VIDEO OF THE MONTH: "Mr. Rogers' Greatest Advice EVER"
THE GREATEST ADVICE EVER - Mr. Rogers' Inspirational Advice. Mr. Rogers was one of the most inspirational voices on public television. He reached millions of children and adults from around the world with his positive messages.
ARTICLE OF THE MONTH: "Three Leadership Skill Shifts for 2021 and Beyond" by Melissa Daimler
2020 has brought us many crises but has also offered leaders numerous learning opportunities. It has demanded an evolution of how we work and what we learn. The shifts in these skills are subtle, but they will better equip leaders to lead, whether it’s remotely from the kitchen table in 2020 or in-person as we navigate toward a more hybrid office environment in 2021.
The three skill shifts are:
Communication to Empathy
Emotional Intelligence to Emotional Agility
Time Management to Context Management
1) Communication to Empathy
Effective communicators and productive leaders are intertwined. When I led learning and development functions at high tech companies, communication was the #1 skill leaders and managers wanted to learn and practice. This year has forced leaders to communicate constructively even without answers. They have had to push beyond their comfort zones—beyond sharing updates, asking questions, and even listening actively. Leaders have been asked to go deeper and develop empathy. Brené Brown, a professor and author, says empathy fuels connection: it’s feeling with people, and connecting with a person’s situation.
NEAPWA's Selling Your Department's Budget to Elected Officials and the Public — Seminar Highlights
This past fall, the T2 Center partnered with the American Public Works Association (APWA) New England Chapter's Public Works Awareness Committee and Education Committee to help produce a series of live virtual seminars. The seminars went so well that the NEAPWA decided to continue the monthly seminars through 2021.
The January 28th seminar, Selling Your Department's Budget to Elected Officials and the Public,had a panel of five professionals from all over New England that included, Linda Trzetziak, Finance Director for the Town of East Hartford, CT and Mayor Anne Watson of Montpelier, VT.
The session was chock-full of great tips and suggestions for "selling your budget." Some of the session's highlights were:
EVERYTHING your department does throughout the year is "selling your budget."
Highlight the basic services public works provides and how many of the municipality's functions could not function without those services, i.e. snowplowing and waste management.
Sell the benefits and show what a properly funded budget can do for the municipality in the long term.
Explain why spending this money now will save money in the long term. Provide examples; the "long view" is key.
For upcoming seminars, please visit the T2 Center's online schedule for a complete list of 2021 seminars.
TLP Cohort #7 - Now Accepting Applications
Do you know anyone who would be a good candidate for the Transportation Leadership Program? Applications are now being accepted for Cohort #7, until June 1, 2021.
For the program application and overview, click here.
Don't hesitate to contact Donna Shea if you have any questions or would like to discuss potential candidates.
"I start with the premise that the function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers."
- Ralph Nadar
"I think the more unexpected something is, the more there is to learn from it."
~ Michael J. Fox
Training Opportunities
We will continue to update the schedule with dates and locations, so check in with us regularly.
Upcoming Transportation Leadership Program (TLP) Classes
Required
(Cohort 7)
Module 1: Developing Teamwork and Giving Feedback
Module 2: Promoting Professionalism in Your Agency, Creating a Culture of Safety
Module 3: Public Speaking, Presentation Skills and Effective Meetings
