Lead From Where You Are

Lead From Where You
Are

Melody Bianchetto
Remarks

Exceptional Assistant
Network Conference

August 11, 2014

I'm thrilled to
be here today to talk about leadership.  I've
long admired the Exceptional Assistance Network, and I'm honored to be here
speaking to you.  I wanted to start by
telling you about a vision for how we can change how we do business at UVA
through three current projects...then we can talk about how you can help lead
this change.

I hope that you
have heard of organizational excellence....UVa's formal program to "To
enhance organizational capacity across academic and administrative service
areas, and thereby advance excellence in our core missions of education,
research and scholarship and facilitate the realization of strategic
priorities."  To me, this is much
more than a committee and a set of specific projects.

It is a mindset,
an ongoing expectation that we continuously look for opportunities to improve
how we all work collaboratively to allow the University's emphasis to be on
students and research, rather than on cost transfers, labor distribution
adjustments, and coordinating meeting calendars.  It is a journey we can all go on to leave
behind complacency, complicated processes, and unneeded steps… a journey where
we do the necessary support work – buying, supporting, planning, scheduling,
organizing, reconciling, facilitating – in the most effective way
possible.  Participating in this program,
by being here today, you are showing that you have a commitment towards this
excellence.

Associated with
this goal of organizational excellence is the new University Financial Model
(UFM).  In UFM, it will be more
transparent how and where revenues are generated (students, research grants,
gifts and endowments, sales and services) and what the cost of doing business
is.  For example, a school will pay for
both the cost of its own internal business office… plus the central business
office.

And we in the
central support offices and the academic support units will need to be the best
at our business.  Ultimately, we will
need the third project, the Managerial Reporting Project, to help us transform,
modernize, and improve how we do business, so that we can deliver more
resources to our core mission.

No matter where
we sit in the organization -- associate vice president, financial analyst, receptionist,
grant administrator, administrative assistant, financial aid counselor,
business manager, landscaper, HR specialist, IT support -- each of us should be
able to see how what we do ultimately helps a student learn, a researcher
discover, a medical professional serve patients... Some days, I know, it can be
difficult to see this.  How can you help
UVA achieve its core mission?  How can
you lead from where you sit?

I firmly believe
that leadership characteristics are the same regardless of your position on the
organization chart.  I thought I'd
describe a six of the traits I strive towards regularly, that I look for when
hiring a new team member, and find most important in people I want to work
with.  These are qualities that I ask
each of you to commit yourself to… To come with us on a journey to improve how
we do our work every day.

I. Find solutions.  It is not
enough to be good at identifying issues (although that is certainly better than
putting your head in the sand to ignore issues):

1.      When you are bringing an issue to
your manager (a calendar issue, purchasing issue, organizational conflict),
always bring at least two potential solutions and one recommendation.  As your manager accepts your recommendations,
you will gain confidence in how to act decisively perhaps with minimal review
needed, because you will learn what are the right and wrong approaches.

2.      Think creatively even if the idea
seems far-fetched.  Realize you may have 5
ideas that you never bring up because they are infeasible; 4 that you do bring
up but your manager rejects due to cost, lacking technology, or another reason;
but then 1 idea just hits it out of the park. Think of outside experiences - a
church group, a little league organization, a prior job, a magazine article or
book you have read ... for different ideas of how to solve a problem

3.      Be willing to lobby for an idea, but
realize when it is time to move on.

4.      Help yourself by looking for an
answer rather than expecting others to give you the answer, but recognize when
there is an expert who can help you and save time!

II.     Think
strategically

1.      Always remember why we are
here.  Take a walk on the Lawn or through
Newcomb to interact with students.  Subscribe to the Cavalier Daily to see what
students are thinking and read UVa Today to see examples of research and
outreach our faculty and staff are doing.  Regularly take time to understand how what you
do moves the University towards its primary mission of educating, researching,
and serving... For example…

a)      Consider how one of your day to day tasks
help move forward a university initiative more quickly?  How about:

·       
Complete
a lab purchase quickly and using a university supplier to facilitate research
and save money,

·       
make
an air travel arrangement that reduces travel down time,

·       
charge
an expense to a correct PTAEO the first time to eliminate the need for a future
cost transfer,

·       
attend
EAN events, fiscal administrator, or HR user meetings to stay informed and talk
to colleagues with similar issues

·       
schedule
a meeting to make an important decision quickly

·       
plan
an awesome event that raises funds to support U priorities

·       
manage
compliance or security issues so that we can maintain financial strength,
decentralized authority from the state, federal funding

b.    Always look to maximize the time
that can be spent teaching and researching. 
Every single support role at UVa is
really like a road paver that will help education, research and service move
more smoothly without hitting potholes and other barriers to success.

III.   
Be proactive/take initiative

1.      If you see someone who looks lost,
ask if they need help. If you see an upcoming calendar conflict, look to
resolve. If it looks like someone important is left out of a call, ask if you
should connect them. If you see trash on the ground, pick it up. If you see
someone make a good suggestion, stay late, or solve an issue, thank them.

2.      Before someone has to ask you to
look ahead to do something, look ahead to see what events are upcoming. Refer
to last year’s calendar to consider what may be around the corner. Anticipate
what the next move or request may be and already be thinking if how to
approach.

3.      Be committed to improving each task -- even if
just a little -- each time you work on it.

IV.   Be
a collaborative and supportive team member

1.      Show up, participate, and add
constructive ideas to a discussion.  Do
not dismiss an idea without a recommended alternative

2.      Express concerns to the group, not
outside the group.  Ask about concerns
and work to find solutions, but once the group decides on a direction, a
prioritization, an approach, you will support the group's recommendation and
work to make its implementation as successful as possible.

3.      Absolutely, do not point fingers
later. What happened is less important than moving forward.

4.      Recognize efforts of others and
always give credit to the team

V.              
Be a good colleague

1.      Understand that helping one person
out today will always bring benefits to you later. Karma is absolutely
true!  Answering an email quickly and
professionally today will bring about a helpful and quick response from a
colleague later.

2.      Write thank you and congratulations
notes regularly... and remind your manager of people that she or he might thank
regularly.

3.      Have a sense of humor and be able to
laugh at yourself.

4.      Don't take things personally when
someone is brusque or unresponsive or even rude. You have no idea if they are
feeling guilty for yelling at their 14 year old before work, or if their parent
is sick, or even if they just sleep badly the night before after those spicy
tacos for dinner. Know that it is not all about you and that one day you too
will be grumpy and a little leeway will go a long way.

VI.            
Have Integrity

1.      Act with the highest principles of
honesty and trust

2.      Do as you say (actions speak louder
than words)

3.      Follow through with what you commit
to (your words are reliable)

Again – thank you so much for the
opportunity to be here today.  I’m happy
to take any questions about the initiatives we have going on today, my career
path, my thoughts on leadership.