ADHA Access July 2012 : Page 24

Unleashing Your Potential: The Experience of a Few Days with Lasting Impact By Carol A. Jahn, RDH, MS T { 24 JUL 2012 he fourth annual Unleashing Your Potential (UYP) Weekend will be held November 16-18, 2012, at the Fairmont Hotel in Chicago. Whether you are contemplating your first leader -ship role at the state or local level or are a seasoned leader ready for the national scene, UYP can help you enhance your skills and prepare to take on your next desired role. Past UYP graduates found the conference enhanced overall confidence, strengthened communication skills and improved conflict resolution abilities. Donna Ruley, RDH, executive director of the Kentucky Dental Hygienists’ Association (KYDHA), attended the 2010 conference and said, “UYP left me inspired to make a differ-ence! It gave me more confidence in myself.” Ruley has found this uptick in self-assurance helped her recognize that her thoughts and ideas are important. This has aided her in doing a better job for the KYDHA, especially at the legislative level. Likewise, Rita Phillips, BSDH, RDH, PhD, notes that since attending UYP in 2009, she has become more confident tak -ing on leadership roles. “UYP was a life-altering experience for me,” she said. “The speakers, the camaraderie and the overall atmosphere were extremely motivating and invigorating. Because of the experience, I realized that I, too, could help to make a difference in our wonderful profession by contributing my time, experiences and knowledge.” Diane Arnold, RDH, BS, from Arkansas says the UYP 2010 conference gave her the courage to think big. “Thinking out-side the box is something I am doing better than before,” she said. “Not only that, the old box was much smaller than the box I now use.” Whether you are contemplating your first leadership role at the state or local level or are a seasoned leader ready for the national scene, UYP can help you enhance your skills and prepare to take on your next desired role. New or seasoned on the leadership continuum, work-ing on improving communications skills is a core part of the UYP Weekend that all attendees have found useful. Faith Miller, RDH, MSEd, Illinois, attended the 2010 conference and acknowledges that UYP helped her listen more carefully and take each member’s position on issues into consideration. Phillips found the role-playing techniques of the presenters helped her to become a more active listener and to analyze situations more thoroughly. Likewise, Arnold found the meth-ods helped her learn many communication techniques such as persuasion, effective speaking, and making a strong impres-sion when speaking publicly. Using communication to bring in volunteers from all generations and helping everyone feel included is another benefit of attending UYP. Ruley learned about the differences between the generations and the challenges of getting the younger generation involved. “I realized that people may not step forward unless invited, so I ask people to consider positions and encourage our officers to do the same,” she said. Ruley also recognizes that complimenting and thanking people for a job well done is important for everyone regard-less of age or time given to the association: “Give credit where credit is due; it’s important to publicly praise hard-working individuals.” In Arkansas, Arnold is happy to say they are experienc-ing a renewal of young leaders. Because of her attendance at UYP, she knows their view of the association will be differ-ent. “What worked at one time may be vastly different from how it should function today,” she said. “The combination of viewpoints is enlightening for both the experienced and the beginner.” Miller is also dealing with the challenge of multi-generation volunteers. “Finding the right method of communication can be challenging: do you make a phone call, send email or text message? The phone can be a [time-consuming] way of inter-action; however, you recognize those members that require a phone call, and you make time so they feel included,” she said. One aspect of leadership that is challenging for many is conflict resolution. Ruley acknowledged that conflict is natural and shouldn’t be avoided: “From attending UYP, I learned to respond not react. I am now in more control of my emotions in uncomfortable situations and better able to stay cool under fire. I feel I am better at collaboration and finding the ‘elegant solution,’ which meets the needs of all and respects the needs of others. I strive to always act professional, be enthusiastic and approachable.” One thing Phillips said that she learned is how important it is to put yourself in someone else’s situation prior to acting. “Being able to empathize and sympathize with others helps create a more positive environment,” she said. One of Arnold’s take-away points was the power of nego-tiation. She has worked on finding ways to “give a little” to get the process started. This has proved very helpful in the legislative arena. Several other attendees have found UYP to be a stimulus for future leadership learning endeavors. Miller said that, since UYP, she tries to look for courses that build upon enhancing communication skills as well as working on fostering relationships. “I look to the workshops I’ve attended as building blocks that continue to add to my ‘KASH’ (Knowledge, Attitude, Skills and Habits) that get stored for future use,” she said. Ruley too has sought out additional courses on commu-nication and taken some personality profiles to learn more about herself and areas for improvement. Arnold picked up on a book recommendation, Strengths Finder 2.0. The book leadership continued on page 32 access

Leadership

Carol A. Jahn

The fourth annual Unleashing Your Potential (UYP) Weekend will be held November 16-18, 2012, at the Fairmont Hotel in Chicago. Whether you are contemplating your first leadership role at the state or local level or are a seasoned leader ready for the national scene, UYP can help you enhance your skills and prepare to take on your next desired role. Past UYP graduates found the conference enhanced overall confidence, strengthened communication skills and improved conflict resolution abilities. Donna Ruley, RDH, executive director of the Kentucky Dental Hygienists’ Association (KYDHA), attended the 2010 conference and said, “UYP left me inspired to make a difference! It gave me more confidence in myself.” Ruley has found this uptick in self-assurance helped her recognize that her thoughts and ideas are important. This has aided her in doing a better job for the KYDHA, especially at the legislative level. Likewise, Rita Phillips, BSDH, RDH, PhD, notes that since attending UYP in 2009, she has become more confident taking on leadership roles. “UYP was a life-altering experience for me,” she said. “The speakers, the camaraderie and the overall atmosphere were extremely motivating and invigorating. Because of the experience, I realized that I, too, could help to make a difference in our wonderful profession by contributing my time, experiences and knowledge.” Diane Arnold, RDH, BS, from Arkansas says the UYP 2010 conference gave her the courage to think big. “Thinking outside the box is something I am doing better than before,” she said. “Not only that, the old box was much smaller than the box I now use.” New or seasoned on the leadership continuum, working on improving communications skills is a core part of the UYP Weekend that all attendees have found useful. Faith Miller, RDH, MSEd, Illinois, attended the 2010 conference and acknowledges that UYP helped her listen more carefully and take each member’s position on issues into consideration. Phillips found the role-playing techniques of the presenters helped her to become a more active listener and to analyze situations more thoroughly. Likewise, Arnold found the methods helped her learn many communication techniques such as persuasion, effective speaking, and making a strong impression when speaking publicly. Using communication to bring in volunteers from all generations and helping everyone feel included is another benefit of attending UYP. Ruley learned about the differences between the generations and the challenges of getting the younger generation involved. “I realized that people may not step forward unless invited, so I ask people to consider positions and encourage our officers to do the same,” she said. Ruley also recognizes that complimenting and thanking people for a job well done is important for everyone regardless of age or time given to the association: “Give credit where credit is due; it’s important to publicly praise hardworking individuals.” In Arkansas, Arnold is happy to say they are experiencing a renewal of young leaders. Because of her attendance at UYP, she knows their view of the association will be different. “What worked at one time may be vastly different from how it should function today,” she said. “The combination of viewpoints is enlightening for both the experienced and the beginner.” Miller is also dealing with the challenge of multi-generation volunteers. “Finding the right method of communication can be challenging: do you make a phone call, send email or text message? The phone can be a [time-consuming] way of interaction; however, you recognize those members that require a phone call, and you make time so they feel included,” she said. One aspect of leadership that is challenging for many is conflict resolution. Ruley acknowledged that conflict is natural and shouldn’t be avoided: “From attending UYP, I learned to respond not react. I am now in more control of my emotions in uncomfortable situations and better able to stay cool under fire. I feel I am better at collaboration and finding the ‘elegant solution,’ which meets the needs of all and respects the needs of others. I strive to always act professional, be enthusiastic and approachable.” One thing Phillips said that she learned is how important it is to put yourself in someone else’s situation prior to acting. “Being able to empathize and sympathize with others helps create a more positive environment,” she said. One of Arnold’s take-away points was the power of negotiation. She has worked on finding ways to “give a little” to get the process started. This has proved very helpful in the legislative arena. Several other attendees have found UYP to be a stimulus for future leadership learning endeavors. Miller said that, since UYP, she tries to look for courses that build upon enhancing communication skills as well as working on fostering relationships. “I look to the workshops I’ve attended as building blocks that continue to add to my ‘KASH’ (Knowledge, Attitude, Skills and Habits) that get stored for future use,” she said. Ruley too has sought out additional courses on communication and taken some personality profiles to learn more about herself and areas for improvement. Arnold picked up on a book recommendation, Strengths Finder 2.0. The book helped her understand that a constituent association is made up of volunteers with many different talents, and that in order to work effectively together, it’s important to understand and utilize the different strengths. “I have kept those materials for reference because I have sometimes seen an individual overlooked when a person is elected or placed into a role that is not paired to their strength,” she said. “Finding the right fit of talent and strength to a particular office is important for associations to function to their highest potential and for officers to enjoy their leadership roles.” Applications for the 2012 UYP conference went live on the ADHA website in June. Arnold has this advice: “When writing your essay, take time to reflect on the core feelings you have for dental hygiene, the desire you have to strengthen our profession/ association and your vision to grow.” Miller summed it up saying, “Just simply apply. The ADHA staff does a fantastic job ensuring everyone is comfortable and where they are supposed to be. UYP may take you out of your comfort zone, but be open to working with others and getting to know your colleagues! We are all so different, yet similar in so many ways. We are dedicated and committed to our profession, which makes us leaders in that respect, and we have so much passion that it’s hard to bridle all of that in the limited amount of time we have to share experiences and thoughts.” Ruley agreed. “Networking with other RDHs in leadership roles from across the country is so important,” she said. “It’s nice to know you’re not alone. We all share the same passions and problems.” Philips noted, “If you do not succeed initially, keep applying. The networking, friendships, skills, and overall experience are well worth it. The memories that you create while in attendance will change your outlook on being actively involved in the profession and the association.” Apply today for one of the best professional experiences of your career. As Philips told us, “UYP exceeded my expectations and has proven to be a wonderful experience. I truly believe it changed my outlook on being active in the association. I feel that it is an honor and a responsibility to be active in some capacity. “Change can only occur if there are dedicated individuals willing to take on the task and carry it forward. UYP and ADHA made me realize that I can be part of this process, which can be very rewarding.” Carol A. Jahn, RDH, MS, is a lifelong ADHA member who has had many roles and elected positions including ADHA treasurer. Currently, she is ADHA’s representative to the International Federation of Dental Hygiene and serves on its Leadership Development Committee. She is employed by Water Pik, Inc. as senior professional relations manager. She can be reached at cjahn@waterpik.com.

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