By Arlene Cash, ASCEND Coach, and Johnika Dreher, ASCEND Program Coordinator
Coaching is unlocking people's potential to maximize their performance. It is helping them to learn rather than teaching them. - John Whitmore
As higher education professionals, most of what we know about our work was learned on the job, refined from our daily experiences, and, if we were lucky, through professional development opportunities, such as conferences. The journey to our roles in leadership positions fluctuated between rough and inspired. Have we ever stopped to question why it ever had to be rough? Why not be inspired and inspiring? A decade before that, the pace was slower. A decade ago, even slower. Enrollment was sufficient, and we were excited about the various levels of growth. Now, we are concerned.
Higher education is rapidly changing, and we see more and more of our colleagues exiting the field for various reasons. I recently had a conversation with another mid-career colleague in higher education, and she summarized it as we are losing “recipes.” Think about that for a second. How do we move beyond doing more with less as the norm? What does this mean for the profession where creativity, futurism, and people intersect if we continue to promote technology as the premiere innovation? Technology can only do so much. Someone taught our institution leaders, and it was not Ai. Education sprouts like a flower because it is about the community of growers to cultivate fertile minds with knowledge to grow and thrive together.
We must be intentional.
Where will the next generation of leaders come from? How do we balance the inevitable integration of technology with people's natural genius? What are we doing to support and continually develop those who desire to be or remain leaders?
Train people well enough so they can leave, treat them well enough so they don't want to. - Richard Branson
Upskilling
We want the best for our students. We should - it’s why we do what we do. However, why not the same for our colleagues and staff members? In an atmosphere where we often don't know what we don't know, who guides us thoughtfully without fear of ramifications? Personalities clash, leaders are individuals and can be intimidated by conflict, and the idea of a meaningful performance evaluation seems like a foreign language no one can decipher, so we rush through them. This isn’t everyone, but I’m sure we’ve all had one of these experiences in higher education. As leaders within the field, we have an opportunity to cultivate leadership development in our profession with intentional effort. Are we developing the capacity in our teams and colleagues to ask the right questions and assess the right data?
We all must be consistent learners, continuously expanding our knowledge and capabilities. If we do it together, we can achieve more instead of feeling like we must know and do it all. Have we devoted enough focus to intentionally developing leaders? Too often, we hire new individuals and throw them into the fire. Meanwhile, the expectation is clear: the strong will survive, and the team will support the mediocre.
Things could be so much better for the sustainability of our profession if we coached from a place of authenticity, freedom, and compassion. A new generation of colleagues desires to advance through the academy quickly. Who are we to discriminate or hate, as some would say, because their experience or duration doesn't mirror that of previous generations? Instead of those feelings, how can we all work together to cultivate our field for the future? Many colleagues desire to learn as they move upward, and some desire to learn as they stay where they are. How can we give our successors the tools to exceed our accomplishments while incorporating historical wisdom and learning methods that allow us to work smarter and not simply harder?
Quality over quantity. - Said all efficient leaders everywhere
Coaching to ASCEND
The answer lies in coaching. Coaching unlocks people's potential to maximize their performance by helping them learn rather than teaching them. It empowers professionals to gain clarity on their vision, leverage their strengths, and navigate complexities with enhanced critical thinking and decision-making abilities.
The ASCEND Leadership Development program embodies this coaching philosophy. ASCEND accelerates mid-career professionals from historically excluded backgrounds into strategic higher education leadership roles. The intensive 9-month program offers immersive cohort learning, one-on-one coaching, and career development through the lens of a strategic enrollment management (SEM) capstone project.
What is ASCEND?
As a concept, it means not only to rise but to lift. When we started this program, we did so to formalize the network of professionals who were mentoring, encouraging, connecting, and promoting among ourselves and with those who had the interest and drive to be in positions we held. The acronym defines what the word invokes: AACRAO Stands by our Commitment to Emerging Negotiators (and Nurturers) of Diversity. We understood that the mentoring would be more than teaching colleagues the technical skills needed for our work. Still, it would also encompass some sharing of strategies that helped many of us not just survive but thrive in environments that were sometimes unwelcoming and unsupportive. As THE organization supporting enrollment leadership, AACRAO was ready to provide the resources, leadership, and time to gather a group of professionals who understood the quantitative and qualitative skills needed for growing and sustaining a diverse enrollment workforce.
ASCEND seeks experienced AACRAO members to serve as faculty coaches to empower the next cohort of diverse higher education leaders. As a coach, you'll facilitate workshops to engage scholars in probing questions to evoke insights and enhance their AACRAO and SEM competencies. You'll guide them in navigating some of the hurdles so many of us have had to overcome on our own and leveraging their strengths where equity, inclusion, and innovation are greatly needed.
The ideal coaching candidates have current or former experience as a Registrar, Associate/Assistant VP in Enrollment Services, or higher role - preferably with SEM planning expertise. Interested coaches should possess a deep appreciation for diversity and a growth mindset committed to developing others.
Through this immersive experience, as a coach, you will nurture scholars' emotional intelligence, helping them manage emotions, motivate teams, and inspire others with effective communication. You'll open doors through your influence and model the continuous learning required to embrace challenges for the road ahead. As importantly, you'll gain insights into your own leadership capabilities.
ASCEND participants rave about the transformative impact of coaching:
My coach was an invaluable guide, helping me clarify my strengths and vision to secure a promotion within months.
The coaching relationship catalyzed profound personal and professional growth, empowering me to lead boldly.
Coaching provided the support I needed to complete the program successfully and navigate challenges.
Ready, Set, Coach
The deadline to apply as an ASCEND Coach is May 15, 2024. If you're passionate about coaching, diversity, and developing transformative leaders, I encourage you to become an ASCEND Coach and unlock your potential and that of future pioneers.
For the sustainability of our profession, we must prioritize investing in each other's growth through coaching. It's how we'll shape innovative leaders prepared to reshape the learner experience. The future is brighter when we all commit to learning, not just leading. Click here to learn more and apply.