1. LEAD: Learn. Empower.
Achieve. Develop.: Enhancing
skills through Leadership
Development
Kelly Patterson & Alyssa Young
Alyssa Young & Kelly Patterson
DeafBlind Ontario Services2019

2. Agenda
• About DeafBlind Ontario Services
• What is a Leadership Development program?
• Why did DeafBlind Ontario Services invest in a
Leadership Development program?
• How does the Leadership Development
program work?
• What did we learn from the pilot program?

3. DeafBlind Ontario Services
 Established in 1989 by a group of parents striving for community-based
supported living programs for their children.
 DeafBlind Ontario Services supports deafblind adults with community-
based housing, trained Intervenor services, independent living skills,
work experience and other specialized support

6. Mission Statement
DeafBlind Ontario Services supports
individuals who are deafblind to live and
thrive within the community.
Vision Statement
Enriching lives one touch at a time.

7. What is a Leadership Development
Program?
• At DeafBlind Ontario Services, it is a program to support
employees to become the leaders of tomorrow.

8. Does your organization have a
leadership development
program?

9. DeafBlind Ontario Services’ Leadership
Development Program
Our Objective:
• To enhance a “leaderful” organization. By doing so, we will be
in a position to continue in our growth and build on the success
of our clients by creating leaders within all levels of our
organization
• To prepare the organization to attract and retain talent
(specifically Generation Y)
• Build a leaderful organization

10. DeafBlind Ontario Services’ Leadership
Development Program
Leaderful
Leading collectively is embedded in the organizational culture. It
promotes leadership in all areas of the organization.

11. Primary Generations
•Gen Z: Born 1996 – present
•Millennials or Generation Y: Born
1977 – 1995
•Generation X: Born 1965 – 1976
•Baby Boomers: Born 1946 – 1964
(Managing Millennials: Priorities in the modern workplace,
Charlie Osborne, iGeneration, 2012)

12. Gen Y and Leadership Development
65% said the opportunities for personal development
was the most influential factor in their current job
(Managing Millennials: Priorities in the modern workplace,
Charlie Osborne, iGeneration, 2012)

13. Generation Y and Leadership
Development
• 50% of Generation Y’s said leadership
development was a focus for their career
(Paula MacLean, GenSurv 2009)

14. Generation Y and Leadership
Development
What percentage of Generation Y’s desired
positions with increased responsibility and
authority?
(Paula MacLean, GenSurv 2009)

15. Generation Y and Leadership
Development
• 70% of Generation Y’s desired positions with
increased responsibility and authority
(Paula MacLean, GenSurv 2009)

16. Why did we invest in a leadership
development program?
• Create good teamwork and a “leaderful” organizational
culture
• Employee satisfaction survey
• Learning organization that strives to be a leader in our field
• Employee engagement and retention
• Create platform for employees to develop skills
• Assist with recruitment efforts - develop talent pipeline
Having a program that contributes to DeafBlind Ontario
Services being an employer and service provider of choice

17. Organizational Structure

18. How does the program work?
• Permanent employees, who have been employed with for the
organization for a minimum of one year, may apply to the
program.

19. Who is involved?

20. Participant Expectations
• I have the desire to learn and grow.
• I will share my learning with my peers and transfer my learnings
to the service I provide
• I am prepared to accept constructive feedback on my
performance.
• I will maintain open communication with those involved in my
learning.
• I understand that participation in the program does not
guarantee future promotions within DeafBlind Ontario Services.
• I am ready for a challenge.

21. Individual Leadership Development
Plans (goals)
• General leadership skills identified:
• Conducting meetings;/leading working groups
• Creating and facilitating effective presentations
• Creative problem solving and decision making
• Team building skills
• Difficult conversations
• Leading others
• Time management
• Managing change
• Effective communication

22. Individual Leadership Development
Plan (goals)
Methods of learning/resources suggested
for coaches:
• Tool kits
• Scenario based learning
• External courses
• Internal documents (procedures, references,
committees)
• Job shadowing/hands-on learning

23. Employee Benefits
• Learning and practicing new skills and competencies.
• Increased confidence, initiative, resilience and
adaptability.
• Networking with internal and external partners.
• Building relationships with all levels of the organization.
• Opportunities to attend sessions and workshops.
• Opportunities for ongoing feedback on their leadership
development.
• Potential opportunities to become coaches/mentors.
• Self-development investment.

24. Service Benefits (Client)
• Engaged service providers
• Consistency of intervenors (retention)
• Transfer of learning to client
• Competencies learned to adapt to challenging
situations
• Shared motivation

25. Pilot Program 2017/2018

26. Pilot Program: Professional Development
• Emotional Intelligence
• Internal Leaders Meeting
• Individual professional development goals
• Discussion groups with CEO

27. Employee Engagement throughout
Pilot Program
• Employees created a tag line for the program
(L.E.A.D.)
• Road show presentations to promote the
program
• Kick off: meet and greet
• Created mascot for the program – Paul and Jilly
• Participant spotlights
• Wrap up: feedback

28. Participant Spotlight

29. What did we learn?
• Geography challenges
• Dedication of time and resources
• Training required for all levels of the
program (e.g. coaches and participants)

30. Impact of the Leadership Development
Program
• Created shared leadership across the
organization
• integrated leadership into the organizational
culture
• Created a hype for professional development
amongst employees
• Employee skill development lead to new position

31. Connecting to Service Delivery

32. What does leaderful mean to you?

33. “Alone we can do so little;
together we can do so much”.
- Helen Keller

34. Thank You
from DeafBlind Ontario Services