Four generations of workers working together?
An impossible situation? Four generations working together with different mindsets, worldviews, expectations, work styles, ect… As McCLelland and Stringer state, “ Each generation has been formed by events and circumstances surrounding their formative years, resulting in a multidimensional workplace.” (p362) What can be done for a team work to be possible in such a setting with traditionalists, baby boomers, gerenation X and millennials?
I found an article that gives a distinct scenario of four generations working together to bring the best to the workplace. It shows how new communication strategies can help find a good work balance with the different characteristics.
Getting Along: How the generations are working together
http://www.blbva.com/blog/2008/10/31/getting-along/
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Human Capital the greatest asset of student affairs professionals
Human capital is the greatest asset of any student affairs professionals. Regardless of the rate in which technology is evolving and worldviews are changing, human capital will remain an invincible force in organizations. In student affairs, human capital plays a very visible role because their main interactions are more with students (people) than it is with paperwork. Their main responsibilities shift toward meeting the needs of students, supporting them, holding their hands in their scary and unknown journeys. Not anyone can face these challenges. Student affairs professionals must realize that their staff are their greatest assets and must be equipped to train, educate, help, supervise them and award them accordingly.
Supervisors must invest their time in their staff in training them to recognize and work with their priorities, manage their time, and how to effectively manage their office. There should be a good relationship between them to allow the staff to be comfortable sharing any issues with the supervisor or request any help. There should be regular meetings where staff would be comfortable bringing their issues and challenges that they feel they need help with. They should also be able to share their mistakes, shortcomings and successes. Such meetings would facilitate them to learn from each other’s successes and mistakes. In terms of awards, their work should be evaluated on a regular basis and care should be taken to publically recognize their successes and gifts that are compatible with their likes should be publically given to them to encourage them to excel in their work. Professional development should be promoted in discussing organizational and individual professional development to foster excellence and maintain an environment of hope for staffs.
Supervisors must invest their time in their staff in training them to recognize and work with their priorities, manage their time, and how to effectively manage their office. There should be a good relationship between them to allow the staff to be comfortable sharing any issues with the supervisor or request any help. There should be regular meetings where staff would be comfortable bringing their issues and challenges that they feel they need help with. They should also be able to share their mistakes, shortcomings and successes. Such meetings would facilitate them to learn from each other’s successes and mistakes. In terms of awards, their work should be evaluated on a regular basis and care should be taken to publically recognize their successes and gifts that are compatible with their likes should be publically given to them to encourage them to excel in their work. Professional development should be promoted in discussing organizational and individual professional development to foster excellence and maintain an environment of hope for staffs.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
The individual conscience
One of the five domains that make the most sense to me is the individual conscience. I am not undermining in anyway the other domains (the student, the institution, the professions and the community) for they carry a heavy weight on the scale as well. On a Christian perspective, I believe that our conscience is the moral compass on which the Holy Spirit lands. If it is not kept clean, there will be no landing. Without the Holy Spirit, we find ourselves being our own gods. Having said that, when making decisions, we must take into consideration what we can or cannot live with because they will ultimately carry consequences. In this vein, making serious decisions that can impact other domains requires an individual approach without external influences. We are dialogical human beings. We talk to ourselves. We evaluate/assess ourselves. We know what is /feels right or wrong. At the end of the day, it is simply a matter of conscience in decision-making.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
The role of spirituality in student affairs
“The starting point for enhancing the spiritual development of our student development staff is our own deep soul work, reflection on our own life and what gives it meaning.” I found the same point made in all three articles this week. You’ll agree with me that it must be important.
Its importance is highly significant because words are lost and forgotten, but our actions go straight to the heart. As Francis of Assissi posited, “Preach the Gospel and if necessary, use words.” If we can act in a loving, caring and Christian-like manner with our students, we will build trust, gain their confidence. This way, students will get to know and trust their leaders. Only then will they be open to them and be lead by them. They will receive positive influences that will possible guide their lives even after their graduation or transfer to other schools
Its importance is highly significant because words are lost and forgotten, but our actions go straight to the heart. As Francis of Assissi posited, “Preach the Gospel and if necessary, use words.” If we can act in a loving, caring and Christian-like manner with our students, we will build trust, gain their confidence. This way, students will get to know and trust their leaders. Only then will they be open to them and be lead by them. They will receive positive influences that will possible guide their lives even after their graduation or transfer to other schools
Monday, October 5, 2009
I would like, this week, to reflect on how to respond to campus crisis. Responding to campus crisis is a new topic for me. After reading the list of crises in the book from tragic deaths of students to terrorism attacks, I felt overwhelmed.
How do we deal with such a scary issue as administrators? Imagine all these crises occur in one day? “It requires special skills in handling this immediacy of the issues.” (p 603) Dealing with crisis takes on a different meaning according to the discipline. Benjin and Morin define crisis as “a flexible process for a college or university to assume when responding to a crisis.” Though institutions have plans, policies and procedures, there are times that they are helpless facing certain unpredicted situations.
Les us be real here. How much prepared are schools? How well prepared are the staff? Are the staff with the required skills always present when certain circumstances occur? I remember how I started working with refugees, transitioning from social services to refugee resettlement with no trainings or knowledge in the subject. I also remember how I barely survived resettling 100 refugees with the Kosovo war almost singlehandedly. Everyone in the department was either on vacation or sick or retired. The war happened in their absence. I was alone in the department. I had to face all the crises almost alone and making significant decisions solely based on common sense. I must admit that without God’s help I would have lost my sanity.
We must be prepared as administrators. That is a fact. We need to develop plans, practice in preparation, and establish policies and procedures. But we must be open to any eventuality that the inevitable could occur at any time and we can never be prepared enough to face it. How prepared was the country for the 09/11/01 tragedy despite our security systems? We must realize and accept that we can only be prepared in Jesus. He foresees all the crises and can make provisions for us. In the mist of the storms, the Bible reports that He simply says: “Be quiet” to the storms and they obeyed Him. The Bible says that He speaks and things happen. He orders, they occur. As administrators, we need to learn, besides our package plan for crisis, to completely rely on Jesus Christ, our only true crisis preventer and solver.
How do we deal with such a scary issue as administrators? Imagine all these crises occur in one day? “It requires special skills in handling this immediacy of the issues.” (p 603) Dealing with crisis takes on a different meaning according to the discipline. Benjin and Morin define crisis as “a flexible process for a college or university to assume when responding to a crisis.” Though institutions have plans, policies and procedures, there are times that they are helpless facing certain unpredicted situations.
Les us be real here. How much prepared are schools? How well prepared are the staff? Are the staff with the required skills always present when certain circumstances occur? I remember how I started working with refugees, transitioning from social services to refugee resettlement with no trainings or knowledge in the subject. I also remember how I barely survived resettling 100 refugees with the Kosovo war almost singlehandedly. Everyone in the department was either on vacation or sick or retired. The war happened in their absence. I was alone in the department. I had to face all the crises almost alone and making significant decisions solely based on common sense. I must admit that without God’s help I would have lost my sanity.
We must be prepared as administrators. That is a fact. We need to develop plans, practice in preparation, and establish policies and procedures. But we must be open to any eventuality that the inevitable could occur at any time and we can never be prepared enough to face it. How prepared was the country for the 09/11/01 tragedy despite our security systems? We must realize and accept that we can only be prepared in Jesus. He foresees all the crises and can make provisions for us. In the mist of the storms, the Bible reports that He simply says: “Be quiet” to the storms and they obeyed Him. The Bible says that He speaks and things happen. He orders, they occur. As administrators, we need to learn, besides our package plan for crisis, to completely rely on Jesus Christ, our only true crisis preventer and solver.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
