Better Outcomes for you and Your Team:DECLG Senior Managers’ Conference

Marian Quinn,

CEO, Childhood Development Initiative

October 4th, 2103

How do we learn and develop?

Being motivated – having clear goals Having responsibility, autonomy, something

to own Knowing its OK to ask for help Owning what's expected of me Having the support, training and resources

to do the job.

What Helps us to Take on Responsibility?

Formal approaches: ◦ Supervision ◦ Communication◦ Invest in team building opportunities◦ Structures for participation, consultation, shared thinking◦ Identyfing teams within teams.

Informal relationship aspects: ◦ Get to know each other, not just the role◦ Have fun◦ Create a positive atmosphere◦ Have a place where people can be heard.

How do we get the best from our team?

‘There’s only one thing more contagious than a good attitude, and that’s a bad attitude’

John Maxwell

Be a leader – create a vision, a direction or goal: set the tone

Give feedback immediately – positive and negative: nip things in the bud

Publicly acknowledge achievements and good work Take calculated risks in delegating Name the elephant and be clear what’s acceptable

and expected Balance ‘hand holding’ with accountability and

responsibility: scrutiny and support Delegate the responsibility, not just the task Recognise that nurturing staff is your responsibility.

Management Strategies:

Get a good fit between the skills and competencies of your staff and the job they are tasked to do

Mentor staff Be a positive role model.

Quality Services, Better Outcomes:

How We View Our Staff:

OR:

Its quicker to do it myself We tried that and it didn’t work They aren't interested anyway I'm the boss I haven't got the time Its not how we do it here That’s all very well, but you don’t know how

unique this place is.

What Stops us Being Good Managers?

‘Whenever a friend succeeds, a little something in me dies’

Gore Vidal, 1973

Identify what you’re doing well: do it more and better!

Reflect on your anxieties and concerns: test them for validity

Engage your team in being creative and finding solutions – (e.g. De Bono's thinking hats)

Challenge yourself to take calculated risks – be clear about how mistakes will be managed.

Some next steps?

‘Go on failing. Go on, Only next time, try to fail better.’

Samuel Beckett

Contact us:

www.facebook.com/childhooddevelopmentinitiative

http://www.twcdi.ie

info@twcdi.ie

http://twitter.com/twcdi

marian@twcdi.ie