1 Nov, 2017

Ask Nicole: How Can I Be More Culturally Responsive?

By Nicole Clark, LMSW|2021-08-19T20:06:50-04:00November 1st, 2017|Categories: Consulting|Tags: Ask Nicole, consulting, Equity|0 Comments

Have a question you’d like to be featured? Let me know.

Two months ago, I facilitated an evaluation meeting for one of my clients. The client, an organization that specializes in community-based health peer-to-peer training related to pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding and early parenting, received funding for a multi-year birth equity project that also includes program evaluation capacity building.

During the meeting, the staff and I had a conversation about the various aspects of program evaluation, from planning and implementation, to data interpretation and measuring impact.

A takeaway message I gave to the staff is that, try as we might, it can be difficult to design and implement and evaluation process that is unbiased. Why? Situational Awareness.

In the general sense, situational awareness is being aware of your surroundings. This keep you on your toes and more likely to sense danger. In the context of program evaluation, situational awareness can help you spot red flags as well as help you become aware of not only your surroundings, but also what your presence is adding to that environment.

So, I asked the staff:

“How can you and your organization become more culturally responsive?”

Many under sourced communities are already leery of researchers, evaluators and anyone coming to their community to collect data. As a Black person and as a woman, you’d think it would be easy for me to go into a community where I share the same race and/or gender. But sometimes, that can be where the commonality ends.

There’s a power dynamic at play, intimidation, a history of mistrust of researchers and evaluators, and the lived experiences of marginalized communities being viewed as subjects or statistics rather people with important and valuable stories to tell. And I’m at a point in my personal and professional life where I can acknowledge the various levels of privilege and power I have.

It’s very easy to become comfortable with our commonalities, because those commonalities can be the “in” we need into a community setting. But you still have to do the work before, during, and after to ensure you’re being as intentionally responsive to a community’s culture as possible. And “culture” is more than just race/ethnicity. It encompasses age, gender identity, religion, language, ability, sexual preference, geographic region, physical and mental health, how an organization operates, and more.

More importantly, you have to be aware of your biases and motivations, as well as know who has the power, money, and political ties to make decisions within the organization you’re working with and within the communities they serve. You also have to know the systems people are operating under that can impact cultural responsiveness. Just as I reflect after a project has ended, I also pinpoint the context that a project is operating within before I start a project and during the project. Here’s a 3-part reflective process I use to reflect on my level of cultural responsiveness. These questions are adaptable to any situation where you’re interacting with a client and a community or cultural group:

(more…)

2 Aug, 2017

Ask Nicole: 4 Ways to Become Better at What You Do

By Nicole Clark, LMSW|2021-08-19T19:45:05-04:00August 2nd, 2017|Categories: Consulting|Tags: Ask Nicole, consulting|0 Comments

Have a question you’d like to be featured? Let me know.

No one starts out knowing every thing. It takes a while to get there. And when you finally obtain a level of mastery, there will always be more opportunities to hone your skills and expertise.

If you become frustrated because you feel like a novice, amateur or (even worse) a fraud, you’ll never realize your full potential. If you believe that you know everything there is to know, you prevent yourself from learning new ways of approaching your work.

Here are 4 ways to become better at what you do:

Surround yourself with people who are better at what you do

This can be a little intimidating, but if you shift your perspective from one of intimidation to one of opportunity and a willingness to learn, it can be priceless.

One of the benefits of surrounding yourself with people who have a higher level of expertise and/or who have been in your field for some time is that it allows you to not only learn their way of thinking; you can learn about the pitfalls they may have encountered while on the road to honing their knowledge. You probably won’t dodge bullets completely, but you’ll be able to spot those pitfalls more quickly.

Heads-Up: It’s very common to be so inspired by someone else that we may imitate them. Interestingly, you will notice that surrounding yourself with people who are better at what you do often leads to developing your voice from their perspective. Your blogging, podcasting, speaking, social media presence, and more may take on the tone of that person(s). However, the more your confidence grows, the more you’ll be able to develop your own voice and perspective while still being inspired by the people who helped you along the way.

Find paid, free and low-cost opportunities for training and professional development

Back when I had a day job, I LOVED going to one-day or multi-day trainings, many were local to my area and were free. Mostly because it allowed me to be away from the office. I also enjoyed when my employer would invite trainers to the office who facilitated on interesting topics. (Maybe being away from my desk and not doing any work is why I enjoyed those, too).

(more…)

21 Jun, 2017

Women of Color: Be Unapologetic in Your Expertise

By Nicole Clark, LMSW|2021-08-19T19:42:52-04:00June 21st, 2017|Categories: Consulting|Tags: consulting, Expertise|0 Comments

(Pictured: Top Left- Gloria Malone, Bottom Left- Miriam Zoila Pérez; Top Right- Aimee Thorne-Thomsen, Bottom Right- Jamia Wilson)

Several years ago, I was contacted by a nonprofit in Newark, New Jersey, to facilitate a workshop for youth. I was a few years into my career post-graduate school, and while full time consulting and workshop facilitation was far off at that time, it was a nice way to earn extra money on the side.

I replied back, giving them a facilitation fee. I’d had a considerable number of years facilitating workshops, and for a long time my focus had been on gaining experience speaking in front of audiences. The more I did it, the higher my confidence grew.

Admittedly, I didn’t know what to price as a facilitation fee at the time, so I chose a number that felt fair to me. I considered the preparation time, any materials I would need to purchase, as well as travel time from Brooklyn to Newark.

In the end, I was told that, as a small nonprofit, they were hoping I’d do it for free.

I don’t remember my response, but needless to say, I didn’t do the facilitation. What I do remember, however, was feeling as though I had done something wrong in asking to be compensated for my time and effort. Also, the nonprofit provided services for youth of color, so I felt that I was being greedy in asking for fair compensation knowing they were doing important work.

I had a lot of internal stuff to work through on feeling deserving of being paid for my expertise. Some of the internal stuff sounds ridiculous now, but it’s helped me to get to a space where I’m able to ask for compensation.

A few months ago, I was contacted by a student group to be a guest speaker for their campus week of events. Coincidentally, I was scheduled to facilitate conference workshops on a campus an hour away from this school. I figured it would be a good opportunity since I would already be in that state.

I inquired about travel and lodging accommodations as the conference graciously covered those expenses for me. Because those plans were already locked in, I thought it would be awkward to asked the conference travel agency to suddenly switch my plans.

The student group asked me to cover my own travel, offered to put me up in a dorm room (which I honestly didn’t mind), and that, as a small student group, they would have to consider my facilitation fee. A week later, they responded back, informing me that they found another speaker.

All of the internal stuff I thought I resolved came back to the surface. I started questioning whether it was fair for me to expect fair compensation. Yet, I was invited as a panelist for another student group a few months prior who paid me to be a panelist, without me even asking. I realized that the problem not only lies with those of us who choose to provide speaking services, but also in how organizations and groups view the role of a speaker, trainer or facilitator. Especially when the people being solicited to offer their expertise are women of color.

As an organization, group or conference hoping to bring someone to your event to as a speaker, not only should you consider the value the speaker is offering to your audience, but also ask:

How can we offer value to the person we’re inviting to speak to our audience?

(more…)

7 Jun, 2017

Ask Nicole: How Do I Develop Thick Skin?

By Nicole Clark, LMSW|2021-08-19T19:34:56-04:00June 7th, 2017|Categories: Consulting|Tags: Ask Nicole, consulting|0 Comments

Have a question you’d like to be featured? Let me know.

While working in direct practice and case management, I had a few clients whom I consider to be favorites. One in particular was a middle-age man who came to the agency for services.

When I first met him, he had survived three heart attacks in one month. He sat in my supervisor’s office, crying because he knew he needed some mental health services to deal with the stressors his body was enduring. On top of that, he was dealing with the heartache of losing his partner. The partner’s family blamed him for the death and subsequently refused to allowed my client to attend the funeral (and they also did not disclose where his partner was buried).

Of all the home visits I conducted, his home was also one of my favorites to visit. He was very hospitable and enjoyed showing off the items in his home. One day, as we were sitting outside in his outdoor office (yes…outdoor office), he asked, “How do you do this? How can you work with people that are desperate for help, who have so many problems?” I gave the usual “I like to help people” response, yet his question stuck with me until the I left the agency.

About a year before leaving the agency, I had a hard time getting in contact with him. As someone who readily responded to phone calls and letters and always welcomed me into his home, he was unresponsive. My letters to him were returned to back to sender, his phone was disconnected, and his health insurance was inactive.

I finally contacted his emergency contact—his mother—who informed me that he had died 3 months earlier from a heart attack. I was in a funk for the remainder of the day. The first thing I did when I got home was cry. I had clients who died before him, and several more who died after, but his death hit me the hardest.

I’ve been asked by a few people—in particular social workers—for advice on developing thick skin when dealing with clients and customers. The training and education you receive in school and during your internships will serve you well, but there will be days where your patience is tested. Here’s my advice on how to develop thick skin:

(more…)

31 May, 2017

10 Lessons Learned in My First Year of Full Time Consulting

By Nicole Clark, LMSW|2021-08-19T19:34:35-04:00May 31st, 2017|Categories: Consulting|Tags: consulting, Reflections|4 Comments

One year ago today, I resigned from my day job. Working full time while building a business had taken its toll. I had been there 3 months shy of 6 years. I had given my employer a 60-day notice in order to assist with finding my replacement.

I don’t remember much of what happened that day, but I do remember when 5pm rolled around. I punched out for the last time, hugged a few co-workers, and walked out the door. As I walked out of the building, my eyes welled up with tears. It had less to do with “WTH am I thinking?” and more to do with the fact that honored my passion. On New Years Day 2016, I stood on the observation deck of One World Trade Center, overlooking the city skyline. I told myself that 2016 was the year, and May 31st would be the day I’d leave my job to go into my consulting business full time.

Yes, it was cheesy, and when I left the observatory deck, I felt at peace. I had given myself a deadline several times before, and each time I wasn’t ready. This time, I was. I didn’t know how it was going to happen. I just knew it was going to. I had submitted proposals to several organizations for consulting gigs, and was either turned down or didn’t receive a response. Not too long after making my intention, two of those organizations who turned me down had changed their minds and offered me contracts. A few other organizations reached out to me, including an executive director of a local organization, who specifically wanted to work with me because we went to the same grad school.

Everything fell into place, and the past year has been an eye-opener. Here are 10 lessons I’ve learned in my first year of full time consulting:

It’s uncomfortable (but always remember your WHY)

If I had to choose one word to describe my first year in full-time consulting, it would be “discomfort”. When I was building my business on the side while working full time, I had a rhythm. I had only so much time to do client work, create content for my blog and newsletter, and market myself.

However, like building physical strength means pushing yourself by picking up heavier weights, discomfort has allowed me to grow in many areas of my business. After a while, you begin to see progress. Tasks that would take me hours to complete are easier to do, and things I didn’t think I needed when starting my business, I now have a system for.

Even though I knew I could return to the 9-5 world, I held on to my WHY. There’s a quote from Frederick Nietzsche that says,

“He who has a why can endure any how.”

Running my own business is bigger than creating my own schedule and doing what I want. My WHY was built on the foundation that there aren’t many people doing what I’m doing. My WHY was to ensure that nonprofits, community groups, and agencies are doing right by the women and girls of color they serve. Fine tuning my services down to design thinking, evaluation, strategic planning, and speaking has allowed me to develop a niche within the Reproductive Justice community that I’m becoming know for. On top of that, another WHY has been to show other social workers that there’s more than one way to be a social worker. This applies to any profession. You don’t have to build a career and identity around what your profession expects. You can create a career on your terms, and when you know your WHY, it’s easier to persevere.

It’s a HUGE mindset shift

I’ve felt like giving up at least once a week. I’m a one-woman show, and when you’re used to having someone dictate how your day goes, you begin to miss it. Also, I suddenly had more time than ever, and it became overwhelming.

Outside of making money, strengthening my systems, and getting clearer on who I want to work with, I’ve learned that transitioning from employee to entrepreneur is just as much of a mental game as it is a physical one. You think you’ll be anxious to turn in that resignation letter, but that’s the easy part. One of the biggest benefits that an employer provides is structure. You know when to get up, how long you have to get ready for work, how long your commute will take, what meetings and deadlines you’ll have throughout the day, when your staff supervision is, and how long you have for a lunch break. When working for yourself, you have to build a structure that keeps you motivated and on purpose.

I started out creating a structure that mimicked a 9-5. I created a 9am-5pm work schedule, and one day I realized that it’s ok to not work from 9 to 5. While I do have office hours, I like working in the hours where I feel most creative (and if I have any client meetings, lead calls, or site visits to make).

Your people will always look out for you

(more…)

Previous 91011 Next

“How can you and your organization become more culturally responsive?”

Surround yourself with people who are better at what you do

Find paid, free and low-cost opportunities for training and professional development

How can we offer value to the person we’re inviting to speak to our audience?

It’s uncomfortable (but always remember your WHY)

“He who has a why can endure any how.”

It’s a HUGE mindset shift

Your people will always look out for you

This Is A Custom Widget