I/DD Topics & Trends with Scott Mendel

Scott Mendel, Advocacy & Choice for I/DD Individuals

What is Together for Choice and how do they serve I/DD individuals?

Scott: Together for Choice is a national disabilities advocacy organization. We’re about sixty years old and as our name implies, our mission is to ensure that the individual and the individual’s family have a wide array of residential and vocational services to choose from and that the choice is that of the individual and the individual’s family, not some government bureaucrat. We recognize that the disabilities community is very diverse, there’s a wide range of needs and preferences, and therefore we believe that there needs to be a wide variety of settings, both residential and vocational that are adequately funded by the government, so that individuals can choose the setting and the services that best meet their needs and preferences.

Can you discuss your advocacy work at Together for Choice?

Scott: We do advocacy work at all levels of government, the federal government certainly, but also at the state and local levels. It takes a variety of forms. We certainly keep a watch on proposed legislation in congress. We advocate regarding regulations, principally with CMS, but sometimes with the department of labor, sometimes with the department of justice. At the state level, similarly, we keep a watch on legislation there that might affect our membership. And you know, just one example of a regulation we’ve been deeply involved in that we want to talk a bit more about this evening, is the home and community-based services rule, which was adopted by CMS in 2014, and we’ve been advocating with respect to that rule, a rule that is a federal rule, but it is enforced at the state level, and so, we do advocacy work regarding what’s called the setting rule, both at the federal level and the state level as well.

So does this have to do with the notion that big settings are bad and small settings are good?

Scott: That is certainly a prevailing point of view among other disability advocacy groups and amongst certain folks in government. So yes, we are one of the reasons why TFC was formed to fight against that notion. In our view, small can be good, big can be good, small can be bad, big can be bad. We all are aware because it gets a lot of press coverage when there are abuse and neglect situations in larger congregate settings and those are horrible. The truth is, the same goes on in smaller settings as well. It is not the size of the setting that is a cause or reason for abuse and neglect or deficient services. It has to do with funding, who are running these settings and the employees there, and having appropriate government oversight. A lot of what we do in order to explain to our government folks that big can be good and is good is we bring to them families who have had family members live in smaller settings, not do well in those settings, move them to a farmstead, intentional community, or campus setting, where they have thrived because of their specific needs and preferences and we have found that to be very effective. Folks who have an open mind understand. That there is not a one size fits all resolution, both on the residential side of things and the vocational side of things. And that’s really what we push, simply not a one size fits all solution.

How does Together for Choice advocate for these communities? Tell me about some of these communities that you see as really doing it right.

Scott: Misericordia is an organization that’s now fifty years old in terms of its servicing of individuals with disabilities. It started back in 1969. It’s got a nationwide reputation. It serves over 600 men and women. It has a waiting list that is hundreds long to get into Misericordia, which speaks to the quality of services that it provides and my daughter has lived there now over three years. She lives in a home that’s on the campus. Misericordia operates a campus which has intermediate care facilities on the campus, individual homes that are classified as intermediate care facilities. It’s also has a skilled nursing facility on the campus and it has a day program on campus, and it also has fifteen homes and neighborhoods around the campus that are home and community based settings, so it has what we called a full continuum of care, and individuals can move from one setting to another as their needs change and their preferences change. And this becomes so important today because of the great care folks are receiving, they’re living longer than ever before. And as we know, especially folks with Down Syndrome, they start having symptoms of aging earlier than the general population, and so a person with down syndrome may be living in a home in the neighborhood and doing just fine, but when they get into their forties or fifties there may start to be a decline where they need more intensive services and they can be brought back to a home on the campus and served there. It’s a great place because it has everything that someone needs for a lifetime of their care.

How about some other examples?

Scott: I hate to point out one’s over others. Obviously, there are many folks who are members of Together for Choice. Opportunity Village in Las Vegas in your neck of the woods is a great organization. It started primarily as providing vocational services to folks and has now expanded into residential services. The Ark of Jacksonville in Florida, another member of TFC, has some wonderful services. Marbridge down in Texas, Annandale Village outside of Atlanta. Obviously, I don’t want to go through a list of everybody, so anybody listening who I have not mentioned please don’t be offended, but there are many, many great organizations. It’s a wide variety of settings, some are intermediate care facilities, some are home and community-based settings, some are campus settings, some are farmsteads, but that’s the whole point is that we need a wide range of settings and we support a wide range of settings and we are not opposed to people living in small homes in neighborhoods, that’s great for those whom it really works and we like those and we support more funding for them and we support ending waiting lists for them, but we also support other kinds of settings, farmsteads, intentional communities, campus settings, intermediate care facilities because those meet needs for certain folks as well.

 In your opinion, what is the most monumental change Together for Choice has done for those with I/DD?

Scott: What really brought Together for Choice together was the CMS adoption of this home and community-based service and rule, and it caused a realization among some service providers and some families, and some individuals that boy the movement to close larger facilities and move everybody into small homes and communities has really apparently gotten some leverage in DC and now we’re facing a rule that could be extremely difficult to deal with, and so we also saw a an opportunity when a new administration came in in 2017, that one of the platforms of that administration was less regulation, less government involvement in people’s lives, deferring things more to the states, and so we thought okay the setting’s rule is prototypical, the kind of rule that more conservative folks, more folks who are members of the republican party might see as this is overstepping where government should be. So we felt this was a good opportunity to go to CMS, sit down with them, and say this rule is really problematic because it limits choice, it limits the kinds of settings that qualify for federal Medicaid waiver funding, and it really needs to be amended. We marked up the rule and said these are the things we think should change. We kept in as much of it as we could and only suggested changes that were little of it as we thought was necessary. We said if you didn’t want to change the rule, at least change your guidance because there was guidance under the rule that said that farmsteads, intentional communities, campus settings, were presumptively segregating and had to go through this heightened scrutiny process that set forth the rule, and we said that’s not right. You can’t just presume that a setting, suppose it’s a farmstead, intentional community, or campus setting, is segregating. They’re not, they’re not all segregating, and there are many that are not, and we use Misericordia and other places as examples. And it took a lot of advocacy, and ultimately CMS decided they didn’t want to amend the rule because that’s a whole process they have to go through which they had just gone through to enact the rule to begin with, but they did issue new guidance. They revoked the 2014 guidance that was issued along with the rule and issued new guidance in March of 2019 which said that the farmsteads, intentional communities, campus settings are no longer presumptively segregating and no longer must always go through the heightened scrutiny process. You have to evaluate them individually and you have to look at the individuals living in these settings and whether they’re living the lives they’re choosing to live. So you can’t assess a setting by saying well how many times does somebody go off the campus and receive services of the campus or engage in activities of the campus. Question is is that person getting the services and the community engagement they want, that might be once a week that might be five times a week, it depends on the individual. Is the individual living the life they choose, and that’s a lot of what that new guidance says. I don’t want TFC to take full credit for it, there were other people advocating for it as well, but I think we were instrumental in that change.

How can we all be better advocates?

Scott: Obviously, we’d love everybody to join TFC. More generally, what we found that really works is to engage with your government representative, both at the local, state, and federal levels. Get to know them and get them to know you and have them come to your place, your residential setting where your child lives or the vocational setting where your child spends their days. Have them see the good work that’s being done, and that really opens their eyes. What you have to realize is members of congress and even members of state legislators, they have tons of stuff on their plates. This is one issue out of thousands they deal with. You can’t expect them to be experts in it, you’re the expert in it, and they’re willing to be taught, most of them, are really willing to be taught. And so every opportunity you have, engage them, and it’s best to do that before you need them. So that when you do need them you call them up and say hey there’s this bill in congress that could really be a problem for my child. They already know you and they already know your situation and oftentimes they are really willing to help. And so it’s work, it’s effort, and we all have busy lives, especially when we have a family member with special needs and that takes up a lot of time and a lot of energy, but it’s really an effort that is very worthwhile making because it can really, really make a difference. Otherwise, they’re just hearing the voices of some of these national disability organizations that are really advocating for folks who are higher functioning than my daughter for example, and are proposing solutions that are great for the folks they are advocating for, but would not work for my daughter, and our government officials need to hear another voice, need to hear multiple other voices, so they realize the diversity of the community that we are a member of.

Where is a good place to learn about the different housing options for those with IDD or physical disabilities that are more independent in nature?

Scott: That’s a great question, actually very timely as far as TFC is concerned. Our national coordinator, Ashley Kim Weiss, actually just put together, and it’s on our website, an extensive list of residential facilities throughout the country. It goes state by state, and it’s by no means complete and it’s a living document and we’re working to add on, in fact we invite people to add onto the list, tell us what’s missing that they know about and send that, email us with those names. But that’s a great place for folks to start. It doesn’t have a ton of information about each place, it just tells you where it’s located, gives you the website, so you can go check it out yourself. We wanted to be very careful that we don’t populate it with information that may not be accurate or may be more opinion as opposed to fact, so we don’t go into a lot of detail about each site, but at least it’s a place to start, and you can go to the website and that will tell you the population that they serve and the kind of services they offer, and that sort of thing.

Dana: That sounds really good. In fact, that’d be quite useful because I find particularly for these intentional communities there isn’t really a place to find out about them other than often word of mouth. I heard pretty high functioning folk who want a more independent environment and so typically service model wise a lot of folks might get services to be more independent living at home or getting their own place, apartment, community, and get what’s called independent living support or maybe supportive living services. You almost have to explore that locally and oftentimes people get assessments to start to better understand what kind of support the individual needs to do what he or she wants to do, what their goal is and suggest trying to get in touch with an independent living or supportive living service provider and ask them for help understanding options. Here, locally, there’s organizations like Housing Choices, Parents Helping Parents, that often have resources that might be helpful for that kind of question.

How do you work to promote informed choice and advocate for thoughtfully supported exposure to multiple options for consideration by the person with the disability?

Scott: I guess there are a couple things I would say. One is obviously it is very important if you’re a parent or a sibling and you’re trying to find an appropriate residential setting or vocational setting for your family member. The burden largely falls on you to look locally at what are those resources that are available in your area. Often there are state agencies that can help you. You want to be a little careful because, again, you’ll find that some of these folks do have some biases and they show you only certain types of settings and not show you others. One of the things we advocate for is to make sure that these agencies that are there to help people find an appropriate setting, do make sure that they’re providing all the options that are available so the person can make an informed choice. I think it’s fair to say, at least from my perspective, the burden largely falls on the individual in the family to do all the research that can be done to find all the various options that might be available to you.

Dana: Yeah, I agree with Scott. The burden unfortunately falls way too much on the family member. There are some resources, earlier I mentioned Parents Helping Parents or Housing Choices or the Regional Center. I always send people to try and get help through their service coordinator, and ideally, their own research will lead them to service providers and other sources of information that will be useful. When it comes to living outside of the family home there’s really not a whole lot of different models. On the one end of the spectrum, Scott did a great job articulating these intentional communities, they can take a lot of different sizes and shapes and then there are residential care homes, and basically, folks have their own apartment and get some level of support and then there’s the family home. So the residential models are fairly limited, you can always come up with variations of each, but I encourage people to go out and learn about each of those and if possible get out to see them. Go visit, go see what they’re like, and there’s no shortcut to seeing firsthand and meeting people and seeing how they live in their home or vocational or day programs. Day programs are a whole other area where there are a lot of different sizes and shapes and a lot kind of comes back to what that family member wants and would be interested in. Sometimes that’s not always obvious.

Does the newer CMS guidance apply at the state level? How would I obtain the information in written form and regarding local government where should I begin city council planning and zoning, etc.?

Scott: Yes, so the settings rule and the guidance under it do absolutely apply to the states. It’s a feature of our Medicaid system, which is a federal and state shared program. The feds fund part of it, the states fund part of it, the percentage of the sharing varies by state, depending on the wealth of the state. As a result, you have both federal rules that apply, state rules that apply, and the settings rule is a rule at the federal level that requires the states to actually enforce the rule in the state. I mentioned the modification to the guidance that we were able to get in 2019, then our next step after that was to make sure that the states were aware of the new guidance, even though it was sent to all the states by CMS, there were still state regulators that were not aware of it and that the states were properly applying the new guidance. We had a situation just recently, for example, in Oklahoma. There was an organization called A New Leaf in Oklahoma that was opening some new residential settings. It wanted the state to approve it for its Medicaid program, its waiver program, and Oklahoma kept turning it down, and the reasons it gave were under the old guidance, and we got involved to help. We had to go back to CMS and say can you please talk to the folks in Oklahoma and explain to them your new guidance, and when CMS did that, Oklahoma said sorry you’re now approved. It sort of boggles the mind. You think you shouldn’t have to do that, but you do, and we’ve been doing this in a number of other states too, where states have been reluctant or just uninformed about applying the new guidance, which, as I said, opens up the opportunity for more types of settings to qualify for Medicaid waiver funding.

What is your experience with supportive housing models for individuals as subsidized by HUD and other entities?

Dana: Well, many of us personally have seen how beneficial the HUD based funding can be. Here in CA, we call that qualifying for Section 8, and ultimately the lowest income possible and our I/DD folks and HUD programs can help subsidize their housing to bring it within reach, particularly in a high cost real estate state like California, are life-changing. But Section 8, HUD funding has been more or less, at least in my impression, limited or frozen forever. We would love to advocate for more HUD subsidized housing for this population. It’ll allow more individuals to get their own place, which they can’t with the SSI or SSA funding that they get under Medicaid Medicare, so it all makes it possible.

What is the basis for the thinking behind the mindset that one size fits all and all individuals with developmental disabilities belong in group homes?

Scott: I wish I could tell you. Again, I just think there are some folks that believe that everybody will do better in smaller settings, and that actually may be true for even 90% of folks with disabilities, but we can’t forget about the 10% that need a different kind of setting. I’ve talked to the advocates about why it is that they feel this way, and a lot of them will cite some older studies that were done about that really if you look at it measuring large state institutions against smaller homes and things like that. Things have changed a lot since those studies were done and I’m not sure those studies looked at necessarily the right parameters, so I honestly don’t think there is data today, current data today, that suggests that small group homes are the answer for everyone. They might be the answer for most folks, but it’s the same thing at the vocational level. Advocates want to get rid of 14-C, the Fair Labor Standards Act, which allows special wages for folks with disabilities under certain circumstances, and people characterize it as a Civil Rights issue, everybody should get paid at minimum wage, and I get it, I understand what they’re saying, but what they’re basically saying, from my standpoint, is that my daughter will never have a job if that’s the rule. If an employer has to pay my daughter $15/hr, she won’t get hired because, regardless of what support she gets, she can’t do $15 worth of work, but she can under a special wage, with appropriate support and appropriate setting, do a job, and she has been doing those jobs, and she loves them because she feels valued, she feels like she’s doing something important, and she does not care what she’s getting paid. She doesn’t know a quarter from a nickel or a dollar bill from a five-dollar bill, but she does know doing a job, and so I want her to be able to do a job and have employment and the only way is to allow 14-C to continue for those folks. But again, the advocates say no, there’s one size fits all here. Everybody must earn a minimum wage, period. And if you can’t then you don’t have a job.

Dana: Well, I’d like to also add that there hasn’t been a bias towards group homes. In fact, exactly the opposite. One of the first HCBS guidelines was group homes should be no more than 4 instead of 5 or 6, which they can be today. Again, not based on anything factual, here in California, the group homes rates have been squeezed for decades causing a significant number of homes to go out of business while the demand increases. This should certainly not be interpreted as any kind of favorite status. What’s really at stake here is one size does not fit all and there needs to be a continuum of care, and the individuals who need the highest level of care have just the same rights as those who need the least amount of care. We need to look at it one person at a time and always from their standpoint, and I think generalizations are very, very risky, particularly with this population. I know that it’s hard at times, but we just need to stay focused on the individual and his needs.

What is it about the larger setting specifically that seems to work better in your experience?

Scott: My daughter, just using her again as an example, just has a tremendous number of activities and options that she can choose from to fill her day in the larger setting, and we’re talking about social activities, we’re talking about vocational activities, as well as other services like therapeutic services, medical services, and we have a choice, we can have her use services off the campus, and we do in some instances, but we have the opportunity to allow her to choose the services that are offered on the campus, and it really gives her a very full life. She’s engaged with many, many different folks of a variety of abilities, including folks without disabilities, and she gets off the campus quite a bit. Obviously, the pandemic has had an impact on that, unfortunately, and we’re just now coming out of that a bit. I find that the larger settings can offer a lot more, at least to folks like my daughter, with mobility issues and behavior issues and other issues that make the convenience of these activities and services much better for her. The other thing I take comfort in a larger setting is there are lots of eyes, lots of eyes watching, making sure that things are done properly, and that there isn’t abuse and neglect. I feel as a parent much safer for my daughter in a larger setting, obviously at Misericordia, I haven’t experienced other large settings so I don’t want to speak universally, but I had concerns with her being in a small home where there’s one staff person, maybe two staff people and there isn’t some other folks who have their eyes on what’s going on.

Do either of you know of services like Good Shepards Fund that helps manage a special needs trust or financial needs of those with disabilities after their family is no longer alive?

Dana: I do. There’s a Shepherds of the Valley here in California and from time to time I’ve seen families get them involved when they wanted to continue to have guardians looking out for the welfare of their son or daughter after they were gone, maybe there weren’t other siblings involved. So in that sense a guardian to hire, so they don’t do things for free or without compensation, but they can be a tremendous resource if you’re trying to figure out how to transition the role that you take in your son and daughter as they age and you fade out of the picture.

Scott: And I’ll put in a little plug here for TFC, we’re actually going to be putting on a webinar this fall for guardianship and special needs trusts that families can establish to provide for their family members when they’re no longer around. And obviously you need to be very careful with those because if your son or daughter currently qualifies through Medicaid funding that there are limits to the assets that person can have access to and so that’s why these trusts need to be very carefully designed, and there are lawyers available who specialize in those things to make sure that it’s structured in a way that the funds can be used to the benefit of your family member, but the family member would still qualify for Medicaid funding.

How does advocating for individuals with an intellectual or developmental disability change their lives?

Scott: Obviously, when we advocate for them we’re advocating for the things that they need. For example, when we advocated for a more permissive interpretation of the settings rule, what we were doing was trying to make sure that folks that would benefit from living in an intentional community, campus setting, a farmstead, who don’t need the intensive services of an intermediate care facility, but nonetheless would like a more congregate type setting, they can get the setting that they need and we have personally seen, as I’ve said, where folks who have moved from their apartment or from a small group home to some of these larger settings have really done much, much better. They have been able to get off some of the medications they were on, they were able to lose a lot of weight. Not only did their physical health and their mental health improve, their behavior improved so we can see that this kind of advocacy really does make a difference, absolutely.

Dana: I guess here in California, there was considerable advocacy that’s gone on to get the state to change the rate structure and to reflect regional cost differences and incorporate increasing costs overtime and it was a hard sell. The beneficiaries of that were the people who were served and the staff who are employed by service providers, but the politicians saw it as nothing more than a request for a bigger budget and so, this was an example where advocacy needed to be communicating those stories and understanding how those rates would ultimately lead to better services, more capacity, higher wages for people who are struggling to stay here and stay living in high cost areas like Santa Clara County. There’s a role for advocates in all levels of government and I’m really hopeful we’ll see positive changes with the rates that have just been substantially increased here in California.


Space Baroque

Berlin, 2021.

By creating structures reminiscent of Baroque forms, a parallel to the flourishing of space travel is drawn. The work further plays with the theory that humans are genetically modified bonobos with aliens. Iconography from the Voyager spacecraft, sent to find life in space, is hidden in dotted reliefs. The images are also painted with phosphor, which shines space constellations in the dark.


Visa Bulletin Analysis, Predictions, and Trends: Update on Visa Modernization Plans

The U.S. Department of State (DOS), through Charles Oppenheim, Chief of the Visa Control and Reporting Division, provides a monthly explanation of the visa bulletin contents. The September 2015 Visa Bulletin contains some significant cutoff date movements, both forward and backward. Accordingly, Mr. Oppenheim has provided insights into reasons for these changes, and discussed plans for modernizing the visa system.

Employment-Based, Second Preference (EB2)

The DOS previously predicted that the cutoff dates for EB2 India would remain stable and that EB2 China’s cutoff date may advance slightly in September. However, the EB2 cutoff date for both India and China is retrogressing to January 1, 2006. The DOS attributes the retrogression to high demand for EB2 visa numbers in the worldwide category.

Advancement in the EB2 category for India and China is largely driven by the availability of extra numbers from other categories, including EB2 worldwide. The demand in the worldwide category doubled and tripled in recent months, cutting into the availability of excess numbers for India and China. There were also fewer unused employment-based, first preference (EB1) numbers available to EB2 India and China.

The volume of unused numbers from other categories drives the movement of the oversubscribed countries. India has been particularly hard hit by the unavailability of excess numbers. Mr. Oppenheim illustrates this by explaining that in fiscal year (FY) 2014, EB2 India used approximately 23,000 visa numbers. In FY15, on the other hand, EB2 India is expected to use only 7,500 numbers. This decrease is not due to a reduction in demand for EB2 India. Rather, it is attributable to an increase in demand from other countries, resulting in a reduction in the visa numbers available for EB2 India.

Employment-Based, Third Preference (EB3)

The DOS expects to exhaust all visa numbers in all categories by the end of the fiscal year. There were concerns that the DOS would not be able to meet this goal for the EB3 category because of a reduction in demand within EB3 worldwide. The decreased demand is the reason the EB3 worldwide category is just a few weeks shy of being current.

The DOS will be able to use all EB3 visa numbers due to high demand in EB3 India. This category has moved by approximately ten months over the past two months. There are enough cases ready for approval in the EB3 category for India to use up any excess EB3 numbers from other countries of chargeability.

Visa Modernization

The DOS was asked about the visa modernization proposal related to updating the way that visa numbers are allocated. This plan, among other changes, would make a higher percentage of the annual quota of visa numbers available during the first three quarters of the fiscal year.

Mr. Oppenheim notes that the visa modernization proposal is still a work-in-progress, but that that the results should be favorable. He indicates that the DOS is exploring various options under the visa modernization proposal and will provide updates as the plans are refined.

Some improvements have already been made, with cutoff date movements being implemented earlier in the fiscal year. For instance, EB2 India advanced in FY15 prior to the point at which it had done so in recent years. This early advancement gives the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) enough time to process eligible cases before the end of the fiscal year. The downside of this, however, is that the numbers are more likely to be depleted during the last quarter of the year. Unless there are excess numbers available to fill the void, it becomes necessary to take corrective action in the form of cutoff date retrogression.

As always, DOS efforts to keep the public informed are greatly appreciated. Similarly, the work to modernize existing systems and processes is a step in the right direction. As soon as new details emerge, information will be posted on MurthyDotComSubscribe to the free MurthyBulletin to stay informed on important immigration topics.

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Broad Education Requirements Can Result in H1B Denials

As stakeholders are no doubt aware, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) under the Trump Administration has taken a narrow view of the educational requirements that are permitted for a position to be considered a specialty occupation for H1B purposes. Specifically, the USCIS has been questioning whether a position requiring a bachelor’s degree in a more general field of study is too broad to be considered a specialty occupation. The USCIS is also skeptical of H1B petitions that list multiple degrees as acceptable in meeting a job’s minimum requirements, especially if the degrees are not directly related to one another.

Basic Requirements to Qualify for H1B – Specialty Occupation

In order for an H1B petition to be approved, the offered position must be a specialty occupation. Specialty occupation is defined under INA §214(i)(1) as a position that requires (1) the theoretical and practical application of a body of highly specialized knowledge, and (2) attainment of at least a bachelor’s degree in a specific specialty (or its equivalent) as a minimum entry into the occupation in the United States.

“General” Fields of Education

The USCIS has been interpreting “specialty occupation” increasingly narrowly, often denying an H1B petition if the position requires a more general degree. For instance, if the petitioner lists the minimum requirements as a bachelor’s degree in engineering, rather than to a specific field of engineering (e.g., mechanical engineering), it likely will be challenging to obtain an approval. Similarly, the USCIS now appears to disfavor positions for which the minimum requirement is a degree in business administration, claiming that this field of education is too broad and hence not limited to a narrow specialty.

Multiple Fields of Education also Problematic

The USCIS also tends to be suspicious if the H1B position lists multiple degrees that could be used to qualify for the same position. This is especially problematic if the listed degrees are not clearly related to one another. For example, while it may be acceptable for a petition to list the minimum requirements as a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering, information technology, or the equivalent, a petition that lists computer engineering, mechanical engineering, or the equivalent is likely to receive pushback from the USCIS.

Although the approval of H1B petitions has become more challenging of late, there are certain steps that can be taken to strengthen H1B filings. Employers should be mindful of the various trends related to education requirements and other criteria, when filing H1B petitions.

Copyright © 2018, MURTHY LAW FIRM. All Rights Reserved


My Assignment Help

Impact of Leadership Communication on Organizational Performance Change Management Assessment 2 Answer

Assessment 2: Essay (Individual) (2,000 words)

In this assignment students will be required to demonstrate an understanding of communications theory and the importance of effective communications within an organisational context.

Essay Question:

Discuss how leadership communication may impact upon organisational performance in the context of change management due to globalisation? Please draw upon Communication theory and use examples to support your claims.

General advice

The question asks you to discuss the statement. This means that you need to consider all of the views in the academic literature on this topic (leadership communication) and, on the basis of the evidence, draw on conclusion as to whether you agree or disagree. You will find helpful advice on how to answer an essay which requires you to 'discuss' in the WIN Essay Writing Guide, which is on this Moodle site. In addition, this guide will give you very useful advice on how to organise your ideas, how to organise and structure your written answer, and how to use your own 'voice' and avoid potential plagiarism issues. Please read through the guide before you start on the essay.

The main issues in the essay are set out in topic 6.  Please draw upon the  Ruben & Gigliotti reading on Moodle which is a good place to start, as it will give you a good idea of the key issues and the different approaches to them. It will give you some key points to use in your literature research on the topic.

In order to demonstrate a full knowledge of the theoretical issues, you will need to read at least 6-8 quality academic references. Academic references include both textbooks and academic journal articles but more engagement with journal articles will demonstrate a deeper engagement with subject theory. The best way to find academic journal articles  is to use the library database which is available to all students on moodle. Simply typing in keywords from the question will bring up a selection of relevant journal article which are available on line.

Length: 2000 words

Leadership communication may impact organizational performance change management during the globalization?

It has been identified that during the crucial times, the role of the leader is to bring certainty and even out the best possible solution for the organization's performance during the times of change management. As the change is versatile and during the global environment, the leader brings a better transition of coping up with the changes, whether it is in the process, people, or even in the procedures. Due to globalization, it has helped to build closeness and even help in better coordination, when dealing with the counterparts, but still, the key issues are how to manage the changes and even withstand the ongoing solution (Song, 2016). As the leader has to be dynamic, who has to foresee the new scenarios, situation to have a better response procedure to the changing times (Suwandana,  2019) The role of the leaders is to balance the organization and the performance of the employees while changing. The changes can be the opening of the new office, new hiring of the global counterparts, or even the new changes bought due to the change in the technologies. The leader by suing the communication style such as authoritative, democratize, or choosing the laissez-faire style, can help the employees to withstand changes and even make them more adaptable (Ruben, 2019). The leaders at the time of the crises have to suit the communication style which can be transparent, unbiased, or completely are  authoritative and coerced.

Leadership communication

Leadership can have an influential impact on organizational performance and to generate success. The leader role during the time of the situation change is to understand the employee changing morals, the futuristic views, and even how to bring in the change tolerance to motivate the employees (Ruben, 2016). The institutional strategies can bring in the key execution and the effectiveness in the system. The leaders in any situation have to think about the effectiveness of the organization with better success plans. The leader also has to influence its followers to bring in better amendments in the organization so that the performance is not affected (Ruben, 2017). The leadership role in the organization is to support the adequate services and to provide fair effectiveness that can provide better resource allocation and even provide better transparency of the services offered.  The role of the leaders is to provide the key benefits of the people materials and to prove the key experiences that would be beneficial.

The autocratic leader makes the other person work, through coercion way or in a dictating way. The leaders do not hear much and are always thinking of authorities' rules (Lynn-Sze, 2017). The leaders are inexperienced with the leaders up thrust and also be presented with the new findings and involved with the people management. The leaders are also aimed at forcing the followers to follow the strategies and to aim in identifying how to make the organization look for better ways. Such leaders can aim for success but in a coerced manner (Ji, 2019)

Bureaucratic leaders are more central to the organization's goals that can provide better plans in executions plans and even aim to integrate the better objectivity plans. Bureaucratic leaders also aim to have better transparency, as they believe in making the individual also perform and at the same time the organization not getting affected. The policies central to the process, procedures, and overall, can help to benefit the organization's goals (Holth, 2017). The bureaucratic leaders are more government styled, that provides adequate consistency plans, and even can implement the policies, even without verifying ways. Such leaders are more motivated to support senior management, then to think about the motivating ways of the junior employees (Johansson, 2017)

The leaders are democratic, which beliefs in allowing liberal views and even aims to support a large set of people. The leader can also provide group support to the leaders and the democratic leaders believe in bringing transparency to everyday affairs. They believe in everyone adopting their style and bring out desirable results. But such leadership is a slow process. (Jamal, 2017)

The leaders are more driven with the charismatic style and the leaders believe in having a clear vision and aim to motivate the followers. the leaders are happy people who have the set aims to bring in the creativity, innovation, and even providing the goals orientation,  The leaders aim to have followers follow the league and to note a set style, that can bring in the better transparency. The leadership style can help to bring in a better transaction (Jamal, 2017).

The theories are as follows-:

Authoritarian Theory

The theories that can support the change in the organization's performance are the authoritarian style that can influence the followers. The theory propagates as to how one can adjust and can communicate effectively. The advocacy can transform with a complete dictatorship (Clohisy, 2017). The theory states the communication that can be better be understood in the hierarchical superior and can coerce their style.

Social Responsibility Theory

The communication style with the social responsibility theory, can aim to provide a better responsible role for the community. It is mainly for the benefit of the organization as they are part of the community that has pure libertarianism views (Cardon, 2019).

Communication Theory

The theory asserts to have clear findings, transparency, and even aim to provide support roles to develop. The communication can be formal or informal and can be free from the grapevine situation (Boe, 2017).

Importance to adapt communication style

The leader can be versatile, dynamic, or maybe slow in adapting to the new process, depends on the model of the communication he can chooses. If the leader is transitional then the leadership style would be open and transparent, that the followers can easily follow. But if it is the authorization type leader, then the communication style would be restricted with unclear directions and forced situations. Depending on the situation, leaders should adopt the leader style and the communication method (Arendt, 2019). A leader is in between the top to bottom communication and also vice versa, that can be followed and managed effectively. Similarly, the leader should be free from the unbiased views, from the grapevines or the rumors (Clohisy, 2017)

Transparent communication-: The leader style aims to adopt an effective style of communication that would be engaging and make the employees understand what is required. A good communication style can be transparent even if it is verbal or written and make the employees follow what is required.

 Equality -: The communication should be at par and followed with the same standard, such as if it is the 10% increase in the sales revenue of the sales department then the marketing department should adopt the set styles, that would help to increase the 10% growth and even make the finance, admin and the legal/HR to understand the objective and fund, budget and hire the people it the similar vision (Fortunato 2017). All should be at one standard and par and the leader needs to adopt the equality clause of transparent communication. The skills, performance, and can design the job.

Competence, inspiring, and motivating -: The leader can be adoptive and be more dynamic, at the same time inspire the future. The leader can be based on the competency and be ethical in her approach. The leader can make the same followers believe the competency and also enact with the same enigma and better approach. The qualities of the leader should be presented in the same manner and should not overshadow the employee performance (Fortunato 2017).

Globalization on organizational change

As every organization is approaching the global standards, the role of the leaders has to be consistent with the organization styles of operation, and even the communication plans. For example, when Bill Gates who propounded the idea of Microsoft, has been an inspiration and be more focused on better ideas. The global leader can bring in better vision and make an inspiration change. The Bill Gates, who has the idea of Microsoft, the same vision should be transited into the global employees who would aim for the same vision and work hard; the same would be then inspired by the clients, vendors, and the customers (Cardon, 2019). The Microsoft leader would transit the same innovative ideas and is presented in the same manner, the organization changes can help to provide the transitional changes in the same manner as the leader has viewed his organization performance to behave in the similar position. A leader knows how to innovate and brings changes; it can be due to his inspiration behavior or the attitude which is out of the box. The same can be viewed by the other external and the internal stakeholders (Clohisy, 2017). A leader knows to talk and discuss things with the Asian people or while working with Australia, as not only they are adaptable but accept and bring a force to overcome the resistance to change. The same technique can help to overcome the barriers and allow a smooth flow of transistor changes to be absorbed by the people (Arendt, 2019).

Critical Analysis

A leader can bring changes with the way they visualize the changes or through their skills, styles, and ideologies. The same can be viewed similarly but interpreted differently. For example, if the change is about the process or the procedures, there can be resistance to change or people would withhold the new ideas. The leader can have informal or formal talks with the teams and can even document the transaction, which would purely be dependent on the leader style to approach things. Arendt (2019) mentions the change management can be a critical issue for the leader, but on the global level it can be problematic and challenging, depends on the situation. The skills, traits, and behavior can be inspiring, but still, employees can absorb or resist, depends on how they are influential a leader can be. Boe (2017) has mentioned that the leader has a very inspirational role to balance the organization's performance with minimized interference and can aim to provide better changes. As the leader can provide a swift decision as he is visionary to provide a better course of direction.

Jamal (2017) has identified the leader traits can help to make the organization adopt a better style, by understanding the behavior, action plans, and even influential communication styles. For example, if the leader has to communicate to the Chinese counterpart who is heading the subsidiary part, the leader has to provide the adopt the communication style which would be formal, informal both following the orally and even written ways. Johansson (2017) has asserted the actions and the behavior should be just, that can help the cross counterpart to understand what is exactly required by him and how he has to approach the matter. The working environment can be encouraging and even think of the out of the box, to bring innovation changes

It is concluded that the leadership can aim to provide the different roles and to provide support to the organization and people. The current leadership theories that can be applied in the influence and power, that can achieve the key objectives. The leader's traits have to be specific with the autocratic, democratic, and are identified to be bureaucratic or charismatic. The leader by suing the communication style such as authoritative, democratize, or choosing the laissez-faire style, can help the employees to withstand changes and even make them more adaptable. While understanding the leadership role, it is important to exchange power and there can be a better way to secure the outcomes, that could support secure situational, transactional, or transformational. The leadership style is influential that can understand the relative impact and the usefulness.

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HomeNewsComox ValleyLocal mountaineering club nearing 100-year anniversary

Local mountaineering club nearing 100-year anniversary

Outdoor enthusiasts have frequented the Comox Valley for decades and one mountaineering club is nearing one very big milestone.

Founded in 1928, the Comox and District Mountaineering Club has been bushwacking, exploring, building and guiding in mountains and nearby Strathcona Park.

Many early projects included the exploration of Mt. Becher and the Forbidden Plateau area, with Clinton Wood building the first Forbidden Plateau Lodge in the 1930s.

They say most of the early trails are still in use today, and you can see the “blaze” marks (made by axes on trees) from those early days.

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The group has promoted and maintained trails in the area, and president Ken Filliter says its mission has always stayed true to its goals.

“I think they’ve stayed consistent in that a lot of it is exploration, a lot of it is friendship, a lot of it is the maintenance of the trails, and giving the best we can to keep Strathcona in as good of shape as possible,” said Filliter.

He adds the day-to-day idea is to get outdoors, make some friends and enjoy the beauty that can be found in the Island backcountry.

As the Comox Valley has changed, however, he says more and more people are entering the backcountry and that can be both a positive and negative situation.

“It’s good to see more people but it puts more stress on the environment, on the trails and so on,” said Filliter. “It’s a mixed blessing.

“Certainly there are some people who are unprepared. I think with cellphones and so on there’s somewhat of a false sense of security.”

He says the club also promotes trail etiquette through various programs like first aid among others.

The way forward for the group will include “big things,”, according to Filliter. That could mean creating a new trail, or improving a trail and adding to what they already do for the area’s trails.

“I think it’s important to get as many people as possible in a wide range of physical abilities and ages, getting them out and enjoying the great outdoors.”

The group has set out challenges for outdoor enthusiasts of different levels to complete from now until their anniversary. They include 20 “explorer” hikes and 28 “daytripper” hikes.

Daytripper hikes include walks in the Cumberland Community Forest, Mt. Elma, and Mt. Drabble. The explorer trips include Castlecrag, Comox Glacier, and Della Falls.

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Online reputation marketing is the process of cultivating a positive online reputation for a business. In today’s digital world, a business’ online reputation is more important than ever, as it can have a significant impact on everything from consumer trust to search engine ranking.

Reputation marketing helps businesses control the narrative about their brand and ensure that prospective customers see them in a positive light. A strong online reputation can help a company attract new customers, while a poor reputation can damage their chances of success.

A single negative review can cause potential customers to look elsewhere, and even a few positive reviews can dramatically increase sales. That’s why online reputation marketing is so vital. By monitoring online conversations, responding to negative reviews, and acquiring more positive reviews, businesses can protect their reputations and ensure that they’re putting their best foot forward online.

Do You Know Your Online Reputation Score?

When it comes to reputation marketing, you should first assess the current condition of your business’ online presence. You can do this by looking at your online reputation score.

A reputation score is a metric that measures the overall positivity or negativity of a businesses’ online presence. This score measures performance across a variety of platforms such as social media, online reviews, surveys, press mentions, etc. You’ll want to take this score seriously, as it can have a direct impact on your revenue.

A study by Harvard Business School found that a one-star increase on Yelp translated to a 5-9% increase in revenue for restaurants. This type of finding holds true across essentially every industry.

In addition, online reviews are often one of the first things potential customers will look at when considering doing business with you. Research has shown that over 70% of consumers say positive reviews make them more likely to use a local business. And almost 90% of consumers trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendation. Because of this, it’s important to take steps to improve your online reputation score through reputation marketing.

Here are 5 reputation marketing tips that will help you earn and maintain a 5-star rating online:

1. Develop methods for consistently acquiring new positive reviews.

There are a number of ways you can encourage customers to leave their feedback. One way is to offer incentives to customers who leave a review, such as discounts or coupons.

customer reviews

Another method is to make it as easy as possible for customers to leave a review by providing links or QR codes that lead directly to review sites such as your Google Business Profile or Yelp listing.

And perhaps the most important is to simply provide excellent customer service and produce high-quality products or services. If customers are satisfied with their experience, they are much more likely to leave a positive review.

2. Market your reputation.

Promote your positive reviews. When you receive a good review, share it on your website and social media channels.

market your reputation

Another option is to invest in paid advertising. Paid advertising is a great way to get your reputation in front of more people. Utilizing targeted ads to make sure your reputation and brand is seen by the right people can pay huge dividends.

3. Monitor your online reputation.

Keep track of what people are saying about your company online. Use Google Alerts or another similar service to track what’s being said about your business online. This way, you can address any negative comments quickly and effectively.

4. Respond to negative reviews, graciously.

When someone leaves a negative review, take the time to respond. No business is perfect, and it’s inevitable that you’ll receive some negative reviews at some point. When this happens, it’s important to respond in a professional and courteous manner. Thank the customer for their feedback and offer to resolve the issue offline, if possible.

online reputation score

5. Take advantage of social media.

Social media platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn provide an excellent opportunity to stay connected with your customers and promote your brand in a positive light. Make sure to post regular updates and respond promptly to any questions or concerns raised by your followers.

reputation marketing company

Also, encourage your customers/clients to leave reviews and endorsements on your social media profiles.

Need Help? Consider A Reputation Marketing Company

If you feel you need professional help improving and maintaining your business’ online reputation, a reputation marketing company is a good option to consider. At Alchemy, we specialize in improving and marketing businesses’ online reputations.

Our 3 step Reputation Marketing Program includes:

  1. Monitoring the top online review directories, and notifying you immediately when a review is left so you can respond to it.
  2. Creating a branded feedback page and utilizing an autoresponder to encourage customers to leave a review.
  3. Adding a widget to your website to display your 5-star reviews.

To learn more about this program, call us today at 877-978-2110 or schedule a discovery conversation at a time that is convenient for you:

5 stars in 5 days program


Jun 13 • 20M

Ep. 135 - The Importance of Believing Impossible Things

On making sense of insanity when truth becomes stranger than fiction.

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Intelligent views on headline news.
Episode details

― Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

Alice In Wonderland Cartoon HD Desktop Backgrounds - All HD Wallpapers

Cruising the news this morning we find that COVID hospitalizations and deaths are surging among the vaccinated (and have been);

...the Jan. 6 prime time show trial continues to brainwash the American people, altering evidence and lying about what happened (truth here);

...Russian is winning the war in Ukraine and is now set to move troops into Nicaragua;

...the stock and housing markets are set for an epic crash;

...a Google engineer breached confidentiality and went public with the claim that Artificial Intelligence is now sentient;

and then there is this: At least 100 killed in Burkina Faso attack over weekend

"Armed men killed at least 100 civilians in a rural district of northern Burkina Faso over the weekend, a local and a security source said on Monday."

--cue the record scratch--

Where in the heck is Burkina Faso, and why in the world is this headline news?

Remember, there is more going on in any given moment than anyone of us can wrap our heads around--a fact long exploited by the elite evildoers who orchestrate the dog and pony show distractions that keep the peasants mesmerized while they pillage the planet. That is why, of all the exciting things going on in the world, I find the Burkina Faso story most fascinating.

Follow me here, as I follow my gut down the rabbit hole... curiosity got the best of me, so I looked into Burkina Faso, and these were the top search results:

Finding the CIA and the US State Department in the top results when searching for a country I'd never heard of was enough to cause me to set aside the more sensational headlines and dig a little deeper. Doing so led to several interesting discoveries that tie directly into what's going on in the world today.

Burkina Faso is considered a "least developed country" that is just slightly smaller than the state of Nevada. About 80% of it's roughly 22 million inhabitants are unemployed and live off the land via subsistence farming. More than 60% of the population is illiterate, and their main cash crop is cotton.

Now that you have a decent mental image of what life is like for the average Burkinabe, we can return to the grisly headline about hundreds of innocent civilians being murdered in rural areas of this wild land. As it turns out, a very similar attack happened last June as well--an interesting coincidence.

Trying to figure out why hundreds of innocent, illiterate, live-off-the-land cotton farmers are getting murdered by heavily armed assailants makes sense when you realize that the country is plagued by jihadists. Crazy Islamic militants have a track record of "targeting both the military and the general population" of Burkina Faso, likely because, as their crest indicates, they stand in solidarity with the democratic principles of unity, progress, and justice.

On top of that, the country has endured decades of coups, following suspiciously similar circumstances and timelines as in Ukraine, culminating in the 2014 Burkinabe uprising. Here's what Wiki has to say:

"The 2014 Burkina Faso uprising was a series of demonstrations and riots in Burkina Faso in October 2014 that quickly spread to multiple cities. ... Pressure for political change came from civil society and in particular from the country's youth."

Now I'm going to just blurt out a bold assertion: The similarities between this event, the 2014 Revolution of Dignity in Ukraine, and the many other so-called color revolutions strategically sprinkled throughout recent history, smack of geopolitical manipulation by the elite intelligence agencies who seek to lay claim to limited resources and consolidate political power.

In the case of Burkina Faso, they are undoubtedly going after the gold--which accounts for three-quarters of the country’s economic exports. As should be expected, the IMF and other international agencies have been keen to help the poor illiterate Burkinabes protect and make use of this precious resource. This is the global socialist cabal at work, in case there was any doubt.

More on that in a moment.

Interestingly enough, Burkina Faso suffered yet another coup in January of 2022, this time at the hands of its own military, as mutinying soldiers arrested leaders of the National Council for Democracy and deposed of the sitting president, restored the constitution, and declared the Patriotic Movement for Safeguard and Restoration would facilitate elections and usher in a new government.

How does this all tie together?

Recall that when the Western alliance tried to cripple Russia with economic sanctions, Putin linked the Ruble to gold. This comes at a time when the U.S. dollar is being destroyed by inflation and displaced in international trade, all of which threatens its status as the world’s reserve currency. Following this trajectory leads to the utter destruction of our economy. Think "Great Financial Reset."

Gold is the key to power in the game for global control. As the Western narrative continues to unravel, and Putin continues to build alliances and move troops into our backyard, it is critical to understand just how shaky our current situation is. That would be why Burkina Faso is in the news today, it is a foreshadowing of the patterns that are at play.

Other rabbit trails lead to the State Department issuing a Level 4 alert, telling Americans not to travel to Burkina Faso due to terrorism, crime, and kidnapping--which I'm sure interrupted a lot of people's summer plans. Meanwhile, they tell us that in the last year the U.S. has shared almost 3 million COVID vaccines with the struggling nation, because:

"President Biden committed the United States to be the world’s arsenal for vaccines, leading an international and coordinated vaccination effort, and announced that the United States will provide 1.2 billion doses of safe, effective vaccines – free of cost – to meet global needs and save lives now."

We are told, by the U.S. State Department, that this is 100% in partnership with COVAX, which is a global initiative directed by the WHO that has developed a "no-fault compensation scheme" that limits the indemnification and liabilities related to the forced vaccination campaigns being administered around the world as part of the Immunization Agenda 2030. (Which happens to lend credence to the wild claims made in The Zero Carbon Solution: Depopulation Through Forced Vaccination)

Thus, following the rabbit has led us back to the fact that COVID is surging among the vaccinated, which reminds me that WHO is actively using Artificial Intelligence to manipulate human behavior and ensure maximum compliance with the globalist agenda, which will undoubtedly entail a total collapse of the American economy and fundamental transformation of American politics, so that by the year 2030 you will own nothing and be happy.

Remembering that that's the plan helps put everything into perspective.


Healing Journey

I recently cared for my estranged mother after her surgery. When I relayed this story to a dear friend, she was shocked but also happy for me and the parental reconnection after so many years of pain and loss.

We then discussed some traumatic childhood events and mused about how it impacted our lives, and where we perceived ourselves to be on our healing journey.

She asked me some extremely profound questions that I found difficult to answer:

“How were you able to pull yourself out of the trauma to become the person that you are today and not let it pull you down? How did you survive it? What drove you to overcome it? How did you keep that momentum to be the person that you are and that you want to help others?”

(Yes, I wrote them all down when she asked me. I wanted to remember exactly what she said.)

Desire to Heal

My friend’s trauma has been life-long. And she relayed that she had to disassociate and live in a fantasy world a lot as a kid. She said it came across as “harmless play or daydreaming” to her family. But disassociating during traumatic events was her survival mechanism.

So crazy. It makes perfect sense that a child would do that. I, however, did not. I insanely decided to remember every moment that I COULD remember as a child, ESPECIALLY if it was traumatic.

I used to describe it as feeling like an adult but in a child’s body. I remember adults saying how “grown up” I acted. Yep - it’s cuz I thought I WAS a grown up. Dammit! And I was MAD at the grown-ups around me for acting like CHILDREN.

Hmm… I’m still a bit …cough, cough.. triggered by that little morsel. Clearly.

That doesn’t answer how I survived it.

I promised her I would journal about it and get back to her.

In my writings, the same theme kept coming up: I had a strong desire to heal.

Trigger Warnings

Strange how trauma or damage shows up later in life. Sometimes you are broken and don’t know you are broken, but life seems fine. Then one day you are in the fetal position over something that happened to you at 5 years old.

When I was a kid, I knew I was experiencing trauma - although I didn’t call it that. But it was clear even then that I was going to need to heal some things.

I think my desire to heal comes from some dark places inside me. My default settings were the need to be liked, trauma bonding, and lots of self-doubt and shame.

I started doing The Work.

Once I chose to dive deep into those dark places, healing was inevitable. The things I didn’t get to choose were 1.) how long it takes and 2.) what, or rather who, it brought up in my life, hence the reconnection with my estranged mother.

I had to do A LOT - years of work on myself - to be able to show up for my mother like that. My boundaries were fully intact, and my heart did not harbor any resentment or ill will. The experience was still intense and emotional at times.

When my mother and I relayed our “positions” to one another after so many years, I noticed I still had some deep pain. I was triggered by some of the things she said.

When I am triggered with a strong emotion, it’s definitely from my past. Because my present is peaceful.

Confronting my past with the intent to heal it was a strength I wasn’t sure I would ever find. But I did it. I figuratively packed up all the trauma that I believed belonged to her and handed it back to her in that moment. And that helped make me peaceful again.

Triggers are just a sign, or warning, that there is more work to do.

“Before you heal someone, ask him if he's
willing to give up the things that made him sick."

Everyone’s Healing Journey is Different

I in no way attest to knowing what is right for someone or have a recipe for wellness that is a one-size-fits-all. I only know what worked for me. And really, even then, I wasn’t sure it worked. It has all just been a trial and error… a life of learning and relearning, a letting go of attachments and things not meant for me… I have definitely done The Work!

We are not just a product of our families. We are a product of what we feed ourselves.

We can be very different people. We can make different choices. We can go in different directions and explore new ways of being and doing. We don’t have to inevitably be our past.

Again, I do not have a formula. But here is a general list of Action Items I did to show up for myself:

Have the desire to heal. I know it sounds crazy, but some people simply do not have this desire. It’s almost as if they let go of all that is ailing them, they won’t know who they are anymore; their identity is wrapped up in their pain.

Remove toxicity. You must remove toxic people and situations from your life. If you have a constant influence of negativity, it is a drain on your joy, and you will continue to suffer. This can be hard to recognize. Notice your behavior when you are in certain situations or with certain people. Is there always drama? Do you feel as if you are always on eggshells around someone? Does the “good time” always end “badly”? Time to clean house.

Practice firm boundaries. To remove toxicity from your life, you must learn to set boundaries to protect your energy. A boundary can be anything you do for yourself: remove yourself from drama, maybe give yourself a curfew, or simply saying no. You get to decide who is around you and when. It might take practice, but you can do it.

Let go of old stories and beliefs about yourself. The person you were in the past does not need to be relayed repeatedly, especially if you no longer feel like that person. Those stories are always based on a less-evolved version of yourself. Find new stories to tell…

Fill your spare time with positive, loving, and kind happenings. Volunteer! Buy a friend lunch. Offer to walk with your neighbor. Tell the mail person thank you. Say “I love you” to a friend. Be the change you wish to see in the world. You are happier and more balanced when you are present for others.

Build new skills. Learn new things. Start a hobby. Take a class. Find a mentor. Read a new book. When you build your skills and learn new things, you are keeping your mind active and healthy. You are giving yourself the gifts of self-worth and accomplishment.

Give yourself permission to change your mind. Oh, this one is LIFE CHANGING! No matter how far you have gone down a path, you can turn around and go the opposite direction. It's never too late to change your path. If you do not feel safe, LEAVE. You do not have to explain your reason or get anyone’s approval. You can bail at any time.

Practice gratitude. Find reasons to be grateful, especially when you feel hopeless. When things go wrong, find one thing about it that is positive. Work to focus on the good that will come from something you perceive to be unpleasant. Eventually, this will become easier. But I recommend practicing gratitude daily ~ morning and night.

Find safe spaces and safe people. Having a safe space with a safe person helps you get through anything. When you feel safe, you are not afraid to share what's in your heart or on your mind. Feeling safe and heard can make a huge difference in your healing journey.

Practice Being Present & Mindfulness Meditations. Practice sitting, breathing, being still and quiet; practice being in the moment. If this is something you feel you can’t do, then understand that anything can be a meditation. You can sit and watch the fire burn, the flames dancing, the smoke rising. Go for a walk and notice the color of the trees, or the kinds of birds in them, or the way the sun captures the clouds in the sky. Sit and watch a bug crawl along the sidewalk. These are all little ways of taking a moment to stop and just notice the world around you. You can do anything with mindfulness - including mundane, daily activities. Eventually, you will be ready to try sitting, breathing, and being still and quiet.

Be patient with yourself. Be kind and loving when accepting your growth. Growth takes time. Be patient with yourself.

Be patient with others. Listen. Breathe. Listen. Respond. This is a hard concept for most. We need to listen more than we need to respond. Because whatever someone says or does, it is always a reflection of who they are, and is in no way about you. Learn to listen first, then respond and not react. There is power in forgiveness...

Forgive yourself. Holding a grudge against yourself and constantly punishing yourself for something can be heavy. When we own our part in our own destruction and forgive ourselves for it all - we set ourselves free - free of all the thoughts, emotions, and pain that we inflict on ourselves and others.

Forgive others. Doing this is also freeing. I understand how hard this can be, especially when someone has committed an unspeakable atrocity. But when you free yourself of the burden of those memories, your life gets better. Yes, those things happened, and those people are terrible. But by forgiving, you do not have to relive it. You can let go. You can find gratitude. You can thrive.

You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe
deserves your love and affection.
– Budda

Believe in Yourself and Your Capacity to Heal

I feel I never truly answered my friend’s questions. How can I sum up a life’s worth of healing work in a few sentences? Honestly, I do not know how I survived or pulled myself out of those things. I only know what I did each day to help strengthen my resolve to move forward.

I lived in the present moment with the intent of making the future better. I believed in my capacity to heal.

Everyone has their own healing journey. It’s not linear. And it’s work. But the payoff is so rewarding and peaceful. Healing is a commitment you make every day to show up for yourself. How do you show up for yourself?

Perhaps the Action Item list is too overwhelming, and you need to start more simply. Here is a link to 10 things that will help you in more immediate ways.

Once you are ready to begin a new journey, find support. And if you can’t, I am always here to help. My initial time is free, and I do not require you continue ~ only be open to your Healing Journey.

Be well, Friends

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Seeds of Change (part 2) – Establishing the pillars of society in Madinah

Seeds of Change (part 2) - Establishing the pillars of society in Madinah

During his life in Makkah, in the early years after the revelation, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him) began spreading the basic concepts of Islam, but as he (peace be on him) and his followers were met with hostility, discrimination and persecution, those 13 years were characterised by survival – at a personal level to survive the constant psychological attacks, physically staying alive while under threat of assassination and during the severe hunger during the Boycott of the Muslims between 616-619 AD. Islam was a fledgling religion in an antagonistic environment. Though supported by the Divine, there was no prospect of establishing a society based on new ideals.

This prospect became a reality in Madinah, following the migration of the Prophet (peace be upon him) to Yathrib which would later become known as Madinah (the City), the situation was different. The Prophet (peace be on him) and his small community of followers arrived in a city which offered the chance to bring in changes and establish the first Islamic society.

What was the foundation on which the Prophet (peace be on him) built a successful society in Madinah?

When the Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him) arrived in Madinah, he made an opening speech, which was concise and comprehensive speech. Abdullah Ibn Salaam, the highest Jewish Rabbi in Madinah, heard that speech and declared:

I’ve heard him say:

Oh People, feed the food, spread the salams among you, maintain relationships with your families and relatives, and pray during the night while people are sleeping, you will be admitted to Jannah peacefully”. (Ibn Majah)

In another narration, He (peace be on him) said to worship the Most Merciful.

This was the foundation of the society in Madinah. According to this narration, there are 5 pillars to establish a society:

1.   Worship and ethics

The importance of worshipping One God, which means having consciousness of the Divine. In built in this is a sense of accountability – knowing that ultimately everything will be put before God to be judged. The first pillar of society is therefore building one’s relationship with God Almighty as this forms the basis of a truly ethical society, as divine laws form the criteria of morality.

2.   Look after the weak

Islam is a religion of love – love for God Almighty and for all of His creation. Our concern for others is demonstrated through tangible acts that benefit and serve others as well as acts of ritual worship that connect us back to God Almighty.

Looking after the destitute and the vulnerable is therefore a key part of establishing a successful society. Otherwise, we have a society in which there is a great divide among the haves and have-nots, the ultra-rich and the poor, as we have today within society and also between wealthy nations and those crippled with debt.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) made humanity and compassion the second pillar of society. This means being aware of the needs of others and connecting with them, rather than having a socially divided society, where one class has no idea what the others are going through. It is establishing co-operation and bonds between people and encouraging charity and welfare. It means spending on beneficial projects, rather than pointless or narcissistic things.

3.   Spread peace

The third pillar of society is to ‘spread salam’Salam is a greeting of peace. It is also about positivity, cheerfulness, and communication. This means foster love among yourselves, as the Prophet (peace be on him) said:

“Shall I not tell you how to spread love among you, spread the salams among yourselves”.

Spreading the salam means to communicate your love for humanity. And to create harmony and cohesion.

4.   Strengthen the family

The fourth pillar is to maintain contact with family members. It is well known that the family unit is the bedrock of society, the stronger the family, the better the outcomes for society. When the family breaks down, a whole range of social problems ensue which become harder and harder to fix.

Goodness begins with one’s family. It should be the default. The Prophet (peace be on him) said:

The family is where goodness begins. This is why we have the proverb ‘charity begins at home’. This applies equally to a man’s side of the family and a woman’s. God Almighty wants us to have strong families. The family is strong when the relationships within it are based on love, trust and respect.

The purpose, beyond marriage, is not just to have a family, but also to have tranquillity in the family structure. The presence of absence of sakeena impacts the emotional wellbeing of the couple as well as their children, who are the offspring, or the outcome of the marriage. When a marriage is well-established, on a good base, and strong principles then what follows is fruitful and beneficial. Similarly ensuring that children look after their parents, is important, particularly as they become elderly and need help. Maintain good relations with siblings, and extended family creates a healthy support network.

5.   Spirituality

The fifth pillar of society is ‘pray in the night’ this a sign of a strong relationship with God. To awaken the in the night, for the sake of God alone to offer voluntary prayers shows sincerity. It is away from the hustle and bustle of the day and from anyone’s gaze, and it gives individuals the chance to reflect on their life, their priorities and recharge their spiritual batteries. It is this nightly spiritual reboot which will enable individuals to be mindful of God during the day, in their relationships, interactions and transactions. A society without a soul, is a society which will gravitate towards dissolution, corruption and personal gratification.

How did Islam improve the position of women in Madinah?

In addition to the pillars of society, it is important for any well-functioning society to respect women and ensure they are accorded their rights. The revelation is the Constitution for Muslims and we have two lengthy chapters, Surat al Baqarah and Surat An-Nisa, which are filled with verses of rulings [ayat al ahkam]. These verses are important as we derive from them the rulings by which we live our lives., in conjunction with the Sunnah (the sayings and practice) of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). For instance, in Surat al Baqarah contains the rulings on marriage and divorce, khulah [how a woman seeks divorce], the waiting period after divorce, death, rulings relating to purification, and intimate relationships. These were all revealed in Madinah.

We also have a whole surah about women, Surah An-Nisa which provides their rights in general, and the establishment of their inheritance shares. God addresses women and talks about their importance and roles in the community.

How to empower women presence in the Community?

This process started before the migration to Madinah [Hijra].

Indeed, we can read in the Seerah of the Prophet (peace be upon him) that a delegation from Yathrib [Madinah before the migration] travelled to meet the Prophet (peace be upon him) in Makkah. They declared their belief and returned to Madinah. They then travelled to Makkah for Hajj the following year. It was narrated that people came and gave the Prophet (peace be upon him) their allegiance, Bay’ah. The narration mentions the presence of 70 people from Madinah during that second allegiance [Bay’ah Al ‘Aqabah], and among them were already 3 women. After this second Bay’ah, the Prophet sent 2 teachers to Madinah Mus’ab ibn Umayd and a woman, named Ash-Shifa, Layla bint Abdillah. She was actually the teacher of Umar’s daughter, Hafsa.

We can see from these narrations that women were already present in all spheres of the community life in Madinah. There were of course some cultural differences between Makkah and Madinah, as there are cultural differences today within countries. Islam did not object to any cultural practices unless they contradicted Islam’s principles, in which case, Islam replaced culture.

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) allowed the participation of women in salah, in congregations, Eid prayers, communal activities, and even to follow the troops on the battlefield and nurse the wounded soldiers. Women were participating in all events, and were not isolated.

In the Quran, God addresses the entire community by using the expression “Oh you who believe”, HE does not exclude them, or marginalise them. Women are always included in the Prophet’s narrations (peace be on him), unless there is a specific concern that needs to be addressed for women only.

Empowering Women

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) empowered women as active believers in the community. He (peace be upon him) encouraged their activism, their participations, within certain limits, depending on the context, circumstances, scenarios as specified by the revelation. In general, women were considered equal partners to men. Until we change the mentalities in our community that women are in fact equal partners and not to be controlled by cultural considerations, some communities will impose injustices on women, not found in Islamic sources.

Why do some cultures still treat women with oppression? Oppression is often a result of ignorance, cultural practices, and traditions. We need better a understanding of Islamic rulings so we know where to draw the line, and differentiate what it is cultural and what is not. We also saw the need to improve access to knowledge, and not only transform the mentalities. The more we acquire sacred knowledge, the more we will be able to improve our understanding and differentiate the cultural aspects from the authentic Islamic and valid practices. Some Muslim women have left Islam because of these oppressive cultural practices and they prefer not to associate themselves with these practices anymore and as a result reject Islam. These cultural practices do not represent the true message of Islam. And, we still have a long way to go.

Shaykh Haytham Tamim delivered to Movement for Islamic and Cultural Awareness (MICA) Nigeria – Oct 2021

Transcribed by Zahra Hrifa

Related posts

Seeds of Change – the blueprint for the five dimensions of transformation

The Pillars of Islamic Civilisation

Fixing broken families

Maintaining family relationships

The significance of the first five revelations


Companies are anxious to reopen their offices. Companies should aim for a safe and strategic reopening. This day had been chosen by many corporations for their formal reopening. Many organisations have postponed their major reopening until early 2022. Many businesses intend to rehire their employees in 2022. Employees that have spent the last two years working remotely. Working from home, they've developed new habits, established new routines, and discovered new rhythms.

It's past time for us to learn from our mistakes and stop planning so far ahead of time. We can't predict what the future contains, and if we wait for the ideal moment to return, we'll never return.Instead, we should approach the reopening of the workplace with caution.

Here are some options:
- Make sure your facility complies with COVID-19 requirements in your area. - Employees should be informed about expected workplace habits before they return.
- Motivate your employees! Describe the on-site resources that will be available.

#Create a safe space:-

When personnel arrive on-site, it is your responsibility to ensure that they are safe.

#Install healthy indoor filters and develop clean air protocols in your building.

#Requiring everyone to wash their hands before entering any room.

#Instead of a hostile workplace, the goal should be to establish one that is safe, healthy, and friendly.

#Adopt the appropriate tools.

#Invest in technologies that will aid in the safety of your employees.

#Implement a visitor management system to keep track of who is coming to work and when.

# Create a system for receiving notifications.

#Shift the return-to-work narrative

Remind your staff of the opportunities they're missing out on. Although remote work allows for more flexibility, the office can also be a place where people may collaborate, find inspiration, and strengthen bonds with coworkers.After this pandemic and work from home most of the employees demand more flexibility in their work hours. If workplaces are a productivity tool, they are the property of your employees. It is your obligation to ensure that the workplace is safe and well-designed for flexibility.

Wrapping Up!!

Companies have invested a lot of time and money into their infrastructure to meet and surpass employee expectations. After the pandemic, we have to be more concerned about the safety of the employees. For the employees safety, it's your responsibility to establish a secure, flexible environment that encourages employees to return.