Staff Development—The Key Ingredient is You!

 (Part 2 of a 2-Part Series)

by Amia Barrows, Curriculum Advisory Committee Member and Training Coordinator of Newport News CASA, Inc., VA

In this economic climate, programs are often trying so hard to keep the doors open that they don’t put much energy into staff development. This can be short-sighted as program sustainability depends in part on program quality, which is measured in various ways. Familiar yardsticks such as outcomes for children, financial stability and volunteer and staff retention may all be affected by the level and content of staff development within a CASA/GAL program.

Successful staff development calls for a strong framework and a supportive management team that understands and encourages the development process. This framework can be a sound competency model for each position against which success can be measured. This tool (described more fully below) can enhance the quality and effectiveness of the CASA program. The supportive team may include not only the program director but quite possibly other managers who possess the time, willingness and skills necessary to encourage development. The whole idea is to have a culture within the CASA program that encourages the ongoing development of staff while also maintaining a focus on the organization’s goals.

In addition to holding program directors accountable, employees must hold themselves accountable for achieving their own development goals. Having a dedicated vision for self-development creates an open invitation for creative ideas and promising outcomes. In other words, employees have just as much responsibility as management to create a statement of purpose (aligned with the program’s mission) which will define the impact they hope to have.

Along these lines, here are a few things to ask yourself: What am I doing to encourage my own growth and development on a continuous basis? Are there any barriers to my personal development? What assumptions (perhaps false) do I have about my role, my impact and my value to the organization? How can I obtain a stronger foundation of knowledge in order to advance my career? Developing an understanding of your areas of competence will allow you to channel your energy into further developing what you already do well. Just as every CASA/GAL program aspires to provide the best representation for children, employees should strive to improve their performance to a “personal best” to enhance the effectiveness of the organization’s child advocacy efforts.

After participating in a training experience or attending a conference, many of us learn new and creative ways to enhance our skills. Where do we go from there? How can we transfer our cutting-edge ideas into everyday practice? And how can we continue to push ourselves to take our work to a higher level? One answer is to work within a competency model. The design of a thriving competency model can be built around four major themes:

1. A strategic map with skills/tasks that, once acquired, can lead to advancement
2. Consistent opportunities for employees to express their individual learning needs and desires as a part of an individual learning plan
3. Ongoing coaching to create an environment where it is okay to make mistakes, thus leading to more opportunities for learning
4. Feedback and support for the employee and manager to partner in evaluating where they are in the process, what progress has been made, what changes may need to occur and what (if any) are the challenges for growth.

With this model, employees have the ability to grow forward. They have opportunities to apply new skills and make any necessary changes on the path to success. They lead their own development, investing in themselves by attending CASA-related training as well as other trainings on child welfare, legal systems, nonprofit management, etc. Employees are encouraged to take advantage of various opportunities even if they are not immediately applicable to their role because there are agreed-upon goals for growth. Guidance is also provided to help employees learn from mistakes without wasting excessive energy on “things you didn’t do” or “things you should have done.” Staff members are challenged to continue moving forward by setting new goals, staying positive and planning for future success by moving thoughtfully through the development process.

In trying to gather a list of best practices for career success, I turned to someone whom I view as a personal mentor and strong supporter of my professional growth. Ruth Kravitz, North Carolina GAL training administrator, offered the following checklist of things that trainers can do when getting started with a CASA program:

1. Attend the “TOF” (Training of Facilitators) offered by the National CASA Association.
2. Spend time reviewing the National CASA volunteer training curriculum and preparing to facilitate your assigned chapter/sections.
3. Co-facilitate the pre-service training program with an experienced trainer or CASA staff person. Use evaluation forms to get honest feedback from your learners, but also ask for coaching from your co-facilitator. Notice what works and what doesn’t work for adult learners.
4. Build a support network with other local trainers. You may find a network or someone you can connect with to share ideas. Attend trainings, even if in other fields. This will allow you to expand your repertoire of tips and tricks as a trainer.

Successful competency models benchmark the areas where performance will be measured for career advancement. The key ingredient for success is buy-in from the manager and employee, each of whom is fully committed to the development process. Over time, this commitment can take everyone to a higher level of quality service.