Latest Management Incubator Series Session Participants Improve Offices For VOAGBR
Participants in the latest session of the Success Labs Management Incubator Series worked with Volunteers of America Greater Baton Rouge to refurbish two staff offices for the organization’s Support Coordination Services Program. The goal was to improve the quality of the shared office spaces and create a comfortable, productive work environment for the employees who coordinate services for more than 250 low-income seniors and people with disabilities.“With four service coordinators housed in one office and three in another, the offices were screaming for a makeover,” says Amanda L. Gustavson, VOAGBR marketing and fund development director. With everyone’s heavy caseload, “it just wasn’t a project that our staff or a typical volunteer group could handle.”As part of every Management Incubator Series, participants are divided into two teams and assigned to work on a project similar to what they might encounter at work. They have a tight turnaround time and have to put their skills to work with a new team, focusing on getting results while being creative, efficient and professional. Working on the project also helps them experience what it’s like to be a leader at a company while giving back to the community.After walking through the VOAGBR offices, the teams put together plans to improve functionality, layout, workflow and overall aesthetics. They were given a budget of $250 to start with, and then raised additional money for the project. Each team adjusted its plans as members got input from VOAGBR staff about what they wanted and needed in their work space.
Team A
This five-person team worked on an office space shared by four service coordinators. “We all approached the project with excitement and eagerness to help,” says Jelisa Richard of Starmount Life Insurance. “We all had leadership qualities and wanted the best possible outcome so we worked together very well. Everyone was willing and ready to help and eager to go and do what it took to get the job completed.”The limited financial resources were a challenge, Richard says, but the fundraisers and personal contributions helped. As a result, the team raised more than it needed for the remodel, so members gave the staff a gift card to continue the improvements.Richard says participating in the incubator helped her grow. “Understanding my competencies and identifying other personality types has made a huge impact on how I perform daily at work. I communicate better with my peers and boss and I am more confident about sharing my ideas and goals with them. I constantly refer to things that we learned about branding, change, and ethics and I find myself looking for opportunities to apply what I’ve learned.”
Team B
This four-person team worked to improve the office space for three service coordinators. At the start, no one wanted to take the leader role for the project, so they collaborated to complete it, says Dawn M. Boniol, claims quality assurance administrator at LWCC. When they brainstormed, everyone’s vision was very different, so they had to go back to the drawing board to incorporate feedback from the VOAGBR staff members. “Overall, everyone stayed positive and approached the project with enthusiasm.”Boniol says participating was a challenge for her because she had a lot to do at work during the weeks the program was taking place. She focused on organizing and prioritizing her work responsibilities, delegated some of her duties, and communicated with a wide variety of people to set expectations for what she could do during the program.“I learned the importance of teamwork,” she says. “I typically work by myself all day and seldom have opportunities to interact with others. I also learned the importance of appreciating diversity. If you were to ask me to develop a team, I would likely want to pick personalities similar to my own. By learning the personality profiles, I can better understand how different personal traits function, what they value, and how they can benefit a team in areas that others may be lacking. Lastly, I expanded my personal network of people!”
Learning to Give Back
The Management Incubator Series is a win for everyone, Gustavson says. “Though we receive the wonderful result of each Management Incubator project, we also get to give back. By having our project to practice on, smart, savvy, and ambitious young people in our community develop professional skills that will help them rise in their careers.” It also gives developing leaders an introduction to corporate volunteerism and philanthropy.Success Labs has been including VOAGBR in the Management Incubator Series for years now, and each project affects the people the organization serves as well, Gustavson says. “For example, one of the improvements in this project was the creation of a central, designated location for commonly used forms to be stored for use by all of the staff. Now, when an SC goes out to meet with a potential participant for the first time, he or she can go to that area, choose the appropriate forms and get out the door quickly rather than digging around to find what is needed. A simple change? Yes, but one that improves the work-life of our staff, helps them to use their time more efficiently, and ultimately translates into better quality service for the people we serve and their families.”Gustavson has nothing but praise for the outcomes. “After seeing the final result, I honestly couldn’t believe they were the same rooms that we gave them at the beginning of the project! Their passion for the details really touched our staff’s hearts and made them feel that the work that they do behind closed doors every day was recognized and appreciated by the community.”Let us know if you’d like to send some of your emerging leaders to the Success Labs Management Incubator.Success Labs is a leadership development and management consulting firm in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. For more than 25 years, our expert team of consultants has worked with hundreds of companies to explore their business potential and improve their company and cultural performance. Contact us to get proactive about your people strategy.