Valley City Times-Record

Ellen Chaffee... Free advice, for what it’s worth

Monday, 14 April 2008

By Ellen Chaffee

Phil Mueller asked me an interesting question the other day: “What advice would you give the new president?”
The only word that came to mind was, “Listen.” I have great esteem for campus and community people with whom the president interacts. You always have good ideas and you very often raise important issues that the president might otherwise miss. Having thought about the question further, I have some additional suggestions.
I would say, “Thank the search committee.” They invested a great deal of time and careful thought in the search, as the results demonstrate. I would also advise thanking others who took the time to participate in the search process. I was so pleased and proud of the kinds of questions they asked the candidates and the great care that they, too, invested in the process.
Expanding on that idea, I would say, “Every story has at least two sides. When someone comes in and tells you an upsetting story, do not let your sense of righteous indignation overwhelm your good sense. Before you act, find out the rest of the story.” Many times I would hear something disturbing and then find out that it was only a rumor, the complainant had brought on the problem himself, he was being influenced by someone else who had a major axe to grind, or some such rebuttal information.
Similarly, be very cautious about handling any appeals. A president who overrules an administrator or duly authorized committee is undermining their authority. That president might as well make all the decisions and save everyone else the bother.
I suggest that the president ask himself and his colleagues often, “What are we missing? What should someone be thinking about?” We all get our noses on the grindstone, and it takes a conscious effort to look up and out, or think about the future.
I just heard historian Michael Beschloss speak about leadership by U.S. presidents. A major point, as illustrated in his book called Presidential Courage, was that all the great presidents faced very difficult situations where the best interest of the nation required them to make decisions that put their reputations and careers at risk. The scale and stakes are higher at that level, but every president would do well always to hold “the best interest of the organization” as his or her guiding star. When you pass on an opportunity to do that, you violate the trust for which you are responsible. And there will be times when the only source of comfort in the face of criticism or hardship is knowing that you did the right thing for the right reasons.
Presidents define others’ reality. Offhand comments, thinking out loud, and getting up on the wrong side of the bed create problems for people you are counting on. You are on stage all the time. Take your role seriously. And for heaven’s sake, have fun.
Finally, I wrote a book once about quality management that closed with this advice. When you don’t know what to do, ask the people you serve. And then, as I said at the outset, listen.