Workplace Leadership Through Professional Development: Lambton College Support Staff Group
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WORKPLACE LEADERSHIP 1 WORKPLACE LEADERSHIP THROUGH PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: LAMBTON COLLEGE SUPPORT STAFF GROUP By HEATHER DIANNE COURTNEY-TORRES Integrated Studies Project submitted to Dr. Angela Specht in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts – Integrated Studies Athabasca, Alberta September, 2010 WORKPLACE LEADERSHIP 2 ABSTRACT This project focuses on the need for post secondary intuitions, more specifically Lambton College, to react to global pressures by maintaining a competitive edge by investing in training and development of the support staff employee group. Support staff are responsible for front line requests from internal and external stakeholders and in most cases are the first point of contact. This employee group is a viable resource for the College in executing institutional objectives by effectively meeting the needs of internal and external clients. Since the Ontario College System is being influenced by ministry initiatives which are diversifying the student enrollment, support staff are experiencing changes to their roles and expectations within Lambton College and across the province of Ontario. By integrating a theoretical and pedagogical principal to an applied workplace leadership program, a well-built certificate can meet both the professional development needs Lambton College’s support staff while acknowledging its organizational mission and mandate. This workplace leadership certificate focuses on many subject areas in developing leadership skills such as communication, customer service, critical and creative thinking, cultural/community sensitivity, coaching and leading teams, Strengths based leadership, project management, the Ontario college system, entrepreneurial spirit. The underlying theme of the workplace leadership certificate highlight concepts from Lambton College’s newly adopted positive psychology assessment called Strengths Quest. By using positive psychology through workplace leadership training and development, Lambton College will be able to improve employee confidence, knowledge and skills in the workplace. In effect, by possessing leadership traits, staff will develop more self-confidence in themselves and in what they do and therefore will become more productive while assisting the College meet its goals of improving processes to maintain a competitive edge. WORKPLACE LEADERSHIP 3 CONTENTS INTRODUCTION …………………………………………………………………………. 4 ONTARIO COLLEGE SYSTEM ………………………………………………………… 5 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN WORKPLACE ………………………………. 11 SUPPORT STAFF WORKPLACE TRIANING ………………………………………... 14 SUPPORT STAFF WORKPLACE LEADERSHIP CURRICULUM …………………. 21 FEEDBACK AND MOVING FORWARD ………………………………………………. 28 CONCLUSION ……………………………………………………………………………. 31 REFERENCES …………………………………………………………………………… 33 APPENDIX 1 ……………………………………………………………………………… 37 APPENDIX 2 ……………………………………………………………………………… 41 WORKPLACE LEADERSHIP 4 Workplace Leadership through Professional Development: Lambton College Support Staff Group Introduction Increasing enrollment and diversification of the student population within Ontario post-secondary educational institutions have created specific challenges for provincial colleges and their support staff. In order to meet these challenges head on and improve the quality of education and assistance new and existing demographic of students receive, colleges would benefit from investing in training and the development of their support staff, who represent the first line of communication for all internal and external stakeholders. This project focuses on the need for post secondary intuitions, specifically Lambton College, to maintain a competitive edge by investing in training and development of its support staff employee group. This employee group is a viable resource for Lambton College in executing institutional objectives when responding to the needs of internal and external clients. Given the important role of support staff within the College, they need to be provided with relevant professional development, such as workplace leadership, in order to develop their skill set and improve their ability to serve College stakeholders. Workplace leadership is viewed as influencing without authority. This leadership style goes beyond formal positions and can be seen in traits such as drive, honesty and moral character, intelligence, relevant knowledge, self-confidence as well as the desire to influence others (DeCenzo, 1997, 363). By possessing leadership traits through training, staff are believed to develop more self-confidence in their work and as a result become more productive. A well developed workplace leadership certificate can help meet both the professional developmental needs of support staff while fulfilling Lambton’s strategic plan. By using positive psychology through a newly adopted assessment called WORKPLACE LEADERSHIP 5 Strengths Quest, Lambton College should consider workplace leadership training as a means to improve employee confidence, knowledge and skills in the workplace. In effect, this will help the College meet its goals of improving processes to ensure student success while maintaining a competitive edge. Ontario College System – Lambton College The Ontario College System, which include faculty and support staff, are supported by the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU). The purpose of this project is to focus on the role of support staff within the college system, specifically Lambton College. With approximately, 275 full-time employees at Lambton, the Support Staff group consists of 123 full-time employees, which represent 45% of the total employee group (Lambton College, 2009, Organizational Chart). This group, through many departments, including Registrar’s Office, Financial Aid, Student Success Services, Information Technology, Marketing & Recruitment, International Services, Library Resource Centre, Dean’s assistants, and laboratory technologists, are usually the first point of contact for students, staff, faculty and others who wish to access the college’s services. In effect, this makes the support staff group a viable resource for the College in executing institutional effectiveness. Lambton College’s support staff are experiencing transformations to their roles due to many influencers seen through changes in policies and practices to meet the needs of stakeholders (students, staff, community members, and political leaders). Maehal (2000) states, colleges “must choose to make extensive changes in their accustomed policies and practices to embrace serving adult learners as a central part of their missions; otherwise, they risk being replaced by other servers ready to adapt to the new conditions” (p.5). Lambton is experiencing changes with the introduction of new technologies such as online learning; diverse student population due to online learners, an increase in mature student enrollment and international student interest; global WORKPLACE LEADERSHIP 6 competition of other learning institutions; and, the increased need for educational training within the workplace. There is approximately 1,000 full-time support staff across the Ontario College system (OPSEU, 2004, p.1). From 1987-2002, support staff hires across Ontario increased by 1%, while student enrollment increased 43% (OPSEU, 2004, p.9). Considering support staff are the first point of contact, these employees have a crucial impact on the portrayal of the College’s image. As colleges grow and respond to external and internal pressures, support staff are directly impacted. The changes in the workforce stem, in part, from the effects of global competition across the world. Employers and employees’ expectations and images of the workforce are changing due to heightened competition. Globalization effects people, cultures and economies all over the world, as our communities are becoming more and more interconnected (Hytten, 2009, p.397). This interconnection increases the demands on institutions to offer diversified services to meet the needs of people from all over the world. Professor Hytten defined globalization as a pattern of “what happens when the movement of people, goods, or ideas among countries and regions accelerates” (2009, p.397). Global pressures can have many impacts on organizations, which can encourage employers and employees to embrace different viewpoints and ideas. This will allow for organizations to enhance employee knowledge, cultivate and understand tolerance and develop enriching social arrangements (Hytten, 2009, p.398). Being open to change and what change brings is important for organizations dealing with heightened competition. As global competition increases, the entire post-secondary educational system in Ontario, students, community members and government officials, expect support staff to be more flexible when carrying out services to ensure student success. In 2008, the Ontario Public Service Employee Union support staff collective agreement was being renewed in response to global pressures and the changing educational system. The first WORKPLACE LEADERSHIP 7 main theme that management anticipated incorporating into the workplace, which directly affects support staff, was to improve processes so employees are able to respond and resolve unique issues and circumstances within their own environment. Secondly, management needs to encourage term specific employees by focusing on professional development and movement between different jobs within the college system (OPSEU, 2008, Bargaining Bulletin). Process improvements and