The Dean's List #29

What did you think the job and the role of the dean were before you got the job? And now?

When I came in, I had been a faculty member, but I had some pretty significant administrative responsibilities, so I had a sense of the administrative piece. For me, what was interesting when I became a dean was I had never had a student lie to me. So to become an administrator and realize that I'm seen as the enemy of students and have them lie to me, that was hard. And then, you know, faculty don't always see things the way that students do, so you're the third wheel in something that doesn't roll very smoothly at that point. That was an interesting thing to realize: I have to figure out a way to smooth all of this out, recognizing that I'm not ever going to have all of the truth or all of the information. Then it's just making the best decision that you can with the information that you have.

How does it feel doing the job now versus how it felt when you started?

When I first started, I felt like if I made a bad decision, it was the end of the world. Now if I make a bad decision, it's still critical, but I know I can fix it. There's almost nothing that can't be undone. Which is something I do tell my direct reports – make a mistake once and we'll fix it. You keep making that same mistake, then we have a problem.

How do you make sure nothing falls through the cracks?

If it's really critical, it goes on the calendar, so I know there's a time crunch there and I need to have it done by a certain time. I ask my AA for a reminder on certain things. I'll have my direct reports remind me of things, too, because there are just too many things to keep track of. I'm trying to get better at putting some of the process on other people. Not just on them, but, hey, this can't all just be me, right?

What tips would you offer to a new manager? Hard skills? Soft skills?

First thing: listen. I think the other piece is to recognize that you have people around you who have expertise, people you can bounce ideas off of. Listen to what they have to say and then make your own decision, but try not to make that decision in a vacuum. That's what gets you sideways with people. They feel like you've heard them and you still want to go some different way. As much as you can, let them know why you didn't do it that way. Sometimes you can't, and if you're upfront about that, they'll accept it. They know there are things, as a manager, that we just can't share with them but that goes a long way towards building loyalty among the people that work with you. And the other thing is to learn what the sacred cows are.

What is the best productivity or time management trick you’ve learned?

I’ve really had to come to grips with asking myself periodically, Is this the best use of my time? You can't really get distracted by the squirrel stuff--even though you still do.

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Something to think about:

“Company cultures don’t start out toxic, they get that way when managers stop having the conversations that make people feel seen, heard, appreciated and invested in.”

• From “How to Protect Your Team from a Toxic Work Culture” by John Baird and Edward Sullivan