Read about one of your fellow VLeader’s experiences on a high performing team. Perhaps the most surprising anecdote I’ve ever heard about on the High Performing Team Webinar.

Hi all! Jean here (the “J”) in JEK Last month 28 VISTA Leaders participated in the High Performing Team webinar. The webinar began with an opportunity for those attending to share their experiences on a high performing team. As with all good stories the examples were thought-provoking and inspiring. We can learn about teams by studying teams, in particular studying teams that work. VISTA Leader Chris Anderson shared an example that characterized virtually every aspect of a high performing team. It was also one of the most unusual examples I’ve ever heard and it was such a great example of how a team can find
meaning anywhere, anytime. As you read Chris’s story please think about the powerful work that you and your members do. It strikes me that as a VISTA Leader you have a head start within the context of VISTA. If you ever get discouraged and think that you don’t have the right members or a powerful enough mission to build a high performing team you might want to think about Chris Anderson’s powerful anecdote. Here it is:

“Dishwashing at a restaurant comes in many flavors, but its purpose remains the same. If there are no dishwashers, everything comes to a halt. The restaurant I worked at has a high-level dishwashing operation. The work environment is high-pressure and demanding. The kitchen is hot, it’s loud and it’s crowded. You and a team of four others use a 1,000 lb machine that pumps out over 3,000 dishes an hour while simultaneously meeting the chef's, kitchen staff, and server's immediate requests. When the restaurant closes, the dishwashers coordinate the cleaning of the entire kitchen with no room for error. I spent over
five years as a dishwasher in that environment as my first job, and was a part of many "A-Teams" during that time. We understood that in order for the entire restaurant to run, we had to all perform in unison. We were all in high school in different groups, yet shared the same values at work (The Breakfast Club?). If someone was having a rough day, they could step outside to give themselves a sort of restart. You could talk one-on-one while taking out the trash, and come back fresh. We would create games and competitions with each other to keep us motivated (if you work in a restaurant, contact me I can offer an entire Olympics for you). At the end of the night, we split into two-person teams to clean the kitchen (with great music). After a strict inspection of our work from the chef, we were free to leave or stick around and eat our meals. In the setting of a more quiet and relaxing state, the chef and our team would go over how the night went. During Jean’s webinar the power and
importance of positive feedback was discussed. Receiving positive feedback was truly one of the most important parts of working in our restaurant because it reminded us why we were there, and made it clear that our hard work was valued and recognized. I can relate
this experience towards building a high performing VISTA team. There's a diverse group coming together for a shared purpose. A VISTA should rely on you to "step outside of the kitchen" with them so they can come back ready to attack. Having your team know the VISTA Leader position is to make their lives better and not to ensure they are doing their job properly will lead to the same shared attitude and more participation in coming together for the whole team getting the job done."

Chris Anderson is VISTA Leader at AS220, a non-profit community arts space in downtown Providence. Our mission is to provide an unjuried and uncensored forum for the arts. Feel free to contact him at: AS220
in Providence, RI chris@as220.org

Giving and Receiving Feedback: 5-Step Model

As we know, giving and receiving feedback in the work environment can be challenging due to the sensitive nature of this communication.  Nevertheless, we know this is an important life skill.   Following are five steps to consider when giving feedback:

1. Do a Reality Check:  Ask yourself why you want to give feedback to someone.  The purpose should be to help someone and to improve a situation, but not to hurt or offend someone.

2. Plan Your Feedback:  It is very important to take sufficient time to plan how and when you are going to give feedback. Focusing the feedback on a specific relevant behavior (or situation) and identifying specific examples are part of the planning process.  Considering the receiver’s communication style and cultural background are also important.

3. Present Feedback:  Sharing feedback in a respectful way and in an appropriate setting with a caring and objective approach can increase the chances of receiving feedback effectively.

4. Check for Understanding:  Ensuring that the receiver actually heard and understands what you intended to share is a key element of the process.

5. Appreciate and Follow-up:  It is equally important to thank the receiver or giver for taking time to receive or give feedback.  If follow-up action/activity was agreed upon, ensure there is thorough follow-up.

Leaders can create a work culture conducive to feedback by genuinely asking for and inviting feedback from their team members. 

“Caring people give feedback to help not to hurt.”

Warm regards,

Kapila

Want To Be Great?

We live in an age when more scientific research about the human brain and human behavior is being conducted than at any time in history. It’s true. We have learned more about our brains in the past five years than in the previous five thousand!” Will Marre, American Dream Project

Hi all: Jean here, the “J” in the JEK Speak blog. As many of you know I am fascinated, if not obsessed with the fields of cognitive and social neuroscience. What most interests me is applying the research findings to learning, creative thinking, and leadership development. I recently came across hot off the press research from neuroscientist Carol Dweck of Stanford University. Dr. Dweck is a respected teacher and prolific researcher in the field.

No sooner did I learn about her work than one of my favorite blogs arrived in my email. Coincidentally, it was devoted to Dweck’s research findings and how they relate to leadership and success at work. It seems like it was meant to be passed on to you, those committed to using talents to make a difference in our world. I think you will find the short blog engaging and applicable in your VISTA Leader role. It may provide you some ideas for member training and development. Link on…
http://www.americandreamproject.org/dream/want-to-be-great/

Video: 5 Ways to Listen Better from Ted Talks

Wishes for a Happy, Abundant New Year from Elaine! In my last blog I wrote about Listening. Many of you have asked me for resources and books so you could improve your listening skills. There are not many out there although I recently found The Wisdom of Listening and found it to be relevant and filled with wisdom to not just communicate better, but to be more self-aware of who we are and who we would like to be in our relationships. On the Ted Talks web-site I came across a wonderful video entitled, "5 Ways to Listen Better." It offers some fresh, new perspectives. I am including the link below, and hope you will take a moment to watch the video and also, share it with your VISTA members. Let me know how you liked it, Elaine

http://blog.ted.com/2011/07/29/5-ways-to-listen-better-julian-treasure-on-ted-com/

In our louder and louder world, says sound expert Julian Treasure, “We are losing our listening.” In this short, fascinating talk, Treasure shares five ways to re-tune your ears for conscious listening — to other people and the world around you. (Recorded at TEDGlobal 2011, July 2011, in Edinburgh, Scotland. Duration: 7:50.)

Rolling Toward Your Project Goal

Dear VISTA Leaders,

Greetings and Happy 2012 from Kapila! Setting goals has become a common thought at this time as many individuals set personal and professional goals for the New Year. Therefore, I thought to capitalize on this goal setting spirit and share the following nine questions to consider when you are setting project goals.

Connect the dotted line for each wheel segment if your answer is “Yes.” When the full circle is connected, you have a realistic goal to move toward!

Wish you all a Happy, Productive, Healthy, and Prosperous New Year!

Design Thinking: A Checklist Tool & VISTA Leader Application Example

Hi all from Jean:  This month I want to share an example of creative thinking which is expertly demonstrated by VISTA Leader Andy Gmitter. Andy serves at the United Way of the Piedmont in Spartanburg, South Carolina. He has been developing his creative thinking skills and shared one example of their use with me. A few months ago, he attended the IdeaFEST Webinar. This webinar is focused on tools and ideas designed to build relationships, establish trust and create a sense of connectedness amongst VISTAs. Then he set about designing a session for VISTA Members.

What struck me was how Andy took several ideas from the webinar using his creative thinking ability to form new and novel combinations, blend concepts and make contextual tweaks; thus modifying the ideas for his purposes. This is creative thinking in action!

A tool that can help all of us do this type of thinking is a checklist of nine creative thinking principles called SCAMMPER. SCAMMPER was first developed by Alex Osborn the originator of brainstorming and somewhat later, Bob Eberle arranged the thinking checklist into a mnemonic for easy recall. The SCAMMPER mnemonic stands for:  S=Substitute? C=Combine A= Adapt, M=Magnify or Modify, P=Put to Other Uses, E=Eliminate, R=Rearrange? Reverse?

The idea is to take a subject and ask:  Can I substitute something? Can I combine something? Can I adapt something? Can I magnify or modify something? Can I put it to other uses? Can I eliminate something? Can I rearrange or reverse something? Simply asking the questions sparks new thoughts, ideas and new ways of seeing things. If you want more information on how to use SCAMMPER simply do an online search and you will find more comprehensive explanations, examples and visuals for teaching how to use the tool. It is a rare creative thinking book that does not include a reference to the SCAMMPER tool. One resource that does a fantastic job teaching SCAMMPER, and numerous other tools is the book Cracking Creativity: The Secrets of Creative Genius by Michael Michalko.

Take a look at Andy’s blog reporting on the Lunch and Learn event he facilitated with VISTA members. If you attended the IdeaFEST webinar you will recognize the essence of several of the ideas and you will see how he creatively revised them to meet his needs. Andy has pictures showing the tools in use and he does a great job of outlining the process if you are interested in using it yourself. Regardless, I think you will find the information useful as you consider methods for engaging and connecting VISTAs.  Here’s Andy…

Lunch and Learn November: 90 Day Review

Guest Blog: VISTA Leader Andy Gmitter

http://vistasinthepiedmont.wordpress.com/2011/11/09/lunch-and-learn-november-90-day-review/

Some Thoughts About Listening from Elaine

Listening skillfully is difficult. To listen impeccably, with fixed, full attention is a discipline much like meditation. It requires practice, rigor, and resolve. And when our efforts diminish, it may require forgiveness, gentleness, and sometimes a bit of creative inspiration to get ourselves back on track.

In Western culture listening has never been a prized pursuit. There will never be a Who’s Who in American Listening. To pursue the desire to become a master listener, “a listening warrior,” sort of speak, requires turning away from the dominant culture to explore paths few have chosen.

I have been given some sage advice over the years. One, in particular, received my attention because it was repeated by several different mentors: “teach what you most want to learn.” I wanted to learn about listening because it is vital to psychological and spiritual growth, and the skillful cultivation of it requires ongoing, disciplined practice.

A good listener will come away with many benefits. To mention a few:

• Uncover the skillful means to be more fully in the word, present and responsive, rather than distracted and reactive.
• Realize that listening is a practice, and a practice that takes practice, and being skillful does not require being perfect.
• Recognize and rectify the myriad ways the mind can close the ears.
• Find that listening skillfully nourishes others, and that we can teach others how to return that nourishment to us.
• Recognize that unskillful listening has a variety of causes, and with practice we can learn to distinguish and remedy them.
• Find the confirmation of the truth that words have power; and that listening can be accomplished in ways that channel words optimally, positively, and cooperatively.

When I practice the art and skill of good listening I acknowledge there is plenty of room available for the words and thoughts of others, space that can accommodate perspectives different from my own. The world is large enough to hold conflicting view-points, spacious enough for all of us to peacefully grown, learn and mature.

So the question I leave you with is: “Who might teach you valuable things about listening?”  Go to them and ask them to be your mentor, your teacher, so that you may develop this skill that will enrich your life beyond measure.

“It is the province of knowledge to speak. And it is the privilege of wisdom to listen.” Oliver Wendell Holmes