As an academic adviser, student
success is our priority. While my university face some competition with other
aviation-focused schools, we mainly rely on genuinely ethical values. As
Stephen Denning stated, people following this value focuses more on the people in
the community rather than profit (Denning, 2011). As students complete their
degree programs, they will be counting on me and many other university staff to
help them. To do this, it is important to establish and maintain a strong
relationship.
After completing Dr. Randall
Hansen’s Workplace Values Assessment, it wasn’t surprising to notice how closely
tied my values were to my job. Below are five important values I mostly rely
on:
- Integrity and truth.
- Friendships and warm working relationships.
- Professional development and on-going learning and growth.
- Having a positive impact on others and society.
- Being recognized for quality of work in a visible/public way.
The first two values were heavily inspired by personal
experiences. When I was working on my bachelor’s degree, I studied at the same
university I currently work at. Although many of the staff and faculty were
helpful, there were cases where I came across those that “rushed” through their
advisement. I found these people to be a little disrespectful and dishonest:
which eventually lead me to speak to another adviser.
Now that I’m an adviser, I am able
to see and think from the staff and student perspectives. Many of my students
find my advisement helpful because I often connect my personal experiences to
their advisement. According to Zak, storytelling establishes an empathetic
environment. By being empathetic, we’re relating with one another: which
establishes and strengthen relationships (Zak, 2014). One example is when I
make class recommendations for students. Rather than choosing random classes
off the list, I implement my personal experiences when possible. The whole
point of storytelling is to ensure that students don’t make the same mistakes I’ve
made in the past. By doing so, students can see that I’m providing honest information
and that I truly care about them: which often time leads them to respond in the
same manner.
Although sharing personal
experiences may be helpful, it is important to keep in mind that this won’t always
be the case. According to Allison, a leader should always think proactively since
change is constant (2014). Because of this, my third important value is to
constantly seek opportunities to expand and improve my current knowledge. According
to Nosich, a leader’s effectiveness depends on the amount of information they
have (2012). To improve the effectiveness of my advisement, I am currently
taking graduate courses. Although doing so Is not required in my position, I can
gain further knowledge as a staff and student. By doing so, this will improve
the quality of my advisement, which will leave a more positive impact for both
the students and fellow staff.
References:
Allison, A. (2014). Why Leaders Should Never Get
Comfortable. Retrieved from http://www.inc.com/austin-allison/planning-for-inevitable-change.html
Noisch, G. D. (2012). Learning To Think Things Through: A
Guide to Critical Thinking Across the Curriculum. Boston: Peason Education.
Zak, P.
(2014). Why Your Brain Loves Good Storytelling. Harvard Business Review.
Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2014/10/why-your-brain-loves-good-storytelling
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