KAREN COOPER
Coordinator of Youth Services at Youth Involvement Council
Awarded a Melbourne Business School Scholarship for the New Leaders Development Program, 2019
What sort of work does your organisation do?
Work with at risk Youth in the remote Pilbara region of WA including drop in centres for 5-18yr old’s, accommodation facility, social enterprise, family support workers and transportation services. Describe a typical day's work.
No day is typical! I do administrative, team leading and planning tasks in the mornings and coordinate the drop-in centres in the afternoons for approximately 40 kids daily. What were some of the key learnings from the course?
- Believe in your teams’ ability to grow and reach a higher potential.
- Manage people individually.
- How to have hard conversations.
- How leadership is different to being a coal face worker.
- How to delegate to avoid burn out.
- It's lonely at the top.
How has it impacted / changed / benefited your role and your organisation as a whole?
I was promoted to the role of manager however I have stepped away from that role now. I have helped to upskill the natural leaders in the team and some of the management team. The organization had a new leader who was more competent in their role and able to face the challenges of leadership in a more effective manner. How did you come to be working in the not-for-profit sector?
I chose this sector as I believe it offers more to the end client as the focus is on them and not profit making. I believe strongly is social justice and believe not for profits are leaders in this area. I believe small local not for profit can be more agile and responsive to the changing needs of the community they serve as demonstrated in the immediate adaptation and roll out of supports by YIC in the Covid crisis when most government and private services disappeared. What do you feel is most needed to sustain and build the impact of the not-for-profit sector?
Longer contracts that allow for projects to develop and grow then continue once they have it right. Also, more free training support as upskilling the team is vital to obtain and sustain goals. Large not for profits not being the natural option for funding contracts as they do not allow for the diversity and targeted approaches that small local not for profits bring to the sector. Acknowledgement that the work done deserves adequate pay as most workers are very dedicated considering the income they make.
What is something interesting / unique / unusual about you?
I have a disability that leaves me very bendy and living in constant pain, I use mindfulness to manage this which I now help young people use to manage trauma and difficult emotions.
Click here to read about other ASF scholars.
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