No one supervises in a vacuum. Supervision involves people, so it’s inherently messy and relational at its core. We all report to people above us, work alongside peers at our level, and support people below us. In some ways, our direction and success are dependent on how well we navigate information flow, strategy, and implementation among these levels. In this discussion, we’ll unpack what it looks like to manage up, down, and across.
How do you spend the time in your 1:1 check-ins? What makes them hard or what could make them more productive? In this discussion, we’ll gather ideas and strategies from the group on how we’ll unpack one of the most basic, important, and sometimes challenging tools we have – the check-in.
Becoming a supervisor requires shifting your mindset from an individual contributor to someone who must also create an environment that will enable other’s success. This requires a mindset shift. You don’t want to lose sight of your own preferences and unique skillsets but now, your work must also be driven by what is best for your team, unit, or institution. You might also be supervising former peers or have to enforce policies that you don’t agree with. In this discussion we’ll unpack some of the key mindset shifts supervisors face and create the space for you to reflect on how they’ve shown up for you.
Some people may have intentionally sought out supervision. Others may have fallen into that path. Regardless, how many people ask themselves what kind of a supervisor they want to be? In this discussion, we’ll create the space for you to think about what kind of supervisor you want to be. We’ll explore questions like:
Are you seeking strategies for challenging conversations and getting buy-in from stakeholders? Are you trying to plan for career advancement but struggling with learning new skills and how to position yourself? Are you looking to develop yourself as a professional but are challenged by a new role and little guidance? Come learn how working with an Academic Impressions executive coach can help you to “unlock” the key to solving the myriad challenges of working in higher education. By attending this free webcast, you as a leader will understand how working with an executive coach gives you that “ace in your pocket” to stretch yourself for the career you were meant to have. We’ll highlight the benefits you will realize with a coach, including strategies to align personal aspirations with career goals, and how to capitalize on your strengths.
In the ever-evolving landscape of higher education, innovation is not just a buzzword; it’s a necessity. Design Thinking is a proven methodology that fosters creative problem solving and encourages a user-centric approach. By integrating these principles into your practice, you’ll be better equipped to address complex challenges, enhance student engagement, and drive positive change within your institution. Become a certified Design Thinking practitioner and bring your expertise in solving problems creatively to your campus. The Design Thinking Practitioner Certificate contains three parts: After you have completed all three steps and your workbook has been graded, you’ll receive a Design Thinking Practitioner Certificate.
Campaigns are long-term, effort-intensive fundraising cycles that require hard work and commitment from Advancement staff, university and volunteer leaders, and donors. When a campaign comes to a close, the institution must balance the celebration of its accomplishments and gratitude for donors with the ongoing need for philanthropic support, all in the setting of inevitable potential for staff and donor fatigue. The best practice is to couple campaign-close communications with a focused effort that capitalizes on the momentum garnered during the campaign to transition into an evergreen philanthropic marketing and communications effort. This underutilized practice showcases high potential investment opportunities – thus, keeping philanthropy alive well beyond a campaign. Creating giving opportunities beyond the close of a successful campaign does not happen by chance. It requires a coordinated effort with your marketing and communications team to ensure that they are prepared to best position your institutional needs while also celebrating the impact of the campaign and honoring the donors who helped to make it a success. Join us to learn the steps UC San Diego took in their transition to create a post-campaign evergreen giving opportunity—and how you might adapt their approach to your own unique institutional context.
Chairs occupy an essential position on our campuses, sitting at the intersection point that connects our faculty to institutional strategy, context, and culture. They also make some of the most impactful decisions that shape the university, overseeing decisions related to hiring, promotion, and curriculum. Yet for most institutions, the support and training available to chairs is minimal. Most of the training provided to chairs is limited to topics like how to work with HR, budgeting, and promotion & tenure. But what truly separates effective chairs from ineffective chairs are their leadership skills, such as: Academic Impressions has been trusted to effectively train department chairs across the U.S. and Canada for over ten years. In this free webcast, we’ll discuss the keys to our success, what works and what doesn’t, and create a space for others to share their best practices. If you need to start or enhance chair development at your own institution, we invite you to join us for this program.
Team, committee, and group-based work abounds in higher education. But many struggle to collaborate effectively in these settings because not everyone comes to the table with the same understanding, expectation, and collaboration style. While teams are often designed to bring together different voices and perspectives, most leaders default to a singular approach to teamwork that works well for some, but that also causes frustration, withdrawal, or conflict for others. In this event, we’ll use the Five Paths to Leadership℠ as a framework to introduce the four different collaboration styles that are at play within any given team. We’ll walk you through a detailed explanation of each path and provide tactics that leaders and team members alike can use to approach collaboration and group-based work more effectively. You will leave with a more nuanced understanding of the collaboration types that yield the best results based on the outcomes you are trying to achieve, rather than defaulting to one style based on comfort or personal preference.
Faculty and staff morale is at an all-time low across most institutions in higher education, and this puts your department or unit at risk of increasing levels of burnout, decreased productivity and, ultimately, higher turnover. One way you can start to make a difference is by fostering a work environment where praise, appreciation, and gratitude are front and center. Join a panel of academic leaders and discover tips, strategies, and new methods for how you can provide praise and recognition that is meaningful, authentic, and consistent. We recognize that the needs of faculty and staff vary across disciplines and career levels, and we know that your team is likely working in a hybrid environment, so we’ll make sure you walk away with a variety of ways for you to better celebrate the accomplishments, effort, and energy of your faculty and staff.
