State of the Movement Session Breakout by Aleya Jones

aleya7 — 2024-05-30 15:28:58 UTC

Interpersonal connection is an important part of moving forward in this work. We need to prioritize making space to get to know each other and finding people who are interested and skilled in facilitating interpersonal communication that helps us understand our background, our strengths, and areas of growth.

whitney114 — 2024-06-13 17:36:01 UTC

influential leadership that aren't afraid to take risk

whitney114 — 2024-06-13 17:36:37 UTC

Leaders that are unafraid to share power

2024-06-13 17:37:10 UTC

conflict mediation among YALE and organization staff

2024-06-13 17:37:15 UTC

diverse leadership. representations matters (now more than ever). when a management staff lacks people of color, people with lived experience, people with disabilities, LGBTQI+ individuals, indigenous persons, first-generation immigrants, etc., it is a disservice to the movement, to the org, and its values. (And yes, such orgs exist)

2024-06-13 17:37:45 UTC

Orgs must be able to step outside of the ego, and center Youth led solutions

2024-06-13 17:38:23 UTC

professionalization and programs committed to truly shifting power to youth/young people with lived experiences

jpenn26 — 2024-06-13 17:38:31 UTC

A question that every organization should be able to answer: What concrete actions do you undertake to dismantle white supremacy, both inside and outside your organization?

2024-06-13 17:38:58 UTC

tech forward skills + tech innovation

2024-06-13 17:39:00 UTC

Bring more to the table; Training, taking the time to explain how things work the ins and outs, Continuing communication.

2024-06-13 17:39:06 UTC

be intentional about how we are assessing and breathing life into our partnerships with persons directly impacted. are we tokenizing them? are we centering them and engaging and learning from them?

2024-06-13 17:39:09 UTC

making room/space and passing the mic to BIPOC and those who are differently abled with lived experience to share their perspectives

2024-06-13 17:39:47 UTC

i think creating space for folks to explore what they feel are their strengths, and allow room for review and space for that to change overtime

kmeyerscott — 2024-06-13 17:41:43 UTC

I feel that we need more facilitators skilled in excellent agenda setting and meeting flow and also in creating spaces that are truly safe for conflict/disagreement but grounded in anti-racist/anti-oppressive principles and interrupting white fragility

2024-06-13 18:34:47 UTC

Lived expertise combined with technical skills and professional development to create strong leaders that can move us towards the future. Fair compensation (living wage) is essential to this mission. Equitable, diverse outreach practices widen the reach of searching for these folx. Use YYA input and those on the ground to leverage word-of-mouth/grapevines to recruit and involve those who can lead us best.

2024-06-13 18:38:02 UTC

Trauma-informed care and training for everyone in the organization, all direct service staff (not just social workers and especially intake coordinators) through top leadership. As a YALE, I can confirm that this is NOT overkill, rather, it is essential as trauma is inseparable from the experience of youth homelessness and everyone at the organization should be actively and constantly working to understand and connect with the youth and young adults they serve.

2024-06-13 18:39:59 UTC

Regular LGBTQIA+ inclusion and BIPOC inclusion trainings that pertain both to the workplace and the services nonprofits are providing. We need this routinely maintained for all staff at both the internal and external levels.

2024-06-13 18:40:36 UTC

Leaders who don't need the glory

2024-06-13 18:43:04 UTC

Leaders who know when to let others step up, who know when to lead from the background, who know when to lead by example, & who know when to say no to attractive (funding, networking, exposure, etc.) opportunities that do not align with the messages/recommendations from YALE or lived expertise consultants. Leaders who can achieve balance between necessary executive decision-making and opening up productive space for collective input. Leaders who can apologize and admit when they are wrong.

2024-06-13 18:43:34 UTC

More lived experience leadership, we cannot settle with what we have as being enough

2024-06-13 18:44:56 UTC

Diverse participation options that accommodate different learning styles, neurodivergence, disabilities, anxiety, situational/life/housing or economic-related challenges

2024-06-13 18:48:45 UTC

Clear policies for resolving conflicts and addressing microagressions

2024-06-13 18:51:15 UTC

Full Self Introductions

from Move to End Violence

A meaningful element from the field of restorative practices is the acknowledgement that we are full people regardless of where we go. We are composed of multiplicities, dualities and fluidities that empower us to show up as our full selves. Here, we invite folxs to ground in their authenticity so they can comfortably contribute as all parts of themselves in and outside of the work.

Example:

"Please take a moment to share any information that you think we should know about you. Consider including:

Name
Pronouns
Location
(if you’d like to acknowledge the ancestral stewards of where you are, visit Native-Land.ca)
Work/projects/role title
Meaningful preferences (anything from food that makes you happy to preferred working hours)
If comfortable: How are you today? Are there any challenges weighing on you that you bring into this space? How can we support you?

How do you like to show up? What do you need from others?"

2024-06-13 18:57:49 UTC

Allow consultants and employees to retain access to their email account and Google Drive after offboarding. There is so much social capital, including trainings, deliverables, work completed, work in progress, email and contact lists, etc. associated with that email account and Google Drive. An organization I recently left has done this and it was SO invaluable to me as a YALE professional. This is a best practice for sure, although niche!

2024-06-13 19:01:31 UTC

Let new staff present on themselves at All Hands, they can share who they are, non-work-related fun facts or info, and allow them to share their WEAKNESS(ES) with the group with no judgement. Actually uplift them for naming and sharing areas for growth without negative consequence. This creates an authentic, real, fair, and down-to-earth environment and fosters a team that is judgmental and accepts each other's full self. An organization I worked at did this and it was so refreshing and made me work harder, connect with my teammates, and ultimately just feel better in that space.

2024-06-13 19:05:54 UTC

Don't assume bi/multilingual folx will translate (internal/external documents, focus groups, interviews, etc.) for you, especially if it not part of their job description. This group is not a monolith, some will be happy to and others would rather not. Treat these folx like people, consider what is fair, and get their input on it, too. Clearly communicate to direct service providers if this is an expectation for their role. Check in during quarterly meetings one-on-one to see how translation is going if part of their job, and be willing to adjust as needed, accordingly. Compensate them fairly for providing this additional and needed service. Lastly, be upfront in job descriptions for new postings if translation is part of the role, and factor that into salary and/or rate of pay.

2024-06-13 19:07:16 UTC

Allow, empower, and support consultants (especially YALE) to take on additional or new contracts for themselves; they are the best judge of their capacity, and their work can help improve more spaces, systems, and communities when they branch out. Respect autonomy.

2024-06-13 19:13:10 UTC

Be curious and creative to support YALE and even other staff who are facing a crisis/life challenge/family emergency in their personal life. A lot of YALE have very small, limited, or rapidly diminishing social networks, support systems, and resources. Employers have the ability to think creatively and be a support them at the level that is appropriate and that they are able to. As a YALE, I've had colleagues informally connect me with their friends/networks who have supported me in healthcare advocacy, money for groceries, etc. during critical points in my life and situation regarding food and housing insecurity. This is the epitome of the work, and mutual aid is key in this space to live what we do for work and what we value. Ask what colleagues what is going on, good or bad, and be intentional and low-pressure about creating space for authentic check-ins (however casual and brief) with no negative consequences or ultimatums. Challenge and question bringing the practices of the corporate workspace into the nonprofit sector. This helps so much with retention and the sustainability of YALE leadership, contracts, and participation in this work.

2024-06-13 19:13:33 UTC

Strive for continuous learning and growth

2024-06-13 19:13:48 UTC

Incorporate land acknowledgement

2024-06-13 19:14:29 UTC

Share pronouns: in introductions during meetings, email signatures, staff profiles on company websites, author tags in blog posts, social media captions, etc. Normalize this everywhere.

2024-06-13 19:17:09 UTC

Outline clear expectations for communication between staff, i.e. availability hours (notating for different time zones), communication preferences (when to text, what is personal versus work cell/email, weekend and vacation contact preferences, etc.). This helps to maintain boundaries & prevent conflict and burnout.

2024-06-13 19:18:19 UTC

Leaders who are mindful of creating an organization/coalition/movement that lives beyond them and their involvement. Leaders who are intentional about this.

2024-06-13 19:22:08 UTC

Make contact info accessible, prominent, and easy to find AND be responsive to those contact avenues. We should not have to use a Chrome extension on LinkedIn to find an outdated email address from a staff member who doesn't even work at your org anymore! Lol, crazy that this is so common. Make it prominent on your website, LinkedIn, Facebook, Google search profile, etc. It shows that you care about connecting with the community. Delayed response times for cold calls/email are understandable, but do eventually respond and don't make people who cold contact you have to follow-up more than once.

2024-06-13 19:25:03 UTC

When hiring, contracting, networking, or simply connecting, give passionate people a chance. Experience can be gained, skills can be learned, but passion can't be bought. That's what we need most. If passion shines through in a conversation, or shows on a cover letter/email/phone call, be sure to value that. This pertains to YALE in particular.

2024-06-13 22:28:20 UTC

Provide benefits to YALE!