As a leader in professional development for higher education leaders across the world, Academic Impressions prides itself on delivering quality content that is data informed and rooted in practical application. Over the past year we have had a number of conversations with member institutions who have been seeking out inclusive leadership training for their team but have found that very few workshops speak directly to a faculty audience. In response to requests from our members we have embarked on the development of a training program that will speak directly to our faculty audience, but rather than build it in a vacuum, we have worked with campus leaders from across the country to identify key topics and develop a program structure. This next phase is our attempt to determine if what we built truly does achieve our intended outcomes.
As a leader in professional development for higher education leaders across the world, Academic Impressions prides itself on delivering quality content that is data informed and rooted in practical application. Over the past year we have had a number of conversations with member institutions who have been seeking out inclusive leadership training for their team but have found that very few workshops speak directly to a faculty audience. In response to requests from our members we have embarked on the development of a training program that will speak directly to our faculty audience, but rather than build it in a vacuum, we have worked with campus leaders from across the country to identify key topics and develop a program structure. This next phase is our attempt to determine if what we built truly does achieve our intended outcomes.
Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts have provoked a tidal wave of fury from a broad swath of Americans, especially some White Americans, who believe such efforts paint all White people as “bad people.” Until we develop a more nuanced understanding of the White racial identity development process that decenters shame and guilt and recenters the damaging effects of structural racism on all of us, we will continue to elicit sharp resistance that stymies social justice struggles. In this interactive workshop, you will have a chance to further your own self-awareness and understanding by engaging with concepts around the history of Whiteness, White socialization, and the psychology of White racial development in the U.S. today. You will leave the event with:
While many supervisors ‘got by’ in managing a hybrid workforce when the pandemic necessitated it, it is now a strategic recruitment and retention tool for many institutions, and frankly, it is here to stay. Despite this, training on how to manage hybrid teams successfully is woefully lacking. If we fail to learn how to best supervise our hybrid teams, we risk a lack of productivity, retention issues, and disengagement. Join our expert facilitator and your peers from across the country to share lessons learned, common challenges, and proven solutions. This virtual training will provide you with:
Connecting your everyday work with your life’s purpose to find greater well-being contributes to improved professional satisfaction and productivity, but it requires continued reflection and iteration. Join us for a 1-hour discussion where we will further explore themes from Actualize Your Purpose: A Workshop on Improving Your Well-Being.
Conflict is difficult because it sparks an emotional response in each of us and requires us to navigate the inherent tensions that arise from differences in perspective and expectation. As a department chair, you have the responsibility to manage conflict with grace, so that you can lead by example and create a culture where conflict is viewed as healthy and productive. This is true when you’re managing a conflict you’re directly involved in, but it’s even more important when you’re called upon to help others resolve a conflict because they are finding it difficult to make progress on their own. Join us online to learn how mediation techniques can help you to facilitate productive conversations and seek resolution when faculty and/or staff are in conflict or dispute with each other. You’ll learn how to diffuse the tension that arises during conflict while also focusing on collaborative problem-solving that creates mutually acceptable solutions for all involved. You’ll learn how to:
Identifying key insights from casual but meaningful conversations with transformational donors can lead to strong relationships that provide your institution with the support it needs for generations to come. These conversations don’t always come easy. In fact, they often encompass their own unique challenges, depending on the type of donor you’re speaking to, the campus partners joining the conversation, and how well their donor experience has gone. To overcome the potential challenges within these conversations, there are phases of cultivation and stewardship in which you can become more fluent over time, such as: Join us in this panel conversation with Vice Presidents of Advancement, Dexter Bailey of California Institute of Technology, and Kristen DeVries of Western Michigan University Foundation, alongside Mitchell Spearmen, Founder and Dreamer of Gifts of a Lifetime, to discuss how they have approached conversations with ultra-high-net-worth families. You will have the opportunity to ask questions to help navigate a current phase you’re in or to ask about how to approach a specific scenario.
Transferring values, not just dollars, is the essence of philanthropic conversations in families. These conversations rarely occur with families who have the actual capacity to give, however. Whether your alumnus identifies as middle-class or is part of a family with a long-storied history with your institution, cultivating conversation among their closest familial ties is often the missing link when developing strong and sincere relationships with multiple generations. Join us in this first of a three-session series on family giving. In this training, you will gain insights into the role of philanthropic conversations within families and why it is important to bring institutional values into the familial relationships you’re stewarding.
The pandemic has fundamentally altered the way we work: remote and hybrid environments, students and colleagues in greater need of support, and demands for greater work-life balance. This is the perfect time to take stock, check in with yourself and your goals, and start creating work habits that work for you. Join us online for an interactive workshop and discussion that will help you refocus your time, energy, and future work in realizing your purpose and professional vision. You’ll begin the workshop by assessing the current state of your well-being and reflecting on the factors that most contribute to it. You’ll then explore to what extent inherited norms shape your definition of success, so that you can create your own definition of success based on your values and the impact you want to have in the world. Finally, you’ll document a practical and tangible plan that outlines the goals and tasks you’ll need to craft the meaningful life and career you desire.
Learning to address conflict and manage difficult personalities as a leader or manager can be a stressful process. Once a situation has reached the point of conflict, it is often hard to manage it without emotion and move forward in a productive way. However, supervisors who work intentionally to create a growth-minded environment can engender a space where addressing conflict or confronting different opinions comes naturally to everyone involved. As such, you create a space where unhealthy conflict cannot grow and provides opportunities for those who have a habit of dissention to compromise or find a position better suited to their needs. Join us for a virtual training to learn how to manage performance and feedback in order to create a healthy working environment that fosters debate and encourages empathy and positive intentional communication. Our expert facilitator Dr. Cié Gee will walk you through how to address conflict or difficult behavior with clear and regular feedback early on in the process. You will learn how implementing regular feedback and honest conversations will lead to a more productive, psychologically safe environment. You will also take a look inward to learn how your leadership practices could be unconsciously nurturing an environment in […]
