Photo by D. Breezy (2010)

I turn away and shut the door, and on the stair
Wonder how many times I could have proved my worth
In something that all others understand or share…
–From Meditations In Time Of Civil War by William Butler Yeats (1923)

Five Actions to Promote Collegiality

Collegiality is on my mind this month.  Maybe because of all the vitriolic rhetoric we Americans are being subjected to on the nightly news. Or maybe because I know of two people turned down for tenure this spring whose academic record was sound, but reading between the lines, there was a judgment that the person had failed to be “collegial.”

Collegiality is simply the relationship between colleagues. Colleagues are those explicitly united in a common purpose. In a good department, colleagues respect each other’s abilities and have a sense of shared responsibilities, from teaching to providing public forums for students and faculty to share new research in their area of expertise.

A key component of success within the department and the higher education institution as a whole is the department chair. The chair can promote or impair collegiality.  Faculty members are people, too, and some are a delight to be around, and some are difficult, or as many psychologists like to say today, “challenging.” Promoting collegiality requires several components:

·       A willingness to find the middle (compromise) ground
·       A willingness to give and take, rather than engage in power struggles
·       Including all faculty in major decisions while de-emphasizing status differences
·       Sharing information, and clarifying performance expectations

A healthy department invites expression, exploration, inquiry, and mutual trust. On the other side, there are the dysfunctional departments where bad behavior is tolerated or brushed aside, and there goes real communication and true solutions to problems.

Jacqueline Waggoner, an assistant professor of education at the University of Portland, describes three types of  “difficult colleagues” in Teaching Careers: The people who think their needs are the most important, the bullies who have temper tantrums, and the conflict avoidant who make excuses and never get their assigned work done.   What’s a colleague to do?

Try these five actions:
1.     Model positive communication behavior, and do not allow anyone to get away with making negative statements about anyone else.  Focus the discussion on the topic at hand, not the individual.  Do not ignore hurtful comments: it leaves other people feeling unprotected. Worse, it provides tacit permission for the behavior to continue.
2.     Remember you can only control your own reactions, and not what someone else says.  Practice detachment, and try to see some value in the suggestions comments, even if your initial reaction is to disagree.  You may be surprised at the areas where you do actually agree on a solution.
3.     Decide how important this decision really is.  If it is a small decision, let it go.  If it’s a big one, it probably needs more time or information for consideration. Consider postponing the discussion.
4.     Keep your sense of humor.  Smile. Even better, laugh. This can both relieve tension and really put things in perspective.  It feels good and it’s good for you.
5.     Celebrate success. After a successful meeting or interaction, acknowledge it. Schedule a department lunch or happy hour just for fun, and make sure everyone feels welcome. It will allow you to know people outside of the professional situation, and foster understanding. This builds a solid relationship for facing the next difficult situation.


Need help promoting collegiality?
Contact me at:
CoachHillary
@www.TransitioningYourLife.com
to set up a 30-45 minute complimentary session.

As my free gift to you, go to my website to download my
Special Report: Visioning and Goal Setting.

Ask the Coach A free monthly group call is available through Stress and Success in Higher Education. If you would like to ask an academic coach a specific question, or would like 10-15 minutes of laser coaching on a specific topic, please register for the April 15th session by emailing:
CoachHillary
@www.TransitioningYourLife.com

If you found the information in this blog helpful, please forward it to your colleagues.

 

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