LEADERSHIP PRACTICES

To provide vision and direction for the accounting program, some department chairs recommend the following practices:

Focus on those unique contributions the chair can make.

Decide early the areas in which you believe you can make a difference. For example, concentrate on the overall direction and vision of the department. Avoid wasting time putting out fires or trying to do everything yourself. Instead, consider setting up an effective department structure to share departmental responsibility. Another contribution the chair can make is clearly articulating expectations of faculty in the areas of citizenship, research, and teaching. You may benefit from prioritizing areas of concern to the department and focusing on those areas that are most meaningful to the department. Associate chairs in large departments can help with administrative work, which will allow you to focus your efforts on the more important areas of direction.

Formulate goals for the department.

Share that goal or vision through conversation, dialogue, and negotiation among faculty and with students. Ultimately, the task of leadership is to use one's talents to develop shared goals and to encourage the department to work toward the successful attainment of these goals. After this occurs, small, incremental decisions from all the participants-faculty, staff and students - are likely to accumulate in a constructive way, rather than undermine each other and stand at cross-purposes. Collect input from all faculty regarding a unified and shared vision, and then continually test and reevaluate it. This provides a sense of continuity and builds a more open environment. Everything, including budgeting, should be open and accessible for input and involvement.

Have a long-term plan and be sensitive to the climate or culture ...

within the department to determine what course of action to take and what style of leadership is appropriate. Sometimes getting the department to move ahead in a direction-even if it involves later course correction-is better than inaction or inertia. Faculty expect to have some leadership.

Let faculty take part in contributing to vision and direction.

In small departments, all faculty can sit at a large table and take part in contributing to the vision and direction of the department. Use subcommittees to do preliminary work, but come together as a department committee to discuss issues that affect what the department is and what it does. For more complex conversations about central department and program issues, using an external facilitator to guide departmental discussion can free a chair to participate fully in the discussion.

Manage the department by consensus.

Build consensus through relationships with individual faculty through one-on-one meetings (especially with key opinion leaders). To facilitate building a direction for the department, identity areas where there is either agreement or indifference. It is important to take a stand on some issues that are central to the mission of the university (i.e., teaching loads). Decide what should be consensus-based (mission, curriculum, etc.) and what should not be (hiring details, faculty evaluation, etc.). Chairs need to know how to frame issues in a way that leads to decision points or proposals. Student needs are one issue that can be a central component in moving toward agreement and keeping side interests from dominating discussions.

Make adequate provision of resources a main concern.

A chair must ensure that resources are provided to faculty members. Remember, too, that resources are not always financial.

Regularly review your role as chair.

Who are you representing most effectively (faculty members, students, dean, administration)? Be explicit about your role to each of your constituents. Advocacy should be balanced among constituents' needs.

Deliberately foster rapport among faculty.

Early in your tenure, organize focus groups of students and faculty to provide input and feedback that will build trust and commitment One cannot support, guide, and assist individuals without knowing their needs, desires, and concerns. Knowing the parts makes it possible to develop appropriate strategies, policies, and directions for the whole. Share information as openly as you can do with integrity, and be straight forward in situations where full information cannot be shared.

Introduction	Planning
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