Category: Leadership

Posted on

Avoid Burnout

Many folks that I interact with outside of Higher Education are interested in hearing about my work in online education, specifically my work as an online instructor. I often hear that they wish they had this dream job and could work from home on their own schedule. What they don’t realize is that working as an online instructor is much more time-consuming than expected and can be related directly to professional burn-out.

There are a lot of reasons why online instructors may experience burn-out. For example, taking on a large number of courses, the lack of face-to-face conversations and the volume of feedback and grading that is required. And for those individuals that work as online instructors in addition to their “other job” it is difficult to provide high quality responses to discussions and emails at the end of a normal work day.

Here are a few items that may help avoid feeling burned-out:

Management – develop strong classroom management skills. For example, often students have the same questions as in previous terms. Proactively address these questions at the start of the course or lesson. Are you providing similar feedback over and over….find a way to automate this. Establish set office hours at varying times throughout the week.

Time – have a set time of day that you log into your classes. When you finish teaching for the day, do not go back to it. And take breaks to avoid sitting for an extended period of time. Don’t do all of the grading in one session.

Talk – ask students for phone meetings as needed, rather than relying on email. Call a fellow online instructor to discuss strategies. Talk to a friend or neighbor who works in an unrelated field.

Read – read academic journals and blogs to gain new teaching techniques and strategies that you could adopt in your classes. [and of course, read for pleasure].

Health – eat nutritiously, exercise and sleep well to be fit for the job. Have some soft music playing in the background while teaching. Don’t eat in your office/workspace. Get out and go for a quick walk.

Connect – create a social media outlet where students can follow you. Set up an Instagram or Twitter account where you can invite students to view your content and help you feel more connected.

Overall, take your time, find balance and have fun!

-RG

Posted on

Top 5 List: Ideas For Training Faculty

Top 5 List

Training faculty often falls within the scope of work of those that practice instructional design and/or educational technology. This training can be challenging when it comes to the use of new digital technologies and tools. While some of my colleagues over the years have expressed how challenging this can be, I find that to be just the opposite of my experience. The training should focus on several strategies and this will lead to an effective and efficient outcome for all of those that are involved. Here are couple things to consider:

Relationship building – this strategy will offer the opportunity to apply newly acquired knowledge directly into daily practice. Building a professional relationship allows the person doing the training to better understand the baseline knowledge and comfort level of the individual receiving the training. This allows open communication that can lead to possible opportunities for collaboration in the future.

Staying informed – research is a very important part of training. To research the latest trends in higher education, instructional design and learning in general can serve as a starting point for training development. Many times faculty are not able to articulate what they need because they don’t know what the options are.

Walk the walk – the person conducting the training should have an inside scoop on what is involved in teaching courses prior to conducting any training. A key ingredient will be that the trainers have first hand knowledge of the entire process of building a course: designing, developing, implementing, assessing and revising.

Build bridges – instructional designers have the opportunity to view a variety of courses across different disciplines. This offers a unique perspective and can often serve as a bridge between faculty members. Many times faculty would like to collaborate across disciplines but they’re just not aware of what others are doing. Sharing information across disciplines will benefit all involved in the process.

Leadership – successful instructional designers that do training proactively support faculty and allow faculty to share experiences with each other. One of the ways to do this is to establish an online faculty learning community within the institution. In this space ideas can be shared in an effective manner. Once established,  some of the things it can be shared include job aids, quick tips, best practices and other digital tools to increase efficiency and improve student outcomes.

-RG

Posted on

Team Motivation

Recently, I came across a problem statement from the early 1960’s and it tied nicely with the topic Mission and Vision statements.

Many years ago I was lucky enough to work with a gentleman who had made a career of providing consulting and corporate training services. While I am not sure this would classify as a Mentor-Mentee relationship, he did leave a lasting impression. 

During our time together I attended several workshops that he facilitated on the topic of Mission Statements. Many of his workshops were focused on small teams that existed inside of much larger organizations. 

The workshops were always great and he was a great facilitator…no matter the size of the audience. Very personable and connected with all in attendance. During his workshops he would educate attendees on the purpose of a vision statement and a mission statement for their larger organization as well as their smaller working group/team. 

As workshops moved along and small teams started to zero-in on their missions statements he would ask the teams how motivated they were feeling. It was no surprise that hands did NOT shoot into the air by attendees who felt especially motivated. 

These mission statements were not motivating. The problem he explained was that they are simply vague statements. Samples usually included:

  • To empower creation
  • To change the world
  • To become the number 1…
  • To give everyone power
  • Etc.

He would push the teams further to develop a vision… a future state of their smaller working team. This helped with motivation, but only slightly. 

The real change came about when he introduced the idea of the Mission Essential Task List. [I believe this was a requirement of the military during wartime missions]. This was a to-do list of the tasks that members of the team would do regularly to achieve their desired future state [Vision] that would be directly aligned with their Mission and that of the larger organization.

Today, I am wondering if an exercise in Problem Statement creation might be beneficial to smaller groups that have been created inside of larger organizations.

Problem statements are very similar to Mission Statements but are tied directly to a reality of something that needs to be fixed or changed. Fixing or changing some product, service or process is what motivates people. Problem statements don’t have to describe a problem, just something that can be solved. It is possible to arrive at the correct answer.

Finding the correct answer is especially motivating to those individuals that work in technology.  Here are a few things that will make a problem statement more motivating:

  • Learning – individuals that work in technology would love to learn new things and master them
  • Value – individuals that work in technology would love to work on something that makes a difference
  • Competition – individuals that work in technology would love to compete and prove their intelligence and hold bragging rights
  • Difficulty – individuals that work in technology would love to solve a problem that initially seems to be unsolvable

The problem statement mentioned at the beginning of this post was:
“First, I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth. No single space project in this period will be more impressive to mankind, or more important for the long-range exploration of space; and none will be so difficult or expensive to accomplish. “ – John F. Kennedy in May 1961.

-RG

Posted on

Wanted: A Professional With These 6 Skills

All workplace teams will eventually be faced with turnover and the opportunity to replace a team member that is moving on for one reason or another. For the candidates that are looking to be considered for such openings this is the time to showcase the soft skills they possess such as communication, time management and interpersonal skills. Here is a short list of the things employers will be looking for:

  1. Confident – Being a confident team member is a key ingredient when it comes to winning over employers and co-workers. Displaying confidence in person rather than on a resume can be a difficult soft skill to manage. I recently spoke with a hiring committee chairperson and she shared with me that she is often let down when meeting a candidate in person, after discovering that their personality doesn’t live up to the same confidence that they displayed on their resume. She shared that many recent college graduates have difficulty making eye contact,  don’t carry themselves well and don’t speak with authority.
  2. Time Manager – Being a good time manager and having good time management skills are important for newly hired team members because they’re often juggling roles and responsibilities. One of the ways candidates can help potential employers understand how well they manage their time, candidates should be prepared to explain the way they prioritize daily tasks and why they prioritize that way.
  3. Positive Attitude – There aren’t too many people who want to work with a grumpy coworker. To avoid being labeled as a negative team member, don’t criticize and don’t complain. Instead of always pointing out others’ mistakes, look for opportunities to acknowledge things that others are doing well and praise their improvements.
  4. Flexible – One of the keys to success and an enjoyable work experience is that of flexibility. Don’t just say you’re a team player, show it by being flexible with your schedule and responsibilities. Others will see this can-do attitude as an essential part of the workplace and can easily make individuals stand out when it comes to promotions, raises and other opportunities. During an interview candidates might bring attention to the soft skill by describing instances when they’ve been flexible and that flexibility has benefited others and the employer.
  5. Team Player – Being able to contribute to and work with small teams will display an individual’s ability to get along with others and complete tasks. Having the ability to cooperate and compromise with others is a trait that is becoming more sought after by employers and hiring committees. Candidates who would like to be seen as team players should be prepared to mention times when they worked effectively with others on their resume and be willing to describe those scenarios in detail.
  6. Communicator – Technology has advanced to the point where in many cases it has robbed young people of their ability to communicate effectively by allowing them to use abbreviated e-mails and text messages. In a recent interview on FOX Business two hiring managers discuss the importance of being able to communicate without technology by engaging coworkers and others in face-to-face conversations. This is an area that all working professionals, of all ages can continue to improve in.

Overall it would be worthwhile to practice effective verbal communication, being purposefully positive and learning to work in teams. Time invested into fine tuning any of these soft skills is a good investment for candidates.

-RG

Posted on

Communication With Colleagues

From what I have experienced having been in different leadership positions along the way I always felt as if motivating the team is one of the most important tasks that I was faced with. From what I have read, those that study leadership and write on the subject are quick to point out that this is also the case for several reasons: boost in production, morale in the workplace and reduced turnover are all benefits of motivation.

Probably the most overlooked way to motivate a team is through communication. And effective communication can empower an entire team as it gives them an increased sense of belonging and responsibility. Employee motivation improves as employees feel more comfortable with their working relationships. Here are a few strategies to improve communication and motivate others to become better.

Schedule – schedule weekly meetings for no other reason than to simply open up the lines of communication. At the most basic level it gives the team the sense that as a leader you care about their opinions and will also value their feedback. The priority here is to open the floor to any questions, comments or concerns.

Loop – consistent and effective communication with your team will not only empower and encourage them to make their own decisions but will also build trust and loyalty. Just be honest and straightforward and don’t try to spin the truth.

Clear directions – many leaders find it difficult to set clear directions and then stand-by those directions. Communication needs to reinforce and provide a strategy with what you’re attempting to do. The best communicators in the workplace find ways to communicate to keep employees on course and make sure that the objectives are being carried out.

Feedback – the majority of leaders fail to give constructive feedback to their teams simply because they fear how the employees will react. To help resolve this, the leader should provide frequent feedback so the small issues don’t grow into much larger ones. From my own experience I have found it helpful when a leader would simply ask “how often would you like to receive feedback?”. In general most employees would say monthly or weekly…very few would respond by saying annually. Nobody wants to be surprised during their annual review.

Personal – share stories of your own personal failures and successes. This is a great way to lift the spirits of anybody on the team that might be in the need of a boost. You will also build a heightened sense of community by doing so.

Interest – if a team member approaches you as the team leader and shares a particular concern…ask what you can do to help address the issue. Ask if they have a solution in mind. This is a great way to show commitment to solving the problems of the employees and helps them feel like a valued member of the team.

Encourage – schedule time to meet with the team and encourage them to brainstorm and offer their input. Everyone should be available to generate ideas and participate in this discussion. Generally, employees want to help solve problems and give them a chance to feel that they’re being heard.

Open – early on in my career a team I was assigned to would encourage open lines of communication to prevent low morale and this prevented any type of toxic work environment. This particular leader always let the employees know that there are open lines of communication and as a result everyone was comfortable and brought forward problems and issues.

Kindness – leaders should never belittle, threaten or embarrass an employee in front of anyone. Rather they should only offer improvement opportunities. It’s just common sense that when an employee feels under attack and caught off guard their motivation is going to suffer. On the flip-side when employees are rewarded or provided an opportunity to grow you can bet they are going to feel empowered!

-RG

Posted on

Be Supportive Of Your Peers

It may seem counterproductive to promote each other’s work. Whether it be a coworker or the work of another business that you compete with. But this is a great way to build strong relationships, interest and loyalty amongst colleagues, customers, clients and users.

All businesses have a great opportunity to form relationships with their customers or soon-to-be customers by establishing themselves within their field of expertise and within the community. All businesses can position themselves as being friendly and supportive by participating in the community and promoting the work of others. The bottom line: this helps strengthen your network.

Interact – take time to chat with others that have created the work that you’ll be sharing and then make sure you chat with your end-users or potential end-users about this.

Don’t be sarcastic – the best practice in this case is to simply say what you have to say in a direct manner and do so with a smile.

Be genuine – by sharing what others are doing and not trying to make a connection back to your own business will be the best move as this will be more likely to attract individuals rather than turning them away. 

Cross boundaries – if there is a business or individual in a completely unrelated field that is doing something that you can relate to within your community, share it. Look for an opportunity to learn from what else is being done.

Don’t promote – you don’t have to be a promotional machine for your direct competitors but it might be a good idea to know what others in your industry are doing to serve your community.

Explain – always make the effort to explain or share a quick note about why you are sharing the work of others. Did it move you in some fashion? Did you think that it was clever? Are there certain design elements that caught your attention?

Overall the message that you want others to receive is that you play nicely with others. It also shows that it’s important for you to exist in a connected and well supported world. That kind of feeling can lead others to do the same and be supportive of your work.

-RG

Posted on

Life: Make Time For It

Perhaps you’re like me…I’ve often thought that the long hours that small business hours put into their work was proof of the passion that they have for what they do. Recently I read an article in which a survey was conducted of self identified entrepreneurs. The results of the study show that nearly one in five entrepreneurs worked more than 60 hours a week, only one percent of those actually wanted to work that much. Many of those surveyed indicated that they were dreaming of a time when they could cut back and spend more of their time with family, leisure, travel and healthy activities. The authors of this article also shared three things that all entrepreneurs should do if longing for a better lifestyle. [these three things might apply to all working individuals].

Recovery time – it’s not just the amount of sleep that you get. This has to do with planning your days and taking time to organize and reflect about what you’re doing. Things to consider here include planning, prayer, meditation and just quiet time in general. Experts in this area encourage folks to schedule 50 minute meetings as opposed to one hour meetings during their days.

Give up being perfect – everything doesn’t have to be “right” or “perfect” in such a way that you are the only one that can perform…whatever the task at hand might be. Unless you’re a highly trained surgeon and the results of your work are a matter of life and death consider delegating tasks to others. The benefits of this practice are numerous.

What matters – simply decide what matters to you. We must come to the realization that we are not owned by our businesses or our employers. We own our time and that’s the most valuable thing. Breaking away from the daily to-do list can be difficult. Leadership and career coaching consultants recommend taking an extended lunch to talk to a longtime friend and agree not to check smart phones through the whole meal as a good way to get started. Make a goal of getting some exercise daily. A 30 minute walk is a great way to help bring balance to work and life responsibilities that we are faced with.

-RG

Posted on

Good Work Habits: Do They Exist?

Recently I’ve had conversations with several colleagues regarding the idea of good work habits and what exactly that means for an organization. This of course prompted us to reflect on both good and not-so-good work habits that we’ve experienced in the past. Some of the habits we discussed included personal-presentation, organization, productivity, work quality, initiative, consistency and follow up. 

Employees today seem to think that these basic work habits are considered as matters of personal choice and do not always see concrete business reasons for certain requirements or preferences of their managers or supervisors. Oftentimes managers and supervisors will have strong preferences or requirements without having any true business reason, that is their prerogative. At the end of the day EMPLOYERS you are paying the EMPLOYEES…it’s not the other way around. 

In general they are very good reasons for following well-established best practices when it comes to good work habits. Things to consider:

  • If employees are not well or not healthy – there is an increased cost in terms of absenteeism and increased healthcare costs. This also has a negative impact on performance and morale.
  • Unfortunately when employees do not attend to their personal-presentation [grooming] this has a negative impression on those with whom they interact…both internal to the organization and most importantly customers.
  • When employees arrive to work late, take long breaks, leave early for missed deadlines they are adding less value to the organization and oftentimes are keeping others waiting. This too has a negative impact on how the organization is viewed.
  • Employees that don’t take notes, use checklists or have some sense of organization will often lose important details and just lose track of what they are doing. All of this makes it harder for others to collaborate with them.
  • If employees aren’t paying attention to the details they are going to make more mistakes…again diminishing the quality of work and requiring work to be redone.
  • Projects that are left unfinished are almost always the result of employees that cannot be counted on to follow up and then become a distraction as others will have to constantly remind them to keep moving forward.
  • Many problems that go unsolved are the direct result of opportunities that are missed or when employees simply do not take the initiative.

We all agreed that these are very solid business reasons for managers and supervisors to enforce basic work habits on their employees. However not all of them apply to all people in all jobs. As a manager or supervisor you should always ask yourself: what is the business reason for making this a requirement?

-RG

Posted on

Top 5 List: Be A Great Leader

Top 5 List

Someone asked me the other day what I thought it takes to be a great leader. Having had what I believe to be very good leadership training combined with my experiences in a leadership role….and of course from what I have read on the subject there are a few things that a great leader will need to help form the foundation for a high performing team:

  • Encourage professional workplace relationships – most people go to work with the expectation of a colleague friendly work environment. I’ve often thought that strong social connections outside the workplace are a strong indicator of job satisfaction. The social connections don’t just happen and are rare. Great leaders will help shape and guide culture to create ways to build rapport amongst the team. Great leaders will set the tone and establish just the right balance.
  • Approach employees as individuals – Great leaders will see their employees as more than just that they see them as individuals. Leaders must recognize the unique desires and abilities so they can manage how to bring out the best in each member of the team. The approach to managing individuals that are part of a larger team must be fine-tuned to reach a situation and this will create a culture that is based on performance rather than an entitlement.
  • Adult behavior – the one main ingredient that will drive every aspect of the work culture is that of adult behavior. A “management genius” who builds and leads in a culture that is adult minded will be one that is based on maturity and personal responsibility. 
  • Value the individual – every member of the team, independent from their job title and most recent performance should be showing respect and value by every member of the team. This approach will build long-lasting loyalty and commitment much further than just today’s work.
  • Be the captain – as a leader this is your team, and you are responsible for the work done by the individual members of the team. A great leader will establish respect for managing the work and finding effective ways to ensure that people are listening. The right combination of power, authority and influence to delegate work and provide direction will teach people how you intend to manage them so they know what to expect. There should be NO surprises.

-RG

Posted on

Make It Happen – Creating Opportunities

Would it be fair to say that things are rapidly changing around us? Yes, of course. Careers, jobs and businesses in general are coming and going at a rate like we’ve never seen. We all need to be open and aware of ways to make changes to stay relevant while continuing to serve our customers. If we fully intend to take advantage of growth with new technologies we might need a few tips to help discover opportunities as we move forward. Here are a few things to keep in mind if you are looking for new opportunities:

Networking – over the course of time networking remains to be a constant need to do business. In order to identify and take advantage of the new opportunities we need to seek out people who have insights and contacts within our own industry. Some ways to continue or begin networking would include participating in trade association gatherings, communities of learning and practice within your field, and also subscribing to a variety of social media sites and groups. Find a way to select and participate in a group and make yourself an asset. Doing so will create opportunity.

Regulations – when trying to get out in front of an opportunity think about what needs to come about as a result of new laws or regulations regarding technologies. As new laws and regulations are created there will be a need for consultants and trainers who are knowledgeable in those areas resulting in the need for new products and/or services.

Capitalize – capitalizing on new technology that disrupts the existing ways of making, sharing and distributing things creates opportunities. For instance, if you wanted to take advantage of a new technology like 3-D printing and create an opportunity….ask yourself are there ways in which you could use this to provide a service? Or fulfill a need?

Tracking – tracking social trends and demographic information could lead to serving very specific ethnic markets, an age group or regional interests. A good question to ask yourself would be is there a need to address based on a certain type of tourism in your area?

Problems – be aware of and notice problems that people frequently comment and complain about. This could be related to a product or service that is no longer on the market and is in need of replacement. As products and services are removed from the market there’s often still a need and there will be an opportunity for others who can step in to fill that gap.

– RG