For 2024’s Community of Practice series we picked five topics that we think reflect the spirit of lifelong learning. We will never know everything about these evolving and challenging topics. There is rarely just one right answer. But by taking time to talk about these issues with our peers, we get insight and learn new perspectives. We hope you will join us for these facilitated conversations on Zoom that are made better by your presence.
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Evaluation: Using Data Ethically - April 25th In our field, the four main ethical concerns related to data are privacy/confidentiality, transparency and trust, equity, and maintaining our social responsibility. In this conversation, we will explore each of these issues and their implications for our behaviors and practices when using data to make decisions. Real World DEI: A Look at Privilege - May 23rd In 2017, “White Rage” by Carol Anderson was published. In 2018, “White Fragility” by Robin DiAngelo came on the scene. This seeming juxtaposition has the common theme of privilege (having it and keeping it). Applying intersectionality concepts further complicates privilege. We invite you to have this conversation in a safe space: What makes many White people resistant to the notion of privilege, and how does it help or hurt when White people accept it? Does underlying privilege have to be accepted in a community to authentically address DEI issues? Real World DEI: A Closer Look at Self-Assessment - June 27th Learning, unlearning or re-learning equitable and inclusive living is a process, and a personal one at that. Three bias and discrimination tools will be brought to the table, and participants are welcome to bring assessments they may have used. Our conversation will focus on the moments and on-going changes – the a-ha moments – that a good self-assessment creates. We will also discuss how individual self-assessment can transform into organizational assessment. Creativity: Your Professional Spark - July 25th “Don’t wait for inspiration. It comes while working.” – Henri Matisse. Oh, snap! Does it?! Whether it does or doesn’t, let’s talk about creativity, how we stoke it, how we grow it, and most importantly, how we do or don’t, can or cannot, bring our creative selves to our daily work lives. And is your daily work life different from your profession? We will also brainstorm ways to get creativity flowing at work, and discuss guidelines for keeping it on track. Leadership: Exploring 2 Types: Servant & Transformational - August 22nd Greenleaf is credited with beginning servant leadership with an essay in 1970, and our field, practiced mostly in a non-profit setting, tends to attract servant leaders. In the 1980s, Bass expanded on Burns’ 1970’s Transformational Leadership theory and added ways to measure its success. There are excellent reasons to practice these styles, and there are challenges as well. We will discuss how we practice these styles (whether we knew we did or not!), other styles of leadership that we use, challenges we experience in leading with these styles, and how we can continue to grow in our leadership journey. |
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These conversations will be held virtually from Noon to 1:00pm (CST) on 4th Thursday's of the month beginning in April. Registration is now open, so mark your calendar and plan to join us for Community of Practice conversations with hosts Cindy Pharis and Steve Miller. |