Strategies for Open Communication
What strategies could be executed in order to ensure the FAO is part of the decision-making processes that affect financial aid administration and compliance?
In order to ensure the FAO part of the decision-making processes in administrator and compliance, I will do weektly meating and try that everybody are in the same page
Dayanis,
Weekly meetings, especially if you include an agenda and a task list at the conclusion of the meeting, are essential in order to keep everyone up to date and to promote inclusion in the decision-making process. Do you think that the staff appreciate and learn from these meetings and if not, how could you to improve their effectiveness?
Cindy Kohlman
The best strategy for me is weekely meeting, cause in that way you can me part of the decision and at the same time you are inform of everything happening not only in your department but in other areas as well.
Maria,
Participating in weekly meetings is so helpful as a method to keep everyone informed and as you point out; you are also part of the group that is making the decisions. This is so important when you can provide input into a discussion, especially when it may directly impact your specific job!
Cindy Kohlman
I feel weekly Leadership meetings to involve all campus leaders will help in keeping everyone involved in the decision making process. It is also a great way to keep open lines of communication among the leadership team and to discuss all topics at hand. This also allows for a feedback rich culture.
Having regular meetings and news letter will help to keep everybody involved and knowledgeable.
Monique ,
These are all excellent methods to promote open communication, especially when there is no fear of any repercussions to honest input and feedback. When involving applicable leaders/staff in the decision-making process, it will very often create a stronger "buy-in" environment, which will ultimately enhance the implementation stage of the said decision. I loved your comment about a "feedback rich culture"!
Cindy Kohlman
Asmir,
I really like your idea about a newsletter or how about even a blog? Whatever you can do to enhance open communication, so that it is informative and perhaps even fun at times can prove to be so much more effective. I found when I was a Director of Financial Aid it was very often some of my more "quiet" staff members that had some of the best ideas! They would typically sit through a staff meeting and never say a word but if I specially addressed them for input the experience could suddenly become so enlightening. This strategy might not work on all the introverts on a team but finding what does work with them will assist the leader in making more informed decisions and hopefully create a more inclusive work environment where everyone has a say!
Cindy Kohlman
In conjunction with regular inter-departmental meetings, periodic training on Title IV Regulations could also help ensure that the FAO is included when changes/decisions are being considered that have a direct impact on the administration of financial aid. For other departments involved in Title IV compliance, knowledge and understanding of the Title IV requirements and what role their particular department plays in the overall picture, opens the door to improved communication and cooperation. When important decisions are being made, they may be more than happy to have an expert (i.e. the FAO) on their team.
Linda,
Excellent analysis to promote open communication! The challenge, sometimes, is to convince other departmental staff how critical their involvement is in an area outside of their "own". Some schools have actually included the items you mention above in performance programs/job descriptions. They take the final step with this strategy and hold staff accountable for applicable inter-departmental responsibilities, open communication, team building and conducting periodic training sessions.
Cindy Kohlman
I think having an overall understanding of institutional priorities and a logic-based strategy about how to address and achieve them would naturally result in department heads being included in the decision-making processes that affect their departments. It's not about putting financial aid out in front of or in competition with other departments. That may benefit financial aid but is not ultimately a sustainable or beneficial approach for the entire organization. It's about making sure that the communication structure and practice at the institution allows for decisions to be made based on the most pertinent information. To me, this means always including individuals who have the most relevant knowledge base and information in decisions. Within this kind of operational framework, the FAO would always be consulted in decisions that affect financial aid administration...as a matter of course.
Kristina,
I agree completely with you Kristina. Very well said! I know I am a little jaded, on occasion, as I have experienced the opposite; the Financial Aid Officier is not consulted or involved in decisions that have a direct impact on Department, compliance, and/or staff, etc. You have expressed a very logical approach that clearly articulates that the communication structure is applicable across all departments.
Cindy Kohlman
I would think that meetings that involve all directors from the different departments would help. In these meetings, the FAO would have the ability to inform others of changes in regulation and how other offices are impacted by them. Also, training could be scheduled for those departments.
In order to understand the DOE regulations there should be cross departmental meetings weekly to keep up to date with the new regulations. In addition it would be great to have different departments cross train so they could have a better understanding of compliance issues.
If the FAO is no included in any decision-making meeting, the FAO must request the Institution's President to be included and explain why it is very important and how the FAO can help the Institution to effective administer student funds and reaching its goals while staying in compliance with DOE regulations. Weekly meetings where all Offices are invited are a very good idea to keep all the Institution's members up to date on projects and make any adjustment if necessary.
Sergio,
Both strategies that you suggest work very well to achieve open communication and dialogue between departments. Otherwise, each department will work within their own silo and customer service to the student will suffer, in addition to putting the institution at risk for audit exceptions. It just doesn't make sense that any staff member would ever be in favor of this model, however, unfortunately these infrastructures do still exist in academia today. Training, can serve many purposes, like team building, some down time to have fun and reward those that take the time to organize and develop the programming. I know it can be a challenge to engage all types of personalities, but utilizing different methods and forums will help.
Cindy Kohlman
Maria,
Meetings and training are key ingredients to keeping everyone informed, especially in the financial aid field where things can change very quickly. These strategies will work best if timing is taken into consideration, if the managers can bring some fun into the mix and if the information can be made pertinent to everyone's job responsibilities. Staff also need to understand the reasons why it is so important to keep the communication lines open, in order to best serve students and protect the school that employs them.
Cindy Kohlman
Ileana,
All great ideas to ensure that staff members keep the communication lines open. Advance planning and time for implementation are also important as staff appreciate when things are not dropped on them the last minute. So often, I have witnessed the quietest staff member offering the best solution to a problem when they are just afforded the opportunity to comment and be heard! Staff meetings are so valuable for this purpose and so many others.
Cindy Kohlman
The best strategy is making your campus president aware of your processes and what department effects it. Be apart or request to be apart of management and or academic meetings to ensure everyone is aware the FA demands and needs and how other departments can be a part to help in the process.
