At a conference this week, wheee

[Zoe Girl]

Okay I know that I am geeky about this stuff but I get to go to a conference this week. It was a half day today, full day tomorrow and half day Thursday. It is on Collective Impact by an organization that we work a lot with (Civic Canopy). I already have new friends, so nice to be with people who are talking about the same things. I really think that someone higher than me in our organization should be here but I found the conference and no one else wanted to go so I get to represent us. I also think it is a great career booster, the head of Civic Canopy recognized me from our work, and there are lots of people doing similar work and looking at how to build really robust collaborations that drive impact to network with. I went to one session led by a couple who worked with the UN for 20 years all around the world in communities that was great.

So I need to bring more business cards tomorrow.

Meanwhile one of my after school instructors went into labor and the school had to handle the phone calls for me, my kids in my program were HORRIBLE without me there (I am gone tomorrow during program as well), and my staff was running late and didn't let her coworker know. I am very needed at site but they have to live without me sometimes.

[nswef]

ZG, they will survive.

[Zoe Girl]

yes they will, and I am feeling good because a year ago I would have not done this!

I got to talk to grown ups and wear a skirt! (I am always prepared to sit on the floor at work)

[Tammy]

I'm glad it was a mess without you. Those experiences are a vivid demonstration of both your value to the company and perhaps that you need more help. Let them drown without you. Don't apologize for being gone when you return and they complain. Instead, calmly state that those conditions are a daily occirance for you. And then let them stew.

[Teacher Terry]

Enjoy your conference and Tammy is right!

[nswef]

Great words Tammy!

[Zoe Girl]

Somehow my work phone did not update any texts for an entire day! OMG, there was more that happened but I am sure it is basically okay (no injuries or lost kids is my standard) I am glad I didn't count on having my supervisor help either because she has the 'death flu', it is better to set up supports internally at my school than expect someone to come over and sub. Being short staffed is the regular way of business for most of us, so it is more about the school and families understanding the limits of what I can offer at times rather than my supervisors. They get it,

BTW I have an assistant and an aide now! I really need a program leader because the aide needs lot of training and support but she has a good attitude and energy compared to my one negative staff so I am excited to get her started.

Oh yeah, so excited about what I am learning and seeing career paths and possibilities. So far I had one person ask for my card because she wants to work on using mindfulness in facilitating groups better.

[TVRodriguez]

Exciting, Zoe Girl! Wow, you have an assistant and an aide--good! Yes, it's good to be missed sometimes at work. And at the same time, it's great to go to conferences when you really feel like you are gaining from them. Gaining knowledge, contacts, energy--that's wonderful!

[Zoe Girl]

Yes I am having fun. The summit is on Collective Impact, which means I have been to 4 sessions on things that really affect my work and how to go forward to make a bigger impact by collaborations. I went to one today on data, how to use data to clarify your work, bridge gaps when working with people, and track for continuous improvement. I am a data geek and was in a room with other data geeks. Really thoughtful people looking deeply at problems, and even our own role in both helping and not helping. I thought about some of the conversations here where people question the types of work some of us do, shouldn't people be more independent type of thing. I can say that those of us inside these organizations ask these questions of ourselves and look deeply at our assumptions. What was exciting was how collective impact works is that you have tools to look at a problem and get more deeply into the causes and conditions which goes interesting place. So working on teen pregnancy may lead to realizing they need more living wage jobs and then businesses can say what they need for work skills, and schools can work on what they are teaching. I am in the idealistic mode right now after talking to people who are in the same type of work. In my regular job I am one of 50 with the same job title, I know I am considered top of the group however in my role I don't get to have these kind of conversations, it is more a supervisor or up conversation. Most of the time we are just managing.

[jp1]

(no injuries or lost kids is my standard)

That seems like a reasonable standard to me. Reminds me of how I've lowered my expectations for air travel. I fly a lot for work and when people ask how the flight was I usually respond with "We didn't crash, so it was fine."