University Business - February 2011 - (Page 48)

“Despite the fact that we have a number of fiscal and finance challenges, the university and the president are convinced that we have to continue to invest in human capital,” says Duckett. “In particular, with regard to training and development, we want to develop our next generation of leaders and to ensure great employees report to great managers and leaders. Therefore, we are creating a new generation of training experiences, one of which is the Business Officers Institute, which just ran in November. It was totally revamped to reflect managing in today’s complex environment at UC. The president’s Leadership Series and Academy will also begin later this winter. It will emphasize building a greater service orientation and leadership competencies for administrative leaders at the Office of the President.” At its senior leadership retreats, CSUSM has used mind mapping—a nonlinear process for generating ideas—in two ways. “We used the technique prospectively to examine issues and create strategies going forward,” says Haynes. “We explored how different constituencies—such as student affairs professionals, faculty, facilities staff, or alumni—would view an issue differently. This allowed us to create a multi-step communication strategy, for example, to target messages about the university’s budget to different stakeholders. We also used mind mapping retrospectively to do a post-mortem on a less than successful course of action.” Also at CSUSM, 25 people from across campus participate each year in a ninemonth “Campus Connect” program, which resembles in purpose and structure a city leadership program. “They spend six hours one Friday a month looking at the university from a 30,000-foot view,” says Haynes. “This makes them wonderful internal ambassadors as they network and meet new colleagues across the university. It’s not traditional professional development, but it certainly is an effective way to educate peo48 | February 2011 Don’t Stop Thinking About the Future ple about the breadth of the institution.” CSUSM has also created a leadership academy for middle managers—a yearlong, one-day-a-month, internally delivered training program—which builds talent, keeps commitment high and generates excitement. In addition, specific middle managers participate in a highly directed mentoring program. “We clearly identified a set of tasks these individuals could learn to enhance their experience base and repertoire of skills,” says Haynes. Why Professional Development? Why Now? Effective leaders understand that they have to build for the future even as they are slashing budgets. It is not an either/or proposition. “Bad economic times are precisely the time when you need to enhance develop- SUGGESTED READING LIST Managing Oneself (Harvard Business Review Classics), by Peter F. Drucker. Harvard Business School Press, 2008. “Success that Lasts,” by Laura Nash and Howard Stevenson. HBR OnPoint Enhanced Edition, April 1, 2004. Harvard Business Review, Product #659X. “Beware the Busy Manager,” by Heike Bruch and Sumantra Ghoshal. Harvard Business Review, February 2002, Reprint #R0202D. The Mind Map Book: How to Use Radiant Thinking to Maximize Your Brain’s Untapped Potential, by Tony Buzan with Barry Buzan. Plume, 1996. Resonant Leadership: Renewing Yourself and Connecting with Others Through Mindfulness, Hope and Compassion, by Richard E. Boyatzis and Annie McKee. Harvard Business School Press, 2005. “How Leaders Create and Use Networks,” by Herminia Ibarra and Mark Hunter. Harvard Business Review, January 2007, Reprint R0701C. A Sense of Urgency, by John P. Kotter. Harvard Business School Press, 2008. ment opportunities,” says Brooks. “There are more demands on employees, fewer resources, more uncertainty and more stress as people take on increased responsibilities when we don’t fill positions. It can decrease an employee’s sense of self when they feel that an organization does not invest resources in their development. Today, most U.S. organizations are people intensive. In fact, 85 percent of our budget goes to payroll. When we enable our employees to be maximally proficient, and when we help them grow so they can move into positions of greater responsibility and authority, the organization benefits.” When professional development takes a back seat, serious unintended consequences can take root and grow. One is turnover. “The best and the brightest” talent no longer believe their career aspirations are achievable and they are likely to look for greener pastures. This in turn affects morale since, often, these positions are not filled. The work is incorporated into the portfolios of those who remain, who are already feeling overworked due to hiring freezes and layoffs. Uncertainty about the future also engenders a short-term tactical focus that inhibits employees from taking risks and trying new ways to approach challenges and opportunities. They become risk averse and security driven while administrative leaders are asking for innovation and creativity to slay “sacred cows.” Actively and energetically planning for the future is no longer a top priority. Finally, people find it difficult to maintain a sense of loyalty or affiliation when they question whether the institution really cares about them. In the current economic climate, low-cost or no-cost professional development is a vital strategy to keep employees growing in their professional lives and to keep everyone committed and focused on building for the future. Barbara Kaufman is president of ROI Consulting Group, Inc. (www.roiconsultinggroup.com). An executive coach and educator, she specializes in leadership effectiveness and organizational development strategies for private and public sector leadership teams and boards. Contact her at drbarbkaufman@earthlink.net. universitybusiness.com http://www.roiconsultinggroup.com http://www.universitybusiness.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of University Business - February 2011

University Business - February 2011
Table of Contents
Editor’s Note
College Index
Company Index
Advisory Board
Behind the News
Viewpoint
Internet Technology
Say it With Signage
A Bursar’s Best Friend
The Lease Piece
Don’t Stop Thinking About the Future
Say it With Signage
Independent Outlook
What’s New
End Note

University Business - February 2011