Most schools have grown accustomed to the Millennials. The new kids on the block are populations known as Generation Z and Generation Alpha—and they are a different breed of students and faculty members. Attention spans and retention spans are shorter. They grew up with a smartphone which has created a greater sense of agency and anxiety. So how do we engage them, equip them and even retain them as employees, and how do we reach them as students? This session explores both the data and the practical strategies for these challenges.

“Mind the Gap” is a common phrase used when boarding trains. But there is a huge gap that many workplaces struggle to close: it’s the generation gap. Boomer faculty differ from Gen Z faculty members, and both may struggle to understand their students. Today’s campus has four to five generations working together and far too often, we collide instead of collaborate. Frequently, we stereotype, taking mental shortcuts with young or old teammates. This event explores the characteristics of each generation at work today and how to leverage each of their strengths to be your competitive advantage. Based on Tim’s book on the subject, the session offers practical strategies to bring out the best in each generation.

Since the pandemic, a new kind of employee has emerged. They are savvy, educated, socially aware and bring higher expectations of leaders than a generation ago. Today’s faculty and staff require leaders to practice social and emotional intelligence, which differentiates them from common leaders. They balance paradoxical traits that enable them to connect with people: they’re both confident and humble, stubborn and open-minded, visible and invisible. This session reveals eight paradoxes top leaders leverage on teams, complete with case studies and applications.

The world’s best universities and schools are constantly adapting to change. Much like a sailor harnesses contrary winds to take the ship to the desired destination, effective staff and faculty flex and plan accordingly. They capitalize on current realities. In this session, Tim unpacks five vital secrets for effective change and principles to guide the process. He will ignite discussion your team can leverage repeatedly in order to be ready for the shifting cultural headwinds we face each year.

Book—Marching Off the Map

When Alexander the Great assembled three armies and began his campaign, he marched his soldiers off the current, familiar maps and into new, uncharted territory. They had to draw new maps as they marched. This is our reality today. Leaders cannot merely repeat what they’ve always done.  It’s important to “read the need, before they lead.” Student success must be about more than academic scores. Effective leaders discover what’s new while also holding on to timeless values. This session sets up discussion on how to march into new territory, prepare for the future and set the pace for other schools.

Team members don’t want to be managed, they want to be led. And they don’t want to merely be informed, they want to be inspired. This session teaches the disciplines of a leader who empowers team members to own the organization’s mission while cultivating a healthy team culture. In an innovative facilitation-style format, using images, conversations and experiences, this session inspires and equips leaders to lead in a life-giving manner.

It’s been said a thousand times: Culture eats strategy for breakfast. This session teaches actionable strategies to cultivate a healthy, magnetic culture (without blowing out the budget). Attendees will learn the habits and attitudes that enable administrators—and their staff and faculty—to flourish. The session facilitates discussion on the four elements that make a positive culture stick.