Great point Mickie, most people do like to contribute when decisions are being made that impact them. How can you create an environment of collaboration at your workplace?
Dr. Jean Norris
People like to feel as though they have contributed. By involving people in the decision making process, even if their suggestions were not used, they will feel as though they helped. This makes a positive impact which is much greater than someone dictating to others what will be done.
When collaborating, its always good you have two opinions, two ideas and two outcomes. its always better that one, collaborating most times bring the best out of both individuals
Karla, sure. That's a great point. Working as a team will ensure consistency and will ultimately help your students.
Dr. Jean Norris
Sharing and discussing your goals as a team will create a team effort. As a team everyone achieves more.
Geoffrey,
Sounds like a great place to work!
Dr. Jean Norris
The more collaborative our efforts, departmentally,interdepartmentally and big picture, the more ownership each individual senses about the big picture, thus creating an overarching interest in the success of everyone, not just self. Bringing a greater sense of happiness to all about being at work and performing tasks.
It looks like you see the value in working in collaboration with other departments or levels of management at your organization. How can you personally encourage collaboration in your department?
Working in collaboration with other entities in my organization makes a positive impact because it typically brings in a lot of different opinions and other instances for improvement. For example a director may see a problem in one way, and not realize that the administrative assistant sees the issue in another light. This problem could be solved using the director's overall authority as well as input from the administrative assistant as to how the students are reacting to the change.
Judie,
It sounds like the collaboration going on is really having an impact! I'm curious what tools, if any, that you used to help understand the team strengths that you mention.
Dr. Jean Norris
Working with the other directors at the school in collaboration with the instructors, we've made many positive changes to our student services as well as graduate services. Bouncing ideas of each other and using each other's strengths has helped improve our problem solving with student concerns and ultimately our retention rate.
That is great Jessica! It sounds like you are collaborating with others in order to continue to be effective with your students. Keep up the great work.
Dr. Jean Norris
Recently, I was able to meet some of my other colleagues from other campuses and it was refreshing to put a name to a face after weekly conference calls. Since, then have reached out to many to share best practices and even some challenges that I have met. A lot of times, you'll find that we all on some level have experienced similarites and success stories! One common goal is I've notice we all look forward to growth and how to become better. Have shared my insight on receiving daily quotes from a motivational speaker whom I've met in person and told our Senior Vice President! He asked me to forward him the info and was very impressed!
Patty, this is a great point. Teamwork and good communication are essential in making a positive impact and ultimately helping our students succeed. Thanks for sharing this.
Dr. Jean Norris
I believe communication is the key for success. We should be working hand in hand with all departments and have a good communication.
Our school collaborate with all department to ensure that all students understand what each department represents, therefore they will know which department can service there needs brings about the service that we have to offer.
Celebrating diversity at your school is awesome, Marlene! Acknowledging your differences and taking an active interest in another persons life experience can be a powerful way to build rapport and develop a solid relationship to move forward.
Our school is diverse we feel it is very important to have other staff member available to service our students. sometime we ask them how to say certain things in their language it make them feel better knowing we care. Working together make a stonger impack on them as well as our staff reguardless of where they come from.
Adalinda, great point. Your team almost becomes more effecient when working in collaboration. Keep us posted on the progress.
Working in collaboration will allow us better decision making once we establish common ground, which it will also allow up to accomplish our goals.
