"Field Notes" is an occasional Connect column covering practical and philosophical issues facing admissions and registrar professionals. The columns are authored by various AACRAO members. If you have an idea for a column and would like to contribute, please send an email to the editor at connect@aacrao.org.
by Amy E. Harth, Academic Support Specialist, DeVry University
I’ve learned a lot from two changes over the past year. One change is within my department. After several reorganization efforts, I find myself in a new area of my department in which I’m doing new work focusing on accreditation, plus much of my old work, which relates to academic policy and catalogs and supports our registrar functions. The second change stems from my pursuit of a PhD. Recently, I’ve become more involved in transpartisan political outreach groups. One key framework from these groups is learning how to bridge seemingly intractable divides and work together on important and challenging topics. In my work on accreditation, I’ve also learned how having a comprehensive view of the higher education landscape can help address competing priorities. Below are some key lessons from this past year.
Find positive intent. A common phrase in working with others is to assume positive intent. This is a lovely sentiment, but it can be challenging when someone makes it difficult to do your work. When someone isn’t responding to your requests for information, or colleagues aren’t attending important meetings or seem to ignore deadlines, how do you assume positive intent? When conversations seem to escalate, this assumption seems fruitless. Instead of making this assumption, however, looking for positive intent can be useful. This is an empathetic approach in which we look for what the person might think is good in the situation. A person who isn’t responding to an email might not realize it was a request for information. A person who isn’t meeting a deadline might have deadline pressures elsewhere that take precedence. His or her positive intent is to a different priority. Understanding others’ priorities, your priorities and the relationships among them can help increase empathetic responses.
Ask more questions. One way to find positive intent is to better understand the perspective of those you work with and serve. Many of our conflicts come from mistaken assumptions. When possible, ask questions even if you think you already know the answers. Be open to answers you aren’t expecting and changing your behaviors based on those answers. Keep in mind that just like you, others can change their minds over time. Just because Terry has always appreciated receiving a weekly email doesn’t mean that will always be the case.
Explain why. The key theme here is breaking down assumptions. Finding positive intent and asking questions can go a long way to better understanding each other. A key corollary to this is that when it’s your turn, explain your understanding of key priorities, and what motivates you and your behavior. Help students understand why department offices have the features they do. Help your colleagues learn the history of your institutional procedures. Work together to develop plans that incorporate various viewpoints and competing visions to serve an overarching theme.
Put people first. As all these ideas focus on our interactions with others, it’s key that people come before projects or paperwork. Many of our projects focus on helping people too. We need to make sure that in our dedication to processes we don’t lose sight of our goals of helpfulness. Certainly some deadlines are immovable. How we accomplish them is critical. An approach that validates the importance of our work, as well as those for whom and with whom we strive, helps balance these essential components. Key to this is ensuring we take care of ourselves. A lovely aphorism is that you cannot pour from an empty cup.
By finding positive intent, asking more questions and taking time to explain ourselves, we make room for empathy for both others and ourselves. We too may need a deadline extension. We too may have misunderstood a project or a person. Person-centered work helps engage people and their core values. People who are respected and listened to can bridge nearly any divide.