“At times you must step off the dance floor and onto the balcony”: A reflection on SCAT’s Women and Leadership training by Emma Goliath of Witzenburg Rural Development Centre WRDC: 2018
Early in 2018 I attended the Women in Leadership training in Citrusdal hosted by SCAT and presented by Colleen Alexander-Julies the SCAT Development Coordinator. The colleagues and staff that I am privileged to work with are often leading in challenging environments. Managers are often not able to find the space to step away and take stock of their team and programs. Taking this space can be described as “getting off the dance floor and moving to the balcony” – a suggestion that conjures up the image of stepping back and examining what is going on in your environment. What we have learned from Colleen at the workshop, is that effective leaders know when move to the balcony and take time to reflect. One avenue for finding the time and space to step away and gain perspective of what’s happening, is to engage in professional development.
A priority I identified was for my team to become self-sufficient and operate independently of my instruction and guidance. WRDC has been lucky enough to have the same core staff for four years. It was important for me as the leader to take a step onto the “balcony” and observe how they work with our clients. By doing this I could observe who was ready to grow, and who was staying stagnant in their development. The next step was to work out a plan to help each individual move forward.
This training helped me to identify changes to implement in the office immediately. I started having regular sessions with the staff, and using active and passive listening with the team and individually we have been able to develop a shared mission for the organisation. From the workshop I learnt that I had to use the assets of the staff to challenge them to get more involved in the programs, events and activities that we have running.
I learned the importance of analysing the method and approach to our work, which also means considering the need to reflect and make changes that will produce an effective outcome. I am developing the skill of delegating tasks to my staff based on their assets and still using situational leadership to manage their development, specifically those who show promise.
At the end of our second quarter we engage in a reflection session. This was challenging as we looked at the positive practices and behaviours we wanted to continue into the next cycle, as well as those we needed to change. It was humbling to find out the part I played in both properly and improperly managing my team. The major highlight was being able to witness my team completely manage the office in my absence when I attended various training and workshops over the past six months. During this time, they successfully ran programs and ran various events without a hitch.
I have implemented the tools of conflict resolution and coaching conversations and I feel proud to see the staff doing so well. Overall, I saw such a change in my team and myself. This year was difficult for me, and yet, I find myself smiling at the progress we have made individually and as a team in the way we engage with the community we serve.
WRDC is privileged to be able to work with leaders like Colleen Alexander-Julies of SCAT. She has excellent leadership skills and tools which have cemented her leadership and management style. She is a role model for Scat LDA partners. This quarter she brought together advice offices that will continue to learn and grow in a new learning and sharing group.
Thank you, SCAT!!
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