Not Your Typical “Training Day”:

Collin County Community Supervision & Corrections Dept. Servant Leadership Development Level 2

Shannon Criger, Accounting Tech,
Collin County Community Supervision & Corrections Department

Sgt. Jarrod Davis, Training Coordinator, Coppell Police Department

Jarrod:

After two years of participation with Ann McGee-Cooper and Associates’ presentations of Servant Leadership, my development as a leader has truly grown. I have come to approach the Servant Leadership Sessions with an attitude of expectancy. The gatherings are always different, but the experience is consistently eye-opening. The September 2013 Servant Leadership Level 2 Session had everything except disappointments. Ann McGee-Cooper and her team managed to organize a learning environment filled with group activities, collaborations, and thought provoking dialogue that continues to guide my work and personal walk.

Shannon:

Typically a day of training is a day away from the office. However, I have learned in past experience… a leadership development day with Ann McGee-Cooper and staff is certainly not your run of the mill training day.

The Servant Leadership 2 session on September 5, 2013 was no different. The session was held in the old courthouse on the McKinney square and the atmosphere was comfortable and inviting. The session was full of team activities, openness and freedom to comment at any given moment while providing a place to “grow”.

Jarrod:

The topics fittingly centered on the never-ending journey we travel as servant-leaders. We never truly arrive as perfect servant-leaders. We call upon the core values that have been instilled in us early on to improve an organization. The presenters told us to learn by reflecting on our mistakes. By giving up parts of ourselves, we develop others.

Session Two included great activities. I was especially impressed with the “Leadership is… / Leadership is not…” activity. The attendees were assigned to groups and given the challenge of locating phrases inside magazines that identified good and bad leadership.  I never anticipated finding such valuable leadership lessons with a pair of scissors and an old Home & Gardening magazine. We were so caught up in the activity that we didn’t realize the learning aspect. As group members shared suggested phrases, we were compelled to explain their usefulness. Group members then placed the images and thoughts on a large banner. The completed project spoke for itself. Phrases like “It’s Not Always Easy” and “DO THE RIGHT THING” stood out as examples of good leadership. Groups shared negative examples of leadership with phrases like “The Tough Critic” and “Hit the Road”. It was an enjoyable team activity that caused me to look at my journey as a Servant-Leader through different perspectives.

Shannon:

In another team activity, we were grouped together according to our choice of snack and were challenged to create a list of additional things we all had in common. It sounded easy enough until the little twist of ‘can’t be a body part, place of employment’ came along. This exercise forced us as a group to toss around thoughts and learn more about one another in the process.  Lastly, the Synergy Box activity took place. We were all given the opportunity to view items in the box, touch, smell, etc. After a minute or so, we were to list the items for an individual score and to brainstorm as a group to accurately and descriptively list all items in the box. It was an interesting concept to call upon our memory as well as to see how we all interpreted and recalled things differently.

The Ladder of Assumption and Blocking Assumption portion of the training served as a great reminder for me. “Assuming Goodwill” has been a personal goal of mine since the previous Servant Leadership development session. Hearing a questionable remark tends to naturally grab your attention and place you in a protective, defensive mode, however more than not, it’s our own assumption and how we allow it to escalate that creates the issue, not the original remark. Same with blocking assumptions… I tend to think of this as ‘thinking outside the box’. For me, the little 5-piece puzzle was proof. Even while hearing Ann’s guiding comments telling us ‘the pieces may go where you ordinarily think they would not’, etc. while working with the puzzle, I continued to try and make it fit into what I believed to be the only way possible… only to discover there were several possibilities.

Jarrod:

We discussed “The Pygmalion Effect” and influencing others with positive words as Servant-Leaders. We were reminded of a need for a climate that encourages the hearts and minds of those we serve. This tends to create confidence in those involved. The developers gave a humorous (but realistic) dramatization of “chain dumping”. Most class participants could picture that co-worker who tends to enter a peaceful environment and habitually dump their aggravations on others. They are unknowingly spreading frustration through the work place. Interestingly enough, they don’t necessarily seek a solution. The listener has difficulties speaking during the conversation. The challenge for Servant-Leaders is to eliminate “the victim” within everyone involved. Even in being aware of the differences between venting and “chain-dumping”, I’m not so sure I have done my best in practicing the courtesies of venting. I say with confidence, Duane Trammell’s role play pretty much stole the show. I have become more aware of my attitude and behavior as it can be draining and time-consuming.

Like most workaholics, I normally take advantage of lulls in training days and respond to emails or think about my workload. That is never the case whenever I am fortunate enough to learn and grow at Servant Leadership Sessions like this one.