Children First, Spring 2006: Working Together

Sharing a common goal to improve child protection in Turkey, the diverse group of representatives from Government Ministries, NGOs and academics that make up the Children First project management team share an equally diverse range of abilities and experience. A crucial step in reaching the ultimate goal of Children First was to look at the working relationship between the various sectors and ensure the success of the project by developing the individual strengths of those involved into an effective team.

In order to achieve this synergy, a three–day workshop was organised in Kızılcahamam near Ankara in November for twenty participants from the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of National Education, the Social Services and Child Protection Agency, the Gendarmerie, the Security General Directorate and the Turkish Bar Association.

The workshop, based around the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, sought to provide a foundation for strengthening individual performance at the personal, interpersonal, managerial and organisational levels by equipping team members with the tools and skills to work at optimum levels of effectiveness — both as a group and individually.

Using a combination of talks, video presentations, personal and group exercises, the workshop developed over its three–day course under the following themes:

Be proactive by taking the initiative, keeping commitments, being responsible, accountable and exerting a positive influence on results.
Begin with the end in mind by developing vision, establishing the mission, setting goals, aligning goals to mission priorities and focusing on outcomes.
Put first things first by following strategy, focusing on important priorities, defining tasks to achieve goals, prioritising tasks and using planning tools.
Think positively and improve working relationships, collaborate effectively, resolve conflicts and make positive performance agreements.
Seek first to understand and then to be understood through persuasive communication, defusing tense situations, listening effectively and provide productive input and feedback.
Synergise by making positive use of diversity, working together creatively on problems, valuing differences and developing innovative solutions.
Sharpen the saw by practicing continuous improvement and self–renewal.

The workshop was generally considered a success by all who were involved since the opportunity for participants to work together personally provided a strong and productive start for the project. Practical exercises around the development of Children First communication materials were of immediate benefit in developing the project identity and promotional literature that was used to launch the project.

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CHILDREN FIRST, SPRING 2006

Download the Children First Bulletin, Spring 2006 edition, in pdf format. [PDF 1.24MB]

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