Life at IRC

✨What I’ve Learned About Being A Supervisor✨ 1. Trust - I trust my team to be experts at what they do. I don’t micromanage and try to give them the freedom to work independently with guidance if they need it. Trust has to be earned but it ends up taking a lot of pressure off of me when I can have complete peace of mind that field operations are going well because of my amazing staff. 2. Setting Expectations - I am very intentional about my language when training staff and interns. I set clear expectations and am vocal when my staff is meeting or not meeting those expectations. 3. Transparency - I am honest with my team about everything. What funder expectations are, what leadership expectations are, how to advocate for a raise or promotion etc. When my staff understands the “why” of a certain task I ask of them, it creates more understanding and cooperation in completing that task. 4. Teamwork - we function as a team. I do not task my staff with things that I myself would not do. If my staff have a full caseload or feel overwhelmed, it is my responsibility to take things off of their plate. Fieldwork is the biggest thing that is often ignored by supervisors but I value it as a way to asses the expectations I have for my team (if I can’t do it, I don’t expect them to do it) and check in on our clients. 5. Value - I value my team as more than just employees working to achieve an output. I value about them as people and I value the skills and strengths that they bring to the team. As a supervisor, I have the power to make small changes or accommodations for staff and I do it whenever my team needs it. A few extra work from home days a month won’t affect the program I run, but it will affect the overall sense of support and wellbeing of my staff. (Photo: some previous supervisors and staff members of mine that I’ve learned this from)

With just over a year and a half in my position as the Youth Services Coordinator at the International Rescue Committee, I have been reflecting on some things I have learned that I wish I knew at the start of my career! 1. Data: Nothing gets done without data! Shout out to Alex Laywell for introducing me to the importance of data collection and tracking. If I want to propose change or improve services, I need data to prove what our clients needs are. 2. Leadership: Promotions and high positions do not qualify me as a leader but how I empathize, trust my staff and exemplify the IRCs mission and values do. 3. Advocacy: Advocacy is not only an external struggle but can be internal too. I have learned that I sometimes have to advocate more for my clients to HQ/SLT, funders and other departments than within the community. 4. Mentorship: Find a person in the office you admire and learn from them. I learned to ask for advice often and be open to feedback. Rachel Worley has been instramental in pushing me to learn, grow and achieve more than I thought I could! I am so grateful for my team, my supervisors and my coworkers turned friends who have supported and encouraged me so far. I am excited to see what the future hold and the growth that is coming! #refugee #resettlement #youthprogramming #yayyouth!

One year with the International Rescue Committee 💛 It's an incredible journey filled with new connections, events, and the honor of being part of an amazing team that makes an impact every day. Together, we've achieved so much: creating fantastic content collections in the fields, international media visits, and successfully partnering with top Ukrainian media outlets. We invited the IRC Ambassador, a Hollywood star, to Ukraine to meet our team and engage with our clients. Finally, we launched our Ukrainian Facebook page, which has already gained over 5,000 subscribers in just two months! And this is just the beginning. Stay tuned for more! A big hug to the amazing team that made all of this possible: Тамара Кіптенко Joanna Nahorska Weronika Rzeżutka-Wróblewska 🫂