C4: Build Your Bench: Investing and Retaining the Next Generation of Leaders

Area of Focus: Workforce Resilience and Leadership
Key 11

The “Great Resignation” is creating a burden on organizations nationwide, especially in meeting contractual deliverables, retaining skilled staff, and recruiting new staff. The Bureau of Labor and Statistics stated that COVID-19 contributed to one of the largest employee attrition rates, particularly in health care. Nonprofit management teams critically rely on strong leadership from within, and oftentimes, staff are promoted into management roles based on clinical excellence but are not provided a strong foundation related to leadership competencies like:

  • Self-awareness
  • Supervisory alliances
  • Critical thinking as a supervisor
  • Organizational management and administration
  • Staff development
  • Professional standards
  • Program development
  • Quality assurance related to performance evaluations

That is why every organization needs a “bench” of skilled players on their team. This workshop will discuss a Leadership Training Academy’s 12-month curriculum for new and emerging leaders that develops these competencies.

By examining behavioral health case studies, participants will learn about components of a successful organizational response to low staff morale and burnout. Participants will also learn about needs-based assessment processes aimed at identifying future leaders internally and gain practical tools to improve retention in their own organizations.

Learning Objectives

  • How to maximize the “we” in our post-pandemic workplace by proactively ensuring staff retention and building positive team morale despite ongoing barriers and challenges
  • How investing in your team by using systematic problem-based learning and self-reflection can result in higher employee retention rates, improved employee morale, and ultimately better client outcomes
  • Real-world case studies related to the “Leadership Training Academy” that effectively demonstrate how employee investments can improve organizational performance outcomes and staff retention

Presenters

Erin Saylor
Managing Director of Behavioral Health Services
Child and Family Agency of Southeastern CT

Courtney Seely
Senior Director of Behavioral Health Services
Child and Family Agency of Southeastern CT

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