CODAC Management Manual

“Remaining in our comfort zones means not enough people are taking smart risks or creating and sharing ideas to meet changing demands. This reiterates the importance of communication, if employees are afraid of being ridiculed for trying something new but failing, they will be reluctant to do it again. Furthermore, individual perfectionism keeps people from taking smart risks to maintain a blemish-free profile. This issue with this is that it encourages a plateau in operations rather than the insatiable need for innovation due to a fear of looking bad. In addition, people are choosing to opt out of vital conversations surrounding significant issues such as diversity and inclusivity because they fear they may say something wrong. Choosing personal comfort over difficult conversations, just because we can, is an issue that many organizations are currently facing. How can organizations progress with meaningful and lasting change if most of their workforce are reluctant to engage in any vital conversations?” (Barnes) “Professional courage is a special brand of bravery because it is rarely defined as an impulsive battlefield moment with life-saving potential. Rather, professional courage involves making bold choices while avoiding career limiting effects. It involves an ability (or an instinct) to sense opportunities and then sus out the right response and timing.” (Brower) “Professional courage relates significantly to decision making—and to being sensitive to both your own emotions and to the context around you. These sensitivities help you avoid impulsive action and ensure the timing will be right for your actions and conversations.” (Brower) Professional Courage is built over time through repetition and experience, more than through imagination. You also demonstrate Professional Courage by being yourself and owning your performance. Be strong in expressing your talents, but also be open in expressing where you don’t know it all. Own your mistakes and seek feedback about how to be better. Keep commitments, follow through and avoiding stalling or procrastinating. Take responsibility when you perform brilliantly, but also when you misstep and know you can do better. Accountability requires professional courage because when you do well, you must be confident enough to feel good about your success, and when you can do better, you must be confident enough to admit the gap and fill it. Being courageous about your own performance allows you to grow. Having professional courage and teaching professional courage can be very challenging. Having the confidence to speak up is not enough when we are talking trying to understand and practice professional courage. Implementing and understanding true professional courage is to embrace the below techniques: • Have tough conversations; say what needs to be said in a tactful way. • Hold others accountable, beginning with holding yourself accountable. • Have the professional courage to deal head on with difficult situations head-on. • Command presence without intimidation. • Know how to communicate the negative as well as the positive. • Have an awareness of your own limitations and participate in ongoing professional development. • Take feedback and listen to your leadership team (who were hired because they are competent and maybe even the experts on a topic in the organization) • Be open to change, recognize when a shift needs to happen and guide the team towards next steps. Is familiar and comfortable with change management theory or recruits’ assistance) • Be comfortable with being challenged professionally by subordinates, peers, and leadership. DISCRETION Being discreet in the workplace is a very valuable trait for a supervisor. Not only does a supervisor have access to highly sensitive information, but they or she also must learn how to communicate that information when appropriate.

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