Kathleen Ames-Oliver - Professional organizational effectiveness manager, HREO
R. Steve Dick/University Relations
Kathleen Ames-Oliver helps departments and managers be more effective through a variety of programs.
Years at current job: 16.
Job duties: I am responsible for managing and administering a comprehensive consultation, organizational development and training program for faculty and staff at KU. This includes administering the quarterly training calendar, designing, developing and facilitating a wide array of programs and workshops, facilitating meetings and strategic planning events for university departments. Organizational development, team building and assessment, and professional coaching are services also offered through the Professional and Organizational Effectiveness unit.
You are involved in team building exercises. How do you help KU units develop better, more effective teams? I work with teams to assess their strengths in the five core areas that make up an effective team. Team members need to understand their unique purpose and contribution to the overall university mission. Through team building, we work with teams to establish clear and measurable goals, align systems that help them to achieve those goals with excellence and develop the strengths and talents of each team member. Team building is not a onetime event. It is an ongoing process.
What would you say is the most important thing for new managers to know? Continuous learning and development are essential. Very few of us are born leaders. Most of us have to work at it. There is no one right style of management. Build on your strengths and use them to cultivate your own unique management style. If possible, find a mentor who can help you navigate your new role and responsibilities. Attend workshops and seminars designed for new managers and become familiar with the policies and procedures managers need to know.
What sort of situations do you become involved in through your grief management and crisis intervention roles? When a university department experiences the sudden loss or death of a colleague, they are often at a loss as to how to break the news to co-workers and handle the onslaught of emotions that surface in the work environment. I provide an outlet for co-workers to express their feelings of loss and grief and to develop a plan of support and assistance to the family of the deceased colleague. Often a department will want assistance in coming up with ways to memorialize their colleague and express what the person has meant to the department. We do not provide therapy or grief counseling to individuals but will suggest counseling should a co-worker appear to be having a particularly difficult time.
What exactly is performance coaching, and how do you tailor this service to individuals who perform very different jobs? Coaching is a focused partnership between a coach and a coachee that helps the coachee define and achieve results in a particular life arena. All coaching sessions are tailored to the needs of the individual being coached. The coach provides tools, resources and insights into behavior change that the coachee can use to achieve their performance goals. Performance coaching is ideal for the manager or employee who is looking for ways to develop their skills in communication, time management, personal organization, prioritization and goal-setting, meeting facilitation, accountability, leadership, work/life balance and stress-related issues. A new chair or director can benefit immensely from working with a coach, as can anyone looking to build or develop new skill sets.
What do you enjoy most about your profession? Working in the organizational effectiveness field is challenging and exciting. Helping leaders, teams and individuals find better and more effective ways to get their work accomplished is extremely rewarding. Nothing builds a team better than success and working together to accomplish a goal with excellence. I've had the opportunity to work with so many talented and dedicated people in both academic and administrative departments at the university. There are new challenges and learning opportunities every day.
You also lead a retirement mentoring group. What sort of topics are covered through this program, and what does the KU retiree need to know? Many people think retirement is just about financial planning. There is so much more to planning a successful retirement. There are actually 15 factors to consider in planning your retirement and financial preparedness is only one factor. Retirement doesn't mean the same thing it did 20 years ago. Most people planning retirements today say they will continue to work in some capacity or volunteer their talents and experience in the non-profit arena. Retirement for many is the beginning of the second half of life and planning here is just as important as it was in the first half of life. Since each person's retirement expectations are different, it's important to think about what you plan to do in retirement and who you plan to do it with. What will replace the work you currently do? What leisure activities are you interested or engaged in doing? What is most important to you as you move into this next stage of life? What family responsibilities do you foresee? Will you travel? What excites you about the prospect of retirement? Personal development, health and wellness, social and leisure, family and relationships are a few of the other factors to consider when planning a successful retirement.
What are some aspects of your job others might not realize you're involved with? I collaborate with many departments across campus on a wide range of initiatives. Currently I am serving on the advisory board of the new Staff Fellows Program and looking forward to a new group of fellows in the fall.
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