the importance of fostering student leadership steven grossman northeastern university resnet...
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The Importance of Fostering Student
LeadershipSteven Grossman
Northeastern University
ResNet Symposium 2011
The Importance of Fostering Student Leadership
Why My Passion?
• Me, Circa 2003
The Importance of Fostering Student Leadership
Today’s Main Ideas
• Top Performers -- Top Priority
• When Peers Lead, Everyone Benefits
The Importance of Fostering Student Leadership
About Northeastern• 19,856 students
– 8200 On-campus
• Experiential learning (Cooperative Education)
• Urban Campus in the Heart of Boston
The Importance of Fostering Student Leadership
“Responsibility is transformational.”
The Importance of Fostering Student Leadership
A “Typical” Student Employee
• Intelligent and curious
• Track record of academic success
• Passionate about technology
• Gone in 4 years (5 at NEU!)
The Importance of Fostering Student Leadership
The ResNet Team Dynamic
Part On-Campus Job Part Extracurricular Activity
The Importance of Fostering Student Leadership
Our Balancing Act
Professionalism
PerformanceDiscipline
EnjoymentExperienceCreativity
The Importance of Fostering Student Leadership
“It’s when no one is asking you to work that you should worry!”
The Importance of Fostering Student Leadership
The “10-80-10” Rule
High Performers
Low Performers
Average Performers
The Importance of Fostering Student Leadership
One Possible Management Strategy
• Jack Welch– Former CEO of GE
• Fired bottom 10% every year!
The Importance of Fostering Student Leadership
The High Performer Paradox
Management
High Performers
Average and Low Performers
assigns more work to
focuses attention on
The Importance of Fostering Student Leadership
The High Performer Paradox
Management
High Performers
Average and Low Performers
resent
resent
assigns more work to
focuses attention on
The Importance of Fostering Student Leadership
The High Performer Paradox
Management
High Performers
Average and Low Performers
resent
resent
assigns more work to
focuses attention on
The Importance of Fostering Student Leadership
An alternate strategy…
Management
High Performers
Average and Low Performers
assigns more work to
focuses attention on
The Importance of Fostering Student Leadership
An alternate strategy…
Management
High Performers
Average and Low Performerswork directly
with & lead by example
The Importance of Fostering Student Leadership
Who Benefits?
• Student Leaders
• Student Staff
• Your Customers
• YOU!
The Importance of Fostering Student Leadership
“Leaders get the job done,
regardless of rank or title.”
The Importance of Fostering Student Leadership
Student Leader Development
vs.
The Importance of Fostering Student Leadership
More Structured Approach
• Assigned “leadership” roles– e.g. Student Supervisor
• Better for larger organizations
• For more info on this approach:• Sunday, Session 5• “Working Together: Giving Students the
Professional Edge”• Erin Nettifee
The Importance of Fostering Student Leadership
Less Structured Approach
• Leadership roles unassigned or ad-hoc
• Better for smaller organizations
• NEU ResNet– 40 employees– Open weekday business hours– Walk-in Support only
The Importance of Fostering Student Leadership
NEU ResNet’s Mission Statement
Outstanding
Customer Outcomes
Commitment to
Customer Service
Hands-on Technical Education
The Importance of Fostering Student Leadership
Dan (Manager)
Joe (Supervisor)
Steve (Analyst)
Co-ops, GAs, Senior Techs
Student Staff
System Admins
Project Team Leads
Project Team Members
Floor Leadership
Project Leadership
The Importance of Fostering Student Leadership
Floor Leadership
• No specialized knowledge required
• GA’s/Co-op’s play special role
• Peer leadership fosters good habits and hard work
The Importance of Fostering Student Leadership
System Administrators
• Maintain All Internal Systems and Servers
• “Supervise” Project Leads
• Continuous Presence Required
• Extra Responsibilities (“on call”)
The Importance of Fostering Student Leadership
Project Leadership
• Project Leads as Staff Sergeants
• Every Project has 1-2 designated leads
• 15 different project leads
• Main undergrad leadership track
The Importance of Fostering Student Leadership
Project Management
• FTS to oversee all aspects
• Set clear expectations
• Holistic view of office as “system”
• Excellent training for future software developers
The Importance of Fostering Student Leadership
Benefits We’ve Seen
• Greatly increased staff participation
• Fewer staff “points of failure”
• Limited FTS manhours optimized
• More projects Better outcomes
• Greater job satisfaction/enthusiasm
The Importance of Fostering Student Leadership
“Effective leadership is infectious.”
The Importance of Fostering Student Leadership
Building Your Student Leader Base
• Start during hiring/training
• Assess interpersonal skills
• Calls for action/project proposals
• Nurture nascent leadership
The Importance of Fostering Student Leadership
“No one wants their work to go unappreciated.”
The Importance of Fostering Student Leadership
Recognizing Your Leaders
• Official Job Titles/Leadership positions
• Higher wages/bonuses
• Public Appreciation– Tech of the Month– Recognitions on wikis/websites/newsletters– Public thanks at project completion
The Importance of Fostering Student Leadership
ResNet Alumni Dinner & Award Ceremony
The Importance of Fostering Student Leadership
Presentation Review
http://www.resnetsymposium.org/rspm/evaluation/
The Importance of Fostering Student Leadership
“Leading others is a tremendous
responsibility: to lead someone is to reshape
their world.”