The successes that I have experienced establishing and sustaining career pathways are sourcing willing participants. In general many individuals in the community are eager to explore their options and work towards building a fruitful pathway to vocational and career success. However, the biggest challenge is finding staff in the workforce development field who have the layered and nuanced skilll to work with trainees and community partners/stakeholders effectively. Without the full buy in from the staff in place to support individuals -- I have seen how even the most noble intentioned initiatives dont reach their full potential. I like the idea of investing within the workforce development professional communiitesm namely the advisors and career coaches and ensuring that they possess the competencies to provide quality support and guidance, especially within career sectors that are evolving rapidly (IT, technology). 

I recall a professional relationship deteriorating to the point where I could no longer speak with a person. I think it boiled down to neither of us listening to each other, taking the stance that our perspective was the correct and only important point of view. If I could revise the approach, I would have checked my own understanding of her perspective and been more readily available to listen to what she had to say. It is one of the worst professional relationships I was forced to maintain due to our positions but one that could have been resolved if I had better insight. Luckily this was over 10 years ago but it remains a model of relationship that I never want to experience again and was one of the greatest professional learning lessons for me. 

I recall needing to resolve a persistent operational issue in my current Office.  found it necessary to address with the team because it was leading to conflicts on the team. Using our weekly huddle, I presented the problem as a big question for us to tackle and answer which I assumed would lead to a resolution. When I think about that approach, where I misstepped was not checking my assumptions. I started the meeting defining the issue for everyone instead of gaining clarity from everyone on where they felt the breakdown of the process existed. This exemplified not thinking intentionally about the issue before trying to tackle it and if I could do it over again, I would pose the question beforehand and gather multiple perspectives before dropping it as a well formed issue before everyone. 

Planning guiding questions ahead of a meeting will be helpful and supportive of ensuring all participants/stakeholders have space and opportunity to deposit their perspectives in the meeting. Creating opportunity for all to be heard helps move items along -- eventually to solutions or resolutions. 

I recall a former supervisor who was an excellent wordsmith and was a master at crafting talking points that were influential and impactful. She had a relatable delivery which I think helped bring much power and emotion to what she was presenting (in this case it was around the importance of supporting court involved youth in Brooklyn). She was able to advocate for the youth so powerfully that the council person and one of the community organizational leaders in the meeting, jumped up in full support and less than 6 months later, the idea she had for revising what "support" meant and looked like became a palpable pathway between the community organizations, NYPD and the community courts. That meeting was so powerful and years later remains a model for the type of leader I hope I am developing into.