“That meeting could have been an email…” How many times have we left a meeting and heard, or even said, those words? Finding the balance between engagement, development, support and follow up can be difficult, especially in the field of Higher Education. There are so many priorities that shift at a moment’s notice that it’s easy to either forget to conduct professional staff check-ins or to have meetings just because that’s the way it’s always been done. Quality time with our teams is something to easily overlook and take for granted.
With virtual meetings now the new normal for both students and staff — and the continued question of, “Is this something we need to do?” — I reached out to a few professional staff to see how they balance their check-ins with their direct reports.
Support Systems Balance Trust & Creative Action
From Erin Anderson, the assistant director of Youth & Family Programs at the University of Arizona
“One way leaders in our field can make one-on-one meetings more meaningful is truly keeping their active support in mind. I like going into one-on-one meetings with my supervisor with a list of what’s working and what may not be working. In that conversation my hope is they have suggestions on how to help or know of a contact that would be able to assist.
“With my own staff, when I am leading a one-on-one, I go into the conversation open minded with creativity to help solve the issues they might be facing themselves. Knowing you have a support system and working together for the common goal of success goes a long way.”
Open Doors Lead to Strong Communication
From Ashford Evans-Brown, the assistant director of Fitness Facility Operations at Florida State University
“With my direct reports — currently there are three of them — I have regularly scheduled meetings with one of them weekly. We share an office suite, so often he doesn’t have much to talk about because he just walks over and gets what he needs during the day. I keep this meeting on the books with him mostly to talk about his development rather than what’s going on in our spaces.
“All in all, in my case as a person being supervised and supervising, the lines of communication and accessibility are free flowing. So, as a person being supervised I don’t have regularly scheduled weekly meetings. As a supervisor, these are a chance to touch base and see how the person is doing rather than what is going on with the job.”
Transparency is Key to Development
From Morgan Munoz, the associate director of Facility Operations at Towson University
“For productivity and efficiency sake, I send any talking points, questions, updates or agenda items about two days ahead of when we meet. This allows my staff to prepare for our one-on-ones and gives them a good indicator of what will be discussed. They also do the same as it’s a two-way street. By sending out the agenda ahead of time, we both come into the meeting with solutions, instead of problems to be solved.”
Invest in Sense of Belonging During Professional Staff Check-ins
From Bryan Haunert, the director of Campus Recreation at Illinois State University
“It’s always been vital for me to connect with staff on a personal level in one-on one meetings. As a director, we sometimes don’t realize how important that face-to-face time is to many in the department. It’s their chance to feel heard, supported and to bounce ideas. It’s also your chance as a supervisor to value them as individuals. I have one-on-one meetings where very little work is discussed, but they’re so productive on a personal level. Making those personal connections goes a long way in terms of their sense of belonging and perceived value as a person and employee.”
With campus rec, we focus so much on student development it may be easy to overlook as supervisors we should also be focused on professional development. Leading effective professional staff check-ins and meetings creates a better culture for an organization and models how to create authentic relationships with a team. Using our time together to formulate shared vision will foster shared results. Leadership and management go hand in hand but relationship building will elevate the institution.
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