2nd Annual Professional and Organizational Development Conference (2012)

On April 22, 23, and 24th Professional and Organizational Development colleagues from higher education gathered for the 2nd Annual Professional and Organizational Development Conference at Wake Forest University.  The event, hosted by Wake Forest’s Professional Development Center, offered an informal opportunity to bring together professionals in this field to share best practices and to gain insight from each other.

Gathering in Reynolda Hall on Monday morning, representatives from Wake Forest University, North Carolina State University, Marymount University, Elon University, the University of Virginia, and University of North Carolina-Greensboro participated in workshops and listened to presentations on a variety of topics.

The keynote speaker, Dr. Roger Pearman, spoke on the the “3 Keys to Inspiring People.”  Dr. Pearman, a Wake Forest alumnus, addressed the importance of inclusion, control, and affection in driving engagement in any organization.

Stephanie Kelber from NC State University helped the group understand the challenges involved when “Managing Generations in the Workplace.”  Recognizing and managing the potential “clashpoints” between the four current workplace generations is critical for a high performing work team.

University of Virginia’s Bryan Garey led the group in an exercise to recognize best practices in “Supervisory and Managerial Development.” Attendees then worked through a case study in small groups to create a development plan for a university struggling to unify efforts to create a culture where managerial work is valued and practiced at a high level.

Following lunch in the Autumn Room, Dr. Eric Gladney presented on the innovative practices involving emotional intelligence being used by the Human Resources Services department at UNC-G.  By utilizing the impressive changes within Human Resources Services as a model, Dr. Gladney and his team hope to focus the university’s strategic plan on development through organizational capabilities.

To end the day, Dr. Bernadette Costello of Marymount University shared her process of “Contracting for Consulting Services.”  She outlined the importance of a clarification of roles, expectations, and goals and provided the group with a sample contract that she uses.

Tuesday morning featured a roundtable discussion of various topics including new staff orientation, performance management, departmental funding for development, charging for services, succession planning, online learning, and faculty/staff integration.

The conference was a great success and plans are already being made for the 3rd Annual Professional and Organizational Development Conference.  The conference will be held at Wake Forest University February 10-12, 2013.