Key knowledge to be a good manager in higher education

Higher education institutions (HEIs) around the world are facing numerous challenges, from rising tuition fees and declining student numbers to the emergence of online education, increasingly demanding students and greater workloads/lower pay for academics. Many of these are taking their toll on academics, resulting in burnout or scholars seeking employment opportunities outside higher education.

Given that universities are focused on the dual core functions of knowledge creation and knowledge transmission through the process of research and teaching, it seems fair to say that academics are the most important asset for any HEI, though unfortunately they are often the most neglected.

This makes it even more vital for those in charge to know how to be a “good manager”. Being a manager in HE is demanding, but it can be an immensely rewarding experience. I hold a managerial position at my university, and I hope that sharing my experiences will be useful. 

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First, being a manager in HE means I have the responsibility of leading a highly intelligent group of individuals. Consequently, it’s essential to work with these academics and not over and above them. This involves demonstrating that I’m part of the team, literally a team member, and therefore I’m willing to take on any tasks and responsibilities side by side with my academics instead of expecting them to do so on my behalf. Being a team member also means demonstrating that I, too, want to chip in and contribute to the successful performance of our unit instead of just taking the credit.

Second, being a good manager means knowing each of my academics. They are all unique and, subsequently, each has their own strengths and weaknesses. I have to understand each of them and use this understanding to strengthen my relationship with them as well as assign tasks, duties and responsibilities that fit each academic’s strengths and abilities. This in turn enables each of them to grow and succeed – which is where it becomes crucial to promote the positive rather than dwell on weaknesses and mistakes. For example, if I know one of my academics is a successful researcher, but only when they work alone, then assigning them to be part of a research team set up to work in collaboration with other researchers would make little sense.

Third, good managers must understand the need for flexibility. They need to be able to put themselves in the shoes of their academics and show genuine compassion and empathy when required. For instance, when one of my academics needs a personal day or asks for time to spend with their children or family, I need to provide them with the flexibility to do so. This is especially essential today given the high degree of burnout being experienced by academics; accordingly, the slightest amount of flexibility can lead to a sense of value and satisfaction in the workplace.

Recently, one of my academics needed a few days off to deal with family issues. Even though time off during the semester is frowned upon by our management, I allowed her to take the time she needed. As a result, she returned to work a couple of days later feeling less stressed, a more satisfied and happier individual, with her morale and motivation improved.

Finally, for me, being a good leader means giving real-time feedback as well as being open to feedback from academic staff. Any relationship with staff should be a two-way street with an ongoing dialogue. This ensures mutual trust and respect. I will give both positive and negative feedback, when necessary, but the feedback has to be in real time in order to encourage continued positive behaviour or to enable the timely correction of unfavourable behaviour and overcome any obstacles. Real-time feedback is informal in nature so, for instance, I find that just popping into an academic’s office for a quick chat during the day can be a perfect opportunity to provide and receive the necessary feedback, in the form of suggestions, without creating any awkwardness.

In conclusion, it’s clear to me that quality academic staff are the cornerstone of any successful HEI. They are true value creators and are thus worthy of respect, praise and recognition – not neglect. Today, however, academics worldwide have to work harder to fulfil increasing expectations not only from themselves but also from their institutions. Hence, they find themselves in a profession that is highly stressful and becoming less and less attractive. In my opinion, this makes it even more essential to know what it takes to be a “good manager”. In fact, being a good manager today is not a choice – it is a necessity if HEIs are to prosper.

Şerife Eyüpoğlu is the dean of the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences and the chair of the department of business administration at Near East University, North Cyprus.

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