Academic Advisors: Are Your Satisfied with your Job?

I'm a bit overdue on my professional development reading, but I did manage to read A National Survey of Academic-Advisor Job Satisfaction (Donnelly, 2009) while at an appointment yesterday. (Don't worry...it wasn't a student-appointment that I was reading through!)

What I found intriguing about the article was that overall advisors are happiest when their workplace is "characterized by variety, empowerment(authority), and teamwork as well as clear communication channels between the manager/supervisor and advisor"(p. 14).

Take notice that benefits and salary are not mentioned.

The next part of the paper discusses what advising administrators and advisors themselves can do in order to create and maintain such environments.

Advisors can:

1. Keep track of their own work and accomplishments.
I don't think you can underestimate the power of a well-kept work log and an updated
resume. It's a great way to look back on all you've done when you've had a harsh day or had
to accept criticism. Not to mention, this tool can be used for performance review purposes.
2. Dialogue with supervisors regularly; not just at the yearly performance review.
I make a practice of talking to my supervisor everyday; even if it is just to say hello. The key here is
visibility and likability.
3. Look for ways to keep their practice sharp.
Blog about your advising experiences, attend as much professional development as you can
afford, try new forms of advising methods when you get the chance. This will keep things
fresh, but more importantly, you will always be learning.

Administrators can:

1. Maintain good communication regarding roles and performance.
Giving each advisor ownership of one or two items can be a powerful tool. Accountability.
2. Be able to divide and share responsibility with advisors.
Sometimes its easier to do the job yourself rather than wait for someone else to do it. Resist
the temptation and allow them to try. Don't feel like you should make all the decisions since
you are not the only one on this team. You are the captain, however.
3. Ensure that each advisor receives excellent training and understands their duties.
Training can't be underestimated. This may be the foundation for a life-long career so be sure
that it is well thought out and foundational. You don't need to cover every advising possibility;
make it foundational.
4. Provide as much professional development as possible.
If the funding is there, USE IT!





A National Survey of Academic-Advisor Job Satisfaction. Ned Donnelly. 29(1) 5. NACADA Journal.

Seven Habits of Highly Effective Advising Leadership

Even though I was unable to attend this session at the NACADA conference in Chicago (back in October), one of my colleagues was able to attend and provided me with some excellent notes on it. There are great tips contained herein which may someday serve me well; since I am not currently at the point where I am managing a team of advisors but do aspire to such a position.

Seven Habits Of Highly Effective Advising Administrators

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Habit #1: Trust

* Trust must be established through a commitment to support the advising team.
In practice:
1. Open communication (Good and bad news)
2. Maintaining confidentiality
3. Available and correct information
4. Talk the talk and walk the walk

Personally, I think that I am doing this everyday. There are times when I don't want to share news with others but always find a way to preface it with the good and then gently give the bad. There have been a few instances where I have needed to take a firmer stand, but these are far and few between. Also, our office has recently ramped up confidentiality measures and I am making a conscious effort to comply with all of those. Everything from closing the door to our offices when we step out to asking verification questions when we are advising over the phone is helping to ensure that student information does not end up in the wrong hands.

Habit #2: Communication

* Leaders who both openly share with and actively listen to their advising teams cultivate opportunities for their teams to provide essential feedback and insight into the sentiment of the team and to feel heard.
Practice:
1. Time set aside each month or semester to talk one on one with your staff
2. Understand and value different communication styles

I love the idea of individual meetings with a supervisor on a regular basis. It gives supervisee's the chance to voice their opinion in a non-threatening environment as well as provides the supervisor the opportunity to modify behaviors of team members when needed without calling someone out directly. Everyone is going to these meetings so there are no whispers among colleagues about the discussion taking place behind those doors. In terms of what I am working on, I think that I need to continue to hone my listening skills and refine my ability to effectively listen and discuss at the same time.

Habit #3: Consistency

* Consistent enforcement of office policies and procedures will enable the advising manager to create a fairer and more equitable environment
Practice:
1. Procedures manual if none in place
2. Performance appraisals
3. Updating job descriptions

When in a supervisory role, I think this would be one of the most challenging aspects of the job. Not because I believe rules should be different for different people, but more so because everyone interprets policy in different ways and even when its written down there is always room for interpretation. When creating any of the resources that are described above, I believe its important to make things as clear as possible while also leaving a bit of wiggle room for unexpected situations and extenuating circumstances.

Habit #4: Alliances

* Forming alliances with other advising offices' leaders provides a greater amount of leverage than if one leader were to champion the needs of the team on his/her own.
Practice:
1. Create advising network
2. Alert people who are pursuing similiar goals as me

Habit #5: Networking

* Networking builds advising professionals' partnerships both on and off campus, allowing for more efficient work and personal and professional growth and development.
Practice:
1. Cross-training opportunities for advising staff

Habit #6: Recognition

* If an organization-wide award or recognition program is available, managers should take the time to nominate advisors who deserve it. If one is not available, then the manager should develop one for the office
Practice:
1. Nominate staff for insititutions advising awards
2. Create your own award system
3. Public recognition

Recognition seems to be such a simple concept that we often forget to make it a priority in our centers. I have visions of highlighting an advisor a week, what their specialties are and how they are contributing. I also think that there may be some problems with this because not all team members are looking for the spotlight. I think its important to learn the personalities of your staff before embarking on this type of endeavor.

Habit #7: Development

* The design and implementation of creative approaches to advisor development is essential in gaining a greater awareness of advisor's strengths, knowledge, skills, abilities, opportunities for growth and goal setting.

One of the benefits that I am looking for in any job I may take are the opportunities for professional development activities. These conferences and seminars keep me energized and up-to-date on the issues facing the advising field. They also allow me to practice what I tell my students about becoming life-long learners and always looking for new ways to challenge yourself. As an administrator, I would put professional development on the forefront of my agenda.