My Path to Coaching Badass Women in Higher Ed
When I was a little girl, I would line up my stuffed animals classroom style and pretend I was their teacher. I idolized my third grade teacher, Mrs. Brophy, who wore loud clogs, taught us American Sign Language, and let us do impromptu dance performances at the front of the classroom. She also walked us […]
Your department is not a family. Stop calling it that.
Have you read The Book of Boundaries by Melissa Urban? If you haven’t, open up a browser tab and order it from your favorite independent bookstore right now. It’s an amazing guide and could change parts of your life (it has scripts!). Urban is the co-founder of Whole30 and an expert at helping people set […]
Thoughts on Strategic Plan Implementation
Developing a strategic plan engages our creativity and allows us to articulate our hopes for the future. Academics are GREAT at ideation. I’m sure you have found yourself at meetings where more ideas are generated than could ever possibly be implemented. We often have more ideas than the resources to carry them out. I have […]
The 4Ds of Task Management
There are times in the academic year that we all know are just a murky soup of overwhelm. The time of year probably correlates to your position on campus and the workflow of your department. September is usually a blur for everyone. So is May. Despite these predictable rhythms, we are still often surprised by […]
The Iterative Process of Creating Your Strategic Plan
In previous posts, I have written about the conditions leading to a successful strategic planning process, how appreciative inquiry can be used to facilitate an inclusive strategic planning process, how SOAR can be an effective analysis tool and, finally, how to involve multiple stakeholders. In this post, I offer insight into the iterative process of […]
How to involve multiple stakeholders in an inclusive strategic planning process
When community college leaders envision future priorities, I can guarantee they are not only considering stakeholders within the metaphorical walls of the institution. Community colleges play a vital role in local and regional economic, community, and workforce development. They enjoy symbiotic relationships with many partners whose voices and perspectives can strengthen the effectiveness of a […]
Are you ready to SOAR?
Many of us are familiar with the SWOT analysis, which is an examination of an organization’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. SWOT is a common strategic planning tool, especially in corporate settings. The strengths and weakness of the organization are discussed and the opportunities and threats in the external environment are explored. From there, priorities, […]
The secret to implementing an inclusive and successful strategic planning process
Including people in a decision that affects them increases its potential for success. The same goes for strategic planning. Strategic planning processes that include stakeholders are more successful because we are more likely to support ideas that we help shape. This is particularly pertinent in higher education, where shared governance is a foundational tenet. Faculty […]
Six Conditions Leading to a Successful Strategic Planning Process
In my almost three decades as a community college administrator, I heard a lot of people groan when discussing strategic planning. Often people felt they were too busy to participate in a process that they felt wasn’t worth their time. When facilitated properly, strategic planning can be a meaningful and energizing process to bring all […]
My Favorite Books of 2022
This was a good year for reading. I’m on track to read 78 books; 130% of my goal. I’m a sucker for reading challenges, which probably began in the 1980s with the summer reading program at the Chelmsford Public Library. I loved recording the books I read each summer. Prizes may have been involved, but […]