A Message from Ujima Donalson, POD Executive Director
The past year has been one of great change in POD. We launched a new website in July 2016; said goodbye to three members of our staff (including one who retired and another who changed careers) and welcomed three new people to our team; prepared ourselves and supported our UWHR colleagues through the launch of Workday; and introduced a new program, Leadership Advantage. Through our internal adjustments and larger institutional transitions we’ve worked hard to maintain and even increase service levels while staying true to our guiding business values of visibility, innovation, excellence, and integrity.
I know that many of you have also stayed committed to promoting learning, growth, and development for yourselves and your team, and I empathize with how challenging that can be.
It can be tough to carve out time for our own development, but it is vital. Whether through attending a conference or training, participating in self-directed online learning, reading books or articles, or simply watching a TED Talk or two, enriching our knowledge and opening ourselves up to growth makes us more responsive and agile leaders.
One thing that’s clear to us in POD is that organizational leaders tend to appreciate rich content that can be accessed on a just-in-time basis and without infringing too much on day-to-day work. Our current SLP Level 2 offerings are designed to satisfy these needs. Core Strengths Accountability has been offered regularly in two half-day sessions since it launched in Winter 2016, and to date more than 200 leaders have participated. In addition, nearly 100 of you have already signed up for Leadership Advantage, the 24/7 online learning platform introduced earlier this year. I applaud your efforts to advance your self-awareness along with your organizational acumen and can assure you we will continue to bring new and innovative offerings to leaders.
In this issue, Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer Rickey Hall speaks to us about the importance of education and training and shares his perspective on diversity, equity, and inclusion here at the UW. I’ve enjoyed getting to know Rickey since he joined the UW a year ago and believe you will appreciate hearing his perspective. In addition, POD’s own Linda Callecod shares insights about creating a growth mindset for ourselves and our team members. Linda’s article aligns nicely with the content we teach in SLP on performance partnerships, which SLP grads may remember from day two of the workshop. Rather than keeping distance and avoiding failure, leaders who engage in performance partnerships make connections and promote success and thus contribute to growth, motivation, and innovation.
I hope you’ll find these features both inspiring and encouraging heading into the new academic year. Fall will be upon us before we know it. Until then, along with tending to your own growth and development, I encourage you to nurture and renew your spirit by spending time with friends and family or retreating to one of your favorite places.
