Morning ... mornin ... Up early this morning ... lot’s to do, lot’s to do. Walked around the J-block, but it seems like some of the folks have taken a breather to catch up with their lives or something. You know ... get to the door and find a note that says gone fishin or shoppin ... that sort of thing.
We had a pretty good day yesterday. The person scheduled for intake, was a no show so we had a pretty clear schedule to do as we wanted. We started in soon enough, but ran into some problems straight off. The cables were down for the Internet and printers, so we had down time figuring out all that. We went a whole day without our regular access’ which was very frustrating. I didn’t even have my music! We usually listen to new age (without commercials!) *Sigh* Today, might be a similar type day. Needs to make do.
After we let that project go, we went straight to work scheduling in the hours we’d listed yesterday. Wanted to know how it was going to sketch in. That took some time to plan out, but we’re very satisfied with the end result. It’s going to take another kind of stick-to-itness to make it all work out, but it is kind of fun to think we might be this organized one day.
Toward the end of all that, the other Q came to visit. This doesn’t happen a whole lot. Usually, we both stick to our own corners of the building. Hehehe. I don’t remember what she originally came in for, but we had a nice heart-to-heart. On occasion we’re up to this. We consider it bringing her up to speed. I think the big difference here is that we talk to Sr. Tess many times during the day, where the other Q avoids the boss as much as possible.
I remember the other Q saying something like ... well, nobody is saying who’s going to do the new billing ... hehe we inserted, "You will be." She knows me enough to know we are in the know about this kind of stuff. Then she started to complain about having too much work to do. So, we inserted in "Staff Training is going to be taken away, as will On-the-Job Training." It was like, "OH?" Told her it would probably be announced by Sr. Tess at today’s Administration meeting.
Actually, I think it’s a good thing that someone warns her in advance of big changes, so she can prepare for it. True to form, she started figuring things out right away. If this, than that, and this and that. She was basically told that some of the staff had been complaining and that three years of the same material was too much. In general, just a change in pace. Neither of us mentioned how much she was going to be losing in a fascade of "power" she’s been thrusting on the staff. This is the stuff that remains unspoken in front of her. No one wants to hurt her ... just needs to be fixed. DSPs were complaining about a lack of professionalism in this Q’s meetings.
We also went over and better coordinated some of what each had considered in the official "Qs'" scheduling. She was like, "Oh, your doing this and this?" Yep, yep! I know that we are getting the bigger projects and she is getting left with answering the door when the secretaries not there and substituting. I’ve been there before and it made me cringe to do these tasks. Substituting isn’t as bad, because it’s always great being with the clients, but it cuts back on the time I really need to think. Hehe being with clients is the easy "take-a-break" stuff.
The other Q left thinking though how important she and her tasks were. We’ve of no mind to help her think any different. I told Sr. Tess from the beginning and all along, I did NOT want to be doing monotonous billing. And, we’ve figured all along that we need to keep this Q de-stressed to some degree and from nudging into the areas I consider "Mine." We’ve long ago held the upper hand. Hmm, are we recognizing a little competiteness?! Sorry, just we've been told often we're sometimes intimidating. Trying to walk softer, but it's not always in our stride. These important people in our life have to deal with our multiplicity as far as attitudes and abilities just as we do.
The other issue we talked about was that with the 12 new clients. I’d get 4 and she’d get 8. Hehe, she had a little problem stumbling through that one. She started to back slide (how important she was for getting most the clients), couldn’t let her over compensate here ... reminded her she would have 2 more clients than us. She’s just catching up! LOL
The rest of the day was spent more focussed on another project. I’d gotten the other Q’s and Sr. Tess’ weighting of the program areas by Group for my Performance analysis report. The numbers for all four Administration Team would be averaged out and used as our "Benchmark" for the DSPs to follow. Our friend wasthe last one to tap into when he stopped by after a meeting with Sr. in the city. (That meeting is going to be bad for intake, but we’ll go into that after today’s Administration Meeting).
Man ... if you want somethingtough to do ... try to change someone’s perspective when they KNOW all the answers! That’s what was needed with our friend. We had (a couple of weekends ago) figured out how to use the above weighting to balance hours spent by each group for each area. It was above normal thinking skills used. We had done long math and tested out our theories and knew they worked.
Our friend walked into it and decided to adamantly oppose all "outside-the-box" thinking. You know if we are not sure of what we’re doing it is one thing, but heaven forbid you try being pessimistic when we "KNOW" we are in the right! This parade shall not be rained out!
In the process he gave many, many long minute statements explaining why he was right. We figured out during the process that all we needed to do was cut him off every 4-5 minutes of speech making (as much info as we could remember) to contradict his way of thinking within 2 minutes time. (He's impatient and often wants just to be heard). I know when I have him on the run, because he starts saying things like "It’s my way because I have had 30 years in the field," or "It’s my way because I’m the boss." Man-o-man dead pan alley ‘bout this strategy!
He said things like ... (paraphrased) change won’t be accepted by the DSPs and if you schedule them (aim to reach Administrative benchmarks), you will lose their creativity. We think our friend has great thoughts and ability to use his mind, but his thinking is limited to the impression he gives of his thoughts ARE the only valid thoughts. We have tendencies to stretch possibilities ... because, acutually we’ve been around some too! I usually win by including his contradictions in my own theory producing. It’s a grumbly session, but the after affect is being able to surpass my previous thinking. I don’t believe he has all the answers, but he opens up avenues of new thought.
He couldn’t respond properly to how the DSPs "creatively" set their areas to their own preferences like favoring math, life skills or language, or ignoring motor skills. We said, "My system welcomes REAL creative thinking ... the stray DSP who decides to pour herself into a 4 day science sprint," but then in my system - her disregarding other client needs has tobe held in accountability. There has to be a why for what happens, it can’t be done whimsically.
Even the Administration Team is held at bay with their own areas of preference for each of the group by being only one quarter of the vote. Check and balances always should beheld in place. Because in the short and long run, we should each be able to specifically answer, "how is this particular hour session going to improve the quality of the client’s life."
Our ace card is Sr. Tess on this one. She’s caught on to the fact that without the interference by the Administrative Team, the DSP’s are basically doing whatever they feel like at the moment. No one is making or meeting goals and all learning is haphazard.
We aided her thinking by allowing her to realize such things as Group 1 does 18 hours a week in trying to make change for a dollar, Group 2 spends inordinate time in front of the computers although there are no client goals in computer. Group 3 hasn’t begun work in motor skills, and Group 4 claims 77% of the time in language, although if we asked, I’m sure that staff couldn’t tell me what her objectives are for each of the clients. From what we see ... her language time is that she might talk to the individuals which is pretty interesting since only one of the five shows any interest in listening. She also didn’t know that Group 4 spent only 30 hours for the year in exercise. Our friend thinks exercise should be 50% of this groups goal. Little discrepancies?
We know that the DSPs are not going to like change, but then again, we should be ridding ourselves of the DSPs who aren’t capable of doing more than they feel like at the moment! I’d like to know along with that parent who stood up the other day in the parent’s meeting, "What is the individuals learning in that group?!" Something should happen from what staff does to affect a change (positive) in the clients. Otherwise, we're just babysitting and entertaining.
I think the one point that is most key with all our programming is that we need to state, "This is what I am doing to teach/train the client to progress." I think it fair to that you need to be teaching/training specifically to meet goals, such as giving more confidence, allowing more trust, sharing joy. I’m at this point pretty against teaching 4 quarters equal one dollar. I’ve been there and now know better. Cuz the truth is the client is going to put a dollar in the pop machine and not bother counting out the change. If you haven’t figured out the "marker" of counting change at 21-40 years of age ... it is time to be moving on to somethingmore useful!
Oh man-o-man ... sorry, this has become a bit of a rage. One way or another, although complaining all the way, my friend after arguing an hour and a half ... completed the 10 minute assignment. Pshwew ... then fortunately he left! I was able to use the next 4½ hours to "work the numbers" that I now finally had in hand. They were beauties as far as numbers go. I worked on 5 separate statistical sets and their corresponding charts. It took me awhile to find a .0326 difference from the perfection I was seeking. Could have cried when it came out so cleanly toward the points I’d been advocating all along!
I know I have to finish one more set before the meeting today and hope I can print out the charts without my printer, but ... man is this the good stuff! Life’s just a wonder to behold! One more step to a more effective/efficient and more mutually satisfying program! It’s a good battle!! Maybe we should take our calm down medicine now? *Giggle* We have to drive in traffic!
Picture - http://forums.relicnews.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=20878
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