Communicating with faculty Jennifer Kerpelman PhD Interim Vice President for Research Associate Dean for Research Graduate Studies and Outreach College of Human Sciences Edward Thomas Jr PhD ID: 763622
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Communicating with faculty Jennifer Kerpelman, Ph.D.Interim Vice President for ResearchAssociate Dean for Research, Graduate Studies, and OutreachCollege of Human Sciences Edward Thomas, Jr., Ph.D. Charles W. Barkley Professor of Physics Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies College of Sciences and Mathematics (COSAM)
Our JoBs require Technical skills and People skills People skills we need:CommunicationPerspective-takingEngagementCollaboration Relationships Matter!
Communicating? 1-way2-wayNo-way
Why is 2-way communication important? Greater clarity and understandingAll parties feel engagedMore likely to address effectively any key issuesLess likely to encounter unnecessary obstaclesAble to deal with challenges that do ariseGreater satisfaction with outcomesMore likely to engage effectively in the future
What happens when communication with faculty breaks down?
Different worlds-different perspectives A big reason communication breaks down between people is due to holding different perspectives (views, values, knowledge, goals, perceptions….).When we work in different “worlds,” we are even more likely to have different perspectives.
Different Perspectives
What is important in your job? What are your priorities?What are your goals?How do you know you are doing a good job?How do you know you have missed the mark?What is most satisfying?What do you wish was easier or smoother?What do you do to make your contributions valuable and valued?
What is important to faculty? Opportunities to grow in their expertise, accomplishments, and contributions. Ample time to teach and mentor students and to work on research/creative scholarship. Smooth processing of their contracts/grants and the activities associated with their projects. Support in solving problems that arise in their research, teaching and outreach activities. For those on the tenure track – successful navigation of P&T processes. Removal of barriers and obstacles to achieving their research/academic goals and responsibilities.
If our worlds are different – how do we work together?
Take time to understand
Understanding who are the auburn faculty members TeachersAnywhere from 1 to 3 lecture classesSometimes, over 200 students in a single sectionSupervise teaching assistants Researchers Mentor MS and PhD students towards completing their theses Supervise post-doctoral researchers and other laboratory staff Business managers Writing several proposals per year to generate new funding Properly oversee funding and spending on current, active projects While maintaining work-life balance Spending time with family and friends Many (most?) faculty members do not have a extended family support system nearby
Research on faculty work habits How many hours are our faculty putting into their work?
Research on faculty work habits “On average, faculty participants reported working 61 hours per week – more than 50 percent over the traditional 40-hour work week. They worked 10 hours per day Monday to Friday and about that much on Saturday and Sunday combined.” Insider Higher Ed - Apr 9, 2014 https:// www.insidehighered.com /news/2014/04/09/research-shows-professors-work-long-hours-and-spend-much-day-meetings
In SUMMARY: The Faculty are overwhelmed!
The faculty are managing a fine balancing act among these different demands tenure promotion teaching research grant writing work-life balance career advancement
When communicating with faculty – it is often like Disrupting a finely tuned machine Our goal: to prevent disasters! All is well! Aarrghhh !
Why is this information important: Knowing who the faculty are can impact how we communicate Most of the Auburn faculty are not from this areaThere is no shared cultural experience or reference pointsTo develop a common bond requires time and patience Tea?
Why is this information important: Knowing who the faculty are can impact how we communicate Discussion: Are there examples from your work where a miscommunication of ideas arose from a lack of a common reference point?
Understanding our shared goals At the highest level – what is our primary goal:To advance the research agenda and mission of Auburn University
Understanding our shared goals At the individual level:What are your goals for your work? Do you think the faculty share these goals? What do you want the faculty to understand about your goals?
faculty focus and communications Faculty feel a lot of pressure to get results – immediately.As a result, faculty are often want their issues resolved - immediately.Often, faculty are not always going to be aware of the detailed rules and regulations that govern federal grants. Faculty sometimes receive advice from program officers that may differ from AU policies.
faculty focus and communications Faculty often feel at conflict between university, state, and federal rules – which lead to frustration. Example: Preferred vendorsExample: Fly America Act Other examples?
Faculty vs. staff: DEALing with the power differentialUnavoidable fact: Faculty and staff are at different places in the university hierarchy. Mutual respect – in both directions – must be earned.
Rules of engagement ClearRespectfulResponsiveSupportiveEmotion regulation
Emotion Regulation and managing reactivity When someone is angry, it is hard to have a conversation with them.Lowering the temperature can facilitate productive discourse.When you are talking with someone who is upset:Remain calm (breathe and calm your thoughts).Listen carefully (focus on the issue being discussed). Reflect your understanding of what they are saying and ask if you have it right. Listen to any clarification they provide. Reflect your understanding of their message and ask for any further clarification. Once a person feels heard, they usually calm down. Then you can have a more productive conversation about the issue. It is okay to ask for a follow up meeting if taking time away will be helpful.
effective engagement facilitates successful collaboration: Collaboration involves:Relationship BuildingFinding Common GroundProblem Solving
Relationship building Who are you?What is your world like?What are your priorities?What frustrates you the most?How can we work together?Examples of positive relationships formed with faculty?
Common Ground What is important to both of us?What are our common goals?Do we have common or complementary approaches to our work?Do we have common or complementary approaches to problem solving?Can we see ourselves as partners (rather than adversaries)?“open the fist”
Moving toward common ground and openness to working together What are we trying to do?How are we trying to do it?What are our assumptions?Are any of the assumptions wrong or overly limiting?
Problem solving What are the parameters?What are possible alternatives?Who can help us find/implement a viable solution?
Building Problem solving skills Ask “why” the issue is a problemFocus on finding a good solution Look for simple solutions firstList out possible solutionsIf needed, involve others who can help you refine and then implement a chosen solution
What is the Problem – what are solutions? Write down a problem you face in your work on the note card.As we review some of the problems, ask: Why is it a problem? Who has had this problem before? What are some of alternatives for solving or managing this problem? Start with simple solutions List additional solutions Who can be helpful in finding solutions to this problem?
Proactive approaches reducing future problems and improving solution findingWhat might we anticipate going forward that needs to be discussed now?How might we set things up in ways that reduce obstacles and problems? When we face a challenge, how will we work together to address it? Who can help make the process easier and more effective?
An alternate communication model: could this work? Trying to move the primary faculty contact to be through the departmental Contracts and Grants specialist. Provides “cradle to grave” proposal support and a single point of contact for grant administrators.
What are we working towards? Faculty and staff both want Auburn research to succeed.However, faculty success is being measured by metrics that can run counter to research management ”best practices”. Patience with faculty is a necessity.
Your inputADRS can Help What do faculty need to know about your world?What would be 4-6 key points to convey to faculty during their initial orientation?How could ADRs reinforce these key points during college-level orientations? What would help you establish better relationships with the faculty with whom you typically work? Who needs to be part of setting the stage, as well as facilitating, effective engagement across time? Other input?
Facilitated Solutions Process Help solving problemsBrings the key stakeholders togetherSharing of perspectivesModerated dialogue and problem solvingJointly determine a way forwardEngage ultimate decision maker to support solutionOpportunity to revisit and revise as needed Facilitated Solutions Team: Tony Ventimiglia, Steve Taylor, Amy Douglas, Larry Hankins, Martha Taylor, Jennifer Kerpelman