Leadership style & workload management Thomas, Kwesi & Albert 1

LEADERSHIP STYLES: Supervisors training Exposure to various leadership approaches Identification of leadership orientation To understand the leadership orientation of supervisors Introduce supervisors to various leadership styles Improvement of leadership skills for PhD supervision Activities: using questionnaires to identify their management orientation Group discussion Assessment Feedback from students through questionnaires 2

Supervisors training (cont) Effective communication skill Improve communication skill of supervisors Improve supervisor-supervisee relationship Identify appropriate communication channels To improve monitoring and feedback on PhD work Activity Lecture by communication expert/practitioner Role-play based on the content of the lecture Assessment Feedback from supervisee/supervisor through interaction Student’s progress report 3

Supervisors training (cont) Motivation/encouraging skills Identify strategies to motivate PhD students Acquire the relevant motivating skills relevant to PhD supervision Improve commitment and work rate of students Identify economic, social and local needs of students Activities Lecture by an expert or practitioner Group work to identify and discuss strategies that relate their context Develop individual action plan to motivate students Assessment Feedback on the progress of students 4

Supervisors training (cont) Ethical challenges – abuse and harassment Identify practical challenges in PhD supervision Identify various forms or harassment/abuse in PhD supervision Recommend strategies to promote high ethical standards Activities Lecture on code of ethics and ethical issues in PhD supervision Group discussion to share practical challenges and make recommendations Individual action plans to achieve high ethical standards Assessment Feedback from students Institutional report on unethical behaviors 5

Workload Management Mentoring To identify potential teaching and research assistants Train and build capacity of assistants To reduce workload of supervisors To allow supervisors to devote more time to PhD supervision To recommend to management to recruit prepared and tested faculty Activity Identify potential teaching and research assistants through personal observation, class participation and academic performance Formal and informal training of identified assistants Assessment Deliverables – ability to perform assigned task 6

Workload Management (cont) Team work with colleagues To promote team supervision To promote joint teaching and research To prepare for succession in the absence of supervisor To promote joint publication Activity Identify likeminded, willing and reliable faculty Share work and interact with each other’s students Seek direct assistance from colleagues Joint research work with colleagues and PhD students Assessment Joint research output Progress of jointly supervised work Feedback from students through deliverables 7