is located next to the printer. Also, please add your used paper (unless it has creases or staples that might cause a jam) to the one-sided paper bin. Finally, please know that you can print two-sided documents on the printer. DO NOT print personal documents such as essays, exams, lecture notes, etc. Professional Staff Computers You are welcome to use these machines when these staff members are not around. However, do not close any files that are open when you start to use the computer and do not change any settings (including Outlook settings). Administrative Assistants reporting to a specific professional staff member have priority access to that person’s computer. HOW TO MAKE UPDATES ON THE PUBLIC SERVICE CALENDAR
If you have any questions about posting events to the Public Service Center calendar, please email us at publicservice@berkeley.edu. Postings should meet at least one of the following objectives Provide an opportunity for the university and community to engage in reciprocal partnership. Promote leadership through service. Foster social justice or civic engagement. Expose the campus community to public service careers, fields, research. Provide a space for dialogue about social issues, community engagement, and social justice. Raise awareness about a particular community or an injustice in society. Foster the skill-building for ethical and sustainable change-making. Celebrate a community change effort. Connect different populations in meaningful ways.
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
115
Appendix: Policies and Procedures
STUDENT GROUP REGISTRATION AND FUNDS
LEAD CENTER STUDENT GROUP REGISTRATION Note: In Fall 2012 student groups need to register with both the Center for Student Leadership and ASUC as they consolidate into the new LEAD Center. 1.
Go to: http://campuslife.berkeley.edu/orgs/new-group. Submit a unique group name and purpose for approval. Your new organization’s name and purpose must be different from organizations already in existence. Please review the policies regarding student group names before submitting your organization’s name. Once your group name and purpose is submitted, a CSL staff member will review them. The person that submitted this information will be notified by email within 2 business days and informed if the group name has been approved or rejected.
2.
Register Signatories a. A minimum of four (4) persons must sign on as a signatory for your student group. The system will allow up to 8 individuals to be signatories at a time. Signatories must be currently registered students. Up to two (2) faculty and/or staff members may be signatories for a group. b. Each group must have a minimum of one (1) signatory that will release their contact information to be displayed on the publicly viewable student group search page.
3.
Review the Campus Life & Leadership website and pass the quiz a. A minimum of four (4) signatories must review the information on the Center for Student Leadership website and pass the Signatory Quiz. This must be done each academic year! Submit a Constitution for approval a. All registered student organizations must have a constitution on file in the Center for Student Leadership. b. Information and guidelines to help you write your organization’s constitution can be found here. c. Once finished, submit a copy to the Center for Student Leadership by email leadership@berkeley.edu. A CSL staff member will review the constitution and you will be notified if the document needs to be changed in any way. d. Organizations do not need to submit a constitution on a yearly basis. A new constitution should be submitted when a group makes any type of amendment or change to the document.
4.
Set your group type(s) a. All groups have the ability to be searched for based on the type of group they are. b. Each group may choose up to three (3) types of organizations that they feel align with the purpose and activities of their organization.
6.
Update your organization's information page a. Each student organization must maintain up-to-date information regarding their organization’s purpose, membership, meetings, activities, and contact information. This page is viewed through the student group search function.
7.
Verify the group's status is "ACTIVE” a. To ensure that your organization has completed the registration process, view the group’s status page. This page may be viewed at any time throughout the process of registration.
116
5.
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
Appendix: Policies and Procedures
b. If the status is listed as ACTIVE, your organization is registered with the Center for Student Leadership. If the status is listed as INACTIVE, read the Group Status Details for more information about what your group needs to do to complete the registration process. ASUC STUDENT GROUP REGISTRATION There are two ways to receive ASUC sponsorship & funding via the Senate: Request sponsorship and/or funding directly from the ASUC Senate through a bill. This involves working directly with an ASUC Senator who will walk your bill through the legislative process (see www.asuc.org for timeline and process). Apply for funding in the ASUC's annual Spring Budgeting process. Your sponsorship and funding is only good for one academic year. In order to maintain your sponsorship and funding, your student organization must re-apply for funding every year. It is recommended that, once your organization is sponsored, you participate in the Spring Budgeting process each year. Service groups or projects may be eligible for funding from the Cal Corps Public Service Center by applying for a Student Initiated Community Projects grant. Applications are available in the spring semester, usually in March. RENTING EQUIPMENT THROUGH ETS (HTTP://ETS.BERKELEY.EDU/)
Rent equipment free of charge to instructors and GSIs conducting a class; must have the CCN for the said class. Also equipment is free of charge to students facilitating DECal classes. Campus departments and staff can also rent equipment for non-instructional purposes, but a recharge fee will be required. Payment can be by chart string, check, or credit card. If paying by check, please make it out to UC Regents. Any rental that requires both the rental of the equipment and assistance with usage, i.e., ETS' labor, will be administered through Special Events. LISTSERV ADMINISTRATION
CalMail offers a mailing list service that lets campus users create their own lists. The list manager through CalMail allows list owners to create and modify lists easily as well as add and remove subscribers without having to know specific commands. List subscribers can easily modify their list subscriptions and preferences. If you have a CalMail account, you can manage your mailing lists or create a mailing list. If you are new to lists, this is a helpful link: https://calmail.berkeley.edu/docs/mailman/ To Create a Mailing List: https://calmail.berkeley.edu/manage/list/create_list Select "Create a List", specify the name of the list, and answer a few questions about the list. Click "Create List" when you are through. After the list is created, click on the "Add Subscribers" link to begin adding people to your mailing list.
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
117
Appendix: Policies and Procedures
LIST OWNERS AND MODERATOR ACCESS PRIVILEGES
Each Mailman list has at least one owner but some also have a list moderator. The moderator is appointed by the owner to be in charge of list subscriptions and postings. Here is a brief description of both roles: LIST OWNER Each list must have an owner who is responsible for configuration, maintenance, and operation of the list. The list owner may establish other owners, and may optionally have others take roles such as moderating the discussion or managing subscription requests. List owners can execute commands for their subscribers, including adding and deleting subscribers. List owners receive all requests for moderation from the server that moderators receive, so even with a moderated list, it is not necessary to specify a moderator. Each list must have an owner who is a current student, faculty, or staff at UC Berkeley. LIST MODERATOR List moderators are optional. They are assigned by the owners and can manage list subscriptions and postings. Owners and moderators have different authentication methods for accessing the Mailman Web pages. List owners use their CalMail login and password to access the administration pages at: https://calmail.berkeley.edu/manage/list/admin/listname@lists.berkeley.edu (where listname is replaced with the actual name of your list) as well as the moderator page at: https://calmail.berkeley.edu/manage/list/admindb/listname@lists.berkeley.edu The list moderator, however, only has access to the moderator page with his or her moderator password (assigned by the list owner). For information about how to specify a list moderator, assign a moderator password, and configure your list as a moderated list, see the Managing private and moderated lists section of the Maintaining a Mailman List page. OTHER LISTSERVE TIPS When messaging subscribers, try to consolidate information and try not to send out multiple emails every day. Try doing one weekly email. If someone requests to subscribe or unsubscribe from your listserve, do this promptly. (https://calmail.berkeley.edu/docs/mailman/maintenance.html#addsubs) Try to stay away from being too fancy. CalMail does not allow HTML in emails so everything will be read as plain text. Utilize breaks in lines. DISABILITY ACCOMMODATIONS PERSON WITH A MOBILITY IMPAIRMENT ACCOMMODATION REQUEST If an accommodation request is made by someone with mobility impairment the organizer should inquiry what level of mobility the student has, such as an ability to climb stairs and then plan accommodations for that student accordingly. The organizer should make the student aware of any access barriers to some of the houses. Additionally inquire if they need any accommodation for eating such as a straw to drink and bite size food. Ask if they have any additional accommodation requests or concerns. PERSON WITH A VISION IMPAIRMENT ACCOMMODAT ION REQUEST 118
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
Appendix: Policies and Procedures
If an accommodation request is made by someone who is blind or has a visual impairment ask what format they prefer their written material either Braille, electronically, or in a larger font size. If Braille is necessary contact Disability Access Services (http://access.berkeley.edu). If the student is visually impaired ask them if they require assistance and if so possibly assign an organizer to be their guide for the day. When food is served ask the student if they need assistance in getting a plate. Ask if they have any additional accommodation requests or concerns. PERSON WITH A DEAF OR HEARING IMPAIRMENT ACCOMMODATION REQUEST If an accommodation request is made by someone who is deaf or has a hearing impairment, ask if they require a sign language interpreter or captioning. If a sign language interpreter or captioner is requested, contact Disability Access Services. Ensure that the student is receiving the same information as the other students by providing information in writing and/or a sign language interpreter. Ask if they have any additional accommodation requests or concerns.
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
119
Appendix: Facts on Local Poverty
FACTS ON LOCAL POVERTY Engaging in communities often means confronting poverty in one of its many forms. This is a quick “statshot” and is not meant to unpack the complex question “What causes poverty?” Poverty is officially measured by comparing family income to a nationally determined threshold: for a family of four, living below the poverty line means the family's household income was less than $22,025. East Bay poverty rates show one in 10 below the federal level but California’s high cost of living is not reflected in official poverty measures.
Here are two guiding concepts to think about poverty: 1. Basic human rights, including food, shelter, clothing, and healthcare. The United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights is one guiding document within this frame. 2. Within the human rights framework, how groups by identity are disproportionately impacted: by race/ethnicity (people of color); age (elderly and youth); gender (women); sexual orientation (LGBT); and ability (those living with disabilities).
As is often the case, it is more instructive to take a long view and look at trends, such as funding patterns over the longer term, say over 30 years. Poverty rates in California today are high compared to the late 1960s. Between 1969 and 1993, the poverty rate in California grew twofold, increasing from 9% to 18%; standing at 16% in 2010. In Alameda County, 11% of the population lives at or below the federal poverty line. Almost 18% of Alameda County residents do not have health insurance all or part of the year. In the 2006 Alameda County Community Food Bank study, 47% of client households had to choose between paying their rent and paying for food. POVERTY: THE INTERSECTION OF GENDER, RACE, CLASS, ABILITY, AND MENTAL HEALTH.
For example, poverty in California is higher among women, 16%, than men, 14% LATINOS AND AFRICAN AMERICANS HAVE HIGHER POVERTY RATES THAN OTHER GROUPS. The poverty rates for Latinos and African Americans (17.8% and 20.1%, respectively) are much higher than poverty rates among Asians (9.7%) and whites (7.5%). Poverty rates are considerably higher among Latinos living in families with a foreign‐born head of household (19.8%) than among U.S.‐born Latino families (14.3%). Poverty is also high among Native Americans (18.9%) and immigrant families from the Southeast Asian countries of Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos (14.3%). In the Bay Area, 43% of Latino households and 38% of African American households have insufficient income to meet their essential needs compared to 14% of white households. As shown in the map below, the highest poverty areas, those census tracts with 30% or more of the residents living in poverty, are concentrated in North Oakland, West Oakland, San Antonio, and parts of East Oakland and Berkeley. Other areas of moderate poverty, where 20-29% of residents live in poverty are scattered throughout South Berkeley, North Oakland, much of East Oakland, and parts of Hayward.
120
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
Appendix: Facts on Local Poverty
POVERTY, MORE THAN EVER, IS TIED TO WORKING PEOPLE Most poor families in California are working. Work participation among the poor in California has increased over the past three decades and remains substantially higher than in the rest of the nation. In 1969, 12% of poor families had a member who worked full-time. Today, over 34% of poor families in California have a full-time worker and an additional 39% have a part-time worker. To meet their basic needs, a family of four living in Alameda County would require about $6,400 per month. A minimum wage, full-time worker would earn $1,280 per month. Alameda County Community Food Bank reports that 42% of the households served by the food bank have at least one person who is employed yet they do not have enough money to buy all the food they need. In 2008, 600,000 residents in Alameda and CC counties live in households earning less than the amount required to afford basic necessities.
“Economic status is closely tied to health and well being. Families with inadequate income face more substantial health problems than others. Childhood poverty exerts a particularly strong influence on well being across the life span. Children living in poverty are more likely to go hungry; reside in overcrowded or unstable housing; be exposed to violence; and receive a poorer education. Poverty exposes children to chronic stress, which can hinder their physical, social, and emotional development. Children who experience deep, prolonged poverty and live in neighborhoods with concentrated poverty are at greatest risk.”
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
121
Appendix: Facts on Local Poverty
POVERTY RATES ARE PARTICULARLY HIGH AMONG CHILDREN. Poverty rates are higher for children under age 18 (17.1%) than for adults ages 18–64 (11.1%) and much higher than for the elderly. In 2006 a staggering 21% of California’s children live in poverty. An estimated 12.2 percent of Alameda County children were living in poverty. Alameda County Community Food Bank reports that “25% of households with children report that their child was hungry at least once during the past year and they couldn't afford enough food.” Measure % of people in poverty % of children in poverty
Berkeley
“The measure of genuine civilization, it has been said, is the quality of life for a nation’s poorest and least privileged people. “ --Robert W. McChesney
Oakland
Alameda
Richmond
20%
18%
18%
15%
12%
27%
27%
18%
Just as with the general population, adding race to this information shows us that from 2007-2009 in California almost 29% of African American/Black children, Asian American, 26% Hispanic/Latino children, 27% Native American children, and 15% Pacific Islander children live in poverty, compared to 11% of Asian and 8% Caucasian/White children.
122
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
Appendix: Sample Agenda
SAMPLE MEETING AGENDA Project Meeting Date Check-in Past Action Items
Quick Items
Pressing and Important
Mid-term (2-3 weeks)
Long-term
Action Items Minutes by: Next Facilitator Next Meeting date:
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
123
Appendix: Lesson and Training Planning Form
LESSON AND TRAINING PLANNING FORM Date:
___________________________________________
Topic:
___________________________________________
Presenter:
___________________________________________
I.
Agenda
II.
Learning Goals (Consider Audience):
III.
Materials and Classroom Preparation:
IV.
Icebreaker/Opening Hook and Framing
V.
Main Activities Using Multiple Intelligences
VI.
Closing:
VII.
Homework Assignment (if DECal):
VIII. Lesson Evaluation:
124
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
Appendix: Inspirations, Citations, and Resources
INSPIRATIONS AND CITATIONS Special thanks to those who came before and inspired this toolkit, including the students, staff and community partners who worked directly with Cal Corps. You are just as much a part of our success as current staff. Unless cited the material contained in this toolkit has been generated internally by Cal Corps staff. INSPIRATIONS AND CITATIONS: INTRODUCT ION AND ENGAGING IN SERVICE
This section is inspired in part by the work and thinking of Paul Wellstone, Randy Stoecker, Howard Zinn, Campus Outreach Opportunity League (COOL), Thomas Erlich, Paulo Freire, Marshall Ganz, Tania Mitchell, and Meredith Minkler. Specifically, information was adapted from the following resources or quoted directly: Facts from the introduction: http://www.census.gov/compendia/databooks/2010/tables/cc_C-02.pdf Triangle of Quality Service-Learning by Campus Outreach Opportunity League (COOL) Critical service-learning is pioneered by Tania Mitchell at Stanford University. Civic Responsibility and Higher Education, edited by Thomas Ehrlich, Oryx Press, 2000. “Civic and Academic Engagement in the Multiversity”, Meredith Minkler, http://cshe.berkeley.edu/publications/docs/SymposiumReport.1.06.pdf Grassroots community organizing definition from Beckwith, Stoecker, and McNeely, 1997, quoted in http://www.creativenarrations.net/thesis/chaptertwo.pdf Additional Resources America’s Civic Health Index by National Conference on Citizenship 2009 CIRCLE, Tufts University Saguaro Seminar, Harvard University Wingspread Declaration on the Civic Responsibilities of Research Universities, http://www.compact.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/wingspread_declaration.pdf The Greenleaf Center for Servant-Leadership, http://www.greenleaf.org/ INSPIRATIONS AND CITATIONS: HEALTHY GROUPS
This section is inspired in part by the work and thinking of Joanne Schladale, Jo Freeman, The Gender Equity Resource Center at UC Berkeley and many many others. Specifically, information was adapted from the following resources or quoted directly: Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs graphic, http://www.adam-mcfarland.net/wpcontent/uploads/2009/08/800px-maslows_hierarchy_of_needssvg.png Situational Leadership, Management of Organizational Behavior, Paul Hersey, Kenneth H. Blanchard, Dewey E. Johnson Forming-Storming-Norming-Performing, Bruce Tuckman, “Developmental sequence in small groups”, Psychological bulletin, 63, 384-399, 1965. The Gender Equity Resource Center (GenEq) has a great checklist on “Brave Space”: A community space where different points on a journey of learning and growing are acknowledged. Strive to make your group meetings a Brave Space “where all members of the Cal community are welcome, and where people with different life experiences and ideas are encouraged to learn from one another.” “SPIES” acronym adapted from MO Division of Youth SW Region Needs Based Training Additional Resources: Social Change Model of Leadership Group Values http://www.socialchangemodel.org and http://publicservice.berkeley.edu/resource/social-change-model-leadership Jo Freeman, “The Tyranny of Structurelessness” Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley Leadership Toolkit
125
Appendix: Lesson and Training Planning Form
INSPIRATIONS AND CITATIONS: LEADERSHIP 101
This section is inspired in part by the work and thinking of Minh Dang, Tim Slover, Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner, Lea Williams, Ron Heifetz, Robert Kegan and Lisa Lahey, and many many others. Specifically, information was adapted from the following resources or quoted directly: Situational Leadership Theory, Hersey and Blanchard. Finding your voice quote by Lifecoach Ryan R Rigoli Three charts on leadership styles, “Leadership Compass: Appreciating Diverse Working Styles”, The Bonner Foundation, http://www.bonner.org/resources/modules/modules_pdf/BonCurLeadershipCompass.pdf Iceberg model, Beyond Culture by Edward T. Hall, 1976. Intent vs. Impact graphic, Berkeley Regents Book Amartya Sen, The Idea of Justice, 2009 John Gaventa, Power and Powerlessness, 1982 Oppression Model (graphic) from “Conceptual Foundations for Social Justice Courses” by Hardiman and Jackson, http://www.library.wisc.edu/edvrc/docs/public/pdfs/SEEDReadings/ConceptualFondations.pdf Marilyn Frye, “Oppression”, http://www.terry.uga.edu/~dawndba/4500Oppression.html Additional Resources The Medicine Wheel: Earth Astrology. Sun Bear and Waburn. Simon and Schuster, 1980. The Medicine Way: A Shamanic Path to Self-Mastery by Kenneth Meadows. Element, 1991. The Personality Compass by Diane Turner and Thelma Greco, 1998. Poor Peoples News Network, http://www.poormagazine.org/ Tania D. Mitchell, “Traditional vs. Critical Service-Learning: Engaging the Literature to Differentiate Two Models” INSPIRATIONS AND CITATIONS: COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS
This section is inspired in part by the work and thinking of Paulo Freire, Myra Bergman Ramos, Edith Ng, and many many others. Specifically, information was adapted from the following resources or quoted directly: The material on asset mapping is adapted from Tom Borrup, “What's revolutionary about valuing assets as a strategy in cultural work?”, 2005, link removed from website Asset Based Community Development, Building Communities from the Inside Out by John P. Kretzmann and John L. McKnight. ACTA Publications, 1993. Understanding White Privilege: Creating Pathways to Authentic Relationships Across Race by Frances E. Kendall Edith Ng excerpt taken from Staff Diversity Facilitator Training with permission from Edith Ng. Additional Resources: Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Paulo Freire “Principles of Community Engagement”, 2nd Edition (NIH publication) at http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/communityengagement/pce_principles_intro.html Multicultural Competence in Student Affairs, Pope, Reynolds, & Mueller, 2004 Salsa, Soul, and Spirit: Leadership for a Multicultural Age by Juana Bordas Privilege, Power, and Difference by Allan G. Johnson 126
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
Appendix: Inspirations, Citations, and Resources
INSPIRATIONS AND CITATIONS: PROJECT PLANNING
This section is inspired in part by the work and thinking of Cheryl Allen, Ingrid Chapman, Molly McClure, Tim Thomas, Challenging White Supremacy Workshop, and many many others. Specifically, information was adapted from the following resources or quoted directly: Ken Black, PM Network, November 1996 SMART goals adapted from November 1981 issue of Management Review by George T. Doran INSPIRATIONS AND CITATIONS: PEER-LED PROGRAMMING
This section is inspired in part by the work and thinking of Stephanie Johnson and many many others. Specifically, information was adapted from the following resources or quoted directly: Worksheet is created from the book, Becoming a Resonant Leader, by Annie McKee, Richard E. Boyatzis and Fran Johnston, pgs. 139-143. Recognition source: Volunteer Centre of Kitchener-Waterloo, http://www.volunteerkw.ca/ Addressing conflict adapted from Crucial Confrontations, by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan and Al Switzler INSPIRATIONS AND CITATIONS: EVALUATION AND ASSESSMENT
This section is inspired in part by the work and thinking of Mark Lucia and many many others. Specifically, information was adapted from the following resources or quoted directly: Definitions of assessment and evaluation in Assessment Practice in Student Affairs: An Applications Manual by John H. Schuh and M. Lee Upcraft “Assessment is a process by which information is obtained relative to some known objective or goal”, by Adprima Education Information for New and Future Teachers, http://www.adprima.com/ Quote on “combining the two you can go into your program or project with “an understanding gained from knowing how the people perceive and react to the project [providing you with] the worth of [your] project” by Selman PACS Training Guide Assessment, Evaluation, Testing and Grading, Craig L. Scanlan, EdD, RRT PowerPoint Presentation from Melanie Moore Kubo, See Change Inc. INSPIRATIONS AND CITATIONS: FACILITATION
This section is inspired in part by the work and thinking of Myles Horton, Tim Eberle, Jerry Shatto, Mike Donnelly, and many many others. Specifically, information was adapted from the following resources or quoted directly: Know your audience adapted from “Listen Up. Know your Audience Brown”, P. (2006). Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/02/business/02offline.html Stickiness of Ideas, Made to Stick, Heath and Heath, 2007. Courage graphic retrieved from: http://www.shiningsungardenworks.com/images/courage_ornament01.jpg Dialogue and Debate table: Adapted from a paper prepared by Shelley Berman, which was based on discussions of the Dialogue Group of the Boston Chapter of Educators for Social Responsibility (ESR).
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
127
Appendix: Lesson and Training Planning Form
Listening techniques for facilitators adapted from Facilitator’s Guide to Participatory Decision-Making
Kaner, Lind; Toldi, Fisk,and Berger, Jossey-Bass: San Francisco, 2007. Teambuilders adapted by University of Maryland Additional Resources Starting a DECal: http://www.decal.org/start-a-course/resources-forms/ Professional Staff DECal support: http://slc.berkeley.edu/ucftr/ CDAD: http://criticaldialogues.berkeley.edu/ Ladder of Inference, Peter Senge and The Fifth Discipline and : http://publicservice.berkeley.edu/resource/ladder-inference INSPIRATIONS AND CITATIONS: REFLECTION
This section is inspired in part by the work and thinking of Marshall Welch, Ethnic Studies Departments and Women’s Studies Departments across the country and many many others. Specifically, information was adapted from the following resources or quoted directly: Source of the table “Principles of Good Reflection Practice”, Eyler, Giles, Schmiede, 1996, http://steans.depaul.edu/faculty/docs/principlesOfReflection.pdf A Practitioner’s Guide to Reflection in Service-Learning: Student Voices and Reflections, edited by Eyler and Giles. Nashville, TN: Vanderbilt University. Reflection prompts: from Fran Peavey, “Strategic Questioning Manual”, http://www.thechangeagency.org/_dbase_upl/strat_questioning_man.pdf Reflection pre-during-post rom the Center for Community-based Education, http://ccbe.wayne.edu/service-learning-reflection.php Cowstails &Cobras, p. 65, 1977. INSPIRATIONS AND CITATIONS: BRINGING WHOLE SELF TO SERVICE
This section is inspired in part by the work and thinking of the Shinnyo-en Foundation, Destiny Arts, past presenters at Soul Food for the Activist and many many others. Specifically, information was adapted from the following resources or quoted directly: Rejuvenating activities and spiritual practices provided by Stone Circles, http://www.stonecircles.org/ Melting Away Your Busy Day, provided by Destiny Arts Center, http://www.destinyarts.org/ Additional Resources UC Berkeley Career Center, http://career.berkeley.edu Jobs & Internships Guide: https://career.berkeley.edu/Guide/Guide.stm Idealist: www.idealist.org Craigslist: www.craigslist.org Stanford Social Innovation Review – Ask the Expert: www.ssireview.org/expert Foundation Center job listings: www.foundationcenter.org/pnd/jobs/ CareerBuilder: nonprofit.careerbuilder.com SanFranciscoDiversity: www.sanfranciscodiversity.com YNPN Job Board (on old website) http://208.106.176.241/careercenter/ Public Interest Programs o CompassPoint: www.compasspoint.org o Center for Community Benefit Organizations: www.cbocenter.org 128
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
Appendix: Inspirations, Citations, and Resources
o o o o o o
Center for Excellence in Nonprofits: www.cen.org Interaction Institute: www.interactioninstitute.org On the Move: www.onthemovebayarea.org Rockwood Leadership Program: www.rockwoodfund.org Listing of graduate school programs at Gradschools.com: www.gradschools.com National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration: www.naspaa.org
INSPIRATIONS AND CITATIONS: APPENDIX
Specifically, information was adapted from the following resources or quoted directly: Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC), http://www.ppic.org/content/pubs/jtf/jtf_povertyjtf.pdf The Womens Economic Agenda Project, http://weap.org/uploads/CApovertyFS.pdf, “The Hard Facts” http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/issue/2010-06-22/article/35650?headline=Economic-BizarroWorld, citing Struggling to Make Ends Meet in the Bay Area, a 2009 Financial Self-Sufficiency Report by United Way http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/issue/2011-01-26/article/37189?headline=Food-Bank-Finds-MoreHunger-in-Alameda-County http://povertynewsblog.blogspot.com/2008/08/from-inside-bay-area-58-different.html KidsData, http://www.kidsdata.org/data/topic/info/why.aspx?cat=38, http://www.kidsdata.org/data/topic/map/child_poverty20.aspx?tf=49&layer=counties&center=119.3115234375,37.247821201554274&zoom=5&mapType=terrain&regionlvl=counties http://www.census.gov/compendia/databooks/2010/tables/cc_C-02.pdf Map by Alameda County Health Status Report 2006, http://www.acphd.org/AXBYCZ/Admin/DataReports/00_chsr2006-final.pdf. Areas concentrated around the UC Berkeley campus in the eastern part of Berkeley appear as high poverty, but residents are predominantly students. Additional Resources “California Poverty Rate Rises In 2010 For Fourth Year In A Row”, latimes.com, http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-poverty-california-20110914,0,3586254,full.story “The Last Word - Death by Poverty”, http://thelastword.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/09/13/7747640death-by-poverty
Cal Corps Public Service Center at UC Berkeley
Leadership Toolkit
129
Contact Information: 102 Sproul Phone: 510-642-3916 Email: publicservice@berkeley.edu Website: publicservice.berkeley.edu