IGNITE Leadership Academy Action Learning Project 2016-17 | Page 8

Sarah Daly
Value First Member Liaison
LeadingAge New York
The Operators Connection
1
How would you describe your Action Learning Project and the difference you hope it will make
to advance your organization’s mission (or the field) and benefit the individuals you serve?
My Action Learning Project will be to create a connection and networking platform for facilities and operations managers
throughout LeadingAge New York membership. My platform for this connection will be a ListServ. ListServs are a simple and
highly interactive way for people in different areas to connect. There are several ListServs organized by LeadingAge New York,
however, we have always lacked the engagement and interaction from this particular job role. That said, I hope to correct that
lacking engagement.
The ListServ will operate as a tool for facilities and engineering directors within membership to network and problem solve with
one another. Issues in any industry or job role can generally be resolved in a more seamless and timely manner when one can draw
from the experience of another. Having this type of resource as a foundation of experience and knowledge will not only make
some of the day-to-day trials a bit less painful, but it will also serve to improve the overall environment of member organizations
state-wide.
2
How have the relationships you’ve developed as part of your project (with mentors, partners,
stakeholders, etc.) influenced this direction and you as a leader?
With my entrée into the field of long term care being through the LeadingAge lens, it can often be difficult for me to fully
understand the real challenges facing our membership everyday. Being a part of Leadership Academy, I have been able to gain a
deeper understanding of these obstacles that my fellows face. More importantly, I’ve seen before my very eyes how my fellows
speak from experience to encourage one another and to resolve issues. This spirit of collaboration and knowledge sharing was
a large inspiration for this project. As I gained insight and context from my fellows about some of the day-to-day trials of an
operations job role, I came to recognize that LeadingAge New York had not yet found a tangible platform for connection within
this group.
The relationships with my fellows that I have strengthened in the conceptualization of this project have allowed me to approach
the initiative with an understanding of the stakeholders. Understanding the people that any given project will service is invaluable.
This process has affirmed that fact for me and I intend to bring this type of collaborative, question based thinking with me as I
continue throughout my career.
3
What have been important turning points for you, in your own learning, as you’ve engaged
with the action learning process (you might consider a surprise, insight, setback, or challenge)?
Although my Action Learning Project is a tangible and relatively simple initiative, I have had a few “ah-ha” moments as I have
engaged with the process. It is not yet a completed project, and so I still have more to learn. However, in connecting with my
fellows in the conceptualization of my project, I was reminded in a very real way that with more voices and ideas shared, comes
innovation. This was a point that was discussed in one of our academy readings. To see collaboration in action in the development
of my project and then to recognize my role in encouraging that innovation among our membership with the listserv was a
significant turning point.
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LeadingAge New York
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