Sync

Unpacking Deaf Leadership

There are more deaf leaders than we think and this number is increasing every year. They are often working hidden within organisations and communities. Dorothy Miles called us the Hidden Nation - that's still true! (Cathy Mager, Participation Producer, South Bank Centre)

In the light of my own deaf leadership journey I decided to write this article as a way of challenging people who are deaf, deafened and hard of hearing who have leadership qualities but are still hiding, to journey too.

I did this through pooling the ideas of the few deaf leaders out there today, as contributors to the piece and sharing their reflections and the practical tips that have kept them on track. I'd like to thank them for their time in doing this with me – Deepa Shastri

As deaf people we are still denied the opportunity to demonstrate just what we can achieve. Why is this?

..It all depends on our education, the way we were brought up, how we work, the forces in society, people’s attitudes towards us, our developed interpersonal skills, our knowledge of society and the type of culture we come from. (deaf contributor)

This wasn’t always the case. Before Milan1880: the most alarming chapter in Deaf history, the lives of Deaf people were as good as many of their hearing peers where they excelled as lawyers, writers, artists and teachers.

After Milan 1880, hearing people decided to reduce the use of sign language in the belief that learning to hear and speak was a better way for deaf people to fit into the ‘hearing world’.

Being denied access to sign language has hampered our development in so many ways. Deaf leadership today has to be about getting people to work with our deafness, and for us to explore our style, our techniques, what works and what doesn’t and being proactive in pursuing our rights to opportunity.

....It can be very hard for deaf people to be proactive, not because we are not capable but it requires negotiating your own terms and not everyone will support you along the way.(deaf contributor)

Safe jobs

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

The deaf leaders I spoke to told how they’d been denied access to opportunities, despite their obvious talents, but had found ways to overcome these setbacks.

I was not given the opportunity to work on a 'big job' when I was an editor couple of years ago. I was told that it would be difficult to handle, especially with my deafness, as the work involved lots 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 is what spurs me on to prove otherwise. (deaf contributor)

A hearing person got the deaf related job I went for. I was told just she and I had been shortlisted. When she started the job and 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 in the first place! It’s important to say ‘no’ even if people try to bribe you with vague promises of "who knows what the future may hold..."(deaf contributor)

The future is now. We are the future and there’s a place for us. Whilst these skilled professionals didn’t get the job, they did not compromise and kept going.

Cure us?

Language is human. Speech is language: therefore deaf people are inhuman and deafness is a problem. (p11, Audism, exploring the metaphysics of Oppression H Dirksen – L Bauman).

On a day-to-day basis, we, as deaf people, have to live with the idea that there is something wrong with us and we need to be fixed.

As Paddy Ladd said in “Understanding Deaf Culture – In search of Deafhood” (2003): ‘Deafness is defined as a medical condition terminology of broken ears and in need of a cure.’

I was already established in my career when my hearing deteriorated, so I did not let that stop me doing anything. It is probably easier for those of us who already thought of ourselves as leaders before becoming "deaf or hard of hearing". Being deaf/deafened/hard of hearing should not be a barrier to becoming a leader, but I suspect it is still a challenge for many people. (deaf contributor)

Click here for the full article on Audism, exploring the metaphysics of Oppression H Dirksen – L Bauman

Deaf Leadership style – fit for purpose

First of all, I am undeniably deaf – both in the medical context and ultimately in the cultural context. My leadership extends to my workplace where I demonstrate my virtuoso talents and show my colleagues, middle and top management the ropes of handling a deaf employee and ultimately paving the ways for the others in deaf community to consider careers in similar fields (deaf contributor).

The pursuit of leadership for deaf people is about understanding and finding a style that fits with both the deaf experience and the individual qualities of the deaf person, which may or may not be linked to deafness. So when thinking about style and asking other deaf leaders about it, I saw some very similar patterns emerging around the skills and talents we tend to share. We are...

• champions of our communities, which help with customer orientated services
• resilient & determined 
• attentive to detail
• high achievers: achieving something that is not conventionally easy to achieve
•  good at understanding the needs of different people
• planners
• as productive as hearing people, we tend to focus on our work more, working twice as hard as most
• good with our hands
• more visual and we use stories
• able to communicate with different people from all over the world using non-verbal visual gestures
• able to employ our skills and apply them advantageously in our work e.g. film direction - storyboarding

Deaf chameleons

I influence policy - as a core member of the disability staff forum and this feeds into BBC policies. I've had to utilise my skills in different ways, changing colours making sure I'm versatile and above all - invaluable! (Caroline Ward, Partnership Manager, BBC, Manchester)

Any good leader must have the ability to adapt to each and every environment in order to blend in and to create allies to support them and the work that they do. I’ve pulled together some top tips that work for ‘deaf reptiles’, but the ideas are useful for anyone who is trying to create a level playing field from which to lead.

Networking

• Scan the room and locate ‘connectors’ in the room – those who will introduce you to other people or point them out to you
• Names can be hard to pick up on - hand your business card over as you meet the other person so that they give you their card in return. That way you can read their name
• Listen, be interested and ask questions, make sure the conversation is 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
• People think self promotion is vulgar and embarrassing, but only rich people can afford PRs, so swallow your pride, and 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
• A good working relationship with the communication support is essential
• Prepare well before any meetings. If you are chairing, set an agenda, if you are not then find out who is and send in items for the agenda, write down a running order bullet point list of what to say.  Don’t be afraid to contribute
• Be clear how you want the interpreter to work. Good support means you can fully engage in the meeting. Alternatively you can record the conversation for processing later or have people working visually.
• If necessary take a break when the meeting is least relevant to your work - you may miss some information but at least you will have more energy for the more 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 where possible or find an ally
• Generate passion 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

• Visualise situations outside your comfort zone and imagine how you will deal with it
• Think of things that make you happy during your working day, note it down and build on it everyday
• Practice presentations to build up confidence in advance
• Reflect and get feedback. It is invaluable knowing what works (and getting praise when things work well!) and understanding what you can improve
• Reward yourself after a hard and productive day’s work
• Be patient – don't forget Rome was not built in a day

Managing your energy

• Collaborate and where possible work in partnership or as part of a team so you can share work to keep the motivation going
• Try to understand and make the most of your diurnal/circadian rhythms during your working day
• Think which part of the day you should hold meetings during
• Do regular exercise/activities – it helps give you ample 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)

The first and last word, I’ll leave 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.