« Show Your Bridge Building Skills | Main | Take Advantage of This Teachable Moment »
October 01, 2008
Working Well With People
I had the opportunity to hear Rebecca Walker, author
of “Black, White and Jewish,” this week, and her main
message keeps churning around in my mind. She said:
“Diversity programs cover people who are different,
but the individuals within those programs sometimes
don’t gain the freedom they seek because they are
often stuck in personal grudges over discriminatory
actions from the past. That impedes the effectiveness
of diversity initiatives. Instead of focusing on past
wrongs, each of us who are considered different needs
to build a ‘pristine future’ which is free of outmoded
misconceptions about race, age, gender, sexual
preference, disability, etc.”
How do those of us with disabilities make our
"pristine futures" become real, particularly in the
work world?
Here are some suggestions I’ve gathered from the
observations individuals have submitted to eSight’s
various forums over the last several years. They come
down to two concepts: independence and maturity.
Independence means using our interpersonal skills to
effectively raise awareness and challenge assumptions
about disability as fully engaged members of society.
The Civil Rights movement taught us that laws alone
don't change attitudes. To reinforce current law, each
of us needs to help raise awareness and challenge
assumptions about disability employment issues.
Having the time, inclination and skill to effectively
reach out to our friends, colleagues, acquaintances,
and even strangers shows others that disability is no
longer the central core of our lives. We have
discovered that relating well to other people and
dealing with issues outside of our immediate concerns
are paths to independent living.
See “Share the Load: You Don't Have to Be the Weakest Link Due to Your Disability.”
Maturity means using our acquired discernment and
assertiveness skills to project ourselves as adults.
We want to develop effective interpersonal
relationships with diverse groups of people (disabled
and non-disabled). By doing so, perhaps the
psychological divide that sometimes separates us from
non-disabled people will not be so wide.
We no longer think of ourselves as victimized or
inferior due to our disability because disability
doesn’t define who we are as individuals. We do not
take ourselves too seriously and let others know that
it's OK to enjoy the amusing things that often happen
in life due to disability. That takes self-esteem and
self-confidence.
As a result, we take responsibility when we become
"easy marks" while at work and tend to resolve
interpersonal issues ourselves, if at all possible. We
assume that responsibility because we realize that the
experiences employers have with disabled folks today
can directly affect how they will perceive, rightly or
wrongly, other disabled people in similar situations
tomorrow.
See “The Importance of Business-like Behavior: An
Essay.”
Taking responsibility for ourselves and building
effective interpersonal relationships with others are
the hallmarks of independent, mature living. They show that we have grown beyond self-absorption -- that we can interact effectively with others, disabled or not.
The ability to apply those attributes in any situation
means we have “added value” as job candidates for any employer because we can have a positive effect on the teamwork, the morale, and the tone of any work group in any job sector.
Scott Treeman illustrates this independence and
maturity in these comments he submitted to the eSight
Networking Forum last week:
“When I walk into a prospective restaurant or lounge to demonstrate my skills as a jazz pianist, I go in with my cane and confident manner. Having my material together (a prepared resume and a program for performance) is a plus, too. Then, to address a concern the owner may have about my visual impairment, I explain that any assistance will be minimal. That should do the trick! Then, I just leave the owner and his clients wishing for more at the end of the evening!”
See “Using Humor in the Workplace to Break Down Disability Barriers.”
That brings us to this week’s discussion question.
Let’s focus on the added value of maturity that we see
in Scott.
How do you show prospective employers that you offer
the "added value" of maturity as a job candidate?
Add your comments to this posting
Posted by Jim Hasse at October 1, 2008 11:48 AM
Comments
Maturity should be considered as part of the individual's total presentation package when preparing, during and post-interview. The example of "Scott's Maturity" is the standard not the exception. As individuals who are blind/low vision, we should not be patting ourselves on the back for demonstrating our maturity since, all employers in today's job market expect a candidate to possess this trait. In the example cited by Scottt, it would be most inappropriate for him to show-up for the interview inappropriately dressed, improperly groomed and swinging his cane wildly. His perspective employer expects his style and presentation to fit the environment of the establishment, his personality and skills set are at a level consistant with others who have held this position in the past and, his total package will meet the expectation of those who frequent the establishment. Anything less will affect the overall bottom line of the employers establishment causing the employer to lose business.
As both a perspective employer when hiring associates needed to fulfill contractual obligations for my consultancy and, a perspective employee when pitching a proposal to a contractee,, "maturity" is the rule rather than the exception. As the employer, I expect a level of professionalism that will demonstrate the competancy/expertise of my organization and, as the perspective employee, I must have a level of professionalism and maturity that demonstrates to the perspective client the abilities of my organization to be successful in the endeavor on which I am submitting a bid.
Posted by: James J. Elekes, M.Ed, MPA, CPM at November 12, 2008 07:34 PM