Dear Friends,

Happy New Year!   I think that we can look forward to a lot of potential positive change in 2014:

• New hope for people coming back to our communities from prison as community correctional partnerships work to create systems of re-entry supports and services.
• Record level mental health funds in last year’s State budget that should show up in local services.
• A reported reduction in California’s foster care population – a trend to continue.
• And last, but certainly not least, potential changes as the Affordable Health Care Act continues to be implemented.

While this all looks promising, we know that change is difficult. Organizational change requires changes in practices, programs, policies and in the hearts and minds of workers and the community at large.  The critical component of facilitating any organizational or systems change is the quality and capacity of leadership.

Here are a few questions that are important to think about regarding leadership, change and the up and coming New Year:

• As a leader in my organization, do I take the necessary steps to reduce resistance to change and maximize support from staff and the community?
• Do I lay the necessary ground work to maximize my organization’s chances of realizing positive change?
• Do I foster leadership behaviors at all levels of the organization and prepare people for taking on leadership roles?
• What are the essential behaviors for leaders in the public sector?
• How can I as a leader leverage the expertise and energy of people throughout my organization?
• What do staff perceive about my leadership and what can I learn from them?

RDA will be providing a variety of services and supports to help organizations strengthen leadership capacity.  We will also be writing about it, holding focus groups and doing a lot of listening to the thoughts, ideas and experiences of others on this subject in 2014

If you are interested in learning more about our leadership development and change management services please give me a call or drop me an email.  I am happy to talk with you about your organization’s needs, your ideas regarding leadership in the public sector and how we might work together.  Also, be sure to subscribe to and read RDA’s blog postings this year as we will be writing about our insights and experiences regarding leadership in the public sector and the unique opportunities that we are being presented with during the upcoming year.

We hope that you, your families and colleagues will have a joyful, peaceful and productive 2014.

Sincerely,

Patricia Marrone Bennett, Ph.D.

President & CEO