Taking It to the Next Taking It to the Next Level:Level:

Preparing to Become an Preparing to Become an

Athletics AdministratorAthletics Administrator

What Does It Take To Be A What Does It Take To Be A Successful Athletics Administrator?Successful Athletics Administrator?

Knowledge & Understanding of Knowledge & Understanding of Higher Education and Higher Education and Intercollegiate AthleticsIntercollegiate Athletics

Leadership & Management SkillsLeadership & Management Skills Social SkillsSocial Skills Ability to Work with Many Ability to Work with Many Constituent GroupsConstituent Groups

Ability for Work/Life BalanceAbility for Work/Life Balance

Knowledge & Understanding of Knowledge & Understanding of Higher Education & AthleticsHigher Education & Athletics

Very specialized career optionVery specialized career option

Important to learn about higher Important to learn about higher educationeducation

Recognize what Search Committees Recognize what Search Committees wantwant

Coaches may have a longer road Coaches may have a longer road to hoeto hoe

Leadership & Management SkillsLeadership & Management Skills

What is Leadership?What is Leadership?

Leading people toward common Leading people toward common goalgoal

Understanding peopleUnderstanding people Building loyalty & competence Building loyalty & competence Serving as role model Serving as role model Being both leader and part of a Being both leader and part of a teamteam

Leadership & Management SkillsLeadership & Management Skills

What is Management? What is Management? 

… …the systematic handling of a the systematic handling of a multitude of responsibilities and multitude of responsibilities and tasks, done efficiently and expertly…  tasks, done efficiently and expertly… 

……good management is reflected by good management is reflected by efficient and expert handling…efficient and expert handling…

……ineffective management leads to ineffective management leads to dysfunction, chaos, and ultimately dysfunction, chaos, and ultimately negatively impacts one’s ability to negatively impacts one’s ability to lead.lead.

How to Become a Leader & ManagerHow to Become a Leader & Manager

Observe Others—be a student of Observe Others—be a student of leaders’ and managers’ behaviors.leaders’ and managers’ behaviors.

Read about both.Read about both.

Think about what you admire in Think about what you admire in specific leaders and managers—try specific leaders and managers—try on different behaviors for size.on different behaviors for size.

Sometimes comes easier to others—Sometimes comes easier to others—but you can learn to be a leader but you can learn to be a leader and manager!and manager!

Social SkillsSocial Skills

Strong and effective Strong and effective communication skillscommunication skills

Aura of confidence and abilityAura of confidence and ability

Comfort level with greeting Comfort level with greeting others firstothers first

Ability to think like a Ability to think like a politicianpolitician

Practice, practice, practice…Practice, practice, practice…

If introvert, still possible!If introvert, still possible!

Ability to Work—Constituent GroupsAbility to Work—Constituent Groups Board of TrusteesBoard of Trustees AdministrationAdministration FacultyFaculty StaffStaff Departmental Staff—Coaches & Departmental Staff—Coaches & Support StaffSupport Staff

Student-AthletesStudent-Athletes Parents & BoostersParents & Boosters AlumsAlums

Constituent GroupsConstituent Groups Starts with the interviewStarts with the interview

Understand each group’s needs.Understand each group’s needs. Example—Administration needs a well-Example—Administration needs a well-managed program that operates with managed program that operates with integrity and provides an outstanding integrity and provides an outstanding experience for each student-athleteexperience for each student-athlete

Develop program that addresses Develop program that addresses each group.each group.

Ability for Work/Life BalanceAbility for Work/Life Balance

Patterns…Patterns… Make yourself develop a life Make yourself develop a life outside of work.outside of work.

Intercollegiate athletics, in Intercollegiate athletics, in particular, lends itself to a particular, lends itself to a certain type of life…working certain type of life…working many, many hours. Guard yourself many, many hours. Guard yourself against this!against this!

A better manager will, at the A better manager will, at the end of the day, have a personal end of the day, have a personal life that is fulfilling. life that is fulfilling.

"Taking it to the next level” "Taking it to the next level” preparing to become an athletics preparing to become an athletics

directordirector

Functions of ManagementFunctions of Management

““Skills to Succeed”Skills to Succeed”

Lynn OberbilligLynn Oberbillig

Smith CollegeSmith College

Functions of ManagementFunctions of ManagementPlanning: Setting objectives & Planning: Setting objectives & allocating resources to match.allocating resources to match.

Organizing: Coordination of activities Organizing: Coordination of activities and tasks to meet objectives.and tasks to meet objectives.

Leading: Motivating and directing Leading: Motivating and directing members of the organization.members of the organization.

Evaluating: Assessing organizational Evaluating: Assessing organizational effectiveness and individual effectiveness and individual performance.performance.

“ “ A Vision without Action is just a dreamA Vision without Action is just a dreamAction without a Vision is just a passing of timeAction without a Vision is just a passing of timeBut a Vision with Action can change the world.”But a Vision with Action can change the world.”

SMART GoalsSMART Goals

SS = Specific = Specific

MM = Measurable = Measurable

AA = Attainable = Attainable

RR = Relevant = Relevant

TT = Trackable = Trackable

Planning FunctionPlanning Function

Planning FunctionPlanning Function Setting objectives and allocating Setting objectives and allocating resources.resources.

BudgetingBudgetingSchedulingSchedulingComplianceComplianceSAAC programmingSAAC programmingFundraisingFundraisingEvent ManagementEvent ManagementPromotionPromotionAlumni relationsAlumni relations

““Doing little things well is a step towards doing big Doing little things well is a step towards doing big things better.”things better.”

• Detailed planning for specific Detailed planning for specific activity/eventactivity/event

• The bigger the event:The bigger the event:

the more time ahead you must begin to planthe more time ahead you must begin to plan the more you must break down into the more you must break down into segmentssegments

the greater the need for delegationthe greater the need for delegation the greater the need for communicationthe greater the need for communication

Organizing FunctionOrganizing Function

Organizing FunctionOrganizing Function Coordination of activities and tasks Coordination of activities and tasks to meet objectives.to meet objectives.

Step 1Step 1 Break down the tasks into Break down the tasks into specific jobsspecific jobs

Step 2Step 2 Assign tasks to right Assign tasks to right peoplepeople

Step 3Step 3 Staffing is the Staffing is the recruiting and training of workers.recruiting and training of workers.

Job analysisJob analysis

Job descriptionsJob descriptions

Job specificationsJob specifications

Leading FunctionLeading Function““Combined, Industriousness and Enthusiasm create an irreplaceable component of great Combined, Industriousness and Enthusiasm create an irreplaceable component of great

leadership” John Woodenleadership” John Wooden

Motivating and directing Motivating and directing members of the organizationmembers of the organization

* Psychology of Individual Motivation * Psychology of Individual Motivation Needs of Needs of Individuals Individuals (Self determination theory): autonomy, stimulation (Self determination theory): autonomy, stimulation & challenge, feel & challenge, feel competent and worthy, acceptance & competent and worthy, acceptance & belongingbelonging

* Skills of Group Leadership* Skills of Group Leadership: Active listening, : Active listening, reflecting, reflecting, clarifying, summarizing, facilitating, clarifying, summarizing, facilitating, empathizing, interpreting, empathizing, interpreting, questioning, linking, confronting, questioning, linking, confronting, supporting, blocking, diagnosing, supporting, blocking, diagnosing, evaluation, terminatingevaluation, terminating

* * Conflict ResolutionConflict Resolution (20% of day) Either (20% of day) Either disagreements over disagreements over interpretation of facts or on difference interpretation of facts or on difference of feelings and values. 3 of feelings and values. 3 stagesstages

* * Decision MakingDecision Making Examples of levels of D-M; level Examples of levels of D-M; level 1=you 1=you decide, level 2=make recommendation, I approve, level 3=I decide, level 2=make recommendation, I approve, level 3=I decidedecide

* * CommunicationCommunication Meanings are not in words, meanings Meanings are not in words, meanings are in are in peoplepeople

* * Team Building Team Building Examples to followExamples to follow

Situational LeadershipSituational Leadership

““Effective managers learn how to diagnose Effective managers learn how to diagnose the situation and how to select the the situation and how to select the appropriate leadership style to match the appropriate leadership style to match the skills and commitment of their skills and commitment of their associates.”associates.”

Four Leadership StylesFour Leadership Styles DirectingDirecting CoachingCoaching SupportingSupporting DelegatingDelegating

““Different Strokes for Different Folks”Different Strokes for Different Folks”

Matching Leadership Matching Leadership Style to Development LevelStyle to Development Level

John Wooden’s Pyramid of SuccessJohn Wooden’s Pyramid of Success

Building Blocks of High Performing TeamsBuilding Blocks of High Performing Teams

Celebration of Success

Flow of Information

Mutually Workable Solutions

Demonstrated Concern for Other Member’s Issues and Values

Constant Focus on Goals

Confidence in Other’s Skills and Abilities

Evaluating FunctionEvaluating FunctionAssessing organizational effectiveness Assessing organizational effectiveness

and individual performanceand individual performance

• Were the department goals for the year met?Were the department goals for the year met?• Were college wide objectives accomplished?Were college wide objectives accomplished?• Did you meet budget?Did you meet budget?• Individual Performance Appraisals:Individual Performance Appraisals:

: coaching & teaching effectiveness: coaching & teaching effectiveness: recruiting plans: recruiting plans: quality of student experience: quality of student experience: professional development: professional development: service…to college, to dept, to community, : service…to college, to dept, to community,

to professionto profession

Lifelong LearningLifelong LearningMental Habits That Support Lifelong LearningMental Habits That Support Lifelong Learning

Risk TakingRisk Taking: Willingness to push oneself out of comfort : Willingness to push oneself out of comfort zoneszones

Humble self-reflectionHumble self-reflection: Honest assessment of successes : Honest assessment of successes and failures, especially the latterand failures, especially the latter

Solicitation of opinionsSolicitation of opinions: Aggressive collection of : Aggressive collection of information and ideas from othersinformation and ideas from others

Careful listeningCareful listening: Propensity to listen to others: Propensity to listen to others

Openness to new ideasOpenness to new ideas: Willingness to view life with an : Willingness to view life with an open mindopen mind

““People can and want to develop.”People can and want to develop.”

The Relationship of Lifelong Learning, Leadership The Relationship of Lifelong Learning, Leadership Skills, and the Capacity to Succeed in the FutureSkills, and the Capacity to Succeed in the Future

John Kotter 1995John Kotter 1995

Personal HistoryInborn Capabilities

Childhood Experiences

Job & Educational experiences

Competitive DriveLevel of standards

Desire to do well

Self-confidence in competitive

situations

Lifelong LearningWillingness to seek new challenges

Willingness to reflect honestly on successes and failures

Skills & AbilitiesKnowledge

Leaderships skills

Other skills

Competitive CapacityCapability of dealing with an increasingly competitive and fast-moving environment

““Leadership and learning are Leadership and learning are indispensable to each indispensable to each other.”other.”

John F. KennedyJohn F. Kennedy

Taking It to the Next LevelTaking It to the Next Level

Preparing to become a Preparing to become a Director of AthleticsDirector of Athletics

By T.J. SheltonBy T.J. SheltonWashington UniversityWashington University

SELF AWARNESSSELF AWARNESS

Know your strengths and Know your strengths and weaknessesweaknesses

Job duties vs. Career goalsJob duties vs. Career goals

Taking Initiative: Taking Initiative: Seek Additional OpportunitiesSeek Additional Opportunities

Meet with Director of Meet with Director of AthleticsAthletics

Develop Job PlanDevelop Job Plan

Expand Your Network:Expand Your Network:

Finding a mentorFinding a mentor

Building a relationshipBuilding a relationship

Career DevelopmentCareer Development

Personal Development Personal Development OpportunitiesOpportunities

Professional Development Professional Development OpportunitiesOpportunities

QuoteQuote

““It is better to be prepared It is better to be prepared and not offered, than and not offered, than offered and not prepared.” offered and not prepared.”

-unknown-unknown

Are you ready?Are you ready?