Skip to main content

The Silent “C” in WIOA

By now everyone in workforce development land is entering the waters of WIOA. Some folks have dove into the pool, while others are gradually getting deeper in the WIOA Ocean. In my neck of the woods, we are walking into the ocean.  As part of this, front line staff received some training on the basics of WIOA. It was discussed how each partner is now a mandatory partner and each partner has the same outcomes, meaning that the era of paper only partnerships are over.
 
During this training the new buzz words “collaborative partnerships” were tossed around. Again this is a fancy way for saying everyone needs to play nice in the sandbox to get the job done. I get it.  We have left the farm. There are no more silos of “I only do this” and “that is not my job.”  The end result, employment, is everyone’s job.
 
In order for these new “collaborative partnerships” to work, there is something that needs to be in place. I call it the silent “C.”  It is communication.  The real change from WIA to WIOA is that everyone is required to communicate with one another. This is not just actual verbal communication, but in all ways. People must communicate with one another. Systems must speak with one another. Organizations must communicate internally and develop communication strategies for internal and external communication. The same organizations must learn to communicate with other organizations and work together systematically. All the organizations must communicate with government. Ultimately the government must communicate with all the stakeholders including the American people. Communication is now an intended process of the law.
 
This is not the first time that I have written about communication. Looking back, I tackled this subject in 2014 in a post called “You Said What!”  Communication must be on everyone’s mind as that was one of the most read posts of 2014.  Workforce development is at a critical time in history. It can go forward to be a powerhouse industry developing America’s workers or it can be a puppet show sponsored by government money for American people. The difference is how all stakeholders in WIOA communicate.
 
I am challenging the industry to harness the power of the silent “C” in WIOA.  For individual workforce development professionals that are reading this, I challenge you to find ways to develop your communication strategies both internally and externally with key partners. For organizations reading this, I challenge you to foster strong communication policies and practices within your organization and also with the partner organizations in your communities. For policy making bodies, I challenge you to be open and honest in your method of communication and be open to the communication from other levels.
 
Communication is a two way street.  Therefore, I want to hear from everyone in workforce development land. This is not “a call to arms,” but rather “a call to communicate.”  In the comments section, leave a comment about how you individually or on an organizational level will be communicating with other partners or stakeholders in WIOA. By sharing best practices, we are not only communicating with each other, but learning.
 
Thank you for reading. Thank you for posting. Communicating makes WIOA partnerships collaborative. ~ Karen Cirincione ~ kcirincione@gmail.com.  

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How do you Birthday?

Another year in my life has passed. It’s time for another birthday. Each year as the day approaches, I take the time to reflect on my past year, my accomplishments, and my goals for the year. My birthday is like my personal New Years’ celebration with another opportunity to have the best year ever.   I am not afraid of a birthday. Age is just a number, but each year is what you make of it. Each year I have seen the sun rise, the rain fall, and the snow melt, I have been given a gift from the universe. Many people do not get to see another birthday. I owe myself the opportunity to set goals and feel proud as I work towards achieving them. Sometimes these goals have been born from unhappy feelings and bad situations, but growth brings wisdom.   In my working life, and especially as a workforce professional, I know some of my growth must be professionally. Having experience working with job seekers looking for jobs, I understand how crucial professional growth is...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Authentic You

Authenticity is not something we think or talk about every day. It is something we all need for ourselves and to truly connect and have meaningful interactions with others. Anyone on the #improve2019 journey is looking to either improve themselves or to be the guiding light for another person on the journey. Without authenticity, the fruits of labor are bitter. They are not satisfying, but meaningless. The fruits grow are wants in the world, but are not what we truly need.   Authenticity starts with the self. It means we are first to be honest with ourselves, good or bad. It means taking a hard look in the mirror and owning our faults. Are we trying too hard or not enough? Are we speaking and not acting? Do our actions match our intentions?   These are the questions we need to ask ourselves and to really ponder. After we have truly done the recognition and have taken the steps we need to improve, we can really look to helping others doing the same.   Auth...
Post a Comment
Read more

Great Questions=Great Answers! The Pieces to the Puzzle are revealed!

Newbies in workforce development sometimes ask me how to work with a customer or how do you know why someone cannot get a job.   The answer is really simple. Ask the right questions, and then listen for the answer.    It’s not a secret. You can’t just look at person or their job seeking documents and just know. You need the person to open his mouth and speak.   You need the narrative.   Why narrative? First, you will get the information to help you help the customer.   That is if you ask the right question.   Secondly, it helps you establish rapport and trust with your customer. Someone is not going to open up if he does not trust you. This is very important.   Remember digging a hole to China as a child.   Quickly you found out that you could not find China with one shovel full of dirt.   The digger must unearth many layers to get to China! A child will quickly find out that he can’t shovel his way to China, but may find neat ...
1 comment
Read more