2. WHO ARE WE? National ALLIANCE on Mental Illness What does ALLIANCE mean? A state of being associated for mutual benefit. A relationship….
Largest grass root advocacy group for mental health
Nami Georgia Represents 19 affiliates across the state

3. LEADERSHIP Expectations from this discussion:
What do you want to learn about leadership today?
Who Me????

4. Expectations of a group:
Will groups always agree?
Will it always go well?
Will we always get our way?
Expect problems will occur.
Have a spoken plan for it.
Have healthy board guidelines as a agenda item at your meetings.
Be specific.
Who is responsible for group behavior?

5. Where to start……… It starts with you
Expectation – Decide on a group Culture
Structure – Have a set Agenda

6. Healthy and Unhealthy Group Behaviors
Trust
Respect
Focus
Gossip
Drama
Dominance

7. Gossip – A person who habitually reveals or sensationalizes facts about others or an organization
Something you wouldn’t say if the person was standing there – Have a private conversation first
Becomes a habit
Takes two people – one to talk and one to listen DON’T BE EITHER
WILL RUIN TRUST IN A GROUP

8. How to get rid of Gossip Ask the person: Say – This sounds like gossip
Do I need to know this?
Where did you get this information? VERIFY INFORMATION
Have you spoken to the person you are telling me about?
Why are you telling me this?
Say – This sounds like gossip

9. Drama – Exciting emotional or unexpected series of events or set of circumstances
Exaggeration of a situation
Feels like an emergency or must be dealt with now
Becomes a habit
Takes two people – one to talk and one to listen or pick up the rope - DON’T BE EITHER
WILL DRIVE AWAY HEALTHY GROUP MEMBERS

10. How to get rid of Drama Expect good intentions
Be realistic – is this really an issue, does it need to be dealt with now or ever?
Does this have to do with our common group goal?
Call it what it is and follow up with the person it is coming from?
WILL DRIVE AWAY HEALTHY GROUP MEMBERS

11. Group Dominance - arises when members of a social group interact, often aggressively, to create a ranking system.
Involved or comments on all things in the group
Monday Morning Quarterbacking
Getting physically/verbally upset during a meeting
Threatens to quit a group/event/ working with a person
Usually holds a lot of task or responsibility in a group
Usually has a personal agenda or a conflict of interest
Call it what it is and follow up with the person it is coming from
WILL DRIVE AWAY HEALTHY GROUP MEMBERS

12. How to get rid of Group Dominance -
Set group guidelines
Meet with the person and discuss the issue
Use comment cards
Call it what it is and follow up with the person it is coming from?
WILL DRIVE AWAY HEALTHY GROUP MEMBERS

13. HEALTH GROUP BEHAVIOR -
Decide on a group culture – see NAMI ROME example
Go over specific culture behaviors in each meeting
Decide and focus on a group mission
Understand we do NOT all have to like each other but we do have to RESPECT and WORK together
Don’t allow conflicts of interest
Have an agenda and send ahead of time -see NAMI Georgia example
Use Committees and trust them
Think WIN-WIN