United Way HPE:
60 years of improving lives locally
It has been an exciting spring as we move into our 60thcommunity campaign. We’ve seen board members of many years move on, and new community champions join the ranks of Improving Lives Locally. At Day of Caring, more than 130 partners came together to help charities in our area to improve conditions for their members and staff. Our workplace ambassador event was held, with keynote speaker Mary Doyle from Rural on Purpose, inspiring us towards our 60th community campaign.
Belleville Sens care!
We were pleased to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Belleville General Hospital Foundation, The Children’s Foundation, The Hastings & Prince Edward Learning Foundation and Trenton Memorial Hospital Foundation in being chosen as charities of choice in the first season of the Belleville Senators 50/50 draws, and receive a gift of $25,000 for our efforts.
the reality of poverty
In a highly competitive market, many excellent charities and foundations are vying for the same “piece of the pie” as we work to improve conditions for those who are vulnerable members of our community. Many still consider this life of poverty a choice… We hear: “why can’t these people work?” People ponder addictions, as addiction is seen to be another choice of lifestyle – right? And people ask – “why do people choose to have families if they are unable to care for them“. Simple – right?
Some people think Canada is a country where no one should be left behind. Consider the conditions people in developing nations face. It’s relative and complex, and as varied as the struggles human beings have been up against for centuries. Here at home, we are not immune to the risk of vulnerability. Any Canadian can face fragile health, depression, abuse, bullying, loose ones job.
At United Way locations across Canada we work to ensure “no one is left behind”. Studies show our area has some of the highest rates in Ontario for youth struggling with mental health challenges. We also see we have too many seniors who are isolated and living in poverty, without access to nutritional food, health services, transportation. Too many mothers and families are in need of safety and security as they face difficult and, many times, life-threatening situations. And vulnerable kids, who could and should be “all that they can be”, are left behind as teachers continue to be challenged with the complexity of ensuring the health and well being of the students in their care. Affordable housing has been a growing dilemma for the past decade.
UW – 60 years in the community
Since 1958, United Way has worked with the community to improve lives locally, with committed volunteers, dedicated staff, and excellent community partnerships. Through a grassroots approach, we facilitate your donations and support in moving people from poverty to possibility, helping kids of all ages, and creating stronger communities for all. Recently a United Way campaign chair from 8 Wing, Tanya Tebbutt, was frustrated hearing about the classmates of her kids who go to school without breakfast or lunch. This is why she continues to lead the charge at 8-Wing Trenton, United Way’s second largest contributor to the nearly $2-million community campaign.
“Upon moving to Belleville in 2017, I read a report that showed our region was the 6thin Canada for highest rates of urban child poverty at 20.5 per cent,” she said. “Children are complete victims of circumstance and when children live in poverty it unfortunately has a secondary effect on their education. These numbers hit home to me. To hear that my child`s classmates were arriving to school already disadvantaged, to no fault of their own, with no breakfast or lunch made me want to contribute to the success of my community. As soon as I found out that 8-Wing was looking for a new United Way campaign co-chair, I eagerly jumped on board.”
Like Tanya, you can do a lot for your community and we hope you will continue to look out for your neighbours, friends, family, co workers – or strangers in many cases. Because this is what we do; it’s our way – the United Way. We look forward to working with you in this ever-challenging season of community giving. Your commitment to United Way will make this region a better place to raise your family, run your business, enjoy retirement, and improve a life.
Thank you in advance for your continued help and support – spread the word, be the change, and tell us how we can be of service. We are here for you – and it’s YOUR United Way.
written by Kathy Murphy, September 2018 United Way Hastings & Prince Edward Launch of 60th community giving campaign.
Organizational Change – is it all too much?
It’s no longer debatable as to whether organizations will go through change in order to stay competitive. What we do know is that the complexities of change are vast, and when change is not carefully managed, well the results can be devastating.
So…how do you start to understand the impact of change within your organization? And how do we consider the needs of employees, and ensure a process, and structure is in place to support effective implementation? And is it “all too much”!
Well not if you manage it well…….One critical starting point is to determine which employees are going to have to alter or change the way they perform their jobs. In other words, who in the organization will have to exhibit new behaviors, use new tools or processes in their day-to-day work? The Data shows that the vast majority of all employees will see either direct or indirect effects on their workday due to organizational change.
Successful organizational change hinges on the individual’s ability to change behaviors and transition to the new ways of doing business. It could be changes to the way you deliver products or services, use of new technology, new performance measures, or new inventory controls. Solid strategies and careful planning can support the transition and encourage the behaviors and adoption of new practices needed for success.
The reality is that each and every employee is likely to play a key role in embracing, adopting and using the new processes, technology or business standards being introduced. And there are many other roles to be played. Central to success is that leaders and executives of the organization must authorize, sponsor, fund and launch the change initiatives. And it doesn’t stop there. They must be present, and visibly – in the face of employees – champion the change they endorse.
Additionally, mid managers often feel stuck in the middle of the change, as they are coaching and many times dealing with resistance within the ranks. Mid managers are coaching many employees and influencing their absorptive capacity for change Leadership needs to give mid managers and supervisors the necessary tools to deal with the resistance. Mid managers are expected to be agents of change but also are personally experiencing the change and transition themselves. This is one of the more difficult roles to play. And this is typically why in times of change it is critical that employees hear from senior managers, and executives. Ensure that at the onset, communications strategies are directed towards mid managers as the audience so they’ll be well equipped to mitigate resistance and help employee’s with the transition. Ensuring dedicated resources for all employees, and being visible as a champion for change is the executive’s role. This will increase the likelihood of success and early adoption. As someone once said, the top leader is the “director of the play, versus one of the actors”. Therefore, enable and equip people to be successful in coaching and bridging the implementation with solid solutions and by demonstrating commitment.
Eventually, being good at managing change becomes part of the “DNA” of the organization – and is a means for performance management in meeting goals and creating sustainable competitive advantage. Contact me for information on change management at mkathy@rogers.com
Is Networking a Learned Skill?
I just came back from one of the most exciting and interesting networking events I’ve attended in some time – Progress Magazine’s “Face to Face”. Business leaders, artists, musicians, creators and, many entrepreneurs, shared some great times, with a bit of learning and development thrown in for good measure. Food and wine were flowing, and with a name like “face to face” one would expect that the casual, open and friendly environment would lend itself to some great dialogue and exchange of ideas. I was not disappointed! From comics to DRUM to “Slam poetry” (thank you for this Progress folks!) the vibe was real – and WOW!
So naturally, while networking, the topic of teaching people the skill of networking was broached. A consultant I know who teaches the art of networking, reminded me of the importance of teaching entrepreneurs this invaluable skill. Another colleague agreed that the primary value of the conference for him was in fact in the vast networking opportunities the event lent itself to. And yet another woman I know was certain that networking was not a skill to be taught, but should simply remain as the art of good conversation, ones’ ability to show a genuine interest in others, and to engage in some good, effective discussion.
Which for me – begged the question – can we expect that one can be taught how to engage in what should be a natural activity – simply good conversation? Is it artificial to suggest that we can learn to network or are we introducing an artificial element of awkwardness to what should be something we don’t over think? What about back to the basics of “active listening” and engaging in an open and honest exchange of learning, sharing or just having a few laughs. If that’s networking, conversation, or “slamming poetry” –let’s be genuine and not afraid to put ourselves out there. Thanks for reading, and for your thoughts on networking and for keepin’ it real, cheers!
What I’m Learning about Adult Learning
By Kathy Murphy
Ok, so most of us realize that adult learning is unlike our earlier experiences within the clutches of the traditional secondary classroom. Gone are the days of bra snapping and pubescent boys – and today my quest for life long learning comes at a large investment, both financially and time wise. Unless an effective 
understanding of adult learning techniques are used in the creation of content and in delivery– chances of retention are as likely as my six year attempt to finish Tolstoy’s War and Peace – long and labored. Yes, the bar is pretty high!
After all, adult learning is supposed to be about relevancy, application, and take into account, the “so what” factor… or, why do I care about any of this? Unless HR is marching you into the new health and safety policy training, discerning adult learners want what I would describe as a fairly high “entertainment” factor in the classroom. It’s simply the age-old WIFM – or, what’s in it for me? And the WIFM will vary significantly depending on the learner’s motives, initiative level, and where within the career path one is positioned. I won’t attempt to scratch the surface of ALL the principles of adult learning, as – this is a blog so I’ll be brief. I’ll just say that engaging adult learners is an area of expertise of which instructors, teachers and facilitators would be wise to master. For more from one of the architect’s of andragogy (adult learning), Malcolm Knowles, see: http://elearningindustry.com/the-adult-learning-theory-andragogy-of-malcolm-knowles .
Some say the most powerful way to engage adults is by drawing on their previous experience. Let us be heard! Seriously, adult learners do well when applying their experience to a concept or problem, if only to better understand it through their own lens. Adults want to use their experience and see it valued as part of the learning environment. In a classroom setting, high levels of engagement are especially critical for adult learners. Creating dialogue and interaction keeps the momentum clipping along, and interest levels peaked. But what happens when Dominant Debbie, the wide eyed and long-winded participant, takes up the majority of the air-time? We’ve all been there – cue the rolling eyes. That one person who can’t wait to weigh in on his or her perspective – each and every time the question is posed. Here’s where a good facilitator will draw on the opinions of many, while keeping the conversation fluid, and ensuring all participants – event the Dominant Debbie’s – feel respected, engaged and positive about their experience.
There are many tips for engagement or hooks, such as posing specific questions on the topic at hand. Ideally the right type of provocative question should facilitate a discussion if you’ve provided a safe, open and sharing environment within the classroom. Try this: “If you are clean when you get out of the shower, then why do towels get dirty?” OK – we can do better than that!
But, as a facilitator, you need to ensure an environment where people are comfortable speaking up, and if they are not participating in the conversation, you are drawing on a wide perspective. Not everyone will want to contribute, and that’s fine too. And, as always, there are statistics:
“There is a 500% average increase in retention when visuals are used in a presentation (Decker Blog http://bit.ly/oRm860)”
Hmm…guess I’ll keep my power point decks close at hand….less words and more images maybe?
Most would agree that the principles of adult learning claim we remember bite sized bits of information, especially when presented in a fun, different, entertaining, and colorful way. No pressure instructors!
We need to be making sure the experience is all things: engaging, entertaining, creates dialogue, is interactive but safe. These efforts should provide for the “stickiness” needed to make the learning environment and the experience effective. Also, shifting from the “right answer” to the “right question” while not shutting down people’s views if different from the status quo. Creating a meaningful dialogue with input from a variety of perspectives will ensure a body of knowledge and experience is shared, as adults will come to their own conclusions as to what’s right or wrong for them. Instead of hammering a point home, it’s about that transfer of knowledge and sharing of insights. Plus, a lively discussion and contrasting perspectives is a great way to wake up the group. But as they say – just keep the gloves on!
So – making it stick? Most of us are familiar with the “use it or loose it” maxim. Otherwise, it’s said that we forget over 80% of what we learn, if not applied within a 30 day period. I can just see my money sprouting wings….bye-bye. Yes, I want a good ROI on my professional development. Maybe your motives are to be a better employee, leader, teacher, and or team member. Or, maybe it accelerates your position or pads your pocket – but the results and measures of adult learning are a conversation for another time.
And luckily, I’ve actually learned a few more things – thanks to some very effective adult educators at OISE (the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education). I’d like to share more, but, as my former boss used to say – “The mind can absorb what the seat can endure”. So I’ll leave you with a question from someone or something, called Philoso-raptor: “If the pen is mightier than the sword, then why do actions speak louder then words?” HA!
Comments are most welcome – cheers!