A Note From Our Director
Social work puts heavy emphasis on "EVIDENCED BASED" interventions, using "BEST PRACTICES" based upon that evidence.
All too often though a number of questions about these exhortations are left unanswered, reducing them to trivial phrases. Questions such as:
- How Much Evidence is required for something to be "evidenced based?"
- What percentage of studies is needed to make solid conclusions - is it 100%? 90? 60%?
- What if the "evidence" conflicts?
These questions require ongoing discussion and policy review.
Additionally, what do we do if there is not much research at all, as in the areas of management and leadership? There is a great deal of writing on these topics to be sure, but much of it is lore, anecdotes, or based on sampling of questionable reliability and validity. As Brad Hall comments in The Street:
NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Go to Amazon.com and search for books under "leadership." You will find more than 101,000 books -- each with a unique theory. Ironically, too much leadership knowledge often creates confusion.
There are some hopeful developments, however. The Leadership in Community Benefit Organizations Program has been working with the Center for Campus Involvement to offer the StrengthsQuest assessment available in various courses. You can also complete the assessment online for a fee. This Gallup assessment focuses on the person as a person - and presents a tool for discovering areas of personal strength and ways in which to best implement one's strengths.
The Gallup organization has also done other work (First Break All the Rules) that focuses on organizational culture and structure needed to become a high performing organization. Their research efforts are useful and draw upon the Gallup expertise. The findings are based on their voluminous research, so they have a high degree of validity as "evidence based" outcomes.
More recently Google decided to explore what it takes to be a good manager. They approached this undertaking through a large research effort called Project Oxygen
. That multiyear project discovered 8 behaviors that their "outstanding managers" used - and that list, in order, is below. It is a good start towards defining some "evidenced based" best practices. Take a look for yourself: Ask yourself how you measure up. Take some time to read more about Project Oxygen and get some detail on these measures. Then try incorporating them into you own managerial repertoire.
Director, Leadership in Community Benefit Organizations
Professor of Social Work
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Jump Start Your Career Exploration!
Janice Williams Miller is available for in
dividual and group consultation
around your nontraditional and macro career goals.
Follow this link to sign up for Office Hours.
Looking forward to supporting your Leadership and Career Journey!
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You're Invited to Winter 2016
Master Class
Featuring Distinguished Alumna
National Political Advocate
A writer, teacher, and advocate, Ms. Amidei has been involved in social policy from both inside and outside government. She is a former Director of the Food Research and Action Center, she served in the Carter Administration as a Deputy Assistant Secretary in the federal Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (now DHHS), and in the early 70's she was on the Staff of the U.S. Senate Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs.
Most recently, Amidei was on the faculty of the University of Washington School of Social Work, retiring in 2009. There she founded the Civic Engagement Project, which she is currently directing.
Student Exclusive Event: "For Social Workers Interested in Social Change, Rule #1 is: Think Big"
Friday, March 18, 2016 9:00-10:30 AM
Educational Conference Center; Breakfast will be served.
Public Keynote: "Reclaiming Democracy: Using Advocacy to Win Social Change"
Friday, March 18, 2016 2:00-3:30 PM
Educational Conference Center;
1.5 Macro CEUs
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Leadership Program Events
Network for Social Work Management Mindfulness Webinar
Thursday, February 25, 2016
2:00 PM
This interactive session explains mindfulness techniques and the value they add to the professional and personal life experiences. In doing this, the workshop covers case studies of how mindfulness is being implemented by small and large organizations.
Register Here.
Center for Positive Organizations Info Session
Monday, March 7, 5 - 6 PM, 3752
Hear from the
Center for Positive Organizations
about their programming and initiatives and how Social Work student can become involved in their mission:
"to inspire and enable leaders to build high-performing organizations that bring out the best in people. We are the catalyst for the creation and growth of positive organizations."
Seal the Deal: Tips for Successful Interviewing
Wednesday, March 9, 2016 12:00-1:30 PM
SSW B684
This workshop will discuss different interviewing formats utilized by employers, how to prepare for job interviews and what type of questions to expect employers to ask candidates during the interview. Participants will get a chance to practice addressing questions.
RSVP Here.
Job Market Lunch-and-Search: Drop-In Event
Wednesday, March 23, 12 - 2 PM, 3816
Wanting to do job market research but don't know where to start?
Join us for some lunch and an opportunity to sit with peers and do job market research. Drop-in for as long as you'd like!
This informal gathering will offer you a space to get together and look into jobs, areas, organizations, etc.
Jump start your job search - regardless of when you graduate!
Navigating Change in the Social Sector Workshop
Monday, March 28, 12 - 1 PM, 3816
As the nonprofit sector changes (social innovation, hybridization, strategic philanthropy, collective impact) we need certain skills to be prepared and successful in this changing environment. Come here from Professor Mat Despard about how social workers can think about these issues and how MSW students can start to think about opportunities and pathways to launch their career.
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Celebrate Social Work Management Week!
March 7-11 2016 
The purpose of Social Work Management Week
is to recognize the outstanding achievements of social work and human services managers and to promote the importance of professional development for our current and future leaders.
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Additional Upcoming Events
The History of Lead, a talk by Dr. Joel Howell
Tuesday February 23, 2016
5:00-6:30 PM
1655 School of Public Health I
Why do we live in a world that is filled with lead? The answers to that question have deep historical roots, and are especially relevant as we consider what is going on in Flint. In this talk Dr. Howell will talk about why, where and when human beings introduced lead into the environment, focusing on events in the 20th century involving the use of lead in gasoline, in paint, and in plumbing. Please join us with Dr. Howell, a professor in UM's internal medicine, history, and health management and policy departments, who will be discussing the challenges that those 20th-century uses of lead pose for us in the 21st century. Click here for more information.
Positive Links Speaker Series Session: Lead Positive Change Without Authority
Tuesday, March 15, 2016
4:00-5:00 PM, Reception Immediately Following
Want to make a difference in your organization? In this session, Jerry Davis and Chris White (authors of Changing Your Company From the Inside Out) will provide a framework for advancing the initiatives that are important to you, your company, and the world.
Community Feedback on the Development of School of Social Work's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Plan
Wednesday, February 24, 2016
12:00 - 2:00 PM,
ECC (1840 SSWB)
The School of Social Work invites students, staff, and faculty to provide feedback on the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Plan that is developed by the DE&I Committee.
Information will be updated as the event nears its date.
RSVP Here.
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5 Simple Hacks to Sharpen your Emotional Intelligence
Leadership Expert Gordon Tredgold gives five simple tips to boost your EI:
- Stay Cool: changes in body temperature, heart rate and blood pressure are great indicators of stress, which can affect how we deal with problematic situations. Find a way to cool down before handling stressors.
- Walk a Mile in their Shoes: Take a step back and think on others' possible motivations before reacting.
- Have a Plan B. And a Plan C: Think of all possible outcomes of a situation in order to be mentally and emotionally prepared and remain in control.
- Be Definitive: cut out passive language from your communication in order to show what you have done and be more assertive.
- Practice your emotional intelligence on others: Strive to leave each person you interact with in a better state than when you met them.
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The Two Questions Great Leaders Ask
Elton and Gostick have interviewed and studied numerous leaders. Their work has shown that the best and most transformational leaders "care about their people just as much as they care about their team's performance. In that regard, they engage their employees in tasks with passion and an overwhelming sense of purpose, and they encourage their team members to grow and develop."
These great leaders genuinely ask two basic questions that set them apart from average managers:
1. How are you doing?
2. How can I help?
These questions are a great start to building real and lasting relationships with colleagues.
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Are You an Introverted Boss?
This Harvard Business Review Blog Post discusses tips for introverted leaders to be successful. Often times introverts find themselves misunderstood which can be bad as a manager or CEO. Conant gives his advice for how he worked around common tendencies of introverts.
1. Introverts need thinking time: Conant realized that he was more successful if he carves out time in his day for thinking about important decisions he must make. Giving yourself thinking time will allow more confidence and comfort in your decisions.
2. Introverts aren't as aloof as they appear: Conant announces his interaction style at the beginning of meetings in order for people to understand how to best engage him.
3. Introverts benefit from familiar touchstones: Conant finally touches on how he always feels more confident if he is familiar with the material that will be discussed in meetings or conferences, or even with the venue of meetings.
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Giving a Presentation? Three Ways to Leave your Fingerprint
by Jack Welch
Jack Welch, Executive Manager at the Jack Welch Management Institute, gives his three rules for success in giving presentations that are successful and memorable.
1. Keep your message simple: The best speeches and presentations do not make the audience chase the message.
2. Tell your audience something they don't know: Giving a speech is not about relating information or a point of view so that people go, "Hmm," and move along. It's about igniting exciting conversations that go on long after you're done talking.
3. Let your Passion Rip!
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Professional Memberships & Networks
Network for Social Work Management
Independent Sector
Young Leaders Society - United Way of Washtenaw
County
Young Nonprofit Professionals of Washtenaw County
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Network with University of Michigan Business Cards
Leave a lasting impression and contact information for that next great opportunity.
U-M students can order business cards at
$13 for 100 cards through the
School of Social Work Student Union
!
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Contact Us
| John Tropman, Director |
SSWB 3734 |
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(734) 763.6275 |
| Rachael Wiener |
SSWB 3751 |
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(734) 764.4903 |
| Janice Williams Miller |
SSWB 3751 |
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(734) 763.9211 |
If you would like to submit items for the Leadership in Community Benefit Organizations' Newsletter (events, op-eds, resources, etc.), please email Rachael.
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