Farewell Classmates

This past eight weeks have been a challenged as I continue my education, daily activities working, being a mom, wife and a baseball coach.  I enjoyed reading blog posts and posting as well.  I realized after the second week that I was supposed to be posting in group 1 but I continued posting in group 2.  I enjoyed this class as well as learning from each of you.  Hope to see you all in a future course.  Congrats to all of you that are graduating, 

Week 6-Blog

Are high-performing groups hardest to leave?

I think that they are because you have worked with the group and have become successful getting the job done.  Separating from a group that has worked work makes it difficult to depart. 

Which of the groups that you participated in was hardest to leave?

The hardest group for me to leave was my unit in CPS.  We were a close unit and have worked together for a while.  We looked out for each other and helped each other out when needed.  Our unit split when the supervisor stepped down and we were divided into other units.  It was hard for me to adjust because the new unit and supervisor did things totally different from what I was use to. 

How do you imagine that you will adjourn from the group of colleagues you have formed while working on your master’s degree in this program?

This question is hard for me because the class is an online course.  However I have become very responses to certain people doing the discussion and blog assignments.  I try to discuss to different people weekly but it is hard because some of the group colleagues always have some interested to read in their posts.  I have taking a break from my studies so I have had the chance to meet new colleagues throughout my learning experience in the master’s programs. 

Why is adjourning an essential stage of teamwork?

This stage is very important because it gives you a chance to reflect back to what you have done both good and bad.  Saying good bye to others and working with new people gives individuals the chance to work with others and learn from them away.  

Conflict at Work

I had a conflict with my supervisor this week.  The disagreement occurred over placing kids in kinship care.  I felt that the children should have remain in the home with the parents and my supervisor felt as if their was still domestic violence in the home in front of the children.  Her decision was based on an anonymous phone call that informed her that the parents were fighting in the home early that day.  As an investigator I went out to see the children at school and they denied that there was fighting in the home.  I felt that the children would have told me because I have been working with the family for a while now.  To make a long story short the children were placed in kinship with a relative.  My supervisor used her power dynamic that left me no choice and I had to do what she told me to do. 

Surveys

I would say that my results from the surveys were well off from my own results.  My results were that I was an effective listener and did not appear to nervous when speaking in public.  I chose my husband and a close friend of mind to take the surveys.  My husbands results viewed me as the total opposite.  That made me feel that I need to take a look at myself to see if I needed to change something.  However my close friends results were identical to mine.  That made me feel a little better about myself since my spouse had me out there in left field.  The surveys made me think long and hard about myself and how I viewed myself. 

Communication

Communication

I would say that I communicate differently everyday in my life. When I am at work, I am a social worker and with that I have 3 hats that I wear. We are taught in training that we have to role play and switched hats accordingly in this field. There is the tough hat that lets the individual know that you are not playing with them and there will be consequences taken if certain things are not done. Then there is there is the nice hat. I try to wear this hat more than the other two. The nice hat is when I give it my all and go the extra mile to help the families. Then there is the hat that has the best interest for the child. The advocate hat, meaning keeping the child best interest at heart and at the same time in a safe environment. That includes removing them from their homes if I have too.

When I am around my friends, I can say that I communicate differently from when I am at work. I can be myself and say whatever I want to say. I do not have to think about what I am saying and worry about the tone and the effects of what I say. When I am with my husband and kids, I communicate differently as well. There are just certain things that I would not say around my husband that I say to my friends. With my children, I always try to be positive even when I am upset with them. They can feel the nonverbal body language. Sometimes I do not have to say one world and they k now that they are in trouble.

Thinking about this week topic made me look deep inside myself. At first I thought that maybe I am bi-polar…….LOL But the fact is we all communicate on a daily basis about how we communicate is based on who you are and maybe where you are at.

Communication

 

Communication

I watched a reality show called Bad Girls on the BET network. I watched this show because my friends and coworkers are always discussing what happen on the shows. The first 10 minutes on this show, I observed three woman talking and laughing. I assumed they were talking about how bad they were because of the title. I assumed that they were laughing about all the bad things that they have done. I observed their body language as trying to pretty, sexy and bad at the same time. I observed the hand gesture and neck rolling to be a negative conversation that is about something that they could not agree on.

When I turned the volume up and continue to watch the show. I listen to how the three woman talked about another girl that they were trying to get out of the house. I listen to them talk about how the other room mate think she is better than the rest of them. I observed them imitating her and laughing at the same time.

My aha...came in when the other roommate came in and just hit the other girl up side the head. They did not see it coming. Communication can be good and bad sometimes and may put you in situations that you never thought you will be in. I picked this particular show because the Reality shows is the hottest shows out on BET now. There are so many sitcoms out that are based on real life. I felt as if the assignment was the perfect opportunity to give me a chance to watch it.

Communication Speaker

Someone who demonstrates competent communication skills to me is Walter Bond. Walter Bond is a motivational speaker. I went to a convention in Punta Cana in 2011 in Republic Dominican. Walter Bond was the speaker at the conference. Listening to Walter Bond changed my state of mind in regards to life, work and my goals. Walter Bond spoke on accountability, motivation, leadership and inspiration. His message was very motivating and he delivered an effective message. He talked about his life and how he became the person he is today. Walter Bond introduces new techniques that strengthen every member of your team, as well as proven strategies that integrate accountability even more deeply into your operations. He leaves the attendees motivated, inspired, and ready to take sustained action. Walter teaches every individual how to overcome objections, incorporate storytelling, and establish him or herself as an expert.

I would definitely like to be an effective communicator like Walter Bond. He delivers a positive message that really makes since. Listening to him motivated me in my life and my career. He stated that “the key to getting ahead lies in their current situation.” With that being said I would like to motivate myself and others as well.

You can Google Walter Bond or look at some of his conventions that he did on you tube.

 

Conflict Resolution

This week at work I was assigned a case and the allegations were that a 6 year old had bruises on her arm and that her bottom is always red. Well I went out to see the child and the bruises were gone. The little girl has down syndrome and speech is very limited. The child resides in the home with relatives that have guardianship over her. Child was taken from mom years ago and biological mom keeps the child every other week end. When I went to visit biological mom she had a lot to say. I was made aware of concerns that the mom had. Mom showed me a video of the child humping two baby dolls. I was very disturbed by the video. I felt that the child has seen someone having sexual intercourse at home or tv. My third guess would be that someone was grinding and humping on the child. The video was very detailed and the little girl was humping as if she knew what she doing and to get gratification. Now my question to myself and supervisor was that I know that down syndrome kids explore and tend to have higher sexual desire than other kid but this child is 6 years old. My decision is to see if the child has been exposed sexually and examined by a medical doctor. I do not think that I could close my case without a medical examiner.

The conflict comes in because the biological mom feels that her child has been touched inappropriately and that she may have been exposed in sexual activities.  The caretakers of the child feels as if the biological mom is causing problems because she wants her child back and will not stop making accusations against them. 

My intake on things is that if the medical examine comes back and say that the child has been touched and her hymen is gone, I would move the child and not allow the child to be in either home. 

Week 4-Communicating

Communication is a big part of my job and is the biggest part of my investigation.  I have to interview families and everyone that is part of the referral.  Listening and talking is what I do on a daily bases.  There are certain things that I am allowed to say doing my investigation.  I communicate with the children differently than the adults.  I ask a lot of open ended questions and I listen carefully in regards to the information that I am listening to.  This week assignment and reading confirmed how important and effectively communication and listening skills are.  I have to be careful on how I say certain things because I do not want what I say to be taking out of context and have a negative effect with the ongoing investigation. 

Communication Hats

I would say that I communicate differently everyday in my life.  When I am at work, I am a social worker and with that I have 3 hats that I wear.  We are taught in training that we have to role play and switched hats accordingly in this field.  There is the tough hat that lets the individual know that you are not playing with them and there will be consequences taken if certain things are not done.   Then there is there is the nice hat.  I try to wear this hat more than the other two.  The nice hat is when I give it my all and go the extra mile to help the families.  Then there is the hat that has the best interest for the child.  The advocate hat, meaning keeping the child best interest at heart and at the same time in a safe environment.  That includes removing them from their homes if I have too. 

When I am around my friends, I can say that I communicate differently from when I am at work.  I can be myself and say whatever I want to say.  I do not have to think about what I am saying and worry about the tone and the effects of what I say.  When I am with my husband and kids, I communicate differently as well.  There are just certain things that I would not say around my husband that I say to my friends.  With my children, I always try to be positive even when I am upset with them.  They can feel the nonverbal body language.  Sometimes I do not have to say one world and they k now that they are in trouble. 

Thinking about this week topic made me look deep inside myself.  At first I thought that maybe I am bi-polar…….LOL  But the fact is we all communicate on a daily basis about how we communicate is based on who you are and maybe where you are at. 

Communication

I watched a reality show called Bad Girls on the BET network.  I watched this show because my friends and coworkers are always discussing what happen on the shows.  The first 10 minutes on this show, I observed three woman talking and laughing.  I assumed they were talking about how bad they were because of the title.  I assumed that they were laughing about all the bad things that they have done.  I observed their body language as trying to pretty, sexy and bad at the same time.  I observed the hand gesture and neck rolling to be a negative conversation that is about something that they could not agree on. 

When I turned the volume up and continue to watch the show.  I listen to how the three woman talked about another girl that they were trying to get out of the house.  I listen to them talk about how the other room mate think she is better than the rest of them.  I observed them imitating her and laughing at the same time.

My aha...came in when the other roommate came in and just hit the other girl up side the head.  They did not see it coming.  Communication can be good and bad sometimes and may put you in situations that you never thought you will be in.  I picked this particular show because the Reality shows is the hottest shows out on BET now.  There are so many sitcoms out that are based on real life.  I felt as if the assignment was the perfect opportunity to give me a chance to watch it. 

Competent Communication

 Someone who demonstrates competent communication skills to me is Walter Bond.  Walter Bond is a motivational speaker.  I went to a convention in Punta Cana in 2011 in Republic Dominican.  Walter Bond was the speaker at the conference.  Listening to Walter Bond changed my state of mind in regards to life, work and my goals.  Walter Bond spoke on accountability, motivation, leadership and inspiration.  His message was very motivating and he delivered an effective message.  He talked about his life and how he became the person he is today.  Walter Bond  introduces new techniques that strengthen every member of your team, as well as proven strategies that integrate accountability even more deeply into your operations.  He leaves the attendees motivated, inspired, and ready to take sustained action.  Walter teaches every individual how to overcome objections, incorporate storytelling, and establish him or herself as an expert.

                                                                 



 

I would definitely like to be an effective communicator like Walter Bond.  He delivers a positive message that really makes since.  Listening to him motivated me in my life and my career.  He stated that “the key to getting ahead lies in their current situation.”  With that being said I would like to motivate myself and others as well. 

You can Google Walter Bond or look at some of his conventions that he did on you tube.