1. Staff-Faculty Partnerships: A Business Officer’s Perspective Susan Christy, Ph.D. 44 th Annual ABOG Conference

2. Topics today Academia is different from other organizations Opportunities – strategies and best practices Business officers’ experiences and challenges Faculty is different …different culture

3. A B Not always true Can be helpful Only as a starting point, not as a stereotype Generalizations are risky

4. Academia Corporation CORPORATE STRUCTURE M e a s u r e m e n t A l i g n m e n t Make products Provide services

5. CORPORATE STRUCTURE UNIVERSITY STRUCTURE Education Research F A C U L T Y S T A F F Full Professor Assoc Professor Asst Professor Other faculty Instructor, adjunct Academia

6. CORPORATE STRUCTURE UNIVERSITY STRUCTURE Education Research F A C U L T Y S T A F F Professor, Inc. Other faculty Instructor, adjunct Academia

7. CORPORATE STRUCTURE UNIVERSITY STRUCTURE Education Research F A C U L T Y S T A F F Full Professor Assoc Professor Asst Professor Other faculty Instructor, adjunct Academia $$$

8. CORPORATE STRUCTURE UNIVERSITY STRUCTURE Education Research F A C U L T Y S T A F F Professor, Inc. Other faculty Instructor, adjunct Academia

9. Academia – One view F A C U L T Y S T A F F Higher rank Lower rank Like a doctor’s office

10. Academia – Another view All employees Like a corporation Higher rank Lower rank

11. F A C U L T Y Supportive – Companionable S T A F F F A C U L T Y S T A F F What is your experience? Power Distance Index Rank, know, tell Intimidated, defensive

12. Working with faculty OpportunitiesChallenges Your experience

13. Faculty U N I V E R S I T Y S T R U C T U R E Education Research F A C U L T Y S T A F F Full Professor Assoc Professor Asst Professor Other faculty Instructor, adjunct Stars Success Multiple priorities, pressures Must compete for resources Independent Task/idea focused Insecure over-achievers

14. Motivators – internal, external drivers Most faculty members are passionate about their academic field and their work Understanding a person’s motivations can help you support and influence him/her

15. Faculty stress Overly high self-expectations Need for financial support for scholarship Not enough time to keep up with field Insufficient salary Pressure to publish Too heavy a workload Job demands interfering with personal life Slow career advancement Interruptions (e.g., telephone, visitors) Too many meetings Others: technology W. Gmelch, 1993

16. Faculty stress Overly high self-expectations Need for financial support for scholarship Not enough time to keep up with field Insufficient salary Pressure to publish Too heavy a workload Job demands interfering with personal life Slow career advancement Interruptions (e.g., telephone, visitors) Too many meetings Others: technology W. Gmelch, 1993 Most faculty members are stressed Understanding a person’s stressors can help you support and influence him/her

17. Faculty and staff are different Strength Background (training) Seek to understand Work style Work schedule Approach to implementation Network Negative stereotype

18. U N I V E R S I T Y S T U C T U R E Education Research F A C U L T Y S T A F F Full Professor Assoc Professor Asst Professor Other faculty Instructor, adjunct Stars Success Multiple priorities, pressures Must compete for resources Independent Staff perceptions of faculty Task/idea focused Insecure over-achievers To some staff, some faculty may seem… Unaware of procedures or unwilling to follow them Unaware of what you do To have unrealistic expectations Not to communicate Unavailable Disorganized Disrespectful Intimidating

19. Prepare and support your staff Help staff understand academia and faculty Help each person understand his/her role Provide for staff’s emotional/interpersonal needs - Provide appreciation and feedback - Create a team environment Help staff - Enroll in the department’s mission - Develop skills and confidence - Manage change

20. Consider your mindset Value strong relationships with faculty View as colleagues - “straight across” Hold the big picture Balance commitment – detachment Focus on what is working Inner work – Assess yourself

21. Strategies for Business Officers Non-verbal communication Verbal communication Collegial and appropriately deferential Initiate face-to-face crucial conversations with faculty Build relationships with faculty – help staff Behavior

22. Strategies for Business Officers Orient and educate faculty about business, procedures, changes Lead faculty and staff through large scale changes Use data when making decisions and influencing faculty and others Treat each faculty member as an individual Behavior

23. Get curious, not furious Respond to difficult behavior See beyond judgment, anger and demands Respond to their underlying feelings…carefully

24. What you can do on your campus Insights for Business Officers working with faculty Ways to support staff-faculty relationships throughout your UC campus

25. Maintain your resilience You are ‘can do’ How do you maintain people your resilience? Do you take on too much? Can you prioritize, delegate, call for help? There is likely a network or system that will work for you if you tap into it Take care of yourself Please

26. Summary Working with faculty is different Business officers and faculty have different roles, priorities and styles Staff need your support in their work with faculty Mindset is especially important You can apply principles, strategies and best practices in staff-faculty relationships Support other administrators, MSOs

27. Thank you Here’s to Your work as business officers Your relationships with faculty and others Excellence in education, research and organizational effectiveness Susan Christy, Ph.D. 510-222 2992 Susan@SusanChristy.com www.WorkingWithFaculty.com