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(21) Knowledgable of fundraising strategies, strategic planning and legal issues in higher education

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(21) Knowledgable of fundraising strategies, strategic planning and legal issues in higher education

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FUNDRAISING - It goes without saying you need money or resources to do things. In the case of higher education, there is always much needed dollars for scholarships, faculty development, operating support, facility enhancements and strengthening of the colleges endowment.

In lieu of the economic downturn, still we forge ahead and do our best to run “business as normal." From my vantage point, while funding priorities within Delaware Tech may change, the faculty, families and community partners remain loyal to our core mission – changing lives.

As a participant of the LDP cohort 9, I now understand why the ever so often recommendation of raising tuition prices is not the solution. First, it goes against Delaware Tech’s mission of offering affordable education. Secondly, even if we could raise tuition as a budget measure, we cannot realistically cover the true cost of a college education reflected in library resources, equipment, faculty development, facilities maintenance, collaborative initiatives, and other real but often hidden costs and liabilities. Overall, as a leader it is critical that both we and our teams are knowledgeable of the colleges fundraising goals and able to articulate it to stakeholders and potential donors.

LEGAL ISSUES - In my previous role as the Upward Bound Math Science Director, I was tasked with designing new programs and experiences for students with disadvantaged backgrounds. My mantra was "exposure equals expansion." With that in mind, I'd pursue experiences outside of the normal college access traditional programming. Some of which included visiting places like Disney World to discover and learn about the magic (the science), visiting NASA Space Center University in Houston, Texas or something as local as Bubba Gump Shrimp at the Baltimore Harbor to experience a sit down dinner.

What all of these excursions had in common was the recommended changes from Delaware Tech's legal team. As the Program Director it was my responsibility to request these changes with each vendor to ensure all contractual verbiage was satisfactory to our legal team which would in turn allow UBMS students the experience. WHAT DID I LEARN? I learned the "why" behind the process. While it may seem cumbersome and redundant to send what appears to be a simple or frequent contract/agreement, our legal team is in place to protect employees, our students and the college.

Pictured: Courtney Hutt and Natalie Washington at Delaware Tech's Stanton | George Lucky 13 Annual Mardi Gras Fundraiser.

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QUOTE: "The more I learn, the more I realize how little I knew."
~Natalie Washington

Leaders must have a vision. That vision helps guide your leadership compass. While at times we either may be in a rush or on a strict deadline, we often try to find the easiest way to make the greatest gain in the shortest amount of time. In the short-run it may work but not so in the future.

Effective leaders pick an end goal, create a road map, relay the message and work the plan. However, what happens when change is necessary and the end destination is new? Throughout these inevitable periods of change, leaders need to be able to lead their people into going from change avoidance to change acceptance.

As I continue to grow in my current position and responsibilities, I am exposed to the "why behind the what" of existing processes and policies. Essentially, the more I learn, the more I realize how little I knew.   What I have been exposed to both in the Leadership Development program as well as in my position as the Operations Manager for Workforce Development and Community Education - has caused me to see Delaware Tech from the macro level. As such, changing priorities sometimes start from the top. As leaders, we must be adaptable and provide leadership to our teams to do the same.

Pictured: My favorite quote submitted to the SGA Leaders at the 2017 Leadership Conference.

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(18) Looks for ways to be more effective

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(18) Looks for ways to be more effective

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Although many of us like to think that we're 100 percent effective, the truth is that most of us have strengths and weaknesses that impact our effectiveness. Many of us could benefit from tweaking at least a few of our skills in order to become even more effective. For instance, we may excel in areas such as time management. But how much time do you put into learning new skills, or staying on top of trends related to your areas? Or contrarily, how much time do we spend only developing our weaknesses?

One of our cohort members Cassell Parsell shared in his leadership resource review that we often spend time developing our weaknesses while neglecting the sustainability or continued improvements of our strengths. The challenge is how to do both all-the-while growing as an individual, a professional and continuously work towards being more effective.

When I inherited the Upward Bound program, evidence of the previous directors strengths was apparent. I immediately applied mine – which was organization and order, subsequently causing the program to run more efficiently. However, overtime this quick application of strengths wasn’t merely enough. We then began to self-audit every component of our operation to ensure we were running at optimal level. As a result, we successfully reported an outstanding site visit from the Department of Education and endorsed as a “model program” nationally. The lesson I learned here is to always find ways to improve. Subscribing to an attitude that suggest “we or I arrived” is dangerous and will often lead to ineffectiveness.

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QUOTE: "Diligent follow up and follow through will set you apart from the crowd and communication excellence." ~John Maxwell

An urban euphemism I grew up hearing came from the West Indian culture stating, “My word is my bond.” I never knew how this once familiar phrase played a critical part not only during my formative years but also in my leadership style.  These words, five in total, sealed not just what seem to be trivial matters but also covenants. In essence, your word meant something and in the case of leadership – so does following through.

Following through is one of the best ways to build credibility, earn trust, and establish you as a leader. Without follow through, your credibility is damaged, your personal brand takes a hit, and worse your leadership will be questioned. As a leader, following through on your commitments is a do or die, a make or break situation. Your follow through or lack thereof can result in either building trust or damaging it.

I see the fruits of “following through” both as a follower and leader. The level of accountability and nurture that I am held to is duplicated in my leadership. In the end, as the head goes – so does the body.  It is my hope that my team will file suite and do the same.

Pictured: The Ninth Leadership Development Program Cohort at the 2017 Administrative Retreat; Themed: Building A Culture of Grit

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QUOTE: "I can do anything. But I can't do everything." ~Vince Meconi.

I remember hearing these two - very short sentences during an LDP seminar and in that moment, light bulbs, bells and flags went wild internally. All of a sudden I realized my propensity to anticipate problems and find the solutions before they surface may appear to be a strength, however, if it is unchecked or misuesed, the "getting-it-right" may be compromised.  Why?

Every problem is not for you to solve. As it relates to management, I found myself fixing things for my staff prematurely. While I believe this is impart the responsibility of leaders, it is also okay for the fruit of bad or uninformed decisions to unveil - this way learning sticks. In other words, if you're always fixing then you're not really teaching - but instead enabling. Teaching and learning fosters a culture of wanting to "get it right."

Pictured: Natalie Washington, moments before delivering a sermon on "The Waiting Room."

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(15) Treats people with respect, dignity and fairness

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(15) Treats people with respect, dignity and fairness

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QUOTE: "No matter how educated, talented, rich or cool you believe you are, how you treat people ultimately tells all. Integrity is everything." ~Author Unknown

There are so many ways we can demonstrate dignity, respect and fairness. Some of those common sense examples include respecting yourself, really listening to others, treat other people's ideas with consideration, don't intrude on the time and privacy of others, being mindful of your words and cultivating good manners just to name a few. However, the ability to do so must begin with why it is important.

The word dignity is derived from the Latin word dignitas (merit) or dignus (worthy). Other definitions include the state or quality of being worthy of honor and a sense of self –importance. Accordingly, dignity can be understood as a personal attribute that is recognized by one self and commands respect. As such, if we are unable to demonstrate dignity, it is a direct reflection of how we see ourselves.

As a leader, I have learned that your people do not care how much information or direction you can offer, but instead, they are more concerned with how much you care or see them as a worthy contributor to the team. With this understanding, demonstrating dignity, respect and fairness comes easy with the aforementioned examples.

Pictured: Natalie Washington and domestic violence survivor Francine Wallace at Seeds of Greatness 2016 Annual Domestic Violence Awareness Breakfast.

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QUOTE: "Leadership not wielding authority - it's empowering people."
~Becky Brodin

Recently, my division leadership empowered me to make a decision whereby the results would directly effect one of our subunits. Up until this moment, I found safety in relying on their decisions. As part of my training, the power was now shifted.

During this time, Vince Meconi was scheduled to deliver an LDP seminar on government and management. Unbeknownst to me or Mr. Meconi, he would provide counsel to the decision I was faced with. He encouraged us to take ample time selecting our "bench." He went on to suggest that our performance starts with our people. While the decision on deck would not have caused catastrophic outcomes what mattered was that I was empowered to choose.

This example of empowering others is what I hope to exude as a leader. While leaders must carefully identify appropriate times to shift or share the power, they also must provide explanation, direction and correction if needed. Similarly, the goals of the Upward Bound Math Science program is to empower students to make healthy and carefully thought out choices regardless of circumstances.

Pictured: Upward Bound Math Science Alum Maame Riverson in the National Council for Opportunity in Education competition - 1st Place winning video on capturing the legacy of Upward Bound. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Llt5raF1WQ

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(14) Is a creator and supporter of a high quality learning environment

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(14) Is a creator and supporter of a high quality learning environment

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Many of the pre-college programs at Delaware Tech offer college access support to students who typically come from disadvantaged backgrounds. For example, the Upward Bound program at the George campus works with high performing high school students attending low performing schools. Overtime, we discovered these students were heading to college not only underprepared but also lacking a high quality learning environment.

In response to this discovery, Workforce Development created summer academies held at the colleges campuses to provide exposure to high quality instruction and learning environments as well as experiences typically unavailable to these students.

During the LDP graduation, I will be away with a group of Delaware Tech College Access program students - attending NASA's Space Center University in Houston, Texas. Students will be given a week-long out of space mission and will experience leadership, physics, engineering, math and team work - all wrapped up in one!

Pictured: Citlalli Morales, Upward Bound Math Science and William Penn student exploring diverse habitats and how ecosystems work at Cape Henlopen State Park.

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(13) Sensitive to stakeholders needs, flexible and proactive.

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(13) Sensitive to stakeholders needs, flexible and proactive.

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The Delaware Tech mission states that we are to be relevant and responsive to the labor market and community needs. A core function of the Workforce Development and Community Education division is to frequently assess and address the needs of the labor market.

Whether it be contract training for an organization, meeting the need of a workforce trend or filling in the gaps and providing support by way of youth programs, the division at large thrives with stakeholder needs in mind.

Pictured: Delaware Tech Receives $125,000 Grant from JPMorgan Chase Foundation to Expand Pathways for Careers in Technology. From left to right; Dr. Judith A. Sciple, Robert E. Hagerty, Dr. Mark T. Brainard, Daryl A. Graham, Dr. Kathy Janvier, and Dr. Lora A. Johnson

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QUOTE: "Always stay close to the heart beat of humanity."
~Miriam Arroyo, My Mother

Community involvement is the process of engaging in dialogue and collaboration with community members. From my experience, community involvement advocates and strengthens meaningful community participation. As both a Delaware Tech employee and Delawarean, it is a must!

Groups such as schools, community organizations and industry partners must work together to promote the health, wellbeing, and learning of the community, our students and all stakeholders. When the college actively engages community resources, we are able to respond more effectively to the community and needs of our students. Moreover, community involvement fosters partnerships among schools, family, community groups, and individuals.

Pictured: Kamela Smith, Natalie Washington, Lisa Lewis and Bernadette Mills; calling for volunteers and attendees for a Mercy Multiplied fundraiser

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Technology is no longer limited to the use of Wi-Fi, social media or special applications. At Delaware Tech, online and hybrid courses no longer gives us a cutting edge. Instead, the information technology team is exploring a learning management system, to later be revealed, and digital course materials that will strengthen traditional face-to-face learning and distance courses.

As effective as technology can be, the fact remains that if we are uncomfortable using technology, it will show in the implementation and overall use. It is important to get to a certain comfort level using technology so the experience is beneficial for faculty, staff, and students.

This is a reality some may find difficult to embrace. However, the impact on student performance and employee efficiency supports the notion that technology - either at Delaware Tech or outside of the institution, is here to stay. Fortunately, DTCC offers training and support year round making the implementation of new technology more effective.

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(10) Excellent understanding of College history, mission, goals and academic philosophy 

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(10) Excellent understanding of College history, mission, goals and academic philosophy 

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I recall my first days as an employee at Delaware Tech. at the George campus. This was also the last week of the long time serving Campus Director Larry Miller. The campus culture during this week appeared to be drab. As a new bee, I was mildly critical of this but overtime I developed a tremendous respect and admiration for Mr. Miller's contribution to the college and the legacy he left with the people he led.

Through this experience, I learned that understanding an organizations history can help you analyze and respond to its moods, attitudes and conditions. As for Delaware Tech, the long and rich history of changing lives will undoubtedly have an impact on the relevance of our programs, processes and core mission.

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QUOTE: "I have students who've gone through hell just to get to my classroom...Know this. If you can walk across this stage, you can do anything." ~Dr. Jill Biden, Former Second Lady of the United States

My first teaching experience at Delaware Tech was an evening remedial English course. While the goals of the course was to prepare students for college level English, I often found myself serving more as an advisor than an instructor. The class I was assigned to was exceptionally diverse. For example, there were students from age seventeen through seventy; various cultures represented such as Asia and Latin America – and a myriad of learning styles just to name a few. I also had a mother-daughter pair on the class roster. There is no doubt that such diversity poses special challenges from a pedagogical point of view, but at its best it makes for an amazingly dynamic classroom.
Besides the broad variety of their backgrounds, students at Delaware Tech often work full time jobs, they have families, some are retired from the work force, and some are veterans. For most of them, school is something they have chosen to do, and have made significant sacrifices just to get through the classroom door. All of this means that they have a great deal of outside personal experience to bring to a classroom discussion.

In the end, I have found my teaching experience at the college to be a very rewarding one.

Pictured: Stident participants at the 2017 SGA Leadrship Conference.

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As noted in my LDP application, my goal for this program was to gain a macro view of the colleges goals, operations, planning, and functions of each area. Every activity and seminar exceeded my expectations. One key take away was gaining greater understanding of our college President Dr. Mark Brainard's effort in identifying a long term solution for financing the maintenance and expansion of our campuses.

Dr. Brainard's presentation - both during the campus update as well as before the Joint Finance Committee highlighted the urgency related to the creation of an infrastructure fund. The argument of growing expenses related to deferred maintenance was made crystal clear. Additionally, Vice President for Finance Gerard M. McNesby stated that Community colleges nationwide that debuted in the mid-1960s and later are showing their age.

This scenario illustrates the importance of being able to see the big picture, identify needs, and proactively come up with solutions.

Pictured: Dr. Mark T. Brainard at Legislative Hall discussing Delaware Tech’s top priority - identify a long-term capital financing solution for over $153 million in deferred maintenance and expansion needs caused by an antiquated funding formula.

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During our decision making seminar with the three campus directors, I asked a question where I assumed each would have a different response. The burning question was, "what is an example of a decision you are faced with that is difficult?" Almost in sync, the three responded with the same answers - "Inclement weather!"

As an employee and mid-level manager, we are limited to waiting for an alert that tells us if we are opening, closing, or delayed. For a campus director, the process is far more complex. The three went on to explain all the items to consider in making these decisions such as safety and operations. Dr. Kathy Janvier stated, "You can have all the information that leads to a particular decision and still get it wrong."

What I learned here is that the call to leadership sometimes comes with the burden of making a decision that impacts many people. Whether you get it right or wrong, the decision is yours to carry.

Pictured: Dr. Kathy Janvier, Vice President and Campus Director of Delaware Tech's Stanton and George Campuses

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QUOTE: "Your attitude is your inward life displayed. It's your cologne. It's the thing that enters a room without you even speaking. Will you be the one who will stink up the entire locker room?" ~Pastor Jerome Lewis

Team spirit is essential especially at Delaware Tech. So much of our work is structured around teams or group work. Even roles that may appear to be highly individualized often require team work at some point. Whether it’s faculty, staff or a senior administrator, every person at Delaware Tech has to consider himself or herself as part of a team in order for the college to function smoothly. The moment a “That’s not my job!” attitude appears, you have the makings of a dysfunctional team or organization.

More importantly, at the heart of every team must be student success. I recall my LDP cohort member Cassell Parsell relating his work with administrative services. He went on to share how his leadership was rooted in creating a meaningful learning environment for our students and how his role contributes to the team approach of student success.

Pictured: Natalie Washington celebrating team spirit at Seeds of Greatness Team Day

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QUOTE(s): "Inspect what you expect." ~Paul T. Morris Jr.

"As a manager, make sure your people understand what's expected of them. Communicate it frequently and write those expectations. Aggressively hold them to those responsibilities." ~Rick Kralevich (Paraphrase)

In my newest role as an Operations Manager for Workforce Development and Community Education, I have been stretched in refining my management abilities. Prior to this role, I was responsible for one program whereas now I have oversight of nine.

What I have learned at this level is that you will always have moving targets and competing priorities How to prioritize them is what will make or break you. During Vince Meconi's seminar on management, he provided valuable insight on how to accomplish this. He suggest not putting out the easy fires first but instead to intentionally go after the big ones. He went on to say to delegate repetitive task to someone on your team. He ended his session with a statement that rings true to me sever since. "You can do anything but you can't do it all." -Vince Meconi

Pictured: The Upward Bound Math Science 2016 Academic Summer Enrichment Academy faculty and staff at the annual closing ceremony.

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QUOTE: “A leader has the vision and conviction that a dream can be achieved. He inspires the power and energy to get it done.” ~ Ralph Lauren

Vision is a mental picture of the future. It is an idea of what the future can hold, but has not yet happened. At times, it is internal and guides us. It creates a desire to grow and improve. Vision embodies our hopes and ideals. It gives us a sense of purpose. Vision brings us flashes or glimpses of what is possible.

So why is Vision important in Leadership? Vision shows us where we are headed. It helps a leader prepare for the future and stay on course during rocky times or unexpected setbacks. Secondly, vision provides motivation and inspires us to keep on going with the end result in mind. A leader’s vision needs to be strong enough to carry followers through to the end. Otherwise they will stop short of their goals. Thirdly, vision helps to keep us moving forward through obstacles. A solid vision responds to little set backs and obstacles with ease and perseverance. Fourth, Vision provides focus. With all of life’s distractions, and people vying for our attention nowadays, it can be hard to feel a sense of accomplishment. As a leader, acting on your vision will provide you with the focus needed to accomplish your goals. Vision helps leaders work on what is important to achieve the end results and not get caught up in the mundane stuff.

Finally, vision gives us meaning and purpose to what we do. As a leader, it will help you to see the end result of your efforts. It will give you your “why?” and the reason that you are doing what you do.

Pictured: A proverb of wisdom from the Christian Bible

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(3) Excellent interpersonal and communication skills

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(3) Excellent interpersonal and communication skills

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QUOTE: "Everyone communicates. Few connect!" ~John C. Maxwell

The ability to effectively connect and communicate with people is a critical component of influential leadership. Excellent interpersonal and communication skills will not only increase your influence, it will always require you to use more energy and go beyond your words. Every one attempts to communicate, however very few have mastered the art of making your words matter.

While I believe I possess solid interpersonal and communication abilities, it is always an area that requires on-going development.  Throughout the 9th class of the LDP cohort years, I intentionally observed both senior administrators and the presidents council styles of communicating. A vast variety of communication styles emerged - none correct or incorrect but certainly different. In the end, I learned how we communicate individually will be unique to us, however, the outcome should always be the same - clear and effective communication.

Pictured: Natalie Washington delivering a sermon on "What to Do in the Waiting Room."

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(1) Open, honest and exhibits the highest standards of integrity 

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(1) Open, honest and exhibits the highest standards of integrity 

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Honest leaders create better teams.  Your ability to be honest and straightforward with the teams you lead indicate “the” virtuous attribute of leadership – integrity. Integrity or moral uprightness is generally a personal choice we hold ourselves to whereby consistent moral and ethical standards are enforced.  The key is it's a choice! In the case of poor or bad leadership, little to no honesty suggest low standards and no integrity for the both the organization and the people you serve.

Recently, I was given new information that directly effects one of the teams I lead in a significant way. While the presented information was alarming I knew there was the possibility that the information could change in the more positive direction. The dilemma I was faced with was how forthright I should have been given the fact that the entire outcome could change. I decided to not reveal this information until I absolutely had to. In the end, decisions were made at a national level in the positive direction. While the information was certainly burdensome, I no longer had to reveal what we could have potentially been faced with. What I learned is that while it is important to maintain honesty and high standards of integrity, you never want to distribute information prematurely that can cause your people unnecessary anxiety. The challenge is know when and how to disclose information.

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Self-awareness is a big deal. Failure to face reality can destroy not only your career but also the teams you lead. The truth is there are lots of paths that people take to avoid confronting whatever it is they don't want to confront. Those paths can be costly to the college.

One way to proactively remain self-aware is to continuously develop your leadership style and abilities by reading leadership books. As I grow in my leadership, I frequently make adjustments based on what is currently working and the environment in which I’m leading.

Another way to proactively remain self-aware is to find a mentor. I have an external professional mentor who provides direction and correction when needed. This is a trusted professional who at times facilitates what can be a difficult conversation. As a result, I’ve been able to see behaviors that could have been misinterpreted and make adjustments accordingly.