Considerations when moving into administration and leadership
Photo by Joshua Hibbert on Unsplash
I recently received an email from a colleague. Although the email itself was about a work-related matter, they noted at the end that they had been enjoying this series about career transitions, and were hoping that I was going to address the transition from full professor to administration and leadership. To be honest, I had initially hesitated about diving into this topic, largely because while I have done some work in administration, I haven’t done so at the highest levels. But, on reflection, I’ve certainly learned a lot through my experiences, and I’ve seen different leadership styles and motivations from a number of others as they have moved through their transitions in administration. Hopefully, you find the following areas for reflection helpful for deciding whether or when you may want to begin your own career transition into administration. Next week, we will examine the benefits and drawbacks of entering into such roles. The following week, we will cover the mindsets and actions that can help promote success in such roles.
1. Timing. There are a number of factors that can determine whether this is the right time for you to step into administration. However, two main factors are: is this is the right time in your career? And, do you have enough time? Personally, I may have stepped into administrative roles a little too early in my career. I probably could have focused more on establishing myself as a scientist. At the time, though, I felt like I did have enough time and energy to do the additional work. If your scientific or teaching reputation is well solidified, or—if you’re earlier in your career—if you’ve decided that you’d rather put your efforts into becoming a leader in administration rather than in research or pedagogy, then it may be the right time to enter into administration. Remember that while administration may replace some of your other activities (supervision, teaching, research), it certainly won’t replace all of them, so the end result is that you will spend more time working. Ask yourself whether that sounds feasible or even reasonable to you? Do you have kids at home? Do you have aging parents who need care? Do you have a partner who will be supportive of your new workload and titles? If needed, do you have the means to hire the help that you may need to make home life easier (e.g., meal service, house cleaning)? The answers to these questions will help you decide whether you have enough time.
2. Make a plan for your science. Unless you have an incredible support system, you will likely not have the same amount of time to devote to your science after you take on an administrative role. Your science will likely take a hit. In fact, I have yet to see someone who is dominating in administration and in science who doesn’t have multiple people (i.e., partner at home, lab manager at work) who manage large chunks of their lives and responsibilities. As you consider whether to take on administrative work, it can be helpful to consider how you will continue to engage in science. Will your administrative role come with enough research funding to offset the costs of a lab manager? Will you still need to write grants to support your research program during the time you are in administration? How far along are your current students and what kind of support will they need over the next few years? Ideally, as you start your administrative roles, your lab is a well-oiled machine with enough senior people to keep things moving along efficiently. And if that’s not yet the case, you should first start oiling that machine.
3. Your why. Sometimes I have heard people lament that they have to take on an administrative role because it’s simply their turn to step up and do service. Other times, I’ve heard more junior people discuss taking on a more intensive service role because some of the senior people suggested it would be good for them, or because they’re ‘just so good at this stuff’. Don’t feel pressured to take on a new role because of peer pressure. Take on the role because you find it appealing to you, because it will help you grow in a way that you’re excited about, and because you’re excited to help your institution grow. You want your ‘why’ to come from you, not from someone else’s plan for you.
4. Don’t take on a sinking ship. In industry, women are more likely to be hired as a CEO when the company is struggling. It can be tempting to take on a leadership role when there is so much room for improvement and change. Likewise, in academia, you may think that this is your chance to really put your personal stamp of expertise on an administrative role and make a name for yourself. But be careful that you’re not being set up for failure instead. Those same women who become CEOs of struggling companies? They’re often blamed when the companies continue to struggle, and are fired more often, and earlier, than men who are CEOs. This is the ‘glass cliff’ phenomenon. Whether you’re a woman or a man in academia, don’t take on a sinking ship, unless you are overwhelmingly sure you have the power and support to turn things around, and you understand what deliverable are expected and when.
5. What power do you actually have? Be clear on what decision-making and budgetary control you will have, and if you won’t have it, who will? Is this an acceptable arrangement for you? It can be challenging if you are the face of a specific administrative role or office with the rest of the faculty and staff, but behind the scenes, you don’t actually have much control over strategic directions, operational priorities, or how budgets are spent. In such scenarios, you will likely bear the brunt of the team’s frustrations when things go wrong. In turn, this can be incredibly frustrating for you, because you understand where your colleagues are coming from, but you don’t wield enough power to effect change. These are the kinds of stressful situations that can quickly lead to burnout, so make sure you are giving your time and labour to a role that allows you enough control to make an impact you will be proud of.
6.Who is on your team? Before accepting any new role, it’s important that you understand who your teammates are. Do you have support staff? Do you have colleagues in lateral, complementary, roles? How does everyone work together? Are there very strict guidelines regarding work portfolios and deliverables? Are people collaborative and do they support one another in tough times? Do you have mentors who can help you navigate this new role? They may not necessarily be at your institution; mentors from other institutions may be helpful in providing you advice or helping you think strategically.
7. What is your vision and how will you execute it? Finally, what is your vision for this new administrative/leadership position? What is it that you want to achieve? What will you need to have, from an operations perspective, to achieve this vision? Are all of those pieces in place? Will you need new funding, new hires, etc.? The demands of administration can be significant, and can quickly become overwhelming. To prevent simply devolving into a reactive-mode style of work, it is helpful to have a clear vision of where you want to go and how you will get there to keep your work focused.
After considering the above reflections, you may decide that now is not the right time to step into administration and leadership. That doesn’t mean that it will never be the right time, it may just not be the right time right now. But, if it is the right moment for you, that’s exciting! It may be time to really start mapping out that strategic vision. Either way, if you need help understanding where you are in this moment and what your next steps could be, book a call with me here, and we can map out your future.
Next week: Benefits and drawbacks of administration and leadership
