“Capacity Building for Academic Excellence”Presentation to ICT Academics, Graduate Students, and

TrainersIslamic University of Gaza

June 11, 2014

Professional Development:

The following are concepts that I teach in my course at the Harvard School of Public Health, called “Managing People in Health Care Organizations”. I recommend that you teach theseconcepts to your students. I also recommend that you begin to practice some of the concepts for yourself.

Before I begin, I want to encourage you to ask questions about anything I say. You may interrupt me at any time if you do not understand something. It is best to ask the question when it occurs to you, rather than at the end.

I will try to cover the following concepts, one at a time:

Because these are concepts that involve interactions among people, I do a minimum of lecturing. I encourage students to ask questions, to challenge

things I say, and to engage in a dialogue with me and with each other.

I use many case studies, fairly short (no more than one page), usually hypothetical, and based in a setting familiar to them.

I use role plays, such a two students playing a manager and an employee in a performance appraisal interview, or debating an issue like leadership (nature vs nurture).

I use simulations, such as a manager at her job, having to respond quickly to a series of phone, email, and

personal messages that come to her very quickly, one after the other.

Empowerment

Empowered employees are more content and more productive. They feel that they are using their abilities more fully.Empowerment typically is a statement of how much control employees have over their jobs – what they do and how they will do it. It is a result how a job is designed, how a manager delegates the tasks to be performed, and how he checks on progress, if at all.

A job design may include a variety of interrelated tasks that present an interesting challenges to the employee, perhaps requiring her to interact with other employees or customers. Or, it may consist of a few, simpler, boring tasks that can be performed in isolation.A manager may delegate the task to be performed, exactly howhe would like it to be performed, and check up on the employee regularly. (Micromanagement?) Or, he can simply describe the final result that he wants and leave it up to the employee to decide how to achieve it.

Often Empowerment is a matter of selecting employees qualified for the job, giving them adequate training and a clear explanation of what is expected of them, and then trusting them to do the best they can.

Empowered employees have confidence in their abilities to perform their jobs. The manager inspires that confidence by allowing them to make mistakes, and then learn from them.

Teaching method:

I describe to the students a particular task that is familiar to them, and ask how they would delegate it to an employee. I might ask them to write two or three sentences for that delegation conversation.

Positive Attitude

Be careful about the word “attitude”. It can be an excuse for anything you don’t like about another person. If you want criticize a person’s performance, describe the specificactions that are unacceptable. Do not say “you have a bad attitude”.

Positive Attitude might be a term to describe a person’s level of motivation. A motivated employee is a more productive employee. I do not believe that a manager “motivates” an employee. Instead, every person is motivated to do certain things that will help them satisfy their personal needs.

Each person wants certain things out of life. She has needs that she wishes to satisfy. Some of those needs can be met through her job. When that is the case, she will work harderat her job. The goal of her supervisor is to discover those needs and find ways for the employee to satisfy them in her job. The supervisor “releases” the motivation, the drive, that already exists within the employee.

Teaching method:

Ask students why they work at their jobs? How do they chooseone job over another? What makes them work harder at their jobs? HINT: The first answer is usually not money.

Explain Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.

Time/Priority Management

Time and priority management are two closely related concepts. Everybody, managers and employees, has more work to do than they have time for. In fact, workers use a variety of resources to perform their jobs – time, money, personnel, equipment, supplies, space, even credibility. Theresources can be allocated to various projects and tasks efficiently or not so efficiently. They are all in limited supply. The only one that cannot be replaced is time.

There are numerous lists of ideas for saving or managing time. These are a few. There are many more. Pick two or three and implement them strictly to see if they work for you.

Plans and priorities Determine how you really spend your time for 2 weeks,

keep a record (what you will learn – fires & emergencies) Five most important tasks, prioritize, attack one at a

time till finished Set objectives and work to deadlines Do the best you can in the time available – even if more

would be better Write your plans and deadlines down Manage face-to-face contacts for maximum efficiency

The best techniques for managing time will be different for different people.

A sub-topic of Time Management is how to Plan and Conduct anEffective Meeting. Poorly managed meetings can be a major waste of time.

Setting priorities

It is preferable to allocate the most resources to the most important tasks. Importance is determined by a combination of factors. By the overall organization, by your boss, by other key stakeholders, and by yourself.

Approach number one involves tackling the biggest tasks first and getting them out of the way. Approach number two involves tackling the tasks you can get done quickly and easily, with minimal effort.

Teaching method:

Earlier, I mentioned that I use a simulation exercise in which a person (as a manager) must respond very quickly to many messages that she receives. Without a lot of time to think, I ask the student who is role playing the manager to do three things – assign a priority to the message (A, B, orC), make a decision about what response he will give to the message, and identify the person in the organization to whomhe will delegate the task.

Stress Management

If you set priorities for your tasks and work on them accordingly, you will waste less time. If you waste less time, you will feel less stress. In addressing stress in theworkplace, keep in mind that the stress may actually originate at home in an individual’s personal problems. If

it is not managed, stress can damage work productivity, relationships with other people, and personal health.

Identify the sources of stress in your life, looking closelyat your habits, attitude, and excuses. Until you accept responsibility for the role you play in creating or maintaining it, your stress level will remain outside your control. One way to do that is keep a journal.Look at how you currently cope with stress. There are several unhealthy ways of coping with stress.

Learn and practice healthier ways of managing stress.1. Avoid unnecessary stress. Learn how to say “no Avoid people who stress you out Take control of your Avoid hot-button Pare down your to-do list

2. Alter/change the situation Express your feelings instead of bottling them up Be willing to compromise Be more assertive Manage your time better

3. Adapt yourself to the stress Reframe problems Look at the big picture Adjust your standards Focus on the positive

4. Accept the things you can’t change Do not try to control the uncontrollable Look for the upside

Share your feelings Learn to forgive

5. Make time for fun and relaxation Set aside relaxation time Connect with others Do something you enjoy every day Keep your sense of humor

6. Adopt a healthy lifestyle Exercise regularly Eat a healthy diet Reduce caffeine and sugar Avoid alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs Get enough sleep

Teaching method: Best way to teach stress management techniques is to work with a real-life situation. Ask a student to voluntarily describe the stress she may be experiencing. Then invite other students to suggest ways of reducing that stress, based on the techniques that the teacher has just described.

Thriving on Change

Change is a constant factor in modern life – in the workplace, in the community, and at home. And the pace of the change is increasing. A valuable skill in any workplace is the ability to manage change – either responding to change or initiating change.

Japanese term “kaizen” – continuous self-improvement – of yourself, of your team, of your organization. Never be satisfied.

With regard to embracing change, I offer my students a quotation by George Bernard Shaw: “The reasonable man (person) adapts himself to the world: the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man (person).”

This topic has two parts – personally becoming more receptive to change and helping others to become more receptive to change. There are lots of tips for learning to live better with change. These are a few.

1. Be Proactive, Not Reactive Focus on what is in your control. Live life aggressively and proactively, not passively and

reactively. Take responsibility for your thoughts, feelings, actions,

skills and values.

2. Know and Use Your Anchors What is unchangeable for me? What can I rely on for strength, support? Where do I go to find peace? What beliefs, values can I use? How do I be my best self in this situation?

3. Beware of Common Thinking Distortions Personalization Permanence Pervasiveness

4. Look for the Discoveries, Lessons to be Learned from the Change Situation

What is life teaching me right now?

5. Live in the Present

It is a different matter when you must lead the change, and persuade others to follow you. There are well-established steps for managing a change process. Change Management is similar to Problem Solving (which we will discuss in a few minutes.) Change often is introduced to solve a problem, or because it is forced on the organization, or in order to take advantage of an opportunity that has arisen. These are some concepts that affect the change process.

Assessing the need to changeIdentifying change optionsIdentifying resources availableChange leaders or agentsTransformational leadershipChanging organizational cultureThe learning organizationSystems thinkingDefining and measuring success (measurable goals with time deadlines)Communicating changeInstitutionalizing change – making the change stick

Teaching method: I usually start with a case study that requires change in a department or group. Then, lead the students in a discussion of a multi-step process for implementing that change. When a step is proposed, I ask what resources will be needed, what effects it is likely to have, and what alternatives there might be.

Critical Thinking

Everyone thinks; it is the nature of human beings to do so. However, much of our thinking, left unchallenged, is biased,distorted, partial, uninformed, illogical, and prejudiced. Yet the quality of our lives and what we produce in our jobsdepends to a large degree on the quality of our thought.

Critical Thinking is the result of a complex combination of skills: Rationality Self-awareness Honesty Open-mindedness Discipline Judgment

Evidence-based

Critical Thinking is defined by certain standards or criteria.

Clarity: Is the statement clear? Could the point be expressed in another way? Could you give an illustration or example of the point you are trying to make?Accuracy: Is that statement really true? How could we check on the accuracy of that statement? Are there facts to support it?Precision: Could you provide more details? Could you be more specific?Relevance: How is that statement connected to the question we are discussing? Depth: How does your statement address the complexities in the question we are discussing? Does it deal with the most significant factors?Breadth: Do we need to consider another point of view? Isthere another way to Logic: Does this statement make sense? Does this statement follow from other things that you have said?Significance: Is this the most important issue for us to consider?Fairness: Do you have a vested interest in this issue?

A critical thinker: Is open-minded and mindful of alternatives Desires to be, and is, well-informed Judges the credibility of sources Identifies reasons, assumptions, and conclusions Asks appropriate clarifying questions Judges the quality of an argument, including its reasons,

assumptions, evidence, and their degree of support for the conclusion

Can develop and defend a reasonable position regarding a belief or an action, responding to challenges

Formulates plausible hypotheses Plans and conducts experiments Defines terms in a way appropriate for the context Draws conclusions when warranted – but with caution

Critical thinkers are by nature skeptical. They approach written words with the same skepticism and suspicion as they approach spoken words.

Critical thinkers are active, not passive. They ask questions and analyze. They consciously apply tactics andstrategies to uncover meaning or assure their understanding.

Critical thinkers do not take an egotistical view of the world. They are open to new ideas and perspectives. Theyare willing to challenge their beliefs and investigate competing evidence.

Teaching method: The best way I have found to teach Critical Thinking is to regularly question student statements according to the principles of Critical Thinking. Another teaching tools that I use is the Ladder of Inference, a hypothetical model of the steps that we follow in moving from the facts we observe in the world around us to the conclusions we reach that determine the actions we take.

Creativity

Creativity is important in certain jobs. Including artistic creativity, problem-solving creativity, business entrepreneurship, and research creativity. Big trend in the management of organizations is the realization that the people at the top do not have all the answers. The people who directly create the products or services, and deal with the customers, are often better qualified to solve problems or come up with new ways of doing things – if they are allowed the opportunity.

The change that we discussed earlier usually is the result of some creative activity by members of an organization. Often, employees who are a constant source of new ideas are essential to the long-term success of any organization.

Characteristics of creative people possess many bits of information related to the issue of

concern ignore anything that seems irrelevant or unimportant are curious, open, and sensitive to problems are optimistic risk takers who like challenges often appear preoccupied dislike rigid routines, restrictive policies, and

bureaucratic interference tolerate isolation and ambiguity value independence and autonomy bounce ideas off others and build on the suggestions of

others nonconformists, viewed as different by others

Characteristics of innovative managers

believe there is always a better way and are always looking for it

do not think that their ideas are unique view problems as challenges rather than annoyances treat failure/mistakes as learning experiences use brainstorming techniques for decision making and

problem solving tolerant of ambiguity and idiosyncratic colleagues cut bureaucratic red tape whenever necessary will to stick their necks out in support of their ideas set aside time each day for reflective thinking

Creativity may be one of the hardest abilities to teach. It seems to be a trait that a person is most likely to acquire during childhood. One way to think about it is that a manager can do things to foster or release a person’s innatecreativity.

Teaching method:

To encourage creativity among students or employees …. incorporate a variety of teaching and learning styles provide opportunities for hands-on experimentation,

problem solving, discussion and collaborative work create opportunities for students to actively perform

tasks while being able to question what they are doing share your learning goals with the students allow them

the opportunity to choose how they will achieve them encourage pupils to improvise, experiment and think

outside the box. actively encourage pupils to question everything, make

connections between ideas, and imagine what might be possible

ask open-ended questions such as ‘What if…?’ and ‘How might you…?’

encourage students to develop criteria that they can use to judge their own work for its originality and value.

facilitate open class discussion of problems pupils are facing and how they can solve them

encourage students to share ideas with others and to talkabout their progress.

allow students to fail use failure or setbacks as opportunities to learn ensuring that procedures for assessing/evaluating/grading

students reflect and reward creativity, enterprise and innovation

make effective use of encouragement, praise, and positivelanguage.

Some see the conventional system of schooling as "stifling" of creativity and attempt (particularly in the early school years) to provide a creativity-friendly, rich, imagination-fostering environment for young children. Researchers have seen this as important because technology is advancing our society at an unprecedented rate and creative problem solving will be needed to cope with these challenges as theyarise.

Promoting intrinsic motivation and problem solving are two areas where educators can foster creativity in students. Students are more creative when they see a task as intrinsically motivating, valued for its own sake. To promote creative thinking educators need to identify what motivates their students and structure teaching around it. Providing students with a choice of activities to complete allows them to become more intrinsically motivated and therefore creative in completing the tasks.

Teaching students to solve problems that do not have well defined answers is another way to foster their creativity. This is accomplished by allowing students to explore problems and redefine them, possibly drawing on knowledge that at first may seem unrelated to the problem in order to solve it

Problem Solving

In some jobs, work is a constant stream of problems that have to be solved. A person who is effective at solving problems will have a successful career. Problem-solving is askill that can be taught and learned. There is a simple multi-step protocol that can be applied to almost any situation. It goes like this.

Notice the problem.Define the problem. (Does everyone agree on this?)Set criteria for determining success.Set a timetable for full implementation of the solution.Decide if there will be interim goals and progress reports.Identify the constraints on solutions to the problem. (Legal, resource, public opinion)Determine the resources of all type available for implementing a solution. (Money, space, equipment, materials, personnel, reputation/credibility, political/public support, time)Set criteria for choosing the best solution.Generate alternative solutions to the problem.Choose one of the alternative solutions.Implement the solution.Make adjustments if necessary.Evaluate the success of the solution.

Evaluate the effectiveness of the problem solving process that was followed.

Teaching method:

First, using a simple case study, ask the students to propose a solution to the problem there. Then, ask them to list the steps that they followed in coming up with that proposal. On a second case study, ask them to apply the steps that they determined in the first case.

Leading Up

Some people call this Managing Your Boss. It starts by realizing that you are in a dynamic two-way relationship with your boss. Your boss needs you as much as you need her.Leading Up does not mean that you give directions to your boss. It is more complex and unselfish than simply trying toimpress your boss.

Understanding your bossAt the very least, you need to appreciate your boss’s goals and pressures, strengths and weaknesses, organizational and personal objectives, pressures, and preferred working style.Do not make assumptions about all these characteristics of your boss. Seek out information. Question the boss and others around him to test your assumptions.

Understanding yourselfThe boss is only one half of the relationship. You must knowyour own needs, strengths and weaknesses, and personal style. You're not going to change either your basic personality structure or that of your boss. You can become aware of what it is about you that impedes or facilitates

working with your boss. With that awareness, you can take actions that make the relationship more effective.

With the clear understanding of your boss and yourself, you can usually establish a way of working together that fits both of you.

Compatible work stylesAccommodate differences and work style. Recognize the differences and make adjustments. For instance, subordinatescan adjust their styles in response to their bosses preferred method for receiving information.

Mutual expectationsSome superiors will spell out their expectations very explicitly and in great detail. Most do not. The burden falls on the subordinate to find out what the bosses expectations are, both abroad and the specific. Communicate your own expectations to the boss, find out if they are realistic, and influence the boss to except the ones that are important to you.

The flow of informationHow much information the boss needs about what a subordinateis doing will vary significantly. Often a boss needs more information than the subordinate will instinctively supply or the subordinate will simply believe the boss knows more than he or she really does. A superior needs to hear about failures as well as successes. If necessary, find indirect ways to get the necessary information to him or her.

Honesty and dependabilityA boss is crippled by a subordinate on whom she cannot depend, whose work she cannot trust. It also is difficult for a boss to rely on a subordinate who repeatedly misses deadlines.

Use of time and resources

Every boss has a limited store of time, energy, and influence. Every request you make of your boss uses up some of these resources, so it's wise to draw on these resources selectively.

At the very least, you need to appreciate your boss’s goals and pressures, strengths and weaknesses, organizational and personal objectives, pressures, and preferred working style.Do not make assumptions about all these characteristics of your boss. Seek out information. Question the boss and others around him to test your assumptions.

These are some ideas for managing your relationship with your boss. Communicate effectively with superiors. Understand your boss’s priorities so that you can focus

your staff on meeting those objectives. Be willing to take a stand, even when it’s unpopular with

your boss: “This organization isn’t perfect, there are big opportunities we are missing and I want to be part ofthe solution.”

Once a week, send an email to your boss about your department’s/employees’ accomplishments, gains, or improvements during the past week. Encourage your employees to do the same with you. Tell superiors, “Here is what my team was able to accomplish.”

Make sure your boss knows all the good things you are doing. Build personal rapport with her.

Be sure that you can always answer any question the boss might ask.

Follow through on assignments and do what you say you’re going to do.

Be serious about your job responsibilities and take the time to develop a deep understanding of the area in which

you are working. Build a specific area of knowledge that your boss values.

Show that you are truly concerned about what the boss hasto say by responding with solutions rather than complaints or excuses.

Market your services to your immediate superior. Prepare a brief summary of exactly what you are working on and why it is vital to the boss’s success. Find a way to workthat message into every conversation you have with your boss.

Deliver what your boss wants – even before he knows he wants it. Learn about his career background and behavior in order to understand how he thinks. Your interest in his career also will flatter him. Find opportunities to express a healthy curiosity about his experience. It willgive him an opportunity to explain the logic of his decision-making.

“I noticed that you made a presentation at the XXXX conference. What kind of response did you get?”“I noticed that you previously worked with the BBBB company. What are the main differences between the way they operate and the way we do?”

Teaching method:

Ask students to think about a current boss or a previous boss. What do you know about him/her? Personal goals? Work goals? Leadership style? Preferred method of interacting with employees? Using some of the ideas we just discussed, suggest some ways that you might actively build your relationship with him/her.

Emotional Intelligence

Within the last 5 to 10 years, Emotional Intelligence has been recognized as an essential trait for leaders, managers,or anyone wishing to interact effectively with other people.Emotional intelligence (EI) is the ability to monitor your own and other people's emotions, to distinguish between different emotions and identify them, and to use that emotional information to guide your thinking and behavior. It can be summarized in five characteristics.

Self-Awareness – The ability to recognize and understand your moods, emotions, and drives, as well as their effect onothers.Self-Regulation – The ability to control or redirect disruptive impulses and moods.The propensity to suspend judgment – to think before acting.Motivation – A passion to work for reasons that go beyond money or status.A propensity to pursue goals with energy and persistence.Empathy – The ability to understand the emotional makeup of other people.Skill in treating people according to their emotional reactions.Social Skill – Proficiency in managing relationships and building networks.

An ability to find common ground and build rapport.

Teaching method:

Emotional Intelligence is another quality that is more easily taught when a person is a child. Some people acquire it naturally as they grow older – it is sometimes called “maturity”. In some cases, when high-level executives have tried to develop EI that they lacked, it required expensive coaching and

A person’s emotions can be a sensitive area. During a class,the most that I am willing to do is randomly ask students, without expecting an answer: “Think right now. What are youfeeling? What is your mood?”, and “When you are making a statement in class, can you notice the emotional reaction ofother students or of me as the instructor?” I also suggest that, as the students go about their lives outside the classroom, they try to practice the principles of EI. With time, they will improve.

We have not spent much time discussing these several important, complex concepts. This has been only an introduction. In the future, if you have further questions or would like to know about resources for studying these concepts in more depth, you may contact me at my email address.

Dear Mohammed,

I have received your message and the attached outline for the training session. I have looked particularly at the section on Professional Development and the subtopics under it. I am not sure that I am a well-qualified person to discuss these issues, but I will do my best. We discuss mostof these issues in a course I teach on “Managing People in Health Care Organizations”, but I am not an authority on them.

Do these topics apply to the participants (academics and trainers) or to the people that they will be teaching? For instance, Empowerment of the trainers or of their students, Critical Thinking by the trainers or by their students?

Are you interested in hearing about the substance of these topics or about how to teach them?

Are the “academics” you mention faculty members at IUG and other universities who already do some teaching?

I think that I would prefer to speak at 10:00 am Gaza time (3:00 am Boston time).

Best wishes,George

I hope that you are doing well. I am so grateful for your support.

Kindly find attached a summary document about the whole training. The intended session is highlighted in Yellow color. That will be tomorrow.

Regarding your inquiries sent to me through Skype as follows:

Thank you for the invitation, Yes, I will make a presentation to the training session on Tuesday, June 10th. I have a few questions: (Comment: Appreciated)At what exact time would you like me to speak? (11:00 am or 10:00 am Gaza time through Skype)May I allow time for questions and answers? (Sure, It is preferable)Who will be the participants in the training? Academics? Students? Non-academic trainers? (mentioned in the attached report. They are ICT academics and trainers)I have some ideas about Professional Development. Can you say something about your expectations regarding ProfessionalDevelopment? (mentioned in the attached document)Is the purpose of this presentation to improve the future careers of the participants? (It is about enhancing studentssoft skills in order to improve their future careers. For more details please refer to the attached document)

Important Note: if there is a possibility to have another input in another session you are also so welcomed. Please let me know so that I can arrange this.

Please do not hesitate to contact me whenever you have any inquiry.