Inspiration in Supervision

Presented by: Tara Horsley Peter Carter Juanita Graham-Smith Kelly Franklin Linda R. Barrett

Inspiration is Key

Kouzes & PosnerStaff are looking for inspiring leaders

People want to have “meaning & purpose” (2007, p. 34)

Margaret Wheatley“meaning is the most powerful motivator” (2005, p.121)

Daniel Pink“autonomy leads to engagement” (2009, p. 108)

“motivated people...hitch their desires to a cause larger than themselves” (2009, p. 131)

Inspiration means…

New Possibilities

Inspiring leaders...• Develop a shared vision for the future• Employ a social justice framework• Promote change through education, dialogue and reflection

“... people that challenge the status quo believe in their ability to do something”

Kouzes & Posner, 2002, p. 180

Motivation

Inspiring leaders...• Bring out the best in others • Enable them to act and foster collaboration• Promote staff engagement• Utilize intrinsic motivators • Create a sense of purpose

IdentityInspiring leaders...• Lead from the heart• Are guided by their values and beliefs• Practice authenticity

“To model the way you must be first clear on your guiding principles.”

Kouzes & Posner, 2002, p. 14

As the old man walked along the beach at dawn, he noticed a young man ahead of him picking up starfish and flinging them into the sea.

Finally catching up with the youth, he asked him why he was doing this. The answer was that the stranded starfish would die if left until the morning sun. "But the beach goes on for miles and there are millions of starfish," countered the other. "How can your effort make any difference?"

The young man looked at the starfish in his hand then threw it to safety in the waves. "It makes a difference to this one," he said.

~Author Unknown

There is something very special in each and every one of us. We have all been gifted with the ability to make a difference. And if we can become aware of that gift, we gain through the strength of our

visions the power to shape the future. We must each find our starfish. And if we throw our stars wisely and well, the world will

be blessed.

Stories and metaphors can be used in supervision as tools to motivate and relate to complex and simple issues and problems.

Stories are the way that we convey important ideas to each other and are an integral part of preserving

culture. Stories have always been the personalizing, humanizing, and empathizing process that has defined relationships, bound us to communities, and connected

us to our surroundings. Stories have been the metaphorical and mythological language that has given

context, justification and meaning to our very existence. Each story is intended to describe and

explain the meaning of events, to bond the listener to the speaker, and then connect them both by shared

experience to a common place.

Stories have a way to connect and stay with us like nothing else can. They tap into our inner feelings and make us part of it. The reason why we remember stories is because they pull on our emotional strings. They make us think and they make us feel. And it’s that feeling that helps us remember.

Being conscious as a leader in our influence on others and providing opportunity through giving hope. Valuing uniqueness so even the smallest individual is deemed important, and leaving no one behind in the process. The shared meaning that develops along the way and creates a new journey.

We can relate to the starfish in our personal challenges and we have experienced feeling alone and hopeless. We need to recalibrate and

acknowledge who we are and where we are at. In times of our despair it is that one individual that can change us and make a difference. Our

viewpoint on situations influences our activism and choices we make.

Maintaining balance as a leader will illuminate in those we are in contact with and sustain an holistic approach in the mental, physical, spiritual and emotional lives of others. Nourishing

ourselves and staying true to our values and ethics along the way.

We hope that you have been inspired by our presentation, the pictures and stories that represent inspiration to our group. Thank you.

References

Kouzes, J.M., & Posner, B.Z. (2002). The leadership challenge 3rd edition. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Kouzes, J.M., & Posner, B.Z. (2007). The leadership challenge 4th edition. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Pink, D. (2009). Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us. New York, NY: Penguin Group.

Wheatley, M. (2005). Finding our way: Leadership for an uncertain time. San Francisco, CA: Berrett- Koehler.