Gifts, Assets, & Liabilities, Monadnock Developmental Services

Gifts, Assets, & Liabilities
A workshop about contributing our gifts within the community

Background
In March, 2005, MDS offered a workshop that focused on the gifts and liabilities of people with disabilities. The purpose was to deepen our understanding of how we view people's gifts and to examine the effect that has on people's ability to contribute their gifts in the community.

We saw this as an important facet in Asset Based Community Development (ABCD), which is a way of thinking about community based on work by John McKnight. In ABCD, a distinction is made between institutions and associations. Institutions (like a health clinic, restaurant, or car dealer) relate to community members based upon a need that people want to fill. Institutions meet needs for medical care, food, transportation, etc.

Associations (like a bowling team, sewing group, or book club) relate to community members based upon the gifts, talents, and asset people bring to them. Associations provide an opportunity for people to share their gifts of playing a game well, using a needle and thread, literary understanding, etc. People who are members of associations have an opportunity to enrich the community by sharing their interests and talents. As a result, they enjoy a sense of belonging and increased self-esteem.

Knowing someone's gifts then becomes very important in the process of helping them become a more integral member of their community.

Description
We began the workshop by thinking about someone with a disability. People listed the person's needs or liabilities in one column and their gifts or assets in another. After comparing lists with a partner, some general observations were shared with every one. Though we are attuned to seeing people's assets, participants noted that it is important to acknowledge a person's liabilities or needs because those will always play a prominent role in how others see that person.

To gain clarity about what assets and liabilities are, participants watched a few short scenes from the movie Shrek. Initially, people watched a clip from the beginning where Shrek and Donkey meet. Donkey has just escaped the royal soldiers who are rounding up magical creatures to move them to a resettlement facility. Having no place to go, Donkey wants to stay with Shrek, who only wants his privacy. Instead of being left alone, Shrek is tormented by Donkey with his nonstop talking, inattention to social norms of behavior, gratuitous flattery, opportunistic flip-flopping, and bad singing. Participants identified these characteristics as liabilities for Donkey that kept him from having the friends that he desired.

Next, people watched a scene in the Dragon's keep. There Shrek and Donkey are looking for the princess when the Dragon finds them instead. Donkey is chased and cornered by the Dragon and about to be eaten. Trembling with fear, Donkey compliments the Dragon's large white teeth, notices that the Dragon is a girl, and charms her into sparing his life.

During our discussion, it didn't take long for people to note that the same qualities and characteristics that were noted as Donkey's liabilities were also his assets. In both scenes, Donkey acts pretty much the same way. He talks, flatters, trips over social cues, and tries to bend the situation to his advantage. In one case, he's seen as obnoxious; in the other, he's seen as adapting to the needs of the moment.

People pointed out that the only differences between the two scenes are the people involved and the situation or social context. An action, characteristic, or personality trait can be seen as positive by one person and negative by another. Likewise, any given behavior may be appropriate or inappropriate depending upon the situation. In other words, every action or behavior is neutral. It is only how they are interpreted by various people and how they are seen through the lens of a social situation that determines whether the person is valued or rejected.

Participants were then challenged to look at their original two-column list of a real person's liabilities and assets.

Were there any liabilities that we have not been able to see as possible assets?
Can we imagine anyone for whom the liabilities might be overlooked or even seen as assets?
What social contexts, if changed, might enable others to see assets instead of liabilities?

Learning
Many different groups of people participated in this workshop over the course of several weeks. At each session, people considered one or more of five critical questions in order to see how to make what we are learning relevant to the people we support.

Here are the questions and the answers we derived. In each case you'll find responses that are the "Best of the Best" as determined at an all-staff meeting. A complete listing of all responses is also included.

1. If gifts are relative, what are the implications for the people we support?
Best of the Best:
Relationships are key - for the folks we support, staff, families - everyone

Other Responses:

It means we have to get to know the people we support
We, as professionals, need to work with the community with our "folks" in mind
We need to understand the inventory of opportunities and associations that actually exist so we can match gifts in a "real" way
That we focus on inclusion with the younger population
A person's success or failure is dependent upon who they are surrounded by
Gifts may be more difficult to recognize
They may need more time to show their gifts
Gifts may never be recognized depending on other people or specific situations
Gifts may be situational or due to the setting
They will need to keep searching for the right fit
It is a matter of perspective
Everyone offers a gift; it is up to us to help them find someone they can give it to
People may not be seeing their gifts; they need people around them who choose to do so
It implies there are no limits; it is only a matter of finding the gifts and putting them to use
If gifts are relative, they may be easily overlooked
People look at the positives of others; if uncomfortable, "typical" people may not see the gifts of those we support or give them a chance
Everyone has gifts; we don't always see them - even in ourselves

2. What are some specific things we can be doing to help people offer their gifts?
Best of the Best:
Reframing their liabilities.
Expand their world
Get to know the individual
Promote opportunities

Other Responses:

Providing and funding opportunities to help them access the right situation
Promote the idea of having gifts
Discussion of the person's gifts at their team meeting - focus on the gift not the disability
Giving experience to find gifts they have
Emphasize gifts with individuals
Volunteering
Getting to know the person in order to promote their gifts
Talk to them and the people around them
Promote relationships for confidence so people can see their gifts
Exposure to different settings to enhance gifts
Look for a specific environment or person who would appreciate this gift
Hobbies
Training for staff and managers: everyone has something they can offer
Discuss what gifts are Formalize/verbalize their gifts into a socially valued role
Assist staff to be more dispensable
Looking at someone's gifts and finding associations in the community where staff can introduce an individual to that can then develop into a natural situation for our individual for the future
Being open to see them for their gifts; reframing the liabilities
Increase the number of unpaid people in their life
Learn more about the people and their gifts
Focus on their gifts Look for opportunities for them to share or teach their gifts
Put goals in the person's service plan related to asset based community development
Conduct an interest/gifts inventory with them

3. What are the barriers that prevent us from seeing liabilities
as gifts?
Best of the Best:
Fear and ignorance
Levels of society, social norms, cultural differences
Insecurity
Stereotypes, perceptions, preconceived ideas
Guilt or pity
Limited patience and time can prevent us from seeing liabilities as gifts

Other Responses:

Our own issues, history, experience that can prevent us from reframing liabilities
Patience and time; we can get caught up in the "basics" of daily care
First impressions sometimes are hard to overlook
Social norms
Perception (our own towards the individual that "color" our views)
Visual (first impression of the individual's "lack" of abilities)
Fear (how do we "react" to the individual/)
Built in wiring; conditioning
Sometimes, too much "leeway" given
Stereotypes, perceptions, preconceived ideas
Cultural differences
Ignorance
Personal values, personal lives, stress Insecurities, fear
Lack of money, time
Professionalism creates barriers (codes, name tags, etc.)

4. What are the action steps for turning a liability into a gift?
Best of the Best:

Identify the trait that's seen currently as a liability considering situations where that liability would be an asset
Consider the person's likes and dislikes
Brainstorm ideas for situations or people who would see the liability as a gift (or at least be willing to overlook it because they see the person's other gifts)

Other Responses:
Group A -

Identify the liabilities
How or why are these liabilities? Consider the situations and people's perceptions that lead us to think of these as liabilities.
Brainstorm with a group of people (those who know the person and those who don't) to get diverse viewpoints about why or to what degree something is a liability
Consider the person's likes and dislikes. Are there clues for thinking about liabilities differently?
Use multiple, and uncommon, resources
Have the right support people (positive, creative, problem solvers, possibility thinkers)
Make sure there is alignment of purpose and involvement between the person, direct support staff, service coordinators, program managers, etc.
This is an on-going process; evaluate and expect to make changes

Group B -

Identify: What is it? Who needs it?
Imagine a situation where this liability could be a gift
Look for situations and try out

Group C -

Look at your perceptions of what you consider a liability
Reframe and recognize
How can the perceived liabilities be observed as a gift
Multiple perspectives of liabilities
Environment
Patience
Put the focus on the gifts first
Eliminate isolation

5. What is the role of institutions
in helping people become involved
in associations?

Best of the Best:
Role modeling
Facilitating and bridging
Identifying people's interests and gifts
Connection-making

Other Responses:

Identify the interest of people
Act as bridge in helping people
Institutions beget associations
Fill the need
Facilitating; create opportunities for people to come together
Educate and help people become empowered to solve their own problems
Role modeling
Promote independence; assistive technology so they can participate
Promote self-esteem; help people see their gifts
Help to strengthen society as a whole
Reach out; make community connections; partnerships
Information and referral
Introductions
Guidance
Connecting them with associations that interest them
Connecting with jobs, churches, etc.
Facilitating

So what do you think?
What are your thoughts about gifts, assets, liabilities, needs and the ways we can support people with disabilities to become contributing members of their community?

Do you have a success story?
Have you led a discussion on this topic with your team?
Do you have questions about how to turn a need into a gift?

We'll make sure your ideas get added to this list of great ideas!