Concurrent Session 2

1:45 pm - 3:00 pm

Challenges of Implementing and Managing Interdisciplinary Programs

Belinda Byrne, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Panel Moderator
Jeff Koseff, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Co-director and Sr. Fellow, The Woods Institute for the Environment

Sara Bible, Sr. Associate Dean of Finance and Administration, Office of the Dean of Research

Raul Felipa, Director of Finance and Administration, Department of Bioengineering (joint department of School of Engineering and School of Medicine)

This session will address challenges facing administrators in charge of interdisciplinary programs at Stanford. Participants will gain awareness of potential problems and opportunities involved in working collaboratively with other academic units, including: the successful recruitment of new faculty who will have a home in two or more academic units; who owns what resources (funding & space) and how the benefits and burdens of joint programs can be equitably distributed; minimizing duplicative administrative effort; and creating an administrative environment that supports interdisciplinary research.

Mobile Work Practices, Accessibility, and Agreements

Norma Leavitt, Associate Director, Employee Relations School of Medicine
Anna Olmos, Human Resources Director, School of Engineering
Martha Wood, HR Business Partner, Stanford Alumni Affairs and Office of Development

Whether your employees work on site, at a remote office, at home, or travel frequently there are ways a supervisor and/or manager can prepare for managing a dispersed workforce.  This session will address the practices related to setting expectations for communications and accessibility, setting up the work environment, getting employees and teams ready to handle work when team members are not face-to-face, and discussion of necessary documentation and agreements. We will also discuss community and morale issues that sometimes surface with a dispersed workforce.

Manager as Improviser: Secrets of Thinking on Your Feet

Patricia Ryan Madson, Author:  Improv/Wisdom
Emerita, Drama Department, Stanford University

No matter how carefully we plan our work reality brings us fresh surprises every day. 
Improvisation is a mind-set and a paradigm that helps us to trust our own first thoughts,
work effectively with a wide variety of personalities, and find the humor in each moment.  Skills which contribute to this include paying attention to reality, acting without a plan, and noticing the contributions of others.  Join this session to develop these skills by capitalizing ony our natural creative spirit and your common sense.  This will be an "on your feet" experience.  Come ready to move around!

Developing a Wellness Culture @ SU:  A Manager’s Role

Jennifer Sexton, Coordinator of Fitness & Wellness Programs
BeWell and HIP staff

We are all in this together – BeWell @ Stanford. This session will help you develop a working definition of wellness and suggest strategies to implement wellness in your work environment (with the potential to reduce absenteeism and increase productivity). Participants will receive recommendations including simple wellness tips for staff meetings, how to have the “wellness” conversation and activities staff can do on their own or with others outside of work. We will discuss the BeWell Employee Incentive Program past and future, and talk about ways to engage your staff

Courageous Conversations

Allen Moore, Executive Consultant, Personnel Decisions International

We all face conversations we'd rather avoid; difficult dialogs with bosses, co-workers, direct reports, or even with friends and family can cause anxiety and frustration.  In this session, you'll see step-by-step skills that lead to more success than stress, and give your courage a boost.  Using a practical framework, you may learn to be better prepared, to listen more deeply, to be constructive and solution-focused, and to deliver the impact you want. So, whether it's giving difficult feedback, asking for more, saying "no" when necessary, or simply championing a new idea, you'll gain the courage required to make yourself heard.