1. Employment Certification Program
Personal Responsibility
Workshop 1
Copyright © 2014 by Memorial Assistance Ministries. All rights reserved.

2. Welcome! Let’s Agree on Group Norms: Other Considerations…
Workshops will begin and end on time
Turn off or silence cell phones
We will listen to each other and not interrupt
We will make sure everyone has a chance to speak
We will support our facilitator’s efforts to moderate discussions
We will speak respectfully to each other
Other Considerations…
Attend workshops in person as much as possible
Bring your binders with you as well as scratch paper and something to write with
Complete all homework and other assignments in full and on time
Job Coaches are a great resource! Meet with them often!
The value of participation
Questions/comments should relate to the topic being discussed
“Parking Lot”
Work Keys Exam

3. What is Personal Responsibility?

4. Personal Responsibility…
 “Remember always that you not only have the right to be an individual you have an obligation to be one.” ― Eleanor Roosevelt
“If you own your story you get to write the ending.” ― Brené Brown, PhD, Research Professor, University of Houston Graduate School of Social Work
“Taking personal accountability is a beautiful thing because it gives us complete control of our destinies.”
― Heather Schuck, Writer
"Ninety-nine percent of all failures come from people who have a habit of making excuses."
― George Washington Carver, Pioneer in Agricultural Research
 ”Most of us can read the writing on the wall; we just assume it's addressed to someone else. ”
― Ivern Ball, Poet, Writer
Invite participants to choose one that resonates with them.
Activity: Break into small groups and develop your own quote on personal responsibility, or modify one of the above to suit you.

5. More Quotes on Personal Responsibility…
“When you blame others, you give up your power to change. ”
― Author Unknown
“…the final forming of a person's character lies in their own hands.” ― Anne Frank   
“This is your life. You are responsible for it. You will not live forever. Don't wait.” ― Natalie Goldberg, Writer
“The power behind taking responsibility for your actions lies in putting an end to negative thought patterns. You no longer dwell on what went wrong or focus on whom you are going to blame. You don't waste time building roadblocks to your success. Instead, you are set free and can now focus on succeeding.”
― Lorii Meyers, Writer and Entrepreneur

6. How did you get here? Laid off? Fired?
Something happened and you quit without thinking?
Changing careers? Why? Why now?
You were happily retired (or stay-at-home parent) and you need to work?
What brought you to take this class? Have you thought about what brought you to this point in your job search?

7. How are you feeling? Ready to get going! Excited! Intimidated
Frustrated
Dejected
Sad
Angry
Are you ready to get going? To work hard to find a GREAT job? To learn and make changes that will help you be successful?
Or are you still stuck in the doldrums? Feeling burned by a bad experience, or blaming others?...

8. What do you want to learn?
Resume?
How to search for a great job?
How to start over?
How to set the past aside?
To learn from past experiences?
How to be a GREAT employee?
Call randomly on participants, inviting them to share…a little…

9. Don’t Be a Victim! Activity…
We learn from every experience – good or bad – but we have choices on how we react and move forward.
“Take the High Road”
Struggle = Strength!
Your employer can provide empowering experiences, but only you can empower yourself.
Have a mean boss? Now you know how not to treat your employees! Dislike the way you were fired or laid off? Think about how YOU would do it differently.
ACTIVITY: Think of a time you felt victimized. Write down ONE WORD to describe how it made you feel. Go around the room, asking each participant to state their word, but not the situation.
NEXT: Write down the ONE WORD that describes what you wish had been done INSTEAD of how you were treated. Again, go around the room. Notice the emotion behind the “hurt” words? Notice the positivity and lack of judgment or retribution mentioned? Bring that into your work everyday!
Activity…

10. Foundations of Responsibility
HONESTY
Be on time
Work hard
Work smart
Give honest feedback
Be sincere
ACCOUNTABILITY
Do what you agree to do
Meet deadlines, every time!
INTEGRITY
Do work you are proud of
Stand behind what you do
Protect the dignity of others
PAY YOUR DEBTS
(not just your bills, but what you owe to your employer, colleagues and customers in Effort and Productivity)

11. HONESTY The foundation of success!
Be on time, always, call your boss (in advance) if you will be late – give as much notice as possible. Give plenty of advance notice when you need to take time off; ask, don’t tell.
Work hard – keep busy, finish assignments on time
Work smart – be organized, have a plan, finish what you start
Give honest feedback, being mindful of others’ feelings and limitations
NEVER, EVER LIE – not on your resume, not to the boss, not to co-workers, EVER – even “little white lies” at work can end a job or doom a career
Be sincere

12. INTEGRITY The building blocks of stability
Do work you are proud of – marginal work is never acceptable, always strive to do your best!
Accountability: stand behind what you do. If you make a mistake, admit it, apologize and fix it if you can.
Protect the dignity of others, always. There are no “little people” in the world of work. We all contribute to the success of our employer. What are the lessons and gems of knowledge we can learn?
Pay your debts (not just your bills, but what you owe to your employer, colleagues and customers in Effort and Productivity)
We all have skills and experiences to share with others. The differences in education, abilities and choices are what make us, and the world, an interesting place. We can learn something from every single person we meet or work with, try to uncover that lesson and use it for good.

13. Always strive to give a “Baker’s Dozen” in your life!
Do a little more, a little better and a bit faster than you promised
People who exceed expectations are given more opportunities to succeed
Be the “go to” person; make yourself indispensable
People who meet or beat deadlines are trusted with more responsible tasks
Discussion: How do you or can you provide a “Baker’s Dozen” at work?

14. How Do I Become More Responsible?
Inspiration
Figure out what inspires you to put your best foot forward. To try hard. To try new things. To do better than last time. To never give up. How can you / do you inspire others?
“You don’t have to be a “Star” to STAR in what you do!
― Dolly Parton

15. Motivation
What motivates you to get up every day and give your very best effort – at home, work or in the community? Find your source of motivation, focus on it, and watch your performance immediately improve. Once your higher level of performance is a habit, you have a work ethic that others will invest in.

16. Accountability
Sustained motivation comes from within and it is crucial to make yourself accountable to others. To what person or people can you / do you make yourself accountable? Being accountable helps to motivate us on our off-days and helps us maintain or strengthen our reputations for good work.

17. GOALS! What will you accomplish this year? This month? This week?
Today?
Right now?
Make a list. Habitual list makers get much more done.
How do YOU set goals?

18. Organize your job search
Even with goals, motivation and accountability you must have something that helps you translate everything into daily action. Use a planner that you keep with you at all times, to have all necessary information at your fingertips. It should have a calendar to track your meetings and commitments, a to-do list to help you stay on top of deadlines, and important contact information to facilitate quick communication.
Day Planner / Calendar
To-Do Lists
Notes, Reminders, Tickler File
Ask the group how they stay organized…write examples on the board.

19. All the info you need, in one place
Create a spreadsheet to track all the important information you need to quickly prepare resumes, cover letters and applications:
Job titles and key responsibilities
Dates of hire (include month, day, year) and when you left
Salary history at each job
Contact information: full name, title, phone, for your previous boss or HR
Contact information for references, denote how you know them and the role they played in your work (ALWAYS ask your references if you can use them, ALWAYS call and let them know that an employer is getting ready to check references) – unless otherwise stated only provide professional/work-related references
Trainings: include dates and type of trainings, skills obtained/what you learned

20. My Responsibility ACTION PLAN
INSPIRATION
List below FIVE things that INSPIRE you to do good work, be a better employee, or a better person:
1. ____________________________
2. ____________________________
3. ____________________________
4. ____________________________
5. ____________________________

21. My Responsibility ACTION PLAN
MOTIVATION
List below FIVE things that MOTIVATE you at work / in your job search:
1. ____________________________
2. ____________________________
3. ____________________________
4. ____________________________
5. ____________________________

22. My Responsibility ACTION PLAN
ACCOUNTABILITY
List below FIVE ways you demonstrate ACCOUNTABILITY at work or in your job search:
1. ____________________________
2. ____________________________
3. ____________________________
4. ____________________________
5. ____________________________

23. My Responsibility ACTION PLAN
GOALS
List below FIVE GOALS at work / in your job search:
1. ____________________________
2. ____________________________
3. ____________________________
4. ____________________________
5. ____________________________

24. My Responsibility ACTION PLAN
ORGANIZATION
List below FIVE ways you will ORGANIZE your work or job search:
1. ____________________________
2. ____________________________
3. ____________________________
4. ____________________________
5. ____________________________

25. Personal Responsibility Taking Charge of Your Life
What is one area of your life that you could improve?
What does it cost you and/or others to not make the improvement?
What can you do differently to make the improvement?
What help are you willing to ask for from others? Who? When?
How will you know that you have been successful?

26. Homework! How Can I Improve My Personal Responsibility? Assignment
Write a short essay, a personal statement, or make a list, on the importance of personal responsibility in your life, and what things you will do differently to add discipline and responsibility on a regular basis.
Send by to
Due date: Friday