Rebecca Szymanski

[Rebecca Szymanski @PSmitty2theResQ]

Or the opposite problem, when supervisors have low emotional maturity and create conflict...

[Amneris @AmnerisfMorales]

@Magstou That is true Margaret! I had supervisors who really needed to improve their communication skills and assertiveness when facing conflict in the workplace. #MacroSW

[Rebecca Szymanski @PSmitty2theResQ]

My work has this great thing called a kudos box, when someone does something awesome we write them a little note and drop it in. Then we read them out loud to each other once a month or so #macrosw

[Rebecca Szymanski @PSmitty2theResQ]

This is what they do at my current job and it has made a WORLD of difference. #macrosw

[Dr. Niara Morrow, LISW-S, LCSW, PMH-C @RealDrMorrow]

A5: Communication is key. Let your employees know you value them, work with them, be supportive. #MacroSW

[Rebecca Szymanski @PSmitty2theResQ]

A5: I say go to the employees, especially the people on the bottom rungs of the organization. They deserve their voice to be heard. #macrosw

[Rebecca Szymanski @PSmitty2theResQ]

YES. And then I feel like new people get socially penalized for not knowing the unspoken rules right away. #macrosw

[Rebecca Szymanski @PSmitty2theResQ]

A4: It took me YEARS to figure out self-care. Agencies should help people find what works for them, instead of telling everyone to take a nice bath with a glass of wine. A 5-mile run in the biting cold works much better for me. #macrosw

[Rebecca Szymanski @PSmitty2theResQ]

@HibitKristen @AlyssaLotmore @OfficialMacroSW This is my entire life 🤣

[Rebecca Szymanski @PSmitty2theResQ]

One of the hardest things for me is needing a vacation but not having the time to take one. And I have the vacation time to take, I just can't justify taking it because I am so behind ALL. THE. TIME. #macrosw

[Rebecca Szymanski @PSmitty2theResQ]

Not to mention the physical injuries that can occur. I talked about emotional scars earlier but I have physical scars as well.

[Rebecca Szymanski @PSmitty2theResQ]

Q3: I once got fed up with a job and quit because doing the damned paperwork was taking up way more time and getting in the way of actually helping my clients. I'm talking about not being able to attend to their basic service needs that the agency is supposed to provide #macrosw

[Rebecca Szymanski @PSmitty2theResQ]

I think the same thing is wrongly said about clients too..."they're just acting out", when it's really a reaction to a toxic environment

[Rebecca Szymanski @PSmitty2theResQ]

Thank you for talking about trauma CREATED by the workplace! I know that it is like to dread supervision because of the fear that it will be used against me.

[Rebecca Szymanski @PSmitty2theResQ]

I have worked for agencies that are so toxic that I have literally been traumatized and still bear the emotional scars, even years later. I don't think management takes this into consideration nearly enough. #macrosw

[Rebecca Szymanski @PSmitty2theResQ]

@amidon_ashley I once worked at a place where I tried to have a conversation with management about how I could get everything done, more of a "help me figure this out" than complaining that I could not do it all, and was told "figure it out yourself"...I left.

[Rebecca Szymanski @PSmitty2theResQ]

A2: Oh, boy, do I have a lot to say about this but Twitter only allows 280 characters...I have worked in both extremely toxic and hostile environments and environments that have allowed me to grow. It's the people, more often than the policies, that make it what it is #macrosw

[Rebecca Szymanski @PSmitty2theResQ]

@erikaejones @AlyssaLotmore I also work for an OPWDD regulated agency and I can tell you the cultures vary greatly from agency to agency under OPWDD. And we all have the same regulations.

[Rebecca Szymanski @PSmitty2theResQ]

@sideeye_emoji @AlyssaLotmore @OfficialMacroSW That's a good point!

[Rebecca Szymanski @PSmitty2theResQ]

A1: Agency culture is the set of (often unspoken) beliefs and practices within an agency. Agency culture is what shapes the clients' and workers' experiences with that agency. #macrosw

[Rebecca Szymanski @PSmitty2theResQ]

@amidon_ashley You'll be fine, I managed to figure it out LOL. Just keep going to the top.

[Rebecca Szymanski @PSmitty2theResQ]

@MasecchiaSiena Siena are you the person I talked to on the phone earlier today? I work at START.