Your Career: Pave the way for the interim leader

How to better position short-term administrators to succeed on the job. ADVERTISEMENT [Your Career Logo]( You can also [read this newsletter on the web](. Or, if you no longer want to receive this newsletter, [unsubscribe](. How to better position short-term administrators to succeed on the job Higher education is increasingly relying on temporary administrative appointments to fill a leadership gap. All too often, however, institutions drop the ball in setting up interim administrators to flourish in key senior positions. During a stretch of internal upheaval, much of the planning is focused on the search for the permanent replacement. But colleges need a separate playbook to help them (a) manage the interim transition, and (b) increase the odds of success for the temporary leader. A good place to start: Be clear, open, and quick in announcing an interim appointment. Change causes anxiety in employees, and vague statements only sow further discord. You can create confidence that the transition is being managed effectively by erring on the side of clarity: - How long will the interim leader be in place? - To whom will that person report? - If the interim is an internal appointee (external interims are becoming increasingly common), who will take on the person’s previous duties? - Will the interim be a candidate for the permanent position? - What qualifies this appointee to step into the new role? Such delicate questions require careful yet forthright responses. You may not be able to answer all of them immediately. But for each piece of information that goes unstated, people will speculate, which rarely serves institutions well. Continue reading: “[Time to Train Your Interim Leaders]( by Richard Badenhausen, Marcy Brown Marsden, and Clay Motley Share your suggestions for the newsletter with Denise Magner, an editor at The Chronicle, at denise.magner@chronicle.com. If you’d like to opt out, you can log in to our website and [manage your newsletter preferences here](. ADVERTISEMENT SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHRONICLE Enjoying the newsletter? [Subscribe today]( for unlimited access to essential news, analysis, and advice. Upcoming Workshop [The Chronicle's Crash Course in Academic Leadership | August 2024] If you’re curious about becoming an academic administrator, we’re once again offering The Chronicle’s Academic Leadership Crash Course, a four-hour virtual workshop designed for faculty aspiring to administrative roles. Join us in August to gain essential insights, practical tips, and valuable resources that will help you pursue your next professional step. [Learn more and register!]( LATEST CAREER ADVICE, OPINION, AND NEWS ADVICE [A Faculty Survival Guide for the New Academic Year]( By Kevin Gannon [STORY IMAGE]( Four ways to approach what may be yet another “unprecedented” year in higher education. 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THE REVIEW | OPINION [The AAUP’s Incoherent New Boycott Policy]( By Jeffrey Sachs [STORY IMAGE]( The organization fails to see that it’s opened the door to chaos. FROM THE CHRONICLE STORE [Campus Housing for Tomorrow]( [Campus Housing for Tomorrow]( Student housing has undergone substantial shifts in recent years, due to inflation, the high cost of building, and drops in enrollment. [Order this report]( for insights on how to navigate these challenges and meet students’ evolving needs. What we’re reading Here’s more on career issues and trends from around the web. See something we should include? [Let me know](mailto:denise.magner@chronicle.com?subject=Your Career feedback). - In the Harvard Business Review, advice on [how to be strategic]( in the small decisions you make every day on the job. - The [Work Friend]( column of The New York Times looks at how to deal with a toxic “office assassin” who enjoys undermining colleagues. - On The Conversation, an associate professor of English explores [how unlikely it is]( that AI bots will “replace human teachers.” MORE CAREER RESOURCES [Chronicle Festival: The Road Ahead to 2035]( [STORY IMAGE]( UPCOMING: September 10-12, 2024 | Join us for our annual ideas summit, on how higher education must plan now for student demographic shifts, rapid technological change, an uncertain labor market, and more. What can your institution do to adapt? With Support From Workday, University of South Florida, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Florida International University, Google, and Strada. 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