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As financial aid administrators, our most important goals should be to provide open and respectful communication with our customers, create a positive office image... |
Featured Articles ...  A few weeks ago, a colleague of mine and I had the
opportunity to attend the WASFAA Management
Leadership Institute which was held at the Salishan
Lodge, Gleneden, Oregon. Despite the five-hour
roundtrip drive from and to the Eugene airport, we had a
tremendous time. The co-chairs, Don Black and Kate Peterson, did a fine job of putting the conference together
and the faculty was quite knowledgeable.Most important to me were the group discussions on customer service, team building, and staff development. Too often, we become so overwhelmed with the mechanics of processing financial aid that we forget to include the human element. Who are our 'customers'? Do we really know? What steps have we taken to present our offices in a more favorable light to them? Answers to these and more questions are just as important in determining our mission as is following rules and regulations. As financial aid administrators, our most important goals should be to provide open and respectful communication with our customers, create a positive office image, take an interest in the needs of our staff by encouraging their personal growth and development, and create a work environment that fosters camaraderie. In the long run, your offices will run more smoothly and will ensure your staff's commitment to its mission. Thank you to my boss, Don Scheaffer, for giving me this opportunity and to the faculty for sharing their knowledge. I came away with a lot of valuable information as well as business cards.
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