To start, at the very least, make them bidirectional and multimodal. Additionally, send emails, use social media, text people, go meet with them, listen, learn and answer questions.
Feedback is a gift
Feedback is a gift to be both given and received. Share what you know or have observed with those who are ready to received such feedback and be open yourself to listen to others on what you (and your teams) can do differently or better.
The importance of open lines of communication
The importance of open lines of communication can not be overstated. It is essential to be available to all on your team and be of value on their journeys. Enable and empower other leaders to lead, but be ready to help as well at all times.
Things to do as you start a new job
As you begin a new job, there are many things to consider and do in your first few months. In addition to researching your new boss, leadership team, organizational reputation, products, services, financials (all of this BEFORE you accept a position of course), I have found the following things to be valuable as well. First, do your best to meet …
COVID-19 lessons from a higher ed CIO
This message is from the end of April, when we couldn’t get haircuts among other things 😉 and it is still true nearly 6 months later. Some of the primary areas of focus for us have been (and will continue to be for a foreseeable future) grouped in five major categories: 1. People 2. Training 3. Communication 4. Partnerships 5. …
Staying in your “swim lanes”
In order for us to continue to grow, learn, improve and advance, we need to be mindful of our areas for potential improvement. For me, one of them is certainly not overextending myself and entering “swim lanes” of others. While I will always continue to ask questions and provide ideas and suggestions, it is important to let things go when …
3 major benefits of diverse teams
3 major benefits of diverse teams: 1. Differences in background, upbringing and values (integrity and character) 2. Exposure to different experiences, successes and failures 3. Byproduct of the first two: ideas, thoughts and solutions Diversity includes, gender, race, age…and so many other things we can all benefit from as one team.
HIRING: calling references. Why do we do it?
Why do we still call references? Why do we still call references that were provided to us by the candidate? Is there a better way?
I am grateful
First and foremost, I am grateful for the health, happiness, understanding and support of my family and friends. I am also very grateful for my colleagues who are thoughtful, understanding and supportive of our collaborative initiatives and goals. No matter what we need to do, we need to do it together. Thank you!
5 things to improve in meetings
While the list could certainly be longer, here are 5 things that I believe should be improved (or fixed) with respect to the majority of meetings we all attend each day. 1. Should this be a meeting? 2. Do we have the right people in the room? 3. Are we making decisions and taking actions? 4. Was agenda shared ahead …