This year, I...
Interpreted through ONE earthquake in D.C.
Lead TWO VRID ethics discussion groups.
Accepted a guaranteed hours/ part-time position for THREE days/ week.
Worked out of town for FOUR weeks.
Spent FIVE days in Atlanta for the RID conference.
Coordinated SIX workshops and community dialogues for VRID.
Interpreted a SEVEN day cruise.
Attended an EIGHT hour workshop on Demand-Control Schema.
Posted NINE links to the "In the News" section of blog.
Earned over TEN CEUs.
Visited ELEVEN states (MO, KS, TN, MD, NJ, PA, NC, GA, CA, TX, & FL).
Happy New Years!
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Trying to be everything for everyone
As part of my research for the ethics workshops that I am proposing for next year's VRID conference, I have been reading Silver Threads: A Personal Look at the First Twenty-Five Years of the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, published by Lou Fant in 1990. As I read about the history of the interpreting profession and RID, the following quote resonated with me on several levels:
"It is a mistake for an individual or an organization to attempt to be all things to all people" (p. 40).
Upon posting this quote to my Facebook page, I was immediately "accused" (a term I use loosely) of referencing the current state of RID. Admittedly, in the midst of the ongoing drama revolving around the future of the organization and certification testing changes, Lou Fant's words in Silver Threads has struck a chord. The more I read, the more it became apparent that as an organization, we are repeating our mistakes. RID lacks a clear vision of its role, function, and long term direction. As an organization, we are once again lacking leadership and continue to make mistakes about certification. Once again, we are standing on the edge, waiting for the pivotal moment, but unsure where the compass is pointing. Yet, we need to realized that regardless of the outcome, there are going to be "winners" and "losers." Some individuals will be satisfied with the outcome, while others threaten to leave- and a suspect a sizeable group will remain indifferent. We have been asked by the Board and are asking ourselves- Is RID a certifying body or a professional organization? For now, that question remains unanswered, but small steps are being taken in attempts to find an answer.
Recently, RID asked its members to answer the following question: "Who is RID’s constituency and what do you/they need RID to be and what do you/ they need RID to be doing right now?" It is my hope that the membership has seized the opportunity to express their views. In my response, I tried to emphasize a sense of togetherness as well as offer strengths in addition to the weaknesses:
RID's constituency is its members, however we must consider how our actions and decisions affect our stakeholders, which includes other interpreters, interpreting students, the Deaf community, and hearing community. RID needs to be a supportive and unifying body with the same goal of advancing our professional development. While communication has been improving, additional transparency is still needed to keep members in the loop and informed, particularly regarding the rationale of the recent NIC changes. Some of the information previously released has been vague, untimely, and misguiding. As a whole, I would like to see our organization as pro-active, rather than reactive, while still supporting and respecting our colleagues, future colleagues, and consumers. We need to be more inclusive and accepting, which in turn, would hopefully encourage more individuals to become involved, active members, rather than bystanders. RID has the potentially to be a "member-driven" organization, but first members need to be given the opportunity to drive; then we can take the wheel.
While my biggest hope for RID is to become a unified, supportive body, I know that we cannot be everything for everyone- and this fact is easily forgotten. In my personal and professional lives, this was one of the hardest life lessons for me to learn. I had been told repeatedly that this profession requires a "thick skin"- a trait that I certainly lack. But as I have grown personally and professionally, I have learned that I cannot sacrifice my personal happiness in an attempt to satisfy everyone around me. I have learned not to take everything personally. It is not necessarily about me or my skill, but it is about the interpersonal dynamic and other forces- sometimes things just don't "click." In a profession that requires us to continually to develop our skills and excel on a daily basis, this can be a hard lesson learned.
"It is a mistake for an individual or an organization to attempt to be all things to all people" (p. 40).
Upon posting this quote to my Facebook page, I was immediately "accused" (a term I use loosely) of referencing the current state of RID. Admittedly, in the midst of the ongoing drama revolving around the future of the organization and certification testing changes, Lou Fant's words in Silver Threads has struck a chord. The more I read, the more it became apparent that as an organization, we are repeating our mistakes. RID lacks a clear vision of its role, function, and long term direction. As an organization, we are once again lacking leadership and continue to make mistakes about certification. Once again, we are standing on the edge, waiting for the pivotal moment, but unsure where the compass is pointing. Yet, we need to realized that regardless of the outcome, there are going to be "winners" and "losers." Some individuals will be satisfied with the outcome, while others threaten to leave- and a suspect a sizeable group will remain indifferent. We have been asked by the Board and are asking ourselves- Is RID a certifying body or a professional organization? For now, that question remains unanswered, but small steps are being taken in attempts to find an answer.
Recently, RID asked its members to answer the following question: "Who is RID’s constituency and what do you/they need RID to be and what do you/ they need RID to be doing right now?" It is my hope that the membership has seized the opportunity to express their views. In my response, I tried to emphasize a sense of togetherness as well as offer strengths in addition to the weaknesses:
RID's constituency is its members, however we must consider how our actions and decisions affect our stakeholders, which includes other interpreters, interpreting students, the Deaf community, and hearing community. RID needs to be a supportive and unifying body with the same goal of advancing our professional development. While communication has been improving, additional transparency is still needed to keep members in the loop and informed, particularly regarding the rationale of the recent NIC changes. Some of the information previously released has been vague, untimely, and misguiding. As a whole, I would like to see our organization as pro-active, rather than reactive, while still supporting and respecting our colleagues, future colleagues, and consumers. We need to be more inclusive and accepting, which in turn, would hopefully encourage more individuals to become involved, active members, rather than bystanders. RID has the potentially to be a "member-driven" organization, but first members need to be given the opportunity to drive; then we can take the wheel.
While my biggest hope for RID is to become a unified, supportive body, I know that we cannot be everything for everyone- and this fact is easily forgotten. In my personal and professional lives, this was one of the hardest life lessons for me to learn. I had been told repeatedly that this profession requires a "thick skin"- a trait that I certainly lack. But as I have grown personally and professionally, I have learned that I cannot sacrifice my personal happiness in an attempt to satisfy everyone around me. I have learned not to take everything personally. It is not necessarily about me or my skill, but it is about the interpersonal dynamic and other forces- sometimes things just don't "click." In a profession that requires us to continually to develop our skills and excel on a daily basis, this can be a hard lesson learned.
As individuals and as an organization, we need to remember that we need to strive for success, but at the end of the day, we will never be "all things to all people."
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