Week 3- McWilliams Leader/Follower Relationships

The leader and follower relationships within Human Services are really unique. I do not believe that I will encounter a work setting like this in a traditional office setting. Everyone in the office is very independent. Even the work and tasks that I am given are very self-paced and I am given a lot of self-guided direction. Additionally, there are four people in the office every day and then two staff working remotely… they were normally in person but COVID shifted their work style. Brandie, the secretary, is the biggest “follower”, if I had to define roles. She plans Reggie’s schedule, connects people throughout the city, and picks up any other duties that are needed. However, she still contributes a lot to the office, as every day there seems to be a new issue or task that requires multiple hands. Furthermore, her and Patty (the informational concierge) complete a lot of site visits. Since the city of Richmond works with many organizational partners and aids many groups, Patty and Brandie constantly go on site visits to check in on these partners to make sure that everything is running smoothly. Their work is never overlooked and they are the most trusted people in the office because while the site visits may not be the most fun part of the job, they are so important in forging connections with city government and the community. Le’Charn’s position is more “formal” than Patty or Brandie’s and she works most directly with Reggie. However, her work is also very independent, and her interactions with Reggie are mostly check-ins… in other words, she updates him and they discuss, he never delegates. Lastly, as the head of the department, everyone in the office looks to Reggie as a guide. But, as I have mentioned in previous posts, he prides himself on collaboration and is not authoritative. Moreover, I think that the biggest strength of this office’s leadership is trust. Each worker trusts each other to do their work and work towards their goals. Without this trust, independence would be impossible and progress would come a lot slower. Even though I do not have a formal position (and Brandie and Patty are “less formal” than Le’Charn), I know that we all contribute so much to the day to day workings… and without all of these positions, I do not see the office running as smoothly as it does.