University Business - April 2010 - (Page 21)

VIEWPOINT Caring for the college community with proactive leadership, not reactive followship When Your Sweater Starts to Unravel By David Donathan E’VE ALL HAD THAT special sweater. e one that was comfortable, accommodating, and made us feel special. en we snagged it on something. A little at a time, the hole got bigger as we kept wearing it, picking at the loose thread, snipping a bit here and a bit there. Soon the sweater was no longer wearable and we groused about how it had come apart as we threw it away. A college community is a lot like that sweater. Properly cared for, repaired as needed, and looked after carefully, it continues to function as designed and makes the students, staﬀ, and faculty feel special as they strive to be fully engaged in learning and contributing. When your work sweater starts to unravel, could it be that… THE FACULTY HAVE BECOME PAID GUNS? Do you ﬁnd yourself using terms like “minimum standard,” “not how I wanted it done,” and “because it’s your job” while faculty fulﬁll the requirements of their contracts and job descriptions? Could it be that they are in fact doing what they are supposed to be doing? In his book Predictably Irrational (Harper, 2009), Dan Ariely explains that employees can be viewed and treated as family or as hired guns. What’s the diﬀerence? In the context of business parameters, employees should do what they are hired to do. Every novice boss realizes employees should understand the basic premise that they can expect “a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work.” Under this universitybusiness.com W on everything they do or fail to do. Once you revert to “that’s what I pay you to do,” everything becomes a matter of return on investment. Faculty start doing the math and quickly realize the greatest return is to do only what they are required to do, because there is no added value to working harder or doing more. YOU’RE A PONTIFICATOR, NOT A PRACTITIONER? You know who I’m talking about. Pontiﬁcators are current and conversant with every management theory known. Quick to point out the managementﬂavor-of-the-moment, they decorate their oﬃces with the newest motivational posters, buy and read the management book of the moment, and cite “who-donewhat” chapter and verse. ey quickly espouse the expert-of-the-moment’s solution to improving every aspect of the business, provide examples ad nauseum (albeit ones which are usually not applicable), and incorporate bits and pieces of philosophical musings into every meeting, memorandum, and e-mail. Unfortunately, these pundits are generally unable to put a single one into practice. ey are puzzled when the theoretical discussions don’t seem to take root and ﬂower into signiﬁcant successes. Often all they get are intellectual (ok, maybe not so learned) discussions, endless chatter and a sense that everything is improving because everyone agrees and is in tune with the expert’s theory. David Donathan is a professor of management at St. Catharine College (Ky.). April 2010 | 21 Focus on the beneﬁts and contributions of working together as a concerted, harmonious group. mindset, you perform particular tasks to a certain standard for a designated compensation. When faculty members develop a sense of “family” in the workplace, the paradigm shifts and they are no longer ﬁxated on what is required, but focus on achieving what is needed. eir sense of inclusivity becomes a greater desire to do more than what is required to create success within the framework of “family.” Unfortunately, colleges can’t have it both ways. Once you develop a sense of team with the faculty, you need to focus on the beneﬁts and contributions of working together as a concerted, harmonious group. When they begin to gel into a smoothly functioning team, leave them to excel: emphasize their positive accomplishments; privately note their shortcomings with positive counseling. In short, treat them as the kin you are proud to be related to and remember not to start putting a price tag http://www.universitybusiness.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of University Business - April 2010

University Business - April 2010
Contents
Editor's Note
College Index
Company Index
Advisory Board
Behind the News
Sense of Place
Viewpoint
Financial Aid
Internet Technology
Certified for Safety
Managing the Enterprise on Limited Resources
A New Chapter for Campus Bookstores
Independent Outlook
What's New
End Note

University Business - April 2010