Day 4 continued "Entry and Contracting"

After evaluating ourselves and determining our individual skill sets, Phadra gave us more in info on the California local we were tasked with helping in November.  We will be there for two days in order to develope and carry out some prof dev and a "relational organization" (meeting face to face with members).  This particular local is "wall-to-wall", which means the classified staff, full-timers and part-timers are all mixed together. Their instituation is also in budget crisis, as is in many other community colleges. 

The front team will organize the rest of us according to our skill set. "Entry" occurs when the front team acually walks in the door. They are the primary point of contact. They:

• gather info
• determine the culure
• make observations
• determine the meaning of local acronyms
• figure out the local's strengths & weaknesses
• figure strategies

A time is set aside for the client (local or state org) to tell their story. A time is also set aside to track the front teams's feelings and reactions.  Then the front team needs to

1. determine the "primary" client / "shadow" clients are bosses, colleagues or Uniserve
2. clarify expectations
3. define the end result
4. determine how the cadre will communicate
5. articulate and delagate
6. negociate differences
7. support exploration