The Board and Staff of Montreal City Mission are committed to the process of establishing a collegial working model. This model first took root in the late seventies when MCM underwent a major transformation, changing from a charitable mission to a social justice ministry. At that time the soup kitchen and clothing depot were replaced by programs that seek long term, durable solutions to the problems of poverty and whose main component is the philosophy of empowerment:
Empowerment :
- refers both to the phenomenological development of a certain state of mind (e.g. feeling powerful, competent, worthy of esteem, etc. and to the modification of structural conditions in order to reallocate power (e.g. modifying the society's opportunity structure) - in other words, empowerment refers both to the subjective experience and the objective reality; and
- is both a process and a goal." (Dallaire, Chamberland)
The 'empowerment' approach in our different program areas developed concomitantly with improved collegial working relations among staff. Since the late eighties, this model has been refined and developed and is currently best represented by the following definition:
Colleague comes from com which means together and legare which means choose. Thus to be a colleague is to choose to work, share information and make decisions together. This model also implies mutual empowerment with everyone valued for his/her diversity and resources and equally responsible for the collective health and well-being of the team. In order to implement this model, efforts must be made on two different levels
- (Inter) Personal Level
Efforts should be made to improve individual self awareness as well as communication skills with colleagues (active listening, positive confrontation, conflict resolution, etc.) - Structural Level
Efforts should be made to have fair and equitable organizational practices that facilitate participation by all staff and students in the daily functioning of the Mission (office organization), collective decision making process, inclusive meetings, periodic staff retreats, staff participation on board with rotating vote, etc.)
