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Dealing with organizational issues...

Consider the most pressing issue of the subjects covered in this module. If you could snap your fingers, how would you address the situation?

The most pressing issue at my college that is covered in this module is organizational structure.
We have experienced some turnover and I think it has clouded the perception of some reporting lines and job descriptions. I think that asking staff and faculty to draw their idea of our organizational chart and their own job description is a great way to find out if long time staff and new staff are in alignment with managements perception in this regard. That is a great tip, thanks!

Sheree Pace, JD
Director of Education

Hi Sheree
Here are my additional thoughts:

We have experienced some turnover and I think it has clouded the perception of some reporting
lines and job descriptions.
Susan: In addition to an org chart, job descriptions help. You might want to write the job description as you understand it. Then let the staff write what they think their job description is. Then compare. Interesting results.

I think that asking staff and faculty to draw their idea of our
organizational chart and their own job description is a great way to find out if long time staff and
new staff are in alignment with managements perception in this regard.
Susan: Often their perception makes more sense. If it is working. Also shows you how people like to be managed. Some need very little management and supervision. Others need a lot. Some run their departments like it's their school. Others don't care.

That is a great tip,
thanks!
Susan: Your welcome.

Our biggest challenge is that we are still small and many of the jobs described as anything except admissions is done by one person (me) so we are in need of dividing out many things into other job descriptions. My plan is to list out everything as suggested and then to move things back and forth until things settle where they look and feel right.

HI Debra

As a small school you have a great advantage. You can organize operations right from the start while you have a small enrollment. Be sure to create job descriptions, policies and procedures for each department, forms to use, etc. Then as you add people they will know what has to be done to be effective. You may have the luxury of learning what works by some trial and error. You can focus on building a strong base to help ensure future development.
Best wishes
Susan

Susan
We are well into the process that you have described as our enrollment grows, we average 110 students in the building each session, rotating some new coming in and grads going out.So we do have not only a full house but great staff developed to take care of them. As you know it is a step by step process and I was very pleased when I went to the accreditation meeting just how much of what they require already in place.
Now is just time to upgrade and put the last details in place.
Deby

Our most pressing issue is classroom space. In the past we seemed to be short of and struggle with computer classrooms. Recently, lecture classrooms have become more a concern. We also make a concerted effort to have large enough class enrollments to effectively and efficiently use the classroom space we have.

Hi James

Interesting dilemma. More students than space. Do you think some enrollment management and planning might address your future needs? What about addng satellite classrooms to handle current needs? Depending on regulatory requirements you can add satellite classrooms in locations within certain miles of your main campus. Let us know what you do.
Best wishes
Susan

we have the same proplem, we are a small allied health school, and one person is wearing many hats, so what we have decided to do is to list all the job functions, fill in where we feel most qualified and hire additional help in areas that we are not so great in, so that we can have a well balance staff

Hi Jackie
Your situation describes many schools. The key is planning, organization, and creating checklists for each department. In this way some routine tasks can be given to non director level people. And administrators wearing too many hats won't get burned out. And who knows, staff could be trained to take on more responsiblities.
Best wishes
Susan

Dr. Schulz:

As part of the overall ethic of planning, wouldn't every school want to have as part of its planning process a thoughtful method to regularly identify issues and several strategies to find solutions to the issues identified? It is a given that every organization will face issues, but good organizations have defined processes to identify them on a regular basis and mobilize appropriate staff to solve them.

Hi Patrick
Great points. Good plans do need to be reviewed periodically. And there needs to be a process in place on how to make updates and changes. Ideally there is an advisory board or committee that is responsible for monitoring the plans once they are in place. At the very least plans can be reviewed at faculty and staff meetings. Plans have to be dynamic.
Thanks for the comments.
Susan

Great tip!!! I have used it in my departmet and the feed back is great.

Thank you!

For some reason, some people have a natural leadership where their fresh ideas come naturally; nevertheless, others need to be guided because they do not have the vision to make those steps by themselves.

HI Dario

Well said. There are leaders and there are leaders. But everyone has great ideas and some talent. It just takes creating the right environment and asking the right questions. Sometimes people have to pointed in the right direction or perhaps their vision is a bit different. As a manager and leader it takes work and effort to keep motivating our staff to their own greatness.
Best wishes
Susan

As a small school we have run into difficulties by causing confusion when staff, faculty, and management give slightly different information to students. We have found that nothing generates more complaints than an inconsistent message. Because our student service department is essentially one person, we have tried to cross train other staff that may be in the office when our primary person is not immediately available. This helps to answers simple questions but I try to remind my staff that not every question needs an immediate answer. Some times it is better to say someone will get back to you rather than give information that may need to be corrected later.

Really great points, Richard. One way to be sure that information is given accuractly is to create a policies and procedures manual so everyone has the same information. Of course the trick is to keep it current and also get people to refer to it! What about a meeting where everyone shares common questions that students ask. Then create good answers for everyone to use.
Best wishes
Susan

We also had to develop a clearly defined organizational chart. Too many administrators with competing interests were providing conflicting messages to department chairs and professors. This led to confusion and frustration. Simply defining who reported to which supervisor and enforcing the charts guidelines went a long way in improving effectiveness. The next goal will be to poll everyone involved to determine if improvements can be made.

The organizational chart can be adjusted to accommodate many types of talents towards a particular job function. However, herein lays a potiential for organizational struggle. It is safe to seek the correct person with proper KSA's that fits into a position within the organizational chart. Conversely, the dilemma is that a school or business may "save" an employee waiting to have an employee fit into a position, rather tapping into an undiscovered talent!

HI Chad
You bring out an excellent point. Few people really understand a school's organization chart and who reports to whom. You might try this exercise - hand out a blank org chart with department titles. In a meeting ask everyone to fill in the names for each department and add departments or delete them if not applicable to the school. You will be amazed at the different versions. Then use the exercise to talk about how the school is organized. Check to see if people are doing duplicate work. It's an interesting process.
Best wishes
Susan

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