Credibility is a characteristic of a person who is perceived by others to be a trusted advisor, believable, and confident by exhibiting a high level of expertise in a certain subject. Competence, trustworthiness, and preparedness are the foundation for credibility. I hire based upon character and I train for empowerment & competence. To get a job offer I have to believe that you will be a consistent, trustworthy, honest, relatable, and approachable role model who prioritizes the best interest of others. This allows me to prepare a meaningful training based upon Komives et al. (1998) relational leadership model.
This blog series features different writers responding to the prompt, “How can we re-envision ResLife staff training?”
The Practice
Here are a few ways I operationalize this concept with entry-level and student staff members.
1) We have book discussions on Braving the Wilderness by Brene Brown and The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz.
Braving the Wilderness Discussion Questions
- What is the difference between belonging and fitting in?
- How will you identify residents searching for belonging?
- What are some signs students just want to fit in?
- How can an RA/HD/AC create belonging in a community?
- “There is nothing worse than not belonging at home.” How can you learn about a residents home life?
- Which element of trust (boundaries, reliability, accountability, vault, integrity, non-judgement, or generosity) comes more naturally to you? What do you struggle with most?
- What do you currently do in your life to recognize and celebrate that we are all inextricably connected to each other through a larger power?
- How will you show your residents love and compassion?
Four Agreements Discussion Questions
- How do colleges engage in the “domestication” of students? How is it the same or different from what you learned in childhood?
- Don Miguel claims the human brain is dreaming all the time. Do you agree with this statement? Why or Why not? Who knows your dream? How can you learn the dreams of your students?
- Describe how college students create an “image of perfection”. How does this lead to suffering? What is your image of perfection?
- Why is being impeccable with your word so powerful? What are some ways you have experienced the power of words in your life?
- What are some things you have taken personally? How are these similar or different from other college students? Are the opinions of others more important than your own? Describe a time you took a disagreement personally.
- Provide some examples of how making assumptions leads to suffering? When have you seen someone assume the worst-case scenario?
- How can “always doing your best” transform your life? Can a student push too hard? How do you know when you have done your best?
- Is it easy or hard to practice the four agreements? What is the most life-changing of the four agreements?
2) Staff lead a coworkers through the 7 steps (Starts with the Heart, Learn to Look, Make it Safe, Master the Story, State a Path, Explore Other Paths, and Move to Action) of a Crucial Conversation so staff can resolve interpersonal disagreements.
3) We talk about the damage that can be created by seeking the truth rather than practicing validation and empathetic communication.
Staff learn that seeking the truth increases the chances of experiencing betrayal, reducing trust and credibility, and reaching inaccurate conclusions about a person or situation. This is followed up by a Great Empathy Race where staff have the chance to host 3 conversations with professional staff on their hopes, dreams and desires.
4) We process the results from multiple leadership assessments to know how we do our best work.
These assessments include emotional intelligence (August), StrengthsQuest (August), 16Personalities (August), DiSC (August), personal values identification (August), Intercultural Conflict Style Inventory (August), a 360 degree Leadership Practices Inventory (January), and Mindvue (January).
5) We talk about how college changes students by using the Identity Iceberg.
We compare this to the prior year’s aggregated assessment data collected from student about their needs and experiences to set team goals and expectations.
6) For skill building we cover priority setting, work life balance, self-care, lollipop moments, giving compliments, recognizing stress in students, how to build a movement, event planning, the 5 D’s of bystander intervention, room inspections, and policy enforcement.
The Results
I just finished my first full year of department leadership. We grew significantly because of the implementation of this framework. All student staff were taken out of their comfort zone this year. 67% of student staff always took time to learn more about cultural groups different from their own. 67% of student staff always took time to examine gaps in their knowledge. All student staff developed a better understanding of how they affect a social environment.
- All resident assistants noticed an improvement in their communication skills.
- All RAs had to evaluate multiple solutions to a defined challenge. Only 67% took time to gather and analyze information to solve student concerns before doing so.
- 83% of housing student staff saw an improvement in their decision-making skills
- 67% of RAs practiced curiosity by asking effective questions and connecting thoughts and ideas
The top descriptors given to student staff by residents include being available (81%), approachable (73%), reasonable (72%), trustworthy (70%), safe (69%), and understanding (69%). The top ten most common behaviors you would see from student staff this year were
- Treating others with respect
- Encouraging others
- Being upbeat and positive
- Following through on promises
- Fostering cooperative relationships
- Recognizing people’s contributions
- Setting a personal example
- Praising students
- Aligning others with principles and standards
- Communicating purpose and meaning
When students lived in the residence halls they have a higher than average chance of
- Frequently communicating information to solve a problem (58% of students)
- Thriving during setbacks and trials (84% of students)
- Frequently making choices in alignment with personal values and goals (51% of students)
- Meeting people committed to their success (89% of students)
- Learning how to be flexible (91%) and adaptable (94%)
- Residing with students who always had a genuine and authentic interest in their life (54%)
- Always having roommates that were considerate of their needs (65%)
Dr. Tiffany Schmitberger-Okolo (she/her/hers) currently serves as the Director of Residence and Student Life at Colby Community College. She obtained a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Wichita State University prior to enrolling in graduate studies at Arizona State University. Tiffany holds a master’s degree in Higher & Post-secondary Education and a Ph.D. in Education Policy and Evaluation. For her dissertation she examined how affirmative action policy and case law, federal funding, and state funding affected student enrollment and completion rates at the top 25% most selective colleges. Her lifelong goal is to increase acceptance, love and belonging in the American higher education system.
