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. 

 

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 

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.

 

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.   

 

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

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.  

 

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

 

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. 

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. 

 

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.