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Frances Jones

December 2009 - TD Magazine

How to Spar Like a Champion

The winter 2011 issue of The Public Manager kicks off with a 3-article forum on homeless in the U.S. and what government can do to make a difference. Having had first-hand experience on these matters during my long government career - including assignments with the U.S. Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO) during the early years of the 'war on poverty" and the US Department of Health, Education & Welfare/Health & Human Services (HEW/HHS) - I was interested to learn what 's different in 2012! Well, these articles indicate that today's solutions are largely built around a combination of: 1) sustained, creative intra- and inter-governmental collaboration, 2) vigilant performance measurement (at all levels) and 3) smarter governance.The first article, contributed by U.S Department of Housing & Urban development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan, is "Ending Homelessness in Our Time: Why Smart Government is Key," offers a very promising overview - particularly the "teasers" about actual case illustrations across the country. One would like to learn more about the innovative efforts already showing results in Cleveland, Chicago, NYC, Greater KC, Nashville and the State of Utah and such related apporaches as "HUDstat" and the varied HUD partnerhsips with HHS, the US Departments of Labor (DOL), Education (EDUC) and Veterans Affairs (VA). Are there Web sites where we can learn more about these innovations AND their measurable performance outcomes? I guess for that, we'll have to dig further at HUD's Web site - which I will do and report back in my next post.The second article, Interagency Collaboration Moves the U.S. Closer to Ending Homelessness authored by Barbara Poppe, executive director of the US Interagency Council on Homelessness, drills down more deeply into the strategic planning, goals, roadmap building AND numerical measures of success that have gone into these efforts. The key to all these multi-farious investments and undertakings at different levels of government and the private sector is Opening Doors Across America, "the nation's first (integrated) strategic plan to prevent and end homelessness" which has four goals: 1) ending chronic homelessness by 2015; 2) preventing & ending homelessness among veterans by 2015; 3) preveneting & ending homelssness for families, youth & children by 2020; and 4) setting a path to end all types of homelessness.Finally, in the third article, Homes Wiped Away by Natural Disasters, Frances Edwards, former emergency preparedness director for San Jose CA, shares poignant lessons from several natural disaster-devestated communities that demonstrate what kind of mitigation steps can be put in place to reduce the extent of homelessness. Some of these measure include: risk-based zoning, strict building codes, limitations on building in flood zones and along fault lines, further requirements in wild land and urban interface zones, etc. Again, further probing needs to be done to share links to sites that provide readers with more details on the rich case illustrations Ms. Edwards refers to (including the Whittier Narrows earthquake of 1987, the Loma Prieta earthquake of 1989, the Oakland-Berkely Hilss firestorm of 1991 and Hurricane Katrina less than six years ago.Please feel free to share more thoghts and details (including links) on these and related matters. I will do likewise.

Confronting the Challenge of American Homelessness in the 21st Century

Joseph Mack III is a semiretired lawyer residing in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He has practiced labor and employment law for more than 40 years as both a partner in a major Pittsburgh law firm and as in-house counsel to a Fortune 200 manufacturing company. Joe’s experience includes litigation of numerous actions under federal and state fair employment, labor relations, occupational safety and health, and contract laws, including representation of clients in trials, injunction proceedings, administrative hearings, arbitrations, and mediations.Joe was an adjunct professor at Duquesne University School of Law for more than 10 years. He also served on the adjunct faculties of St. Francis University and LaRoche College. He has been a frequent trainer and lecturer on labor and employment law topics, and has contributed articles to a number of publications. Joe has served as regional co-chair of the ABA Committee on Practice and Procedure Before the National Labor Relations Board, and as a contributing editor to the ABA’s The Developing Labor Law. He received a law degree from the University of Michigan and an undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

Joseph Mack III

How do you successfully obtain your dream job when your current position does not properly reflect your skill set?This was my exact situation two years ago: I was struggling to find a path to my ideal career using the work experience I already had. Here are three quotes that demonstrate how I was able to find my way. Each quote promotes a mindset that will help you build a sound career foundation. “Do what you have to do, in order to do what you want to do.”—Denzel Washington, The Great DebatersThis concept is similar to having to take one course before you are allowed to take another. Ensure that you research the prerequisites for whatever you want to do and complete those tasks first (educational courses, certifications, work experience, outreach, and so forth). Additionally, don’t resist taking on responsibilities you initially may not find beneficial. For instance, before I became a trainer, I was working as an eligibility clerk. I was given tedious assignments such as consolidating registration forms or making appointment reminder calls to patients, work I thought was more suitable for interns or volunteer staff. However, later I realized that the experience helped increase my customer service and curriculum-building skills. Thus, it is important to view every job as an opportunity to optimize your skills and not as a setback.“Wise men make more opportunities than they find.”—Sir Francis BaconTime and time again I was turned down for positions that I felt were more in line with what I wanted to do. I began to feel stuck and frustrated, but I learned that I had to create the opportunities I wanted instead of trying to find ones that already existed. So, I contacted the organizational learning and effectiveness (OLE) department at my company and asked if they had any open positions. They told me they didn’t, so I asked if I could volunteer in their department to gain experience. Although they said the volunteer position would be unpaid, I happily pursued the opportunity. I volunteered in the OLE department for four months, gaining experience in facilitating new employee orientation, designing and coordinating workshops, developing standard works, and deploying employee engagement surveys. I was able to network with people who had the job titles and knowledge I wanted; as a result, I was referred to a group facilitation skills workshop that became a vital addition to my resume.Be confident and resourceful when establishing a career foundation. Remember, the only limits that exist are the ones you create.“For a cup brimful of sweet water cannot spill even one drop of bitter water, however suddenly jolted.”_—_Amy Carmichael, IfIn the midst of trying to find the job that’s right for you, your patience and politeness will be tested. Learn to persevere and remain humble despite life’s trials and tribulations. When you feel angry, uninspired, or defeated, ask yourself:How will being rude to my co-workers or customers benefit me?How will being lazy at work because it’s “not what I want to do” positively contribute to my work ethic?How will being cynical allow me to approach challenging situations objectively?Try to envision what your triumphant testimony will look like once you have successfully accomplished your goals. Don’t let spiteful co-workers, irate customers, unorganized work environments, or an unsupportive manager deter you from growing professionally. Consistency and patience are key, and you may even enjoy the journey if you smile along the way!According to R.M. Frischmann in Online Personal Brand: Skill Set, Aura, and Identity, “Transferable skills are the ones that can be used across subjects and disciplines. Technical skills are related to a specific discipline.” You must work passionately to obtain the technical skills you need to be hired for the position you want. But equally important, you must identify which skills you currently possess that are transferable. There’s strength in being proactive; do what’s necessary, create a path if there isn’t one, and remember that a smile is your greatest accessory.ATD young professionals are encouraged to get involved and submit content to ATD blogs. Find out more about how you can share your content and ideas. Attending the ATD 2015 International Conference & Exposition? View a list of events and activities for young professionals.

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