- 1). Change your view about failure by realizing that it is not always a bad thing. When you have failed, you have learned something --- the wrong way to do the task. Realize that failure only means that you need to try something new.
- 2). Review your job responsibilities as the department chair. Categorize these abilities from the most important to the least important. Turn these responsibilities into three to five actionable steps. These steps should be measurable, so that you know when you have performed one of them.
- 3). Become an expert by studying how other department chairs operate. Schedule time twice a month to meet with department chairs on campus who are doing their job well. Ask them what actions they took to become good at their job.
- 4). Recognize that your position changes your relationship --- to everything. As a chair, you become a generalist by balancing the responsibilities of an entire department, instead of a specialist focused on a discipline. Recognize that you are no longer loyal to one discipline but you should now be loyal to the institution. Finally, realize that this position changes your relationship with your colleagues, and you may need to spend time building and strengthening this new relationship through meetings.
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