Why All These Letters?
Kathryn Holly
York, Maine, USA
From: LEAVEN, Vol. 35 No. 3, June-July 1999, p. 56
A Leader may wonder why a
Leader Applicant receives and responds to several letters from the Leader
Accreditation Department (LAD) representative. The dialogue portion
of an application is an important aspect of Leader preparation, offering
the Leader Applicant an opportunity to work closely with the LAD representative
as she explores and prepares for accreditation as a La Leche League
Leader.
The responsibility of the
LAD is twofold: "to determine that an individual's ideas and experience
recommend her for La Leche League leadership and to help an Applicant
to prepare for her future role as an LLL Leader" (LLLI LAD Resources,
1992; 8).
During the application, dialogue
can be defined as a conversation taking place on paper. It builds on
the Leader Applicant's Personal History. Dialogue helps to clarify ways
in which a Leader Applicant's experience and personal philosophy reflect
LLL recommendations and philosophy and how she can translate that into
facilitating and providing mother-to-mother help. The Associate Coordinator
of Leader Accreditation (A/CLA) may dialogue with the Leader Applicant
to obtain or provide additional information and to relate to the Leader's
role the thoughts and attitudes the Leader Applicant has already expressed.
Dialogue letters provide opportunities to discuss ways of communicating
LLL information and philosophy while respecting individual differences.
According to LAD Resources,
"The goal of the LAD is to accredit Leaders who have the experience,
knowledge, and skills they will need to do their job with confidence
and pleasure." This goal goes beyond giving a “stamp of approval”
to a Leader Applicant. The Leader and LAD representative strive to guide
the Leader Applicant's orientation to leadership. We explore and explain
LLLI philosophy, relate the Applicant's knowledge and experience to
how she will help other mothers as an LLL Leader, and describe LLLI
structure, LLL policies, procedures and resources. Together, we help
ensure that the Leader Applicant has or will develop knowledge about
breastfeeding management, child development and parenting, as well as
Leader skills in areas of problem solving, group dynamics, facilitating
discussion and critical reading. See the checklist in the LEADER’S
HANDBOOK, 1998 edition, (pages 243- 44) and the Breastfeeding Resource
Guide for detailed lists.
During the dialogue portion
of an application, the LAD representative also invites the Leader Applicant
to reflect on her goals, both for her work as an LLL Leader and for
her Group. Dialogue letters help the Leader Applicant build effective
communication skills as well.
The number of letters exchanged
in the dialogue portion of an application is uniquely tailored to each
Leader Applicant. These letters respond to what she has written in the
Personal History, include discussion topics the Leader and Leader Applicant
have suggested, and provide guidance in building the skills and knowledge
base the Leader Applicant needs in order to fulfill the criteria for
accreditation.
Correspondence between a
Leader Applicant and a LAD representative is intended to be a positive
learning experience. The Group Leader and the LAD representative work
together to help guide the Leader Applicant as she prepares for the
responsibilities and joys of leadership. Dialogue letters provide a
special interaction between a Leader Applicant and the A/CLA that is
similar to the oral dialogue between Leader and Applicant. When we understand
the purpose of dialogue letters, Leader, Leader Applicant and A/CLA
can work together to make the time of leadership preparation exciting
and productive.
Page last edited Sun Oct 14 09:31:49 UTC 2007.
