Running head: ENCOURAGING

Certified Public Manager Program

Hezedean A. Smith, MA, EMT-P

701 Gentry Court, Gotha, FL 34734

dean.smith@cityoforlando.net

Florida State University

Level 1 Assignment – Encouraging the Heart

Submitted on: January 7, 2013 I. THE HEART OF LEADERSHIP – SELF ASSESSMENT RESULTS

The results of the self-assessment are very accurate and surprising. I have a good understanding of what it means to encourage the heart and the benefits of doing so, however I may not commit fully to doing that consistently. The idea of getting closer to people I supervise is not necessarily a comfortable one for the most part. I usually force myself to open up while encouraging the heart. Some of the influences of this behavior may have been passed on during my prior military years and simply as a result of my personality style and culture. I prefer not to have too many people knowing how I feel emotionally on a personal level. Being very aware of the need for complimenting and rewarding my team is a priority regardless of my personal preference. My score was somewhere in the median and not necessarily at the lower limits.
Improvement opportunities will be explored during my duty days. They will include setting aside time to engage in simple “chit chat” with my Lieutenants on the job. Additionally, I will ensure that various times throughout the day, I will stop and talk with others on the team. Within some limitations, sharing personal things with my Lieutenants will demonstrate a more open spirit of communication. As I moved through the chapters in the book, my expectation is to gain a different perspective on ways to further encourage the hearts of my team at the fire department. The good news was that

II. THE ESSENTIALS OF LEADERSHIP a. Set Clear Standards (Chapter 4) 1. As the Valencia College Paramedic Program Simulation Coordinator, the standard of performance for our students is very clear. During the first week of classes, there is emphasis and detailed discussions on expected standards of performance, behavior, and competency assessment. 2. The standards are printed and provided to every student. They are required to sign an form attesting they have been provided information about the standards discussed and that they agree and understand the standards of the Paramedic Simulation laboratory that will ensure their success in the semester. b. Expect the best 3. By expecting the best, simulations from prior classes are reviewed during the initial orientation session. The important thing to note is that the program is over 4 semesters and students are together for the entire semester as long they maintain an appropriate grade average of 80%. 4. The videos reviewed (2) provide an overview of the initial weeks of the Paramedic Laboratory simulations where the students are not competent in various dimensions. The discussion about expectations then shifts to videos at the end of each semester in a “then-and-now” conceptual approach. The session is then summarized with the instructors reiterating the expectations of performance. Finally, a recent graduate from the program speaks to the incoming class members about their experience with the program. c. Pay Attention 5. During the course of the semester, the concept of debriefing is fully implemented after class meetings and simulations. Every student is analyzed in the video as to their performance as a team leader, participation as a team member and their overall understanding of the simulation objectives specific the scenario. 6. During pre-course activity and student preparation for the simulations, instructors move around the classroom to have mini-discussion with each student in an attempt to pay attention to their mode, feelings, preparation, and commitment. The student easily demonstrates this during “non-class” time when they are simply not aware that they are being evaluated. More importantly to note, is that it is truly not an evaluation but an opportunity to speak with students in an informal setting where they are for a lack of better word relaxed. d. Personalize Recognition 7. Individual and team performance is recognized during the semester. As students and teams demonstrate exemplary simulation scenario management, the faculty members vote on the best individual and team performance. 8. The students are then recognized in front of the class and invited staff includes the Program Director (mid-term and end of semester) and the Dean of the Program (at the end of the semester). They are provided a certificate suitable for framing as well. Informally, during debriefing sessions, students are also recognized for good performance as team leaders and members of the group. e. Tell the Story 9. Telling the story is used to convey the importance of being committed to success in the Paramedic program. At the orientation session and the beginning of every semester, recent graduates volunteer their time to come in and speak with the new students about their experience during the previous year. 10. They are reminded of the importance in committing themselves and preparedness. Throughout the year current students have the opportunity to tell their stories of how it prepare and what areas of weaknesses they have focused on improving. The instructors also tell the story of student achievement and strengths that are identified. f. Celebrate Together 11. During the semester and at the end of every semester we celebrate the mini-accomplishment as we move toward the final goal of graduating and certifying new Paramedics from the program. 12. The achievements of all the students are celebrated while recognizing that more work is ahead. This celebration brings the group even closer together in an attempt to encourage the hearts of the students and prepare for upcoming semester challenges. g. Set the Example 13. As the Simulation Coordinator, the example is set by me recognizing faculty members and other support staff during the semester as well as at the end of the program.

III. APPLYING THE PRINCIPLES

Make Sure People Get Regular, Specific Feedback

During the first semester at the College, the new paramedic students were provided regular and specific feedback about their strengths, weakness and areas of improvement that were necessary after every simulation. For the most part, things went right because as the students progressed through the semester they realized the important changes that needed to come about in order for them to succeed in the first phase of the one-year program.
Some students responded negatively while suggesting that they we being picked on because they did not see any other student being provided regular and specific feedback. While keeping in mind that some needed more feedback than others. Regardless the feedback was provided privately in the instructor office. One of the things that went wrong was that all instructors were not implementing the similar approach to regular and specific feedback. They felt that every student could benefit from the feedback being provided to each student. While true, some students felt that their privacy was left open and other were able to see where their deficiencies were in the various scenarios. Some took it as a personal attack on their performance when indeed many others benefited based on their feedback. The new approach will involve an explanation not only to the students, but the faculty members as well, indicating that consistent, regular feedback will be implemented during the next semester. However, as faculty we need to be aware of the impact that some feedback may have on students. While it is in the best interest of learning, we need to be cognizant as to not embarrass a student with regular and consistent feedback in front of a group.

Ways for students to monitor themselves

As a normal approach to simulation and paramedic education, students were expected to debrief using the videotaped simulations that are recorded throughout the various sessions. An important thing that we became aware of was that the students were often times evaluating the “group” which on occasion they would be a member of the group. However, what we were failing to do was to give the student an opportunity to monitor themselves during the simulation of emergency scenes during the laboratory recordings. Subsequently, we developed a Student Monitoring Form via the online Blackboard resource that each student was required to complete in addition to the standard SWOT analysis of the group’s performance. The approach worked very well in terms of the students completing the monitoring as required (compliance). However, their commitment was lacking as it related to honest and open feedback. Majority of the students commented with more focus on other team-members but during their documentation and monitoring of themselves they appeared less than honest with the monitoring expectations. As a result, the form was revised to specifically request the students to commit themselves to articulating strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for improvement in a more comprehensive way. They were required to compare their reported strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities to that of the group and the performance thereof. This forced them to honestly monitor themselves in an effort to improve their performance during the semester.
Practice Smiling
Overall this method was rather successful during the trial period. Students appeared more relaxed when I was smiling during various teaching sessions. A consequence of the smiling was that some students whom had already formed an impression of my personality style seemed confused by the smile and suspicious. So I had to readjust the technique of smiling, by using a smile plan.
The plan included, when I greeted the students for the sessions, I would smile, and immediately once the simulation started, I would relax the smile and focus on the seriousness of the simulations. For the most part, the best thing that really came out of the approach was that at some point the students and I exchanged thoughts about the benefits of smiling as it related to the learning process. Others felts that smiling gave them a sense of comfort while some thought trickery was at hand. In the end, smiling is my first choice during interactions not only during my teaching days but also in my personal life.
Don’t wait for a ceremony to recognize someone

During the course of the fifteen-week semester, quite a few students demonstrate leadership qualities while doing simulations. Generally, our faculty members usually wait until the end of the paramedic year to recognize the outstanding leader in the class based on a vote by all members.
The new strategy was discussed with all faculty members that we would routinely recognize top performers every month based on the feedback from students during their monitoring write-ups and from observations made during the team simulations. This proved very motivating to the students and encouraged them to prepare more adequately for each week’s simulation experience. On the downside, some faculty members thought is was too frequent an event and that it would eventually get watered down because of the ten-month program. The major factor being that the recognition was simply a certificate given from month to month without any increase in award as the semester continued. Increasing the “perceived” value of the award would definitely emphasize the need for continued demonstration of leadership.
Recognition in a place where accomplishment occurred
Recognizing the top performer immediately after a simulation was usually done during the debriefing in the main classroom. The new approach focused on executing the recognition immediately after each and every scenario in the simulation room. Students that participated in the scenario would be debriefed and recognition given to the students that demonstrated mastery and competency based on the objectives.
The downside of this approach was that the other students who were observers of the scenario were not in the immediate area where the accomplishment occurred. They monitored the scenarios in an observation room. As a result the recognitions occurred but were not appreciated by the rest of the students because they would not hear the immediate feedback. As a result of this approach we had to complete the debriefing and recognition while in the simulation room on camera. This allowed the observers to watch and listen to the debrief and recognitions through the local area network on the DVR.

References
Kouzes, James M. and Barry Z. Posner, Encouraging The Heart: A Leader’s
Guide To Rewarding And Recognizing Others. 1st ed. San Franscisco: Jossey-Bass, 1999.