Management Incubator: VOAGBR HIV/AIDS Services Office Gets a Makeover
A renovated and welcoming space is helping staff members advise people facing new challenges at Volunteers of America Greater Baton Rouge’s HIV/AIDS Services, which works with adults living with HIV/AIDS. As part of our Fall Management Incubator, teams of new and soon-to-be managers worked with VOAGBR, a Success Labs community partner.The two teams in the Management Incubator program were responsible for “adopting” the intake room and the case manager supervisor’s office. The intake room is used by all of the HIV/AIDS Services staff to meet with potential new clients and assess their needs. Case Manager Supervisor Lacie Narcisse uses her office to conduct videoconferencing with inmates living with HIV/AIDS and to perform case-management intake; both actions require privacy. Here’s how the Management Incubator teams improved the spaces while building leadership skills.
The Project
The two groups worked hard to identify needs, develop plans and find solutions that worked for everyone. Each team started with $250 and had four weeks to develop new spaces. Their challenges included collecting funds from their employers — each team eventually raised more than $1,000 — and dealing with changing budgets in that short amount of time.“Our team chose the ‘divide and conquer’ approach,” says Megan Courtney, tax manager at accounting firm Postlethwaite & Netterville. Each team member was assigned different tasks based on their abilities. One team member knew how to hang pictures on brick walls, so he was tasked with purchasing the supplies for doing so, Courtney says. Others took over buying different items for the room renovation. As the CPA on the team, Courtney tracked the budget.Claire Joyce, a consulting manager at Postlethwaite & Netterville whose team oversaw the renovation of Narcisse’s office, says collecting funds and coordinating schedules in a short period of time were her team’s two main challenges. “While we did not know what our final budget would be or when the funds would come in, we were able to prioritize our wish list of items to decide which items should be purchased first and which ones could wait until further funds came in,” she says.
The Results
The teams exceeded their goal of improving the functionality and aesthetics of both the intake room and the case manager supervisor’s office, making them more welcoming for clients and enhancing the therapeutic use of the space.“They did such a fabulous job,” Narcisse says. “[Clients] can open up to case managers and discuss their personal issues in a comfortable and inviting space. It’s a room where they can just relax.”Throughout the project, participants worked on communication, decision-making and other professional skills. “I learned a lot about myself and the leadership style I hope to develop over my career,” Courtney says. “My biggest takeaway was our lesson on professional branding. I’ve become more aware of the personal brand I portray to clients, co-workers and our firm leaders.”Joyce says her biggest takeaway was learning how to process situations and decisions. “I have already been able to see a difference in how I approach situations and conversations with more positive and opportunistic outcomes,” she says.Looking for ways to boost the leadership skills of your new managers? Contact us to learn about our leadership development and coaching offerings.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.