Imagine you’re visiting Santa’s workshop at the north pole. You may not actually see Santa but there are elves everywhere working hard to prepare for the upcoming Christmas season. Some are working on toys, some are tending to the reindeer, and others are preparing the sleigh. Once you get past the magical wonder of everything, would you stop to consider how Santa gets buy-in from all of these elves to work so hard?  How is it that all of them readily work so hard to keep the workshop running? And let’s not assume it’s an elf’s dream to one day work for Santa either. Christmas is fun but it’s not for everybody. At the very least, I imagine the elves would have to understand and believe in Santa’s mission.  But they would also have to have confidence in the way Santa approaches his responsibilities, which ideally would include making sure his team is prepared and supported to accomplish the work of supplying a toy to every child across the world. While the analogy may seem silly, it’s relevant to the work in higher education. How do we know what our directors, vice presidents, provosts, and/or presidents consider to be their main priorities or responsibilities? Like always, the best way to find out is to ask directly.

If you have one-on-one time to speak with the director, vice president, etc. of your office or unit, feel free to ask them “what do you see as some of your greatest responsibilities as the director/VP/etc. of this office/unit?” This also means, “what are your main priorities as a leader of this team?” This question seeks to go beyond finding out what their job description is and seeks to understand what their professional objective/mission is within their role. They may describe some of their specific responsibilities, but they should also explain how they go about completing those responsibilities and how they prioritize certain aspects of their work. This is important to know because it will show how they see themselves interacting with and supporting their staff. 

In terms of green flag responses, one of the main things I want to hear is the directors’ or VPs’ desire to enable their staff to be able do their best work. This not only encourages the staff to set and stick to work/life boundaries but also protecting their team from harmful forces both within and outside of the unit/department/office that may disrupt morale, productivity, or effectiveness.  Another green flag response could include setting the stage for the future in terms of growth and progress.  This shows that they are not just looking to maintain the current practices and expectations but also pushing to prepare for what the future may hold. 

Red flag responses could also vary, but I would be wary if they are unwilling to share their priorities. This could not only indicate a lack of candor and transparency in terms of general communication but also a culture of individualism and limited collective effort. In part, leaders need to be preparing for the future, and if they are unwilling to share their vision you could be headed toward a lot of uncertainty in this new role. 

Overall, don’t be intimidated by one-on-one time with senior leadership at the institution. You will want to understand their approach to leadership as much as they want to learn about you. Good leaders will be willing to share their perspectives and objectives with you. If they do not show any intention to share, take it as a red flag and be skeptical moving forward. 

TL/DR:

• Ask: What is your greatest responsibility as a director/VP/etc.?

• Meaning: What is your main priority as a leader of this team?

• Green flags: Enable people to do their best work, protect team from harmful forces/elements

• Red flags: Sticks to basic job responsibilities, unwillingness to share priorities/vision, lack of candor/transparency