Staying Sane

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Staying Sane … in the World of the One- or Two- Person Office NAFSA Region VII Raleigh, NC October 28, 2013

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NAFSA Region VII Raleigh, NC October 28, 2013. Staying Sane. … in the World of the One- or Two-Person Office. Why are you here today? What drew you to this session? What do you hope to gain from this session? What can you add to this session?. Personal Reflection. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Transcript of Staying Sane

Staying Sane

… in the World of the

One- or Two-Person Office

NAFSA Region VII

Raleigh, NCOctober 28,

2013

Personal Reflection

Introduce yourself to your neighbor &

share your responses to these

questions

Why are you here today?

What drew you to this session?

What do you hope to gain from this session?

What can you add to this session?

Who are we?

Helen R. Dolive : Birmingham-Southern College

Eileen Hamme : Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

Paige Ramsey-Hamacher : Saint Leo University

Presenter Introductions

Informal Poll How many years in field? Main focus? Institution size? Institution type? Public or private?

What is the OPO SIG?

One-Person (& Small) Office

Special Interest Group

Find out more information about the group at www.nafsa.org. Go to Connect & Network tab. Click on Engage with a Community, then click on Learn More in the Interest box. Find OPO link under list of groups …

Mission of the OPO

SIG

- Encourage the recycling and comparison of documents & resources

- Cooperate so we can share the knowledge & workload

- Collaborate to reduce burden

Goals of the OPO

SIG

1) to help small and one-person offices develop & sustain their own international programs

2) to provide a support network of sympathetic colleagues to serve as resources

3) to serve as a clearinghouse of ideas and materials that can be implemented and utilized by small offices with little financial investment or human capital

Time Management Planning Scheduling Saying “no” Interruptions & “emergencies” Organization

Paperwork E-mail

Try to avoid e-mail for the first hour of your day – use that time to do the most crucial, substantive task of the day

Only check e-mail at designated times during the day (i.e., every 2 hours)

Say exactly what you need to say in the subject line

Create stock responses for routine requests

Use folders to store & archive for reference

Avoid the e-mail time suck!

How do you deal with e-mail?

Perfectionism Practice “selective perfectionism”

Procrastination Avoid unfocused wandering

Interruptions Need a delicate balance to deal with sudden requests & demands. Consider the best ratio for you … Is it a true emergency?

Meetings Get the most out of each meeting

Control the nibblers

What is your greatest “nibbler”?How do you control your “nibblers”?How do you plan for meetings?

Delegation is about development - it’s believing employees can do it

Delegation is NOT passing the buck, giving up control, refusing to make decisions, or shirking responsibility

Explain larger goals before giving smaller delegation tasks

Learn the art of delegation

No-one is an island, even in an OPO! We accomplish a lot

more with help Who can help you?

Match tasks to employee/helper skill set

Make work meaningful & allow for employee/helper ownership

Give them the tools they need, e.g., proper training, a work philosophy, clearly articulated goals, good communication, specific conditions for satisfactory completion

Learn the art of leadership

How can you be a better leader?

A humorous look at leadership …

As defined by a second grader: Someone who leads.

As defined by a senior: Someone who assumes responsibility in a kind and compelling manner.

As defined by a teacher (Louis “Bob” Turansky): The aim of a leader should be the abolition of her raison d’etre through the development of cooperative, autonomous individuals who can lead themselves to a more egalitarian, cooperative and verdant future. And, oh yeah, one more thing: anyone who actually enjoys meetings should not be a leader.

(The Seven Hills School, Cincinnati, OH)

Reduce your burden … recycle knowledge and resources, share and compare

Learn to balance Utilize your

students Collaborate

internally & externally

Make technology work for you

Find resources

Improving life in an OPO

How can you reduce your burden?With whom can you share & compare?

All things international …

Resources Networking

Websites

NAFSA Manual

Conferences & workshops

Webinars, live chats

State representatives, state organizations, NAFSA Knowledge Community representatives

Small Group DiscussionExchange cards/contact info with your group

What are your tricks of the trade? Admitting students? Recruiting students? Travel forms? Advising students? Workshops? Orientation? Transfer processes? Health insurance?

Feedback Let’s share and compare …

With thanks to the following for slide content:

Suzanne Hegland – New England Conservatory

Beth Engwall – Bryant University Jennifer Armentrout – Wingate

University Paige Ramsey-Hamacher – Saint Leo

University Aaron-Felicia Perfetti-Nance – Carson-

Newman College

Question Time

Thanks for coming!This PowerPoint will be posted in OPO Resources on the NAFSA site

http://www.nafsa.org/groups/home.aspx?groupid=30

ContactsHelen R. Dolive [email protected] Hamme [email protected] Ramsey-Hamacher [email protected]