Advice From the Frontlines
Passing on wisdom from experienced sups
Habitat for Humanity Minnesota asks seasoned supervisors to offer advice to "newbies" during a training session they hold for incoming staff. Here are some of those tips:
About Successful Supervisor-VISTA Relationships:
- Communicate, communicate! Have a weekly meeting, if feasible.
- Go for balance: Don't ignore your VISTAs, but don't smother them either.
- Turn to other supervisors for support or advice when struggles occur.
- Remember it's your job to keep the VISTA on track.
About OSOT for VISTAs:
- Share the history of the umbrella organization as well as the affiliate that the VISTA will be working for.
- Ask your VISTA what she or he learned at PSO.
- Break down the components of the project plan and share it with your VISTA.
- Discuss preferred methods of communication and learning.
- Network: Introduce your VISTA to key community members.
To learn more about how to plan and implement your member's OSOT, visit the Orientation section of the EnCorps collection.
About Writing and Using the VAD (VISTA Assignment Description):
- Make it clear and easy-to-understand.
- Have a limited number of goals.
- Use it as a conversation starter.
- Review the VAD weekly with your VISTA.
Go back to Problem-Solving
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