Reframing Academic Leadership by Joan V. Gallos & Lee G. Bolman

Author:Joan V. Gallos & Lee G. Bolman [Gallos, Joan V. & Bolman, Lee G.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781119663591
Publisher: Wiley
Published: 2021-02-02T00:00:00+00:00

Academic leaders manage conflict best when they …

Change their own actions first.

Focus on learning rather than avoidance or fixing others.

See the big picture clearly.

Second, don't go into a difficult meeting expecting to solve the problem by fixing someone else. How well would it work to open by telling someone, “The purpose of this meeting is to get you to realize that you need to change your ways”? We know the answer to that question, yet we often hope we can do just that so long as we conceal what we're up to. There is an alternative: focus on learning rather than avoidance or fixing others. You wouldn't have chosen a career in higher education if you didn't believe in learning, and the same is probably true of most people you work with. Establish a simple criterion for success: If everyone learns, it was a good meeting. Then, review the message about advocacy and inquiry in Chapter 3. In preparing for a difficult conversation, plan to combine advocacy and inquiry with a stated goal of ensuring that each of you hears and understands the other. A good starting point is to get agreement on the purpose and agenda for the meeting.

If you're Darya Smith, for example, you could call the interested parties together, and start the meeting with something like this:

We're all aware that there's controversy over the students’ upcoming show. Some of you feel strongly that it should go as planned, and others think it needs to be stopped. The university has delegated the decision to me, and I'll make it if I have to, but I hope that won't be necessary.

Let's see if we can agree first on a way to move forward. I suggest we proceed by asking students and the instructor to explain why they planned the slave auction and what they hope it will achieve. Then we'll ask those who think it's not a good idea to speak. We'll try to make sure we all understand each other. After that, we can discuss options, and see if we can find something that has broad support. Does that agenda work for everyone?

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