Academic Leadership: Fundamental Building Blocks
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'meetings are a waste of time, they go on and on.' You could ask 'What do you need?'
'To spend less time in meetings?' You could also ask 'What are your fears?' – 'Not
enough time to get my work done.' This broadens the issue from what might otherwise
be a digression on whether meetings go on too long or should go on at all. Keep to the
whole picture of what people do and don't want out of meetings.
What are the needs of the different parties involved?
Ask the question: 'Around the issue of X' and what are Y’s major needs? You may be
asking it of yourself, of another person, or of a group. Needs might include: recognition,
acknowledgement and understanding; abiding by policies and procedures; academic
standards; and satisfying and secure work.
In this case, the student wants a good grade, s/he doesn’t feel s/he has to attend class to
learn and complete the assignments. The sessional staff member believes the only way a
student can learn is to attend class and participate in the discussion, and s/he may also
fear that s/he is not an engaging lecturer which is why the student does not attend. The
course coordinator wants to keep the sessional staff member because it is hard to find staff
to teach, they fear having to try and find and train up another person. The Head of School
wants the issue resolved quickly without a formal inquiry if possible, as these are time-
consuming and costly. As Academic Coordinator you are also involved, and you need to
ensure all individuals (staff and students) are treated fairly and standards and quality
issues are not compromised. You also need to manage your workload so you will not want
to be dealing with many other similar complaints.
Sometimes it is difficult for people to stop thinking about their solutions. For
example, each party will want a particular outcome which may well conflict with the
desired outcomes of other individuals and groups involved. However, it may be useful to
talk to them several times to explore their needs again because it is here where a
solution may appear.
What are the fears of the different parties involved?
You do not have to debate whether or not the fear is realistic before it is listed. For
example, people may have fears about something their rational mind knows is very
unlikely to happen, yet the fear still lurks underneath, wanting to be recognised. These
are important to have on the map. One of the real benefits of mapping is the opportunity
for participants in the conflict to air irrational fears and have them acknowledged on the
map.
