Seeing Stars under the Space Needle

2016 already feels like a blur, especially this summer.  I'm having a hard time accepting that in a week we will be well into August RLS Training when it feels like our students just moved out of Residence yesterday.  Between conferences and vacation, I'm finally taking a moment to reflect on all the excitement of Summer 2016 and appreciate the learning opportunities I was afforded.

One of the highlights from my summer was attending the ACUHO-I Annual Conference and Exposition (ACE) as both a delegate and a member of the Program Committee.  Last year around this time, I was invited to join the ACE Program Committee, which was an enormous honour and one that I did not take lightly.  I was offered the position of the Human Resources Review Coordinator on the Steering Committee, which was responsible for ensuring that high quality and engaging content regarding hiring, training and staff development was offered at the annual conference.  Although it sounds like a relatively easy task, there is a lot of time and effort that goes into recruiting, selecting, and scheduling the hundreds of sessions that are offered at ACE.  When I went to Columbus in February to finalize the programs and start arranging them with the other members of the Program Committee, I quickly realized just how much consideration goes into providing delegates with a high quality, diverse, and inclusive overall conference program.  Considering my institution will be hosting our regional Spring Conference this coming year, I gained so much valuable experience when considering how, when, where, and what programs are selected.  

​Fast forward to July 2016, when the Program Committee members arrived early to setup the Program Office, stuff envelopes with assessments and passport stickers, and began recruiting conference delegates to help us fill in holes for session moderators.  I quickly learned that conferences don't run themselves, and the Program Committee is just one small aspect of the overall conference planning committee(s).  We spent countless hours in that room sealing envelopes, calling out attendance numbers, organizing qualitative and quantitative data, and preparing packages for future session blocks over the course of the week.  While I sincerely enjoyed learning about sessions, hearing about top rated programs, and knowing that the work I was doing was contributing to the greater Association, what I enjoyed most were the laughs that we had in that room.  There is no team builder like being locked in a room with a group of people and given a task, especially for achievers like many of us.  I learned a lot about other members of the committee, the work they do at their institutions, similar successes and challenges that all international delegates face, and trends they are seeing in the field.  Stuffing envelopes actually changed the working relationship that I have with several people on our committee, many of whom I hope to keep in touch with for years to come.  It was another opportunity that left me in awe of how much you can learn just from listening to others' stories and experiences.

Because the majority of my time was spent moderating sessions, and running back to the Programming Office to update attendance numbers or grab more passport stickers, I did not have an opportunity to attend too many sessions in full.  I did, however, learn a great deal from those that I was fortunate enough to overhear, particularly in the areas of professional staff recruitment and supervision. I remember walking back to my hotel that evening feeling rejuvenated and empowered to be a better supervisor, and to think critically about my role in both student staff and professional staff hiring.  

Keys to Overhaul Recruitment (Syracuse University)
The first session that I was able to fully attend was a session by Syracuse University on their professional staff recruitment and hiring process.  Although I don't hire professional staff in my department, as someone with an interest in human resources, it was really intriguing and I was thrilled to learn about ways that other institutions apply their hiring practices.  In this program, the presenters walked delegates through preparing for the recruitment process, up until the individual has been hired, and offered several key considerations.

The first thing that stood out to me was that they immediately showcased their creative and engaging employment guide that is sent out to potential candidates. It is about 40 pages long.  Yes, you read that correctly. FORTY pages.  Included in this resource are testimonials of past employees in the role, which in this case was for a Residence Hall Director/Residence Life Coordinator.  They included pictures of previous individuals in that position, and included responses that highlighted the benefits and value of working in this particular Residence program.  Honestly, the concept was brilliant, creative, and genuinely made you want to learn more about the Syracuse program.  It also included several frequently asked questions that previous candidates had inquired about in their interviews.  It got me thinking about different ways that I could contribute to hiring, recognizing that I very much enjoy instructional and graphic design projects.

The second step of the recruitment process was an online informational webinar for candidates.  Attending the webinar was optional, and it was recorded and sent out for those that could not tune in.  This webinar offered more insightful information regarding the role, the program goals, and the institution.  The idea of the 'compelling story' was used in this webinar as well, which Syracuse considers to be key highlights about the University, the department, the professional experience, fit and diversity, and the city of Syracuse.  This helps candidates identify early on if they feel like the role and culture are aligned with what they are looking for (or not).  

When it comes to the actual hiring process, the Human Resources department conducts a 4 hour training with the panelists on how to effectively complete an on-campus interview.  Within this, they talk about searching for 'KSAs' --  knowledge, skills and abilities -- and how to make a process that is inclusive for all candidates.  From there, the hiring panels create and evaluate conversational components against the identified KSAs that they are looking for, and grade accordingly. 

Supervision (Loyola University)
Conveniently, the next session I had the pleasure of moderating and attending was on staff supervision, which was a nice transition from the previous program on recruitment and hiring.  Of all the things I learned while in Seattle, the wonderful people I met, and the unique opportunities I had as a part of the Program Committee, this session is what I left the most mesmerized by because it was so honest, genuine, and true to my professional values.  

The session started out by discussing what I personally think can be a 'white elephant' of supervision: "my name is on you, and yours is on me".  All too often I think we forget that your reputation is sometimes synonymous with your supervisor and/or your employee.  The decisions you make impacts the other, and the reputation is interconnected. I can say from professional experience that it can sometimes be easy to lose sight of. That, then, begs the question: Are your supervision expectations realistic?  As someone who feels they are often questioned by others for their expectations being too high, I found this so fascinating!  In response, with full confidence and little concern, Deb Schmidt-Rogers told delegates to treat their teams and staff equitably but not equally.  She then rhymed off something that holds true to me, thanks to a previous supervisor: empower good people and get out of the way.  Set clear standards for excellence, and grow your people.  Yes, yes, yes.

​As I sit here reviewing my notes and thinking back to that session, I have goosebumps replaying in my mind the passion, finesse, and authority that she said those words with.  Perhaps it is because this is clearly a topic she has a great deal of knowledge and experience in, but also because she is blunt.  She does not sugar coat her high expectations or dislike for mediocrity.  In order to set such high standards of excellence and empower colleagues, the emphasis was placed on the importance of hiring people that are smarter than you and those who bring skills to the table that you do not have.  Once you've hired knowledgeable and skilled rockstar candidates, give feedback early and often, clearly outlining what you would like excellent results to be and look like.  In Schmidt-Rogers' words, in order to hire and retain top talent, "know the weeds but stay out of them".  In other words, understand the work of those you supervise, but do not do it for them.

In discussing what hiring a top talent looks like, this session highlighted 5 Hallmarks of Potential:
-Motivation: the individual is consistently taking initiative
-Curiosity: always questioning ideas, concepts, and action or wanting to know more
-Insight and Reflection: taking time to gain perspective and reflect on experiences
-Engagement: directly aligned with the values and mission of the department and institution
-Determined to do the job they were hired for: your actual job is the priority, not someone elses'

​Once you've hired that talent, the session highlighted the importance of continuous on-boarding.  At Loyola, on-boarding is a process that takes between 12-18 months and goes well beyond duty-specific training.  This type of training is more about assisting staff in adapting to their new environment, teaching them about the city they live in, and helping them understand that balance is not realistic, but setting clear priorities is.  Furthermore, this on-boarding experience is an opportunity to help a new employee identify what your metric for daily success looks like as their supervisor.

From on-boarding, the program moved to performance management, which the presenters spent quite a bit of time on.  A key piece of this, in their opinion, is on always providing staff with a list of things each person can improve at a global and broad level - things they can add, change, or remove to be more effective.  By doing this, it decreases a supervisor's tendency to keep people in positions at our organizations when they are just 'okay' in their role.  Instead, they should be asking what contributions the employee gave to the department this past year, and what their goal is for the one ahead.  By not being vocal about areas for development, supervisors are headed toward the Kiss of Death:
-Accepting poor work quality
-Not addressing feedback in a timely manner
-Not coaching out

Above all else, Schmidt-Rogers was very bold and brave in standing up and sternly saying to the crowd: "Everyone does not get a trophy".  Amen.  As outlined in this session, recognition is for those who go above and beyond their job description.  Supervisors do a disservice when they reward employees for doing what they were hired and paid for.  There should not be celebrations of hard work with gifts, meals, or materialistic things because people become accustomed to thinking that just coming to work is enough, or in some cases, too much.  Instead of counting hours and minutes, we as supervisors, should be counting high level accomplishments that positively impact and create strong reputations for our department.  Finally, accountability is not optional.  As a supervisor, the presenters passionately express that we should not aspire to be liked; rather, seek to be looked at as someone who is respected and a teacher to others.

As the session concluded, Schmidt-Rogers left me with a thought I don't think I will ever forget.  On the whiteboard in her office, each visitor is greeted with: "The priority is the student experience," and if you are here for any reason other than that, then it's time to go.  That conversation might be difficult, and may invoke a lot of tears, but it's to that person's benefit. To yours as a supervisor too. 

I honestly could go on and on about how engaged I was in these sessions.  I have a strong personal passion in helping others develop in their career, and most of the time it's with an honest and blunt approach.  While I recognize that is not how everyone else operates, it is really nice to know that supervisors who are so respected and acknowledged in our field also lead with the mentality that it's better to be respected than to be liked, because at the end of the day, that approach is helping to develop our staff.  By taking a friend-based approach to supervision, we are not setting realistic expectations for our staff, and we are not allowing ourselves to develop skills in mentorship, difficult conversations, or leadership.  While sometimes it can be hard, my time at ACE reminded me that the student experience is the priority, period.  

​As you can probably tell, in Seattle this summer I really did see stars.  I met and listened to role models in our field, learned from women I look up to for their grace, honesty, and passion, and was empowered to be a star supervisor to my staff in the future.  I got on the airplane back to Canada with stars in my eyes, appreciating the formal and informal learning that happened under that Seattle Space Needle.