All humans have lived experiences that provide them with specific insights. In the context of public health, the engagement of “people with lived experience” aims to identify and amplify those voices, being inclusive of those heard less often.
Watch the video below to start your learning and then access the links to use the Ready-Set-Go approach to deepen your knowledge and skills.
The more a program can be transparent, the
greater the trust will be with the community.
The greatest ideas for change are voiced in
an atmosphere of trust.
“13 Behaviors of High Trust Leaders” by Stephen M. R. Covey
Character
Talk Straight – Be honest. Tell the Truth. Let people know where you stand in a polite and honest manner.
Demonstrate Trust - Care for others and show it. Treat everyone with respect, especially those who can’t
do anything for you.
Create Transparency - Tell the truth; be real, genuine, open and authentic. This may involve making meeting notes and decisions publicly available.
Right Wrongs - Admit when you’re wrong, apologize quickly, show humility, don’t let pride get in the way of doing the right thing.
Show Loyalty - Give credit to others,
speak about people as if they’re present and represent others who aren’t there.
Competence
Deliver Results - Establish a track record of getting the right things done. Make things happen, on-time and within budget. As Yoda
says, “Do or do not, there is no try.”
Get Better - Continuously improve. Increase your capabilities. Be a constant learner. Don’t
consider yourself above feedback.
Confront Reality - Tackle all issues head-on,
even the “undiscussables.” Address the tough stuff directly. Confront the reality, not the person.
Clarify Expectations - Disclose, reveal and validate expectations. Don’t assume they’re clear or shared. Renegotiate if needed/possible.
Practice Accountability - Hold yourself accountable first, others second. Take responsibility. Be clear on how you’ll communicate how you’re doing and how
others are doing. Don’t blame.
Character + Competence
Listen First - Listen before speaking. Understand, diagnose, listen with ears, eyes and heart.
Keep Commitments - Say what you’ll do, then do it. Make commitments carefully and keep them. Don’t break confidences.
Extend Trust - Extend trust abundantly to those who’ve earned it, conditionally to those
who are still earning it.
Think about who is in the room. Your truth should not harm others.
Results +
Capabilities = Competence
Intent +
Integrity =
Character
Other Tips
Build in time to get to know each other as human beings who may have common interests or experiences.
Create a culture where people feel they can bring problems to the group; use meetings as a place to solve problems, not just a place to report activities. This can be encouraged by reporting on activities via email and using meeting time to discuss ideas and solutions.
Make sure everyone feels comfortable asking for help, sharing suggestions informally, or challenging the status quo without fear of negative social consequences. At times, people in traditional leadership roles are blind/deaf to power dynamics that others experience.
Learn to recognize times when you need to go off the planned agenda in order to address people’s underlying concerns.
Realize that being your own worst critic does not actually improve the work; if you are constantly
criticizing yourself in your relationships with others, you focus the attention on you, on support for you, rather than on the issue at hand.
Engage in the simple act of using "I" statements, which leads us to claim our own experience rather than generalizing from our experience in ways that can exclude those who have a different experience or perspective.
Linking to the MCH Leadership Competencies. Understanding of trust as related to PWLE is a key component of the skills section of the MCH Leadership Competencies. Click the links below to access trainings that support the related sub-competencies.
8S5: Celebrate individual and family diversity and provide an open and accepting environment
8S6: Collaborate with organizations that are led by people with lived experience to build and deepen involvement across all MCH programs.
8S7 Use feedback from people with lived experience, and community members, obtained through focus groups, surveys, community advisory boards, and other mechanisms as part of the project's continuous quality improvement efforts. Monitor and assess the program overall for effectiveness of partnerships between professionals and people with lived experience.
Implementation. Remember, the key to effective partnerships with PWLE:
Shared decision making, involving self-advocates and/or the family, in planning and implementing activities.
Addressing the priorities of people with lived experience using a strengths-based approach.
Recognizing the agency of self-advocates in decision-making as they approach transition age, and across the lifespan.
Connecting people with lived experience to needed services.
Acknowledging that the effects of the SDOH, and broader systems of care, greatly impact individuals with special health care needs and developmental disabilities.
This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number UE8MC25742; MCH Navigator for $225,000/year. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.
