Effective communication is essential in your role as DEO. You’ll find yourself communicating with a wider circle of individuals and in new capacities, as you represent the work and needs of your department. In addition to the enhanced communications that you’ll have with colleagues within the department, you’ll develop regular communications with peer DEOs, associate deans, and other members of university leadership.

Your opportunities for communication will range from email to one-on-one conversations to meetings. The provost’s office provides DEO workshops and faculty development seminars that will aid in further building communication skills suited to each of these settings. The faculty mentoring page provides robust guidance on mentoring and supporting faculty at each career stage. 

Quick tips for building effective communications in one-on-one meetings with faculty:

• be mindful of the venue: when deciding on virtual or in-person meetings, check with them for their preference; when meeting in person, make an effort to meet in their office. 
• be mindful of your verbal communication: use a combination of closed questions related to specific information or tasks and open questions that encourage the faculty member to speak about the general topic or other areas related to their career development. 
• be mindful of your non-verbal communication: establish eye contact, an attentive body position, and attentive silences to allow the faculty member to fill in silences in the conversation; avoid distractions such as cell phones or other devices.