The RESPECT of Florida e-Newsletter
February 2019


RESPECT of Florida is the central non-profit agency for the State of Florida that helps employ about 1,250 Floridians with disabilities through the production of commodities and contractual services that are sold to government entities. If you would like to learn more about us or browse our catalog, visit us at:  respectofflorida.org

A Message from RESPECT of Florida
 
RESPECT of Florida works with about 50 partners across the state of Florida, that also have the mission of serving Floridians with disabilities.

Those partners serve thousands of individuals every day with an array of services designed to provide needed supports to encourage independence and personal achievement.

Working with the RESPECT program is one way our partners provide job opportunities to the individuals they serve.

Everyone deserves to choose what they want to do for a living and to find something that plays to their strengths.

RESPECT offers many different employment options for all levels of skill and independence. Each purchase - commodities and services - made by government entities directly employs more than 1,250 people annually.

Spotlight on Success:
 
 
RESPECT of Florida chose Sharif Langley as one of its Outstanding Employees of 2018! 

Sharif works at RESPECT partner Brevard Achievement Center (BAC) and has shown tremendous growth this past year! "Attitude is everything,"could have been Sharif's motto for the past year. Once Sharif made up her mind that she was going to improve her work life, there was no stopping her and staff have witnessed monumental changes in her performance. 

Sharif comes to work ready to learn and approaches new challenges with a positive, friendly outlook which has made a big difference. The results have been that her productivity rate tripled! Congratulations Sharif!  
 
"Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference" - Winston Churchill.
 

Commodity of the Month
  
 Clocks
       
 

RESPECT offers four different types of clocks -
  • Customized with Logo
  • Florida State Seal
  • Standard 12 hour
  • 24 Hour 
Each clock is hand built by a Floridian with a disability, and includes batteries!



   
The Arc Nassau was originally organized as Hands & Hearts in the 1970s by family members, community leaders, civic organizations and educational professionals to support individuals with disabilities. In 1981, the current Arc Nassau facility was built on land donated by Rayonier, which established The Arc Nassau's legacy of providing services to adults with disabilities in Nassau County. This legacy continues today with services that range from personal care and job skills development to community inclusion. By offering specialized educational and motivational programs, The Arc Nassau helps ensure everyone's maximum participation in all aspects of life.

The Arc Nassau's has big plans and their vision is to grow, nurture and expand their community impact by providing an even more robust array of programs and services to adults with developmental disabilities. They plan to do this by establishing site-based, quality training opportunities and long-term employment; providing scholarships for individuals; increasing fundraising activities; and building community partnerships.

The Arc Nassau enhances the community of Nassau County by fostering inclusion activities for everyday life experiences by participating in trips to the local library, art shows, fishing field trips, nature walks, beach outings and more.

Through RESPECT of Florida, The Arc Nassau, provides grounds services for the Nassau County Welcome Center, The Nassau County Weigh In Motion Center - scoring 100% on inspections, and Cecil Fields where their work is highly praised.  




Since 1972, Challenge Enterprises, has been promoting the Power of People and Possibilities for individuals living with disabilities.  Challenge Enterprises' professionals and volunteers have assisted hundreds of individuals with disabilities achieve success by becoming more self-sufficient in their community. From their first day at the Lighthouse Learning Center to depositing their first paycheck, the dreams of individuals and their families are coming true with the support of the Challenge Enterprises' team.

Challenge Enterprise staff discuss each individual's goals and assess their strengths. With this guidance and support, long held dreams are much more obtainable for adults with disabilities. Goals that could include gaining meaningful relationships, discovering work/career opportunities, developing social independence, and apartment living and/or home ownership. Each person's personal achievements demonstrate their value in the community and impart a sense of pride.

Challenge Enterprise works on several RESPECT service contracts including grounds maintenance and janitorial services for the Agency for Persons with Disabilities and janitorial services for the  Department of Military Affairs at Cecil Fields.
It Is About Achieving Authority, Not About Achieving Power
    
 
 
HR & Compliance Director, Dayna Lenk
Being a great leader is much harder than it sounds. Leaders face a multitude of challenges every day. The most difficult thing about it, is  that nobody ever sits you down and "teaches" you how to be a good leader or instructs you on how good leaders should respond in any given situation. In early education we were taught reading, writing and arithmetic, but we were not taught leadership skills. If anything, we were taught to follow. In college, a "leader" is usually the person who is going to talk the most during a presentation or the overachiever who does all the work on a project. On sports teams, the "leaders" are usually the best players. But these forms of performance skills are not necessarily the same abilities it takes to make a good leader; especially in business. Unfortunately, business leadership takes the cue from sports teams and often places their best performing staff member into the leadership role. When this happens, management is often surprised when their star performer lacks needed leadership skills and the team fails to perform as a result.
 
The most recognizable type of leadership we know is "top-down leadership". This is the leadership style typically adopted by a new leader.  Top-down leadership is about setting a clear direction-one that doesn't always value everyone's input.  This type of leadership wields power and uses strength and force to accomplish goals. These leaders are often successful, but success can come at a price. Employees tend to not be as loyal and lack trust in their leaders since fear is what makes them respond. This type of leadership can be successful but tends to fail in the long term if it is not tempered or used in the correct scenario.  Top-down leadership tends to rely on systems and structures that make repetitive work, authority and the chain of command its foundation. Top-down leadership is very rigid . Because all decisions and ideas come from above, there is little room for participation on the part of employees. This limits employee loyalty, input and can adversely affect morale.
 
Another leadership style in stark contrast to a top-down leader is the servant-leader. Although not a new concept, the  phrase "servant leadership" was created by Robert K. Greenleaf in The Servant as Leader, an essay that he first published in 1970. In that essay, Greenleaf said:
 
"The servant-leader is servant first... It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. That person is sharply different from one who is leader first, perhaps because of the need to assuage an unusual power drive or to acquire material possessions...The leader-first and the servant-first are two extreme types. Between them there are shadings and blends that are part of the infinite variety of human nature."
 
The servant leadership style strives to avoid exerting strict control over their employees and processes and instead, seeks to build a personnel synergistic relationship between all parties. The leader's focus is on  the needs of their team members before considering their own needs. The leader acknowledges other people's perspectives, gives them the support they need to meet their work and personal goals, involves them in decisions when appropriate, and builds a sense of community within the team. This approach leads to better engagement, stronger relationships, and increased trust with team members and other stakeholders.
 
It is not about being servile, it is about the desire to help others. It is about identifying and meeting the needs of colleagues, customers, and communities. As a servant leader, the manager's desire is to serve others first.  Servant leadership is a way of behaving that is adopted over time. It takes practice and dedication to achieve. Once a manager has decided to prioritize other people's needs over their own, they can work on developing skills in each area. Examples of servant first leadership skills:
 
  • Dedicated to the development and growth of his or her employees, even if that development takes the employee beyond their organization.
  • Listens to their team and actively solicits their participation, ideas, and feedback.
  • Avoids climbing the corporate ladder if it means stepping on others.
  • Not fearful that employees will gain skills and knowledge beyond their own.
  • Does not use domination or fear to control employees.
  • Allows others to shine.
  • Holds themselves and their employees accountable for their performance. Willingly provides positive and negative feedback that will grow the employee.
  • Uses empathy to understand other's perspectives and takes their viewpoint into consideration.
  • Ensures that his or her employees have the necessary knowledge, support and resources they need to do the job at hand.
  • Possesses self-awareness of his or her own short comings and works to overcome them.
  • Looks beyond day-to-day realities to see and explain the bigger picture.
  • Practices careful decision making based on past experiences and ensures that all angles have been considered.
  • Readily takes responsibility for the roles and responsibilities of the team.
  • Focuses on his or her employee's needs - not their feelings. Managers should not avoid making unpopular decisions or giving team members negative feedback when this is needed.
  • Reinforces the concept that every action taken by an employee contributes to the overall objectives of the organization.
  • Demonstrates persistence in achieving positive change with employees and processes.
  • Encourages high standards of performance, service quality, and alignment of values throughout the team.
 
It is easy to confuse leadership with dictatorship. A dictator demands action and does not consider the wants and needs of others. A servant leader is the total opposite. They work diligently to cultivate their team and are focused on improvement.  The leader-first and the servant-first are two very different styles of leadership. In all reality, it is best to not be too extreme with either style. But, regardless of which leadership style is followed, it is wise to follow a famous management truism for leading employees which is , "They don't care how much you know until they know how much you care." It is crucial that leaders know and understand the message and meaning of this statement. Being knowledgeable does not make you a good leader but caring does. A leader who shows his or her team that they care will have a lot less to worry about in the end.
 

The information contained in this article is intended to provide useful information on the topic covered, but should not be construed as legal advice or a legal opinion.
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