Dealing with Conflict and Maintaining Faculty Morale IAL 2017: Dealing with Conflict and Maintaining Faculty Morale

“The choice for an administrator is not will we deal with difficult people [conflict] but how we will deal with them.” --Bissell: “Handling Conflict with Difficulty Faculty: Tools for Maintaining Your Sanity and Your Dignity.”

Order and Process

Future Planning Strategic plan Assessment plans processes Curricular development and reform

Transparency and Participation

So everything is solved, right? “Conflict arises when individuals find themselves needing one another in some way.” --Berryman-Fink, Mending the Cracks in the Ivory Tower: Strategies for Conflict Management in Higher Education

There will be personal conflicts Faculty member with student Faculty member with administrators Faculty member with Faculty member

Why is it important to address the conflict earlier rather than later? Consequences of not doing so The conflict will grow beneath the surface and fester Lack of trust will grow Complaints will increase Faculty will start to avoid meetings where the other person will be or where there is a chance for the issue to erupt There will be an increase in sarcasm Productivity in the department will decrease as will the general morale

Other important things to remember Address the issue when it becomes apparent that it will not resolve without your action Don’t take it personally, even when it is meant to be. Don’t get angry Know your unit and university governance documents thoroughly Be willing to have the hard conversations Hold your own counsel in the academic environment and elsewhere Be willing to seek advice or help when needed Find a confident and sounding board.

Don’t take it personally, even when it is meant to be. If you take it personally, the only person who will suffer will be you. It will impact your judgment. It will cloud your vision for the department. It will lower your morale. It will take a toll on you both mentally and physically.

Don’t get angry Step back—delay or reschedule the meeting, delay responding to the e-mail. When all else fails, use Larry’s technique!

Know your unit and university governance documents thoroughly Departmental and College By-Laws Departmental Faculty Handbook, University Faculty Handbook Collective Bargaining Agreement

Be willing to have the hard conversations Active Listening Recognizing that the real issue may have nothing to do with the issue at hand Be as fair and as unbiased as possible in dealing with all your faculty Be clear about your decisions and the results of the meeting Follow the meeting with a summation so that all parties are clear and so that there is an historical record. Important points: Be aware of the emotional climate Stay focused on the problem Do not allow name calling Develop alternative solutions Be clear about what should happen after the meeting If necessary, don’t let them leave the meeting without a back-up plan

Hold your own counsel in the academic environment and elsewhere.

Be willing to seek advice or help when needed The Dean (sometimes) Office of Diversity, Inclusion, Equal Opportunity Ombudsperson University Legal

Find a confidant and sounding board.