Tag Archives: management

DISC Workshop Follow-Up

As a follow-up to this week’s DISC workshop, here are some links that Sheila Andrus has collected from the Manager’s Tools website to help us delve further into how DISC can be useful in the workplace.

DISC basics http://www.manager-tools.com/docs/DiSC_Basics.pdf

How to use DISC to be Effective Everyday http://www.manager-tools.com/docs/BeEffectiveWithDISC.pdf

There are several podcast resources available to you to support your application of DiSC:

The ‘D’ in DiSC – http://www.manager-tools.com/2006/03/the-d-in-disc

The ‘i’ in DiSC – http://www.manager-tools.com/2006/04/the-i-in-disc

The ‘S’ in DiSC – http://www.manager-tools.com/2006/05/the-s-in-disc

The ‘C’ in DiSC – http://www.manager-tools.com/2006/06/the-c-in-disc

Improve Your Feedback with DiSC – http://www.manager-tools.com/2006/02/improve-your-feedback

Greetings in DiSC – http://www.manager-tools.com/2009/06/greetings-disc

Simple DiSC, Delegation, and Project Management, Part 1 – http://www.manager-tools.com/2009/06/simple-disc-delegation-and-project-management-part-1

Simple DiSC, Delegation, and Project Management, Part 2 – http://www.manager-tools.com/2009/06/simple-disc-delegation-and-project-management-part-2

To be a better communicator, you have to be willing to change. Here are four simple changes you can make:

High D: Smile and slow down

High I: Slow down and ask more questions (and listen to the answer!)

High S: Shorter sentences, less questions

High C: Smile more and choose to be effective rather than right

Each of these changes will reduce conflict and tension and will increase understanding (which is what communication is all about).

– The Manager Tools Team

Changes at the Helpdesk

There have been some changes in the Helpdesk structure that I would like to make you aware of. First, after managing the Helpdesk for over two years, Jim Beauchemin is taking a break from management and stepping into a Senior Technology Specialist role. Jim will join the team of Nate Burt, Mack Roark, Brian Foley, Lisa Terrier and Chris Tangora (who will join LIS in January). Each of the Senior Technology Specialists takes a leadership role at the Helpdesk and shares the duties of working with users in Service Requests, or second tier support. This is the group that takes on the issues that cannot be resolved during the initial phone call, walk in visit or email. In addition, each has unique projects for which they are responsible. Jim has had a tremendous impact on our complex equipment inventory and distribution process, and he will continue to shepherd those important functions, as well as continuing as a system administrator for Heat. Jim will continue to bring leadership and his excellent process management skills to the Helpdesk.

I will be assuming the management of the Senior Technology Specialist group and Service Requests, in addition to my role as Area Director for User Services.

Joe Durante, who joined LIS last year, has been supervising the Student Consultants who work at the Helpdesk. I am delighted to announce that Joe has been promoted to Helpdesk Manager – Call Center and Walk-in. Joe will manage the staff who receive initial Helpdesk calls, emails and walk in visits and resolve as many as possible during that initial contact. Joe will also continue to lead and build our Student Consultant team. Joe brings strong management experience to the management team of User Services, and I am so happy to have him in that group.

We are currently recruiting applications for the open Senior Technology Specialist position recently vacated by Dennis Hadley, and so will continue to see the team grow and evolve.
Please join me in congratulating Jim and Joe on their new roles.