1. Managing from the Middle
SACRAO 2019
Sheryl Gray, University Registrar
Carson-Newman University *

2. Defining Leadership
The action of leading a group of people or an organization
The action of showing people the way you want them to go
“Leadership – a process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task…. Organizing a group of people to achieve a common goal.”

3. Characteristics of a Leader
Honest
Ability to Delegate
Ability to Communicate
Sense of Humor
Committed to the Mission
Confidence
Positive Attitude
Creative
Ability to Inspire
Intuitive
Self Aware
Willing to take risks and make mistakes

4. The Effective Executive
Effeciveness Can Be Learned
Know Thy Time
What Can I Contribute
Making Strength Prodictove
First Things First
The Elements of Decision Making
Effective Decisions

5. Five habits that have to be acquired to be an effective executive:
#1 Know where your time goes
#2 Focus on outward contributions
#3 Build on strengths, your own, your superiors, colleagues, subordinates
#4 Concentrate on a few major areas where superior performance will produce outstanding results
#5 Make effective decisions
Five habits that have to be acquired to be an effective executive:
Drucker, Peter, The Effective Executive, Harper and Row, 1966, 1967

6. Challenges of Middle Management
Taking the Easy route – avoid making difficult decisions
Trying to make everyone happy
Inability to shift from Me to We
Managing My Time
Managing Conflicts of Priority, Maintaining Focus, Staying on Course
Employee development, Building the team
Guiding Change – “Leaders don’t just do things, they change things”
Delegating
Lack of self awareness, failure to ask for feedback, admit mistakes, learn from criticism
Being able to maintain good relationships with those you lead and with those who lead you
Motivating and Inspiring others

7. The Five Most Important Questions You Will Ever Ask About Your Organization
Question 1What is our mission?
Question 2 Who is our customer?
Question 3 What does the customer value?
Question 4 What are our results?
Question 5 What is our plan?
When we can answer questions 1, 2, 3, we are well on our way to managing for the mission.”

8. The Mission
Why do you do what you do? “What is your organization’s current understanding of the organization’s mission?”
“What significant challenges is the organization facing, changing demographics, legislation or regulations, emerging technologies, or competition.”
“An opportunity is a fact, not reason to act, What is our mission?”
“Your core mission provides guidance not just on what to do, but equally on what not to do.”
If a great opportunity does not fit your mission, then the answer must be, Thank you, but No”.

9. The Methods Do what needs to be done Manage Your Time
Delegate Appropriately
Facilitate Productive Meetings
Be ambitious first and foremost for the cause, for the company, for the work, not for Yourself and have an absolutely terrifying will to make good on that ambition.” (Good To Great author Jim Collins)

10. Mission
Goals
Objectives
Action Steps
Budget
Appraisal
“Leadership requires constant sharpening, refocusing, never really being satisfied.”

11. How to Facilitate a Productive Meeting
Plan
Plan for follow-up or next meeting
Assign
Assign responsibilities
Articulate
Articulate action steps
Keep
Keep on task, use time limits, keep as short and concise as possible
Use
Use a written agenda and stick to it
Set
Set clear objectives/purpose for the meeting
How to Facilitate a Productive Meeting

12. Motivating those you lead
Create a sense of belonging on your team, at your institution
Create purposeful work, set goals, track accomplishments
Provide the resources for your team to do work exceptionally well
Challenge your staff to achieve the goals you’ve set for your unit
Celebrate achievement of those goals

13. Motivating those you lead (continued)
Actively involve them in the purposeful work
Distribute power (people love to feel powerful)
Delegate responsibility , Believe in them
Recognize achievement, hard work, going above and beyong
Praise and compliment your staff, don’t steal credit from them
Help your staff members to develop new skils

14. Additional Resources Managing from the Middle
Rule #1 Everyone you work with is important
Rule #2: Be on Mission
Rule #3 Stop, Look, and listen
Rule #4 It’s not about you
Rule #5 Be courageous
Donald R. Boomgaarden November 26, 2008

15. Thank you for your participation!
Sheryl Gray