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Speeches & Presentations

Speeches & Presentations

President Drinan Answers Student Questions From Online Communications Management Course

August 4, 2009

President Helen Drinan recently joined a discussion during the Communications Management program's MCM 487: Internal Corporate Communication course taught by Professor Edward Vieira this summer.  The course – which is taught entirely online – focuses on organizational communication and in various types of organizations; the psychology of individuals and organizations as communicators; and the practical application of these areas through the case study method. 

During President Drinan’s visit as an online guest, the class’s starting topic was organizational communication in the context of organizational change and organizational culture. President Drinan sought to bring many years of meaningful leadership and human resources experience to the class discussion.

Read below to see excerpts from President Drinan’s participation in the conversation:

"Prof. Edward Vieira (Instructor): Upon assuming the helm at Simmons, what were your first areas of attention and why were these foci important?

Pres. Helen Drinan: Upon arriving at Simmons, my first areas of attention were financial management and control issues (policy compliance, accounting control and risk management). Risk management includes everything from financial risk to operational risk to reputational risk; that is, any aspect of the organization that could cause serious consequence because it is not properly managed.

Student #1: I was wondering where you saw the distinction between manager and leader most clearly presented in your experience thus far at Simmons (or in your previous experiences), and how you have addressed the slightly different requirements of each. Where do you see your personal greatest strengths?

Pres. Helen Drinan: I would say that at Simmons I moved back and forth between manager and leader responsibilities almost constantly, and have had that experience elsewhere, but not to the degree I have had at Simmons. I think it's easier to be a manager than a leader and I think that Simmons's challenges this year have required both kinds of skills. I think I have all the skills I need to manage effectively, but I think leadership is a continuously challenging journey. It's easy to feel satisfied as a manager; it's hard to feel satisfied as a leader....

Prof. Edward Vieira: Might it be because the results are longer term and more abstract?

Pres. Helen Drinan: Yes, but also because the work of a manager includes a variety of pretty well known tools, such as budget skills, human resource skills, and analytical skills. The role of leader has less tangible skill sets and requires more experienced judgment.

Student #2: According to your bio, you have been responsible for initiating diversity programs, work-life strategies, and performance compensation programs. Have these caused permanent cultural shifts at the institutions where initiated, or did the programs fade out as you left for another job? Or do such programs tend to be the ones to be eliminated first in a recession?

Pres. Helen Drinan: First, I think it's the other way around. We were trying to shift the culture and use these programs to accomplish that. These programs did not fade — they became a natural part of the culture — and none were eliminated because they were not separate from how we did business on a daily basis. Second, cultural shift comes as result of working differently, and all of these efforts were signals to the organization that work is happening differently.

Student #3: In group work for this class, we've been reading a case study on a company whose employees went on strike. Is it difficult to keep employees "happy?" What does a good manager/leader do to manage the emotional side of what goes on in the workplace?

Pres. Helen Drinan: First off, I do not believe it is the job of the employer to make the employee happy. Happy is a state of mind that is really under the control of one person: the employee. I think it's important to talk about having employees engaged in the work that they are doing, rather than being happy at work.

Student #3: Ah, I probably chose the wrong word to use here. Instead of “happy,” what about the challenge of keeping employees motivated?

Pres. Helen Drinan: I do believe the employer has a lot of control over the engagement factor. We know from research that there are two categories of key leverage opportunities related to engagement: capability and commitment. Within capability and commitment, there are approximately five specific areas of impact that the employer can use to foster overall engagement. So, I do believe that the emotional side on what goes on in the workplace can be significantly influenced by the employer.

Prof. Edward Vieira: I was asked to ask you if you know what your MBTI (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator) personality type is.

Pres. Helen Drinan: Yes I do, but I typically don't share it because I feel people misuse Myers Briggs a lot.

Prof. Edward Vieira: Would you mind elaborating?

Pres. Helen Drinan: I have worked in organizations where people shortcut their efforts to get to know one another by announcing their MBTI and leaving it at that. I think it leads to lots of inappropriate judgments.

Student #2: Do you see a future for private liberal arts education as we know it, or do you think we are seeing the slow death of this model? What do you see as the future model for higher education? How do you think schools like Simmons will have to morph to meet the new economy?

Pres. Helen Drinan: First, I absolutely see a future for private liberal arts education as we know it, and I think we have to work very hard to preserve what has been an enormously successful way to develop young minds for decades. I do think that the future of higher education in America is very unclear and faces multiple challenges. For example, this use of technology we are experiencing right now is only a glimmer of the possibilities of the future, but it has to be carefully thought out. I feel that higher education needs to be far more accountable for outputs than it is today. And I think that Simmons will have to change to meet new economic demands, and the organization’s challenge is to figure out how.

Prof. Edward Vieira: How might organizational cultural values and such pragmatic changes be managed?

Pres. Helen Drinan: I believe that culture embodies root values shared across generations of organizational participants and are malleable for ongoing change. So a root value at Simmons is a commitment to educating for a practical outcome. It's enduring and will stand any change or challenge.

Student #4: Helen, I would like to shift the conversation to leading change. Our group is working on an analysis of leading change in a company when business is good. You are leading change at Simmons at a challenging economic time. What kind of leadership approach is different during crisis, vs. standard organizational change (if there is a difference)?

Pres. Helen Drinan: You are right to distinguish good vs. bad times. So, I found an article in Harvard Business Review titled "How to be a Good Boss in a Bad Economy". It highlights four key things bosses must do in bad times, and they are summarized as predictability, understanding, control and compassion. I strongly endorse this article.

Student #5: Helen, we've talked about how to motivate employees during difficult times, but how do you stay motivated as a manager or leader? Especially when morale is low?

Pres. Helen Drinan: There are a number of strategies that I think that are important to keep in mind.
#1 Focus on why you are doing what you are doing, rather than what you are doing.
#2 Be as transparent as possible.
#3 Understand that you cannot take away the difficulty in the environment, but you can work to help people get through it.
#4 Understand you, too, are a human being and give yourself a break when you need one.  #5 Read about inspiring people who have done inspiring things. You need to feed your soul as much as your body during these times.

Finally, try to distance yourself from the notion that morale is low, especially when you know the issues are so pervasive across the larger world."