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2/1/2012

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Female Leadership in Student Affairs

Candace Dennig – Valparaiso University

Which part of this presentation are you most

excited about?

1. Reflection in Leadership

2. Leading by Example

3. Language of Business

4. Power and Politics

5. Change, Collaboration, and Conflict Resolution

Poll Question

Housekeeping Items

#ACPAwomenlead – an opportunity to interact with other participants!

At the end of this presentation, there will be a opportunity to evaluate – feedback is welcomed!

Thank you in advance for your attendance!

The next 30 days… your worksheet.

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Outline of Presentation

I. Introductions & Notes

II. Presentation of five key areas of leadership

III. Top Ten Things

IV. Quotes from Female Interviews

V. Q&A/Discussion

Presenter Information

Mid-level manager at a small private University in the Midwest.

Completed the Women’s Leadership/Executive Leadership Certificate in the fall/spring of 2010.

Met with many women and spoke at gatherings and events to promote program and talk about information presented in it.

Work in Housing, Residential Life and Facilities/Operations, as well as present often and teach undergraduate students.

DISCLAIMER:

I’m not an expert, especially on what you’ll do with your career and your life.

Take what you need, leave what you don’t.

Big topics with big ideas – be prepared!

These are main ideas on larger topics, later discussions will open them up to bigger lessons.

This presentation is not endorsed by Loyola University Chicago.

This is a summation of what I learned in the program – you’ll need to be a member of it to learn more!

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What this is – and isn‟t.

A chance to support ourselves and each other.

A chance to learn about what’s working for women.

A chance to acknowledge common challenges.

A chance to learn how others have overcome these challenges.

A chance to undermine men – or anyone else.

A chance to commiserate about what’s working against women.

It is: It isn’t:

Before we get started…

< keep it up! >

< this is great! >

< couldn’t live

without this! >

< definitely not >

< what are you thinking? >

< don’t even think about it >

Write down 3 of your “do’s”

…

and 3 of your own “do

nots”…

Five Key Areas





5. Change, Collaboration, and Conflict Resolution

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GOAL: to create a personal action plan that examines

your current circumstances, as well as outline the next step

of your leadership journey through “learned reflection”.

What gets us to examining this for ourselves and then creating the „next step‟ of our journey?

Reflection in Leadership

Starting out easy…

1. Where am I now?

2. Where do I want to be?

3. What do I have to offer?

4. What makes me happy?

5. What do I need to be successful?

6. What are some outside factors to be mindful of ?


Where we are + experience + opportunity = bright future!

That‟s it… right?

What typically trips us up then?

CHALLENGES

What if you‟re stuck on your challenge?

“the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results” – Albert Einstein

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Assessing what stops us –

PARTICIPANTS:

write down the top challenge you are facing as of

TODAY!



Now analyze what you wrote:

1. Are you looking for the “perfect” job?

2. Are you afraid of making a decision?

3. Are you in a place where you‟ve had to compromise something important?

4. Are you concerned about what others think?

5. Are you opting out?

6. What is your confidence like?

In essence: is it YOU or is it an OUTSIDE FACTOR?


No matter what the factor is, these will continue to be

complicated the longer you work. Before you get to that point:

Writing your own mission statement

“if we don‟t stand for something, we may fall for

anything.” – MLK Jr.

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YOUR TASK:

Write down 5 things (values) that you implement into

your work, something that makes your professional

identity.

THEN: for one month, see how you do. Add/Subtract as

necessary.

Next: Step 2


GOAL:

encourage professionals to develop their own model of Leadership based

on discernment. In the work place, we are evaluated and critiqued,

which leads to a situational leadership style that is responsive but

not reflective, encouraging the development of a persona rather

than a person.

Leading by Example

Person Persona

Takes time to implement

change into this.

Can be altered and projected

quickly.

Has a certain set of beliefs,

feelings, values, and so forth

which cannot be altered

unless the person in question

decides to change it.

Has a certain set of beliefs,

feelings, and values based on

what is being asked at the

time.

Makes boundaries based on

self-understanding and self-

knowledge.

Makes boundaries based on

what others want them to be

willing to do and think.

What‟s the Difference?

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Leading by Example

Write down three people you have known in your life

that you would consider leaders. They don‟t have to be

people you‟ve worked with, but you should be familiar

with them.

What characteristics led you to consider them as

leaders?

What did you perceive were their challenges, and

how do you think they overcame them?

Leading by Example

To sum it up:

Others will be able to see if you are exhibiting your

personality or a persona.

Even though it is tempting to build a persona that others

like and accept easily, to be successful is to be yourself,

and building on yourself as a person means you will be

better able to weather hard times and criticism than

someone who has no foundation and changes for others

easily. Next: Step 3

What do you think is the most important skill to

have in your business?

1. Budget

2. Technology

3. Communication (Presentation, Oral and Written Communication)

Language of Business: Poll

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GOAL: to teach women how to not only read the important

documents and „ledgers‟ associated with their business, but to

help them also understand how to build and manage them.

Research shows that to achieve professional

greatness you must know two things:

1. You must know about your business

2. You must know about your self

Language of Business

Relational vs. Knowledgeable – typically, we lean

towards one or another, but to be powerful, you

should possess both of these strengths.

Best Advice: expose yourself to many sides of

your business – the financial side, the planning side,

the people side… everything!

Language of Business

• Building one, spending one, allotting one to others, managing and understanding one.

Budget

• How to use it, how to build upon it, keeping up to date on it, making it user-friendly for audience.

Technology

• Representation of your area in oral and written ways. Expressing needs of area in a universally understood way.

Communication

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“Although we weren‟t able to shatter that highest, hardest glass ceiling this time, thanks to you, it‟s got about 18 million cracks in it.”

Senator Hilary Clinton

GOALS:

1. Understanding what Power and Politics mean.

2. Learning skills toward political aspects of leadership.

3. Learning skills toward your own political mindscape.

4. Developing a personal agenda for successful political management of your career.

Power and Politics

Power

It is the potential ability to influence behavior, to

change the course of events, to overcome

resistance, and to get people to do things they

would not otherwise do (Pfeffer).

Politics

The apportionment of scarce resources. The

scarcest resource of all is power!

Politics are based on power – who has it,

and who doesn‟t.

Power and Politics

Issues for Women in regards to Power and Politics

1. Sexism – and what that means to you personally.

2. Lack of Female Support.

3. Lack of „savvyness‟ to play the game.

4. Fear of criticism as well as fear of offending.

5. Inability to build strong strategic relationships.

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Power and Politics

Big Dilemma: to play or not to play the “game” of politics.

Think of politics in the workplace as a game of chess. You could:

1. Learn to play with strategy and win – not every time, but many times.

2. Play without learning from your mistakes in the past and continue to make the same ones.

3. Don‟t play at all – don‟t worry, someone else will

sit in and play for you.

Power and Politics The issue will become not IF you play, but HOW you play strategically

when it comes to power and politics.

DO: DO NOT: 1. Give information to get information

– appropriately.

1. Broadcast your problems

(personal or professional).

2. „Bank‟ a favor. 2. Break promises.

3. Give in on small non-issues. 3. Push for action with

understanding consequences.

4. Be respectful to those in all types of

positions.

4. Take credit for work done by

others.

5. Help people get what they need to

do their job.

5. Criticize others in public.

6. Guard your privacy/keep your

confidences.

6. Contribute to gossip or rumors.

A key difference in the way we exercise power and

politics: the idea of “sponsorship” versus

“mentorship”.

http://bit.ly/z6ccnp

We are “over-mentored” but “under-sponsored” in

our work, leading to support but no upward

movement.

Power and Politics



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5. Change/Collaboration/Conflict Resolution

“There are no problems, only opportunities…

adjust your perspective.”

Donna Carroll President - Dominican University

________________________________________________________

Change – Adult Learning Model

Collaboration – Active Listening

Conflict Resolution – Creative Conflict

Change

“the only constant is change”

_______________________________________

BIG QUESTION: HOW do we change some of those things that are

inherent in how we‟ve done things in the past?

Change – Adult Learning Model

1

• Unconscious Incompetence

• „I don‟t know what I don‟t know.‟

2

• Conscious Incompetence

• Bad habits die hard, I‟m aware of it but don‟t want to do anything about it.

3

• Conscious Competence

• Now I‟m aware and I‟m knowingly trying to change.

4

• Unconscious Competence

• Formed new „good‟ habits, don‟t have to consciously try at it.

NOTE: you do this on a personal as well as an

organizational level!

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Collaboration

“when celebrating what‟s right, we find the energy to

transform what‟s wrong.”

– this is our goal!

To really find out how to collaborate and work with others,

we have to LISTEN – not only listen, but engage in several

different types of listening.

Collaboration – Listening Approaches

Empathic Listening

Comprehensive Listening

Discerning Listening

Appreciative Listening

Evaluative Listening

“The single biggest problem in

communication is the illusion that

it has taken place…” George Bernard Bradshaw

Conflict Resolution

“if we all think alike,

there‟s no real thinkin‟ goin‟ on.”

Mark Twain

So much creativity and idea production comes out of

conflict – it‟s learning to manage how that conflict either

makes a highly productive team or an argumentative one.

What‟s the difference between those two?

Fierce Conversations =

holding conversations that address „the truth‟, even when it is hard.

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Rules of Engagement

In all relationships, whether we are the supervisor, peer, friend, or

competitor, you should follow these rules:

Everyone is a psychological equal.

Other‟s needs are legitimate – their reality is real to them.

All sides have some validity and fiction.

The other person is not a jerk – for the most part.

You need to set aside all your favorite solutions.

NOTE: all unvoiced feelings will ACT OUT.

Conflict Resolution – What To Do

In ANY situation you‟re in with conflict resolution (ie: working with students, other staff, your supervisors, etc.) look to meet this criteria:

1. Create conditions for dialogue.

2. Look at your listening needs for the situation.

3. List your needs, briefly and assertively (and the other person also does so).

4. Mutually explore ways to meet needs.

5. Set and get agreements!

Next: ACTION PLAN!

Your Action Plan

Regional/National Level Professional Development Finding mentors/support system

Institutional Level Developing your professional identity

Learning about culture and institutional fit!

Personal Level What makes you happy? Adult

Identity Work/Life Balance

39 Next: Top Ten List

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Top Ten Things to Take Away

1. Make a plan – even if it changes.

2. Don‟t let mistakes control you – learn and move on.

3. Communicate openly – failure to do so will cut you off from relationships and collaboration you can‟t work without effectively.

4. Work on making positive and trusting relationships. Gratitude vs. Attitude.

5. Know thyself – don‟t wait for someone else to tell you who you are.

6. Know your stuff – inside and outside.

7. Become comfortable with experiencing conflict.

8. Protect yourself – discern who you can trust.

9. Find those who can help you (mentors), and be that person for others.

10. “The important thing is this: to be able to at any moment to sacrifice what we are for what we would become.” Become comfortable with change.

Next: A Word from the Wise

What the ladies say…

“Keep your focus on what is important, find an

excellent mentor, and manage your time.”

Paula Allen-Meares

Chancellor – University of Illinois Chicago

______________________________________________


“Avoid the myth that just because there are

more and more women in the field of student

affairs, that this means there is less sexism and

your identity as a woman is no longer relevant as

a potential obstacle.”

Dafina Lazarus Stewart

Associate Professor – Bowling Green State University

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“… look out for times when you may feel personally undercut or otherwise undermined, and what you can learn from that experience.

Susan Marine Assistant Dean of Harvard College

Director of Harvard Women‟s Center


“…to counter sexism, be as marketable as you

can by publishing work, assessing

programs/policies in a systematic and

public way, present at national conferences

and keep yourself up on the latest research

opportunities in your area.”

Bridget Turner-Kelly

Associate Professor/Program Director for Higher Education

Loyola University Chicago


Get exposure to and, if possible, experience in, different aspects

of higher education administration outside Student Affairs

--- enrollment, development, human resources, finance, etc.

It will come in handy when you become

a President.

Donna Carroll

President – Dominican University

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The End

Q&A

Thank you!

Special thanks to all the women interviewed for

this presentation, as well as Loyola University

Chicago and its Women‟s Leadership

Certificate program and professors.

References

Belenky; McVicker-Clinchy; Goldberger; Tarule (1997).

Women‟s Way of Knowing – The Development of Self,

Voice, and Mind.

Julia Wood (2009). Gendered Lives – Communication,

Gender, and Culture.

Lencioni; Patrick (2007). The Three Signs of a Miserable Job.

Patterson; Grenny; McMillan; Switzler (2002). Crucial

Conversations – Tools for talking when stakes are high.

Janosik; Creamer; Hirt; etc. (2003). Supervising New

Professionals in Student Affairs.

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