While working through this weeks assignment I started thinking about effective management where I work.  I think one truly significant area of management is communication.  When looking at the Four Functions of Management I choose organizations as what I thought was most important.  I think a big part of organization is communication.  Being able to communicate what is needed can make or break an organization.  If as a manager I do not communicate the tasks correctly things will likely be done wrong.  Radhaswamy & Zia (2011) note that "The formula for success goes beyond technical and domain expertise.  There is a sheer necessity for personal effectiveness that stems from effective communication" (p. 52). 

I hope that I communicate well with those that I supervise and those that supervise me.  I know that I communicate in various ways with those that I supervise and those that supervise me, such as written, verbal, and electronic communication.  I find it difficult sometimes to get across what I want to say in an email or text message, I need to speak to them in person.  What reason I find it difficult is because to really explain myself may take a lengthy email that may not get completely read.  Also if there are questions having a one-on-one verbal conversation can help answer those questions immediately, and not having to wait for responses. 

Communication works from the top down and vise versa.  Communication must be present in all areas of an organization.    Radhaswamy & Zia (2011) also note that "better and more effective communication is fundamental to success" (p. 56)

Reference:

Radhaswamy, P., & Zia, A. (2011) The Importance of Communication. The IUP journal of Soft Skills,  5(4), 52-56.

While listening to the Management 500 lectures for this week I started to think about the framework and organizational structure of where I work.  The organizational structure has evolved over the years.  When I started working there it was just changing from a much more divisional type atmosphere to a cooperative atmosphere.  For example in the area of health where I am, we were focused on health and that was it.  We did not need to know or worry about social services, education, operations, etc..  And on the flip side of that they didn't need to know or worry about health.  With a change in upper management this idea became obsolete.  The new idea was to have all areas working together cooperatively.  This idea would help focus the program on the family as a whole, utilizing all the resources that we had.

The new structure has health involved in things like family and community engagement, determining eligibility for a program, helping in the social service areas and areas of education.  Health now is there to support the other divisions in helping the family and child.  There are still some growing pains to this change, but we are working through it.  I think the innovation of upper management to take the old idea and make it better was wonderful. 

As a manager I know that sometimes you can see things that others can't see.  You are able to visualize how things are going to work, and others are not able to see it.  I feel like the upper management at my work place had a vision of how he wanted things to go and made them happen.  He was able to get us to buy into the changes and make them our own.  We have had to make a few adjustments along the way but overall the change has been for the better.

This post is going to look at how education and health work cooperatively.  I wanted to start with this because I think it is important to note how they work together.  As a healthcare provider I know how important it is for a child and/or an adult to stay healthy, but those who do work in the healthcare field may not value it as much.  So when working with education staff I thought that the first thing to look at would be how education and health can work together. 

There are numerous articles written about the effect of health on education.  It has been shown that when a child is either acutely or chronically ill, have dental problems, have language or sensory delays they can not learn as well.  I always give an example to staff about having a simple headache and coming to work.  We can all relate to working through a headache.  We know that we are able to go to the store or medicine cabinet and get some medication to take, but children do not always know this.  Children rely on parents, teachers, or nursing to take care of them.  They may not even realize that what they have is a headache, they just know that they cannot concentrate in class.  If a child is unable to concentrate in class they will not do as well. 

In an article written by Low, Low, Baumler, & Huynh (2005) the authors note "a new policy linking early child care with education would result in significant improvement in the health of the American population, while reducing the health disparities that affect so many and the income inequalities that breed social problems in regions of the country" (p. 1152)  This quote came from a section that was discussing the effect of education and health at birth.  Educating families about the importance of early education and early health practices will benefit everyone in the family, and will lead to a healthier society.

Looking at all this and the research performed by Low et al. I can clearly see as a manager what I need to focus on with staff.  Giving them the tools to educate families on these important topics.  Families may resist this due to lack of education or cultural norms, but if we keep working with them we can make a difference. 

Reference:
Low, M., Low, B. J., Baumler, E. R., & Huynh, P. T. (2005). Can Education Policy Be Health Policy? Implications of Research on the Social Determinants of Health. Journal Of Health Politics, Policy & Law, 30(6), 1131-1162.

My name is Farrah I am currently a student at Ball State University.  I am perusing my Master's in Nursing with an Education Leadership Track.  I will graduate in Spring 2014.  This blog is being created for a graduate course called Management 500.  The purpose of this blog is to look at management in my current professional position.  I am the Health Coordinator for my county's Early Childhood Programs.  The Early Childhood Programs consist of Early Head Start, Head Start, and Preschool Programs. 

I want this blog to reflect how management is used in the Early Childhood programs and in early  childhood education.  There are some interesting dynamics that occur when working for the Early Head Start and Head Start programs.  The staff in these programs can get burnt out quickly and may experience some situational trauma.  Because the Early Head Start/Head Start programs are for families who are at or below 100% poverty level, part of our job is to help them find and utilize resources.  The main focuses of Early Head Start/Head Start is education, health, and family engagement.  I want to explore how managers can help staff work efficiently, effectively, and with the whole family in mind.  I will also put focus on how education and health work cooperatively.

I hope this blog will offer information to others who work in the healthcare and education fields.  I also hope that through this blog I will learn new information that will help me to be a better manager in my current position.  I hope you enjoy reading this.