The Theory of Plenty: form strategic partnerships.

For those in leadership positions, it can be tempting to put on blinders and focus solely on the duties directly related to your job. But operating as a silo can be isolating and detrimental to your career. Investing your energy in forming strategic partnerships can enhance your leadership abilities, maximize resources and help you get ahead.

At the CUWFA conference in Santa Barbara in February, Connie Melendy, assistant vice provost at UC-Davis, and Steve Lustig, associate vice chancellor of health and social services at UC-Berkeley, discussed how strategic partnerships have benefited them and their schools.

Why are partnerships important?

At large research institutions like Berkeley, each segment of the university's population has its own agenda. Faculty do teaching and research, staff support them and students learn and acquire knowledge.

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At UC, said Melendy, administrators want to enhance the campus environment and support the school's mission of teaching, research and service, so they develop programs aimed at improving the experiences of staff, students and faculty. They focus on issues like workplace and classroom safety, technology and computing, process streamlining, work/life values, best practice management and leadership, etc.

Each of those initiatives requires resources. "So we have a dynamic research institution that has competing demands for priority programs," said Melendy. Each of the various populations on campus has its own specific interests and requirements in order to perform.