Leadership

Recommendations for Leadership Behaviors

Commitment and Support 

  • Deans should align the Core Values with the strategic plan of their schools.
  • Create an environment that empowers team members to speak up, regardless of position.
  • Understand your culture by talking with your faculty, staff, and students.
    • Talk about core values.
  • Consider the development of Core Values council with representation from faculty, staff, students to address strategy and outline communication needs.
  • Describe the behaviors for each school/unit, memorialize in writing the core values, and outline the transparency of how the core values embed into the culture.
  • Consistently incorporate core values into day-to-day operations.
  • Frame operational issues and decision-making around core values.
  • All who are extensions of the Deans/leaders must embody and illustrate the core values—they represent the Deans and leaders.
  • Share ideas across leaders, create a repository for what people have done.
  • Take photos of leaders with a comment to be shared on the website.
  • Wear the pin.
  • Create core values displays in leadership area offices.
  • Put into place a core values recognition program for both leaders and coworkers.
  • Spend money to promote the core values.
  • Become well versed in the core values.
  • Put the core values on meeting agendas.
  • Discuss what and why they are.
  • Invest in advancing core values – dedicate resources to core values initiatives.
  • Develop accountabilities around the core values:
    • Include in performance reviews.
    • Include on course evaluations.
    • Appoint a student specific ombudsman.
    • Formalize a process where leaders get feedback on their demonstrating support and commitment to the core values, their communications and their role modeling.
    • Establish an email box where core values’ concerns and compliments can be submitted anonymously.
    • Publicly celebrate kudos.
  • Incorporate into interview processes.
  • Ask President Jarrell to speak directly with School faculty as the lead champion for core values across the campus.

Communication 

  • Work with people the prepare remarks both internally and externally.
  • Document the core values implementation plan.
  • Include core values measures or outcomes identified by the School into the Deans dashboard (consider anonymously polling the School team – faculty, staff, students - to assess the culture as a baseline and continuous measurement).
  • Document the definitions of the core values and their specific behaviors within the schools.
  • Hear the ways the leads are embodying the core values – action-oriented.
  • Leadership cannot communicate in an undermining manner.
  • Personalize the core value specifics to the unit, maybe as a website.
  • Create some type of symbolism of dedication to the Core Values program – e.g., through marketing campaign with flags, buttons, pins.
  • Create a core values board, similar to what is used in A&F, that lists the core values and ask everyone in the unit to sign it as a commitment to them.
  • Establish core values days in department/units.
  • Reframe existing internal activities to focus on core values (recognition activities, weekly internal newsletters, events, state of the school presentations).
  • Establish standard email signature that would out across the campus for leaders to use.
  • Establish group awards around core values, recognizing shifts in culture.
  • Host Q & A sessions around core values, complementing those hosted by Dr. Jarrell.

Role Modeling 

  • Actions must match the words.
  • Intrinsic and authentic behavior.
  • Spend time out and about to be seen role modeling. Go out with a purpose. This can also be done in the virtual world. Include icebreakers as a way to engage.
  • Everyone must model the vision of the Dean – motivate team members to create behavioral expectations about what you expect of me – e.g., customer service is important and what that means.
  • Help everyone see the value.
  • Intentionally call out the core values used in the decision-making process – especially when the decision is a difficult one.
  • Make sure expectations are clear.
  • Make self-care acceptable, not something to be embarrassed about.
  • Talk about how you attend/commit to own your own wellness.
  • Ensure that there are no retaliations/repercussions for acknowledging/exercising/prioritizing well-being.
  • Participate in Campus wellness initiatives.
  • Invite others to join you in participating in Campus wellness initiatives.