By Jennifer Werdell, Jennifer M. Werdell Consulting, LLC.
Originally published in MIE Journal Volume XXXIX 40th Anniversary Edition No. 2
In partnership with Reverb DEI, JustLead Washington, and several other consulting partners, I’ve had the privilege of co-facilitating supervisory skills training for several statewide cohorts of legal aid and legal advocacy managers in Washington and Massachusetts over the past four years. The demand for these trainings has remained strong—we’ve connected with over 250 participants to date, including 175 in the past year alone. Amid persistent attacks on communities most harmed by poverty, racism, and other forms of oppression, legal aid and advocacy work is more complex than ever, and managers are being called upon to lead through constant crises, uncertainty, and overwhelming workloads. Burnout is high, and many managers receive little, if any, training.
Where supervisor training exists, it is often tactical, focusing on tasks like case assignments and task delegation. While such skills are important, our approach has been to blend foundational skills with a strong emphasis on relational, equitable, and anti-racist practices. Topics have included self-awareness and emotional intelligence, managing across difference, navigating power, creating equitable culture, and conflict management, and participants have opportunities for peer workshopping and skills practice. Our sector’s work is inherently relational, and supervisors in legal aid organizations are charged with supporting and leading people within an often emotionally demanding context. Therefore, we’ve made it an imperative to ground supervisors in the “human” side of supervision.
The following shares themes we’ve observed across training cohorts, including needs and challenges along with opportunities that can help supervisors strengthen their practices and their teams.
To read more, see PDF below.