On November 15th, Provost Maltzman joined the PAFs during our weekly meeting, for a vibrant informal conversation. The Provost openly fielded PAFs’ questions about academic innovation and the University’s approach to dealing with GW students’ reactions to the election. What I appreciated most about this meeting was how the Provost’s answered every question fully and imparted managerial wisdom. In fact, our conversation could have been interpreted as a lesson on dealing with ambiguity as a leader and managing expectations in times of transition. With each response, PAFs learned about key levers leaders can use to effectively prepare an organization for systemic change and encourage a culture of innovation.
From the conversation, I gained two valuable lessons. First, I now have a more nuanced perspective on how to lead within an organization going through a transition; and two, I have a clearer understanding of how to manage the expectations of different stakeholders when the outside environment affects organizational morale. These two lessons tie perfectly with the competencies of managing expectations, motivating others, and managing up, which the PAFs engage with throughout the year.
We are grateful to the Provost for the productive meeting and his continuous support of the PAF program.