What is your organization’s personality type? Even amid increasing challenges, institutions in the online market must present a put-together persona like never before. Join us for a highly interactive session and consider how embracing your institution’s personality type through the lens of comprehensive review could lead to growth and organizational health.
In a climate of changing demographics, cutting-edge technologies, ever-increasing student expectations, and a full employment economy, institutions in the online market must appear to “have it all together.” Unfortunately, failing to recognize and address areas in need of growth tends to result in disappointing outcomes. For that reason, this session was developed to help others recognize that, in the midst of challenges, you may be the one who must initiate change. Certainly, buy-in from university leadership is necessary, and a well thought out design that includes a formula for assessment, solution development and implementation is imperative. However, by asking a few honest questions and a willingness to learn from the lessons-learned-the-hard-way of your peers, your engagement will lead your institution to greater organizational health.
So, where do you begin? We submit that the personality of your unit, which you have probably never considered, is one key to your success. Further, the culture of your institution provides a greater context. How would you describe the interactional patterns of your organization? What traits make your institution distinct? What if subtle modifications could result in healthier relationships among faculty, staff, and students? What if your next successful initiative hinges on your willingness to move away from doing things the way you’ve always done them? Attendees of this session will have the opportunity to review several theories of personality that apply to organizations, to complete an assessment of their own type, and to develop a philosophy of how their type impacts the art of work within the institution.
A recent comprehensive review of each component of the presenters’ institutional operations—from prospective student inquiries through alumni engagement—revealed opportunities for improvement in several areas. Through an appraisal of processes, we identified bottlenecks and inefficiencies that could be corrected; through a review of curriculum and instructional design, we identified updated best practices that required implementation; through an overhaul of student success strategies, we identified needs for enhancement. After reflecting upon our findings, it became clear that each under-performing area could be attributed to interactional patterns and overarching characteristics of our unit—our personality type. While some experts will argue that personality is in-grained and cannot be changed, others will suggest that change is possible with the right amount of self-awareness, commitment to self-improvement, and focus on the potential for positive outcomes.
To be sure, one unit’s personality is revealed only within the broader culture of the institution. Recognizing the reciprocal impact of change was an influential component of our growth mentality—if one aspect of the system began operating differently (i.e., implementing personality changes), then the entire system would be forced to adjust. No matter the organizational structure of your institution, this session is intended to address the challenges involved when systemic mechanisms interfere with modifying existing operations. Ultimately, the goal is to present a model for assessment and change, applicable to leaders at all levels of the institution.
Level of Participation & Session Goals:
This session is designed as interactive, pragmatic, and fun! Building upon the presenters’ expertise in the areas of personality assessment and organizational health, attendees will have an opportunity to identify their unit’s personality type through completion of a brief assessment, to engage with other participants and converse with those who have similar and different types, to identify at least one area for potential growth, and to leave the session with a framework for implementing change. Following completion of the assessment, attendees will participate in table discussions and compare types. This format will be used in brief several times throughout the session. Additionally, attendees will submit to several polls during the session regarding responses on the assessment. The presenters’ personality type will be provided as a sample for each step during the session.