Leadership

There is some strain of thought in our business that says organizations should be formed the opposite way of the way they are now. Drawing on ideas from politics they suggest that rather than being top down pyramid organizations they should be turned upside down. So where supported individuals now receive services they would then dictate services. Direct Care staff would be second from the stop and management staff would respond to their concerns. What this suggests is that all those those folks would have the same concerns whereas now one person is at the top and they dictate the terms of the organization now there would be lots of bosses.

This comes in response to many, many poor leaders in the field who have not given people either what they needed or even worse lead to situation where people were horribly mistreated or even killed. There are still many poor leaders in our field most of them are uninspiring more worried about their accouterments rather than anything substantial or maintaining their power base rather trying to improve the lives of people. It's a sad state of affairs.

I really don't know what the answer is but there are various people trying different things. Some people advocate what they call participatory management. Sort of a blend of styles where people all get a say. I like that a lot, but I doubt it's the final word. My suggestion as with most things is to not get bogged down with ideology and always remain flexible and always listen.

Tired

10.50 is what the direct care staff make. Sometimes some of them tell me so and so of the residents they support aren't living up to their potential. I wonder?
Just this week a staff is stealing gas money from clients, a client had his annual IHP meeting habilitation meeting because we have to improve people. Originally the model for developmental disabilities was based on the idea that people were sick which they aren't necessarily they're just different. We the majority have decided that they are different rather than like us. More different than the eccentric Uncle. So different we have to segregate them from the rest of society. So at this meeting the job coach who hasn't been coaching this person decides she going to show up and criticize him for not working up to his potential. It takes a real brave person to pick on somebody with an IQ of 50. Worse the case manager who hates this resident went along and piled on. Nice. I wasn't there but either the people who were there were either stunned or more likely just afraid to rock the boat. This is a case where I want revenge. I won't get it.