The Interview

On friday monrning I sat down with Carol in a secluded room and I conducted my interview. She seemed a little uncomfortable with some of the questions and explained to me that she was currently experiencing some of the problems addressed by some of the following questions. I think that I already knew that and that's why I chose her for this assignment. It was very eye opening and I got to see her more as a person than as a supervisor. I enjoyed hearing her answers and pulling from her wisdom and experiences.

L: What types of challenges do you face on a daily basis?
C: Mostly managing the staff, they can be a bit lax when it comes to policies and procedures. Also inspiring the girls in the program to stay on the right track. It gets frustrating ad disheartening when they re-enter the system.

L: How do you deal with internal politics?
C: I do Yoga, go for a walk, vent to superiors in the council like Barb to brainstorm on alternatives and ways to best handle the situation.

L: What do you like about your position?
C: I love working with the girls plain and simple. I do it for the girls.

L: What do you feel can be done to make your job easier?
C: Training other staff members in all office procedures and programs so that we are never short staffed and so that everything doesn't fall on my shoulders when something goes wrong.

L: Do you work better in a group setting or on an individual basis?
C: On certain things like paper work, I work best by myself. When it comes to programming, I love working with others, having them jump in with their knowledge and ideas.

L: Do you find yourself ever bringing your work home? I have that problem especially when I am concerned about the actions or situations of one of the girls.
C: I do that too. Sometimes the girls call me at 2:00 in the morning and I can't just say that I'm off work so I can't help you. Sometimes I have to call the police or take someone to the hospital. You have to learn to draw the line though. Home is my sanctuary and I try to leave what I can at the office.

L: What is your ideal work environment?
C: Functional and effective communication is really important and a strong boss/leader.

L: How does your personality help or hinder communication with others?
C: My passion both helps and hinders. Sometimes it can be misunderstood and I think my tone has a lot to do with it. On the other hand I think that it also inspires others, staff and the girls.

L: How has your education prepared you for your position with the Girls Scouts?
C: I studied Sociology, so I think that is has enabled me to better understand people. I take into consideration more when I deal with a person like culture, background, community and home environment. I think that it has made me less judgemental and more accepting.

L: Do/ did you have a mentor at this organization? How has that helped you?
C: I had a few different people that I have looked up to and modelled my behavior after like Ruby Q and Stephanie. They're not here anymore but I admired the way that they could handle every situation and knew where to find resources. They guided me and helped me to adjust to this new environment when I first started.

L: Thank you so much for doing this. I know that it was a bit uncomfortable for you at times but I got a lot of great information. You were very helpful.
C: No problem, I hope that you got everything that you needed.