Empowering Faculty

Adult education is complex!

Adult education training is complex and no day is ever the same. On this basis faculty teams need to feel empowered and supported. When faculty teams are empowered trusting relationships develop. Functioning faculty team characteristics will include:

• Empathy

• A willingness to share ideas

• Mutual respect

• Retention of staff

• Reduction of sick days

• Gratitude

• Integrity

• Innovative problem solving

• Supportive environment to take risks

• A clear customer service focus

• Collaboration

• Happy staff

• Individuals feel empowered to make decisions.

Do these characteristics reflect your workplace?

Recently a Gallup workplace report found that it takes more than a 20% pay raise to lure most employees away from a manager who engages them, and next to nothing to poach most disengaged workers. From this report it is evident that empowering and supporting a faculty team benefits the individuals and enhances workplace productivity.

How can we enhance the empowerment of faculty teams?

Consider the following:

• Develop a robust and supportive staff induction program

• Ensure each individual feels valued

• Credit and publicly praise the work of individuals

• Empower individuals to take on project work

• Listen to others

• Embrace the passions of individuals and their unique skills within the team to enhance business productivity.

• Respect the time available to individuals in relation to competing workplace priorities.

• Collectively focus on problem-solving rather than focusing upon an individual

• Be patient when inducting new staff

• Control emotions

• Encourage a shared vision of loyalty throughout the team.

• Choose trust rather than suspicion.

Transformation Consultancy has had the honour of supporting adult educators delivering a variety of training programmes across a variety of training institutions. Teams have been supported with professional development programmes that directly empower individuals within faculty teams. For example, we have witnessed how Trainers and Assessors feel empowered when professional development training room coaching is prepared to meet their specific needs. Additionally, we have also facilitated sweeping professional development programmes that include education leadership training, staff and student induction training, peer to peer professional programs, professional communities of practice and more!

Educators need to receive regular positive feedback to ensure their skills are highly valued across the education team. Opportunities for improvement need to be presented in a sensitive and empathetic manner. When faculty members feel ‘safe’ and appreciated they will naturally take on additional project coordination roles and innovative solutions will be the outcome. Our team has witnessed 100s of faculty members dramatically increase in self-assurance when participating within our professional development programs.

When the professional development budget of an organisation is directed towards assisting individual Trainers/Assessors in a tangible way, the faculty members feel empowered and appreciated and workplace productivity is enhanced.

Learn more

If you would like to learn more about the benefits of an empowered faculty listen to our podcast episode titled ‘Empowering Faculty’ published 15th of August 2021. The podcast will be available here.

Additionally, if you would like to develop your own skills and knowledge to empower your faculty enrol in our online professional development course, titled, ‘Develop Your Teaching Team’. The course is available here.

Review our video below to learn more about our approach to adult education training room coaching.