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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (May 1, 2003)
12 MAY 1, 2003 Smoke Signals Pallie Campbell Teaches Groups But Sees Only Individuals Leadership development is in good hands at the casino. By Ron Karten At one time, Pallie Campbell thought she would be a teacher. And so she is one, if by another name. In a career that has included teaching both "hard skills" (like computer and software training) and "soft skills" (like Leadership training), she said, "I really love learning personally and helping other people to learn and grow. I probably learn more from them than they learn from me." Part of her gift has got to be her willingness to be a kid. She takes great pleasure in the tools of her trade which include cans of spray-on cheese spread, large dice and all kinds of little knick-knacks that help her make points in a fun way. Specifically, she is known to roll un usual things into the training "to estab lish purpose and passion" about what her "customers" (what she calls the people she trains) do. "If you don't have (purpose and passion), you're not going to do your job well." One example is a wide-topped bottle with big and little marshmallows (that have hardened beyond the eating stage) that don't automatically fit into the bottle. The big marshmallows represent the big jobs one has to complete at work, and the little marshmallows represent the little jobs. The test asks how to get all of the marshmallows into the bottle, or put another way, how do you get both big and little jobs done at work? "If I give you an example and it's hands-on, then you'll remember," she said. "I'm not telling you how to do some thing. You're discovering and learning with your peers how to do it." Many years ago, when Pallie Campbell was helping her best friend face terminal cancer, she herself was di agnosed with it. Her friend did not survive the dis ease, but Pallie moved forward with a mission. Maybe it is not so surprising that for Pallie now, "apathy's the biggest challenge that drives me crazy." She is not only a survivor, but is again full of life, curiosity and appreciation. There are "predictable outcomes for survivors," she said. One is to turn inward and another is to turn outward to the world. "I'm absolutely driven to make a contribution to the world," she said. She has known nearly her whole life that she would turn outward. In addition to her daily contributions as a Leadership Trainer at Spirit Mountain Casino, she said that she has her sights set on one day launch ing a magazine for kids with cancer. "This life is such a gift, but it's your choice. There's not one right way for everybody. When I go, I want to be able to say, 'Man, that was a good ride and I made a difference."' Working for nearly four years as a Casino Human Resource Leadership Development Training Special ist, Campbell also is a thoughtful person. "I line up the pros and cons in my head before making any A U ; fLP. t ill t i I "If I give you an example and it's hands-on, then you'll remember. I'm not telling you how to do something. You're discovering and learning with your peers how to do it." Pallie Campbell decision," she said. She was hired to start a Leadership training pro gram for the still young casino, and while the initial thoughts on the program indicated that employees would be mandated to take the classes, she knew before the first meeting that people do not appreciate being ordered about, that they prefer to have some ownership in their jobs and that they perform better and learn more if they do. She worked, as perhaps only a person educated in mediation can, to enable others to see that the program would be more effec tive if employees bought into it, and then chose to attend. And so, in most cases, she said, they now do. "If it needs to be said," said Vickie Merrill, Hu man Resources Training Specialist who works closely with Campbell, "she'll come up with a way to get the point across. Very diplomatically. Very appropriately." Perhaps it doesn't hurt either that Campbell's ultimate humanity appears always to be shining through. Merrill also described her as, "Very caring. Would-give-you-the-shirt-off-her-back kind of person. Very dedicated not only to her work but to her team." Campbell believes in coupling "real world experience" with training. "If you take something from the real world and something from the train ing, you're going to learn it better." "One of the hardest things to learn is to work with people," Campbell said. "People can't be put in a box. You have to see things through their lenses. Maybe they're here because it is their passion, but maybe they're just here to earn a living." And she tries to make training effective for people wherever they are, as opposed to where one might think they're sup posed to be. "She has a true gift of inquiry," said Laurie Roe, Organization Develop ment and Training Manager for Spirit Mountain Casino, "of asking thought provoking questions, of getting people thinking and moving toward action." People are apathetic," Campbell said, "when they don't get support, or when they don't realize they have choices." When she encounters apa thy, she knows, she can't do the moti vating for another person, "but hope fully," she said, "I can guide you to things that will help you motivate yourself." "Pallie's definitely a fabulous person here," said Human Resources Director Camille Mercier. "Amazing creativity. She brings a lot to Spirit Moun tain." "I'm a realist," Campbell said. "I don't think ev eryone will make the right choices, but I don't see failure as a bad thing, either. As people, we're all works in progress." In progress at her home in the country with plenty of grapes is husband Craig, daughter Stephanie, grandson Logan and "the boyz" (possibly seen by some as, the dogz): Willie and Amigo. B IMbaH LibraEy Fills LongoltandSimg ComaEmuBBimtty Need ByPetaTinda With the opening of the Grand Ronde Tribal library, community members will have place to read and check out their favorite books and periodicals, study for classes and surf the Internet. With the support of the Tribal Coun cil and the help of a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Ser vices, the Tribal Education Depart ment was able to buy new books and materials, as well as hire Barbara Bucknell as a part time-librarian to work on Saturdays. The library's hours are 8 to 5 weekdays and 10 to 2 on Saturdays. Marion Mercier, Tribal Education Director, said that the library filled a long-standing need for a modern li brary in Grand Ronde. "It's the first contemporary library we've ever had," she said. "It's always been one of our priorities and it's nice to see it work out." In addition to an extensive collec tion of Northwest Native and Native American themed books, the library also has many children's books, doz ens of Tribal newspapers and maga zines from across the country and many brand-new books. There is also a large paperback sec tion as well as two computers with Internet access. A successful children's reading pro gram has been taking place at the li brary on Mondays at ten o'clock. Com munity members volunteer to read to the preschools kids, and volunteers are booked until June, among those people that have volunteered to read to the children are Tribal Chairwoman Cheryle Kennedy and Tribal Council members Val Sheker-Robertson, June Sell-Sherer and Jan Reibach. There is carpeted kids' reading area, and new chairs, tables and furniture. "It's a quiet, comfortable place for people to come and read." said Mercier. Future plans include expanding the collection of Native American titles, purchasing more books on tape, and setting up a computer network with the Tribe's Cultural Resources Department's online archive, so that Tribal members will have better ac cess to their heritage and traditions. They also want to start a bookmo bile program to bring reading mate rials to the Tribal Elders who might not be able to get down to the educa tion center. "It's just exiting," said Mercier. "This library will be enriching to people's lives, once they take advantage of it. . .even if they just want to read the paper on Saturday morning. It's great to have a place for people to come and read and learn." B J. ... . . v" : Sr V'. Marion Mercier
