Robert Pearl Starks

Robert Pearl Starks

Location: phoenix, arizona

About me

As Vice President of Product Development, I lead cross-functional teams of designers, developers, QA testers and product stakeholders to develop, launch, and improve products customers need and love. 

Previously, I've worked in a variety of leadership roles in education / learning & professional development. Through my experience, I've become accustomed to working across departmental silos and with various stakeholders (executives, end-users, faculty, staff, students / learners, alumni, parents, regulatory agencies, partners and employers) to facilitate collaboration and advance common goals. In my previous roles, I've advocated for student needs and driven organizational change that helped educators do their best work, students thrive in their careers, and employers connect with quality talent.

Despite different contexts, a common theme in my career journey has been to do work that contributes to a mission which improves people's lives. It's also always been important for me to work with an organization whose values align with my own. I'm a listener, empathizer, customer advocate, servant leader, and lifelong learner. I'm never satisfied with status quo, I constantly strive for "better," and I'm driven by genuine curiosity to solve complex problems.

“Work to become; not to acquire.” -Elbert Hubbard

Interests

social media, career development, training, higher education, web 2.0/3.0, career services, leadership, marketing

Skills

social media, marketing, training, consulting, management, strategic planning

Activity

Everyone is guilty of saying something in haste that they wish would have never came out of their mouths.  However, on social media, what is said in discussion threads is searchable and indexed by Google.  Facebook recently announced Graph Search which enhances one’s search ability on the Facebook platform allowing users to conduct more advanced search queries using the data from Facebook’s entire social ecosystem.  One of the implications of this new feature is enhanced people search for the purpose of recruiting.  If there wasn’t already good enough reason for jobseekers to clean up their Facebook (and all other)… >>>

3 Consequences of Neglecting Employee Development

Development is a process that requires commitment on the part of the employee as well as the managers who are responsible for developing their direct-reports. It is not always easy having the development discussion but failing to address the developmental needs of direct reports can adversely affect an entire department as well as the entire institution. 3 specific consequences that can develop if developmental needs are not addressed include the following:

 

1. Employees feeling neglected and unmotivated - If not given opportunities to grow or feel supported, the morale and motivation of critical team… >>>

@Matilda : I'm glad you will find it helpful.  I too thought it was a great resource worther of sharing with others.  Thanks for your comment.

Executive Summary

For-profit education is the fastest-growing sector of the higher-education industry. However, politicians and journalists have highlighted trends that they say should make students think twice before attending for-profit colleges. These include:

  • Poor graduation rates, as only 22 percent of students at for-profits completed college in six years, compared with 65 percent of students at nonprofit private schools and 55 percent of students at nonprofit public schools;

  • Higher loan-default rates, as 25 percent of students at for-profits default on their loans—the figures for their peers at nonprofit private and public schools are 7.6 and 10.8 percent, respectively;

  • Higher likelihood… >>>

This issue brief published by the Manhattan Instittue For Policy Research and authored by Judah Bellin discusses the unacknowledged value of for-profit education

This chart was designed to inform instructors of what they may do under the law. Feel free to make copies for your instructors as a helpful, practical tool regarding copyright and FairUse guidelines.  

Download the PDF of this Chart

This chart was designed to inform instructors of what they may do under the law. Feel free to make copies for your instructors as a helpful, practical tool regarding copyright and FairUse guidelines.  

Discussion Comment

Melissa, Opening up about yourself is a technique for gaining trust and focusing on connecting through shared experiences. Continue practicing this when trying to connect with students. There are many different approaches you can take when trying to reach those that don't want anything to do with Career Services. One thing I would do was to discover who was in the individual's network of influence that I had a strong relationship with or could reach out to for help. For instance, this might be me calling mom and developing a close relationship with mom to have her help me get… >>>

Discussion Comment

Melissa, It sounds like you are not only having to develop rapport and build new relationships, but also having to mend old ones and perhaps rebuild the reputation of the Career Services department among past graduates. That's a challenge and it speaks to the precise reason relationships are emphasized in the course. There is no magic bullet for approaching different students and you may not be able to convert some of the individuals who are upset but goal 1 should always be to build rapport. If you can build a relationship, you will build trust and your partnership with the… >>>

Managers are inherently in a position of power and authority but as explained in a previous blog (3 Realities of Being a New Manager), power isn't the same as influence.  Influence is earned, in large part, by how you collaborate with others and the forgotten skill that many managers don't strategically use is simple - listening.  There are many practical benefits for managers who choose to listen to their employees.  3 Benefits Managers who listen can realize include...

 

1. Build Rapport - Supervisors and managers who listen to their employees can build rapport, swiftly clear up misunderstandings, and… >>>

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