The Big Picture Person

The big picture person

It's important for the department leader to keep in mind the big picture--of the well-being of the department as a whole, of the department's place in the college, and of the needs of students. Of course, it's good for all faculty to have such a perspective, but it's very important for the department leader to consistently weigh the needs and desires of individual faculty with the larger good, and to model this perspective for the rest of the department. Some of the issues for which the big picture may need to be invoked:

most fundamental of all: establishing a collegial environment, one in which much of the above will take care of itself because all members feel valued, that they have a stake in the endeavor, that they are part of a team, that they have ownership in the program ( see “Department Climate”)
taking time for the department to consider what its goals are, and if those goals are being met (an ongoing concern, with some formal stocktaking perhaps every five or ten years) (See “Department By-laws and Strategic Planning”)
helping people get along with each other (sometimes personality issues within a department are a major challenge) (See “Dealing with Complaints and Problems Concerning Faculty
sharing the load of service tasks within the department (See “Faculty and Staff Management”)
finding ways to balance the wide variety of factors that go into what courses are taught when and by whom (see the section on "Scheduling and Timetable" for a more detailed treatment of this issue), including
- course offerings for majors with general education courses for non-majors
- faculty's ability to teach from their strengths with the needs of the program
- faculty ability to teach in the blocks they prefer while also sharing the burden of teaching in unpopular blocks
- the teaching of both introductory courses and upper-level courses across the department

Another way of saying this: the department leader has an important role in helping faculty in the department be realistic about how much of what they do can be chosen entirely individually and how much should be done in consultation with others, with attention to the needs of others. How much latitude is available can also depend on the nature of one's department, particularly with regard to curriculum. Some departments have standard introductory courses, but almost everything above that is flexible. A new person coming into such a department will have a wider choice of courses to develop than someone coming into a department where the curriculum is highly sequential, and one person's course depends heavily on another's. But even in this latter sort of department, it will help the morale of a new person (and others too) if the obligations of the required courses can be balanced with the occasional plum, the chance for a faculty member to teach something especially close to their heart.

The big picture also includes understanding how one's role as a leader and supervisor fits within the university's approach to employee engagement. Read about HR's "people strategy," particularly the vision that AVP of Human Resource Services, Shawn Miller, describes:

My Father worked for the same organization for 36 years. There has been a dramatic shift in views on employment since. 40% of our Gen Z believes they are going to be entrepreneurs. This incredible shift in attitudes about work becomes more foreboding for employers as the average stay of younger employees hovers around three years. Employers asleep at the wheel regarding these sea changes will pay the price by becoming irrelevant or seeing talented applicant pools dry up. An antidote to these trends is to listen to what employees want – fair pay/benefits, meaningful missions, and a deliberate focus on work environments where everyone can thrive.

The Mercer organization recently released the 2019 Global Talent Trends Report, which is a report outlining the shifts in the workplace. It consists of survey responses from 7,300 leaders in organizations throughout the world. One of the top risks that these individuals identified to their workplaces was low and declining employee engagement. In response to the trends happening in the workplace, the report wisely observes, “Employees are seeking more purpose, inspiration, and connectivity this year. In the modern workplace, success is a team effort and depends on every person’s ability to develop connections within and outside of the company. . . . When this networked model is at its best, a collective sense of inspiration flows throughout, transferring the shock waves of disruption into sparks of brilliance.” This is the work environment we want for everyone in our organization.

A critical step in doing this was the Listening Tour that completed last spring. We have since quantified the data from both the survey and the live listening sessions. Over the summer we met with the Vice Presidents, Deans, and other department leaders to share with them the results of the Listening Tour. We asked these leaders if there were things they could keep doing or begin doing in response to the employee feedback. The response has been incredible as everyone is rolling up their sleeves and putting in place efforts to make this an even more incredible place to work. Likewise, we are partnering with many across campus on initiatives that will benefit the entire University. Many came directly from comments and conversations pulled in the Listening Tour. We are changing our hiring process to a Welcome Experience. Rather than just focus on tactical problems, we are re-examining the Growth Phase of our careers through leadership development, career pathing, and a new philosophy around pay and benefits.

The above efforts are more than just HR tactics. We have a cause. We are on a mission. Our desire is to partner with every area on campus to support them in their efforts to build work environments where all individuals can thrive. Why do we want to do this? The reality of a changing workplace cannot be ignored. But, frankly, the more important reason is that we want these things for ourselves and believe everyone deserves the same.

If you are interested in reading more about the changing workplace, here are a few sources.=