Positive Uses of Power
What does it mean to have power? For the purpose of this writing, there are two definitions that stand out. According to Merriam-Webster, power means the ability to act or produce an effect or possession of control, authority, or influence over others. Thus, power itself is not necessarily negative but can be used to positively influence others. In working with people, it’s important to be aware of the power you have, either by nature of your position and/or merely the ability to use your words and actions to create a negative or positive impact on others. This is especially true for leaders. This is also the case for parents or guardians. It’s relevant for anyone who has some level of responsibility for or accountability to others, including those providing a direct service. People look to those in positions of power or influence with an expectation that they are able to meet a particular need which results in them being in a better place than they were when they started. Unfortunately this is not always the case, especially when there’s a misuse or abuse of power.
It always surprises me to see careless or inappropriate behaviors from people whose job involves positively influencing others. I’m sure you’ve experienced this in some way in your life. Maybe you’ve had a manager or supervisor contribute to a toxic work environment. Perhaps you’ve experienced a business owner or service professional lack people or customer service skills. In my own experiences with community mental health and human services and businesses that specialize in the development of people/professionals, I’ve found that people-centered organizations and groups, even human resources, are no exception. In some ways, they are the most disappointing to witness because there is a greater expectation for providing quality care to and for others.
In considering these types of issues, there are fortunately individuals and organizations that have and do model positive uses of power. They demonstrate the kinds of behaviors that one wants to see and experience, encourage and represent healthy communication in words and actions, and contribute to positive change. Think of the people in your life that come to mind as great examples of this. How do they positively influence others? What makes them stand out? When I ponder this, these are the qualities or values that I’ve appreciated and want to represent in my own life:
Kindness - willingness to help or be of service to others to meet a specific need or add value to other people’s lives through messages shared or actions shown.
Purposeful - services provided, and related communication, are intended to address a specific need that someone may have, and align with personal and/or organizational objectives.
Responsive - there is an acknowledgement of needs or concerns and follow through with regular communication.
Growth-minded - there is a desire to see people reach their potential or achieve their goals and encourage this in meaningful ways personally, professionally, and organizationally.
Strength/Courage - able to persevere through difficulties and challenges, particularly as it relates to advocating for positive change, while maintaining one’s values and character.
Awareness - clear on the skills/abilities, desires, and needs that they and others bring in order to support one another and are open and honest about areas of weakness and strength.
Thoughtful - think thoughtfully about the words and actions that will meet particular needs and support growth.
We all have the power to contribute positively to the lives of others. In what ways do you want to have a positive influence? What areas would you like to improve in to better support the people in your life or whom you serve?
I’d love to hear from you. Feel free to share a comment or reach out if you’d like to connect, have questions, or are interested in partnering.
Healthy Messages™ helps professionals, leaders, and business owners in human services improve, craft, and implement communication within and across systems.
Learn more about Healthy Messages™ mission, vision, and outcomes.
Clear Messages
When something is clear, it means it is ‘not subject to misinterpretation or more than one interpretation’ (Merriam-Webster). I really appreciate the wording of this definition. It speaks to the importance of clarity and consistency in messaging, whether the communication is written, verbal, or nonverbal behavior. This is especially relevant in leadership and organizational and professional development, and I believe a greater focus on improving messaging in these areas would contribute greatly to organizational health and success.
Can you think of a time when you were expected to fulfill a task or assignment but were left with questions about what you should do? What about discrepancies between an organization’s vision/mission, services, and outcomes? Or a leader whose values were not matched by their words and actions? I imagine you have experienced these and/or other instances when messaging was not clear or was contrary to what was intended.
Leaders have a wonderful responsibility and opportunity to cast vision, establish expectations, give instruction and guidance, share strategy, teach, mentor, and model values and behaviors. The messages that leaders convey are extremely important. And not just for leaders in the formal or traditional sense, but for you who influences the lives of people around you every day. Thus, it is important to also consider areas for continuous growth and improvement.
Healthy Messages helps professionals:
Create clear, consistent messaging.
Grow personally and professionally.
Implement practices and systems that support organizational health and success.
Develop tools for evaluating performance and measuring success.
Achieve their unique vision for services or their business.
There are a few questions I would like you to consider:
What do you want to communicate to those who you want to help, lead, or support?
What is your vision or mission?
What goals do you want to accomplish?
What messages do you want to convey in words and actions?
How do you want to grow personally and professionally?
In reviewing these questions consider how a focus on improving messaging can contribute to the bigger picture - organizational health and success.
I’d love to hear from you. Feel free to share a comment or reach out if you’d like to connect, have questions, or are interested in partnering.
Healthy Messages™ helps professionals, leaders, and business owners in human services improve, craft, and implement communication within and across systems.
Learn more about Healthy Messages™ mission, vision, and outcomes.
Challenging Ideas of Mental Health
Perceptions can be very powerful. We often form beliefs or ideas based on our experiences or what we learned or were taught. Forming an impression about someone or something is natural and can even be helpful for making decisions, particularly when it involves avoiding dangerous situations. However, while our perceptions can be accurate, sometimes they can be wrong. It’s the wrong impressions that we form that can be damaging, especially in the face of combating stereotypes and stigmas. When you think of mental health, what comes to mind? It can be thought of as something that’s for “those people” who have significant emotional or psychiatric challenges, have been hospitalized, are on state/federal insurance or other government assistance, are overmedicated, and/or are low-income earners or are unemployed or receive disability, among other associations that have been linked to individuals receiving mental health care. Due to this, maybe you’ve believed that mental health is not for you.
In previous blogs, I’ve shared about what has drawn me to mental health care. Also, see my story. Ultimately, I am inspired by the healing and growth of others and what makes people uniquely special. In life we all go through challenges, some more difficult than others (likewise, everyone experiences and navigates challenges differently). Yet, there is power in overcoming and confirming/affirming your strengths. There is also power in sharing compassion and hope with others. I would like to encourage people to think about mental health differently. Consider the support that may be helpful for you towards healing/wholeness. Or the skills/tools that may contribute to success personally and professionally, especially as you seek to assist others in the best way possible. It is my desire to assist professionals, particularly in mental health and related fields, to receive support and be successful. This is the purpose of Whole Leader Group. Sometimes, it’s a matter of changing the way you think.
Unfortunately, society and systems of care have not helped with this shift in thinking about mental health. In my experiences, far too often institutions have assisted in creating the stereotypes and stigmas we see today. As someone who values healthy messages, it has been particularly disheartening to see systems of oppression and co-dependency communicated in words and actions in the mental health field. In these cases, adverse solutions have involved putting bandages on festering wounds or creating greater problems than what previously existed, one resulting issue being the debilitation of people. Consequently, it becomes easier to make excuses for unhealthy behaviors - blaming actions on conditions or attributing actions to aspects of one’s personality that is believed can’t or won’t change. While medication may be helpful for addressing certain medical issues, it is imperative to come face to face with the heart of the matter in order to achieve lasting change. It has been disappointing to find an absence of values such as independence, growth, and success in mental health. I would argue that this picture of mental health care is not what mental health is about. As stated earlier, real growth is needed in the lives of people, personally and professionally. Thus, it has been part of my mission to advocate for change in mental health services.
I am excited for the growth that is possible in the lives of people and organizations as a whole, especially mental health care. It begins with challenging ideas. I would love to hear your thoughts on opportunities for personal and professional growth, the state of mental health care, what you would like to see done differently, and your hopes for the field.
Feel free to share a comment or reach out if you’d like to connect, have questions, or are interested in partnering.
Healthy Messages™ helps professionals, leaders, and business owners in human services improve, craft, and implement communication within and across systems.
Learn more about Healthy Messages™ mission, vision, and outcomes.