Sync

Deaf Leadership

There are more deaf leaders than we think and this number is increasing every year. (Cathy Mager, Participation Producer, South Bank Centre)

I wanted to write this article because of my own deaf leadership journey. I want to help find other deaf, deafened and hard of hearing people who can lead. We don't have to hide.

My name is Deepa Shastri and I went and spoke to other deaf leaders to create this article.

As deaf people we are still stopped from showing what we can do. Why is this?

People said this was for lots of different reasons:

• poor access to education
• how we are brought up
• other people's attitudes to us
• our knowledge about how society works
• our skills in getting on with people
• the type of culture we come from

This wasn’t always the case.

A long time ago, before 1880, the lives of Deaf people were as good as many hearing people. Deaf people were often lawyers, writers, artists and teachers.

Then hearing people decided to stop deaf people from using sign language. They thought that learning to hear and speak was a better way for deaf people to fit into the ‘hearing world’.

This stopped many deaf people from getting on.

Deaf leadership today has to be about getting people to work with our deafness not to stop us being deaf. We need to explore our styles and find out what works for us and what doesn’t.

Safe jobs

I was always placed in the 'safe job' which I found very frustrating! I didn't like that but I guess that's what spurs me on to prove myself. (deaf contributor)

The deaf leaders I spoke to told how they’d been stopped from doing things, even thought they knew they could. They told me how they got over these barriers.

I was not given the opportunity to work on a 'big job' when I was an editor couple of years ago, after being told that it would be difficult to handle, especially with my deafness, as the work involved a lot of sound work. I was always placed in the 'safe job' which I found very frustrating! I didn't like that but I guess that's what spurs me on to prove otherwise.(deaf contributor)

A hearing person got the deaf related job I went for. I was told the shortlist was me and her. When she started the job I was asked to help her ‘do the job justice’. I said no. Being asked to help her in this way felt far worse than not getting the job! ..." (deaf contributor)

The future is now. We are the future and there’s a place for us.

These people had the right skills, but they didn’t get the jobs. They didn't let this stop them. They didn't give in and they kept on fighting.

Cure us?

Language is human. Speech is language: therefore deaf people are inhuman and deafness is a problem. (a Doctor talking about deafness)

The idea that we not all human and that there is something wrong with us is something we, as deaf people, live with all the time.

Doctors see deafness as a problem, we have broken ears and need a cure. This is not how we see deafness.

Within the deaf world there is a hierarchy - some people think that those who have more skills with English are better. This is not true either.

One person said that they were already working as a leader when they started to become deaf - they saw themselves as a leader first. It is harder for those who do not see themselves as leading or as a leader first.

Deaf Leadership style – fit for purpose

Deaf people interested in leading need to find a style that fits with the deaf experience and their individual skills and talents - which may or may not be linked to deafness.

When I asked other deaf leaders about this, I saw that there were many things we shared:

• We are linked in to our communities, we champion them!
• We bounce back and are very determined
• We have good attention to detail
• We achieve things - often things that aren't easy to achieve
• We are good at understanding the needs of different people
• We are good planners
• We are as productive as hearing people, we tend to focus on our work more, working twice as hard as most
• We are good with our hands
• We are more visual and use stories
• We are able to communicate with different people from all over the world using gestures not words
• We are able to use our skills creatively in our work

Deaf chameleons

I've had to use my skills in different ways, changing colours, making sure that they see me as an important part of the team. (Caroline Ward, Partnership Manager, BBC, Manchester)

One of the main leadership styles for the deaf leaders I spoke to has been about changing to fit the organisation you are in - like a chameleon. Here are some of their tips:

Networking

• Find the people in the room who will introduce you to other people - use them
• Names are hard to pick up on - give your business card as soon as you meet the other person so that they give you their card and you can read their name
• Listen, be interested and ask questions, make a conversation two way
• Enjoy yourself.

Promoting yourself

• Be seen by key people
• Don’t be afraid to use your deafness as a unique selling point by saying "Because I am deaf, I can do..." rather than "Despite being deaf, I can do..."
• Things will take time, so be patient
• Have something to give someone that they can look at in their own time e.g. DVD, website, postcard
• Follow up contacts by email
• Blow your own trumpet (within reason). You have to start somewhere. If you're any good, other people will start singing your praises too. It takes time to build a reputation. You need word of mouth.

Managing yourself in meetings

• Work out what you want to get out of the meeting and prepare questions
• Good working relationship with the communication support is essential
• Prepare well before any meetings, i.e. set an agenda. If you are not chairing, find out who the chair is and send in items for the agenda. Write down a list of what to say:- don’t be afraid to contribute. Be clear how you want the interpreter to work
• Book support and make it work for you. You could try recording the conversation or getting people working visually - on post-it notes and a flip chart. Take notes.
• In a hearing-led world meetings can go on forever without breaks, and you often can't change that. Take your own break half way through when the meeting is least relevant to your work. You may miss some information but at least you'll have more energy for the most important parts of the meeting.

Leading yourself through work

• Know your stuff/area of work
• Don’t wait for others to take action
• Create and develop a good team wherever possible or find an ally
• Generate passion for the mission by being interested in what you do and seek ways of moving forward
• Know what works best for you, i.e. one to one meetings or follow up meetings afterwards
• Get the support that you are entitled to

Improving confidence

• Think about how you would feel outside your comfort zone and imagine how you will deal with it
• Think of things that made you happy during your working day, note it down and build on it everyday
• Practice what you want to say in advance. This will build up your confidence
• Reflect and get feedback, it's the best way of knowing what works (and getting praise when things work well!) and how you can improve
• Reward yourself after a hard and productive day’s work
• Be patient – things take time

Managing your energy

• Work with others so you can share work to keep the motivation going
• Try to understand your rhythms during your working day and make note of it
• Think of which part of the day you should hold meetings
• Do regular exercise/activities – it helps give you more energy to get through the day effectively

The last word

If you really want something in life, the whole universe conspires to help you achieve it. (Paulo Coelho)

I'll leave the first and last word with Cathy Mager, someone who is getting the balance right for leadership:

It's taken many years, but I am now primarily known for my creative practice and good management over the fact I am deaf and work in a mainstream arts centre.

For years, the assumption was I was employed to be deaf! It's very rare that people are surprised I am in charge any more, or have ideas that can influence them and benefit their lives. It used to be a mountain I had to climb every time I worked on a new project. I have nurtured and built respect from my peers and at the same time there is better deaf awareness within wider society than there was when I first graduated from University ten years ago.

With that has come improved adaptability and understanding of my access needs on a day to day basis. They know that if they adapt just in a small way, they get the best from me, and this happens without it becoming an issue that consumes my professional life and takes up all my energy.