Honing Your Management Skills

Each day we face new challenges and the need to acquire new skills. The managers of Community Sexual Assault Programs (CSAPs) have an astonishing array of skills – fiscal management, “people skills,” knowledge about sexual violence, program management and evaluation, community development, fundraising, self-care, supervision, and much more. No matter how accomplished a manager may be, there is always something new to learn.

We began this publication by reaching out and asking CSAP managers about the skills and learning resources that are most important to them. The results of this survey are offered in the article What Do Managers Need and Want? WCSAP’s own Associate Director, Jeanne McCurley, provides a wealth of information about handling the challenges of program management in Lonely at the Top. Managers told us they wanted to learn more about handling stress and burnout, both for themselves and for their staff. Lara Collis, a therapist who is respected for her creativity, responds to this request with practical activities and tools. We are fortunate to have three other “Voices From the Field” - lively discussions by program managers on recent challenges, avenues for skill building, and relevant resources. Because managers told us that they need flexibility in learning new skills, we are including an article on Online Learning Opportunities – you may be surprised to discover just how many ways you can build your skills via the internet. Our Accreditation Café reviews the standards related to your qualifications and training, as a program manager.

Lifelong learning is both a necessity and a means of reinvigorating ourselves and our work.

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