He received the designation last semester. Boss of the Year. Not a bad title for IU Kokomo's Jack Tharp, who is also vice chancellor for student services on campus. The designation was made by the Kokomo chapter of Professional Secretaries International (PSI). Tharp was nominated by his secretary, Diana Goodnight, a PSI member.
"He provides friendship, honesty, appreciation, tolerance and a sense of humor that makes me smile," said Goodnight in her nomination letter. "He keeps the line of communication open with positive feedback, is highly organized, sets high standards for himself and is a mentor for those who work for him." Tharp joined IUK in 1983 as director of university relations. Since July 1984, he has served as the leader of student services, from director to dean and then vice chancellor. Tharp's educational background includes a bachelor's degree in political science from Hanover College and an MPA degree with a concentration in public manage-ment from the IU School of Public and Environmental Affairs. In 1993, he earned a doctorate in education from IU.
Mary Beth Myers (above left) and Beck Alvarez-Valentin
The Office of the Registrar at IUB is "very hectic at times and we are daily faced with new situations," wrote Berky Alvarez-Valentin of her workplace.
And who makes it "workable?"
Alvarez-Valentin nominated Mary Beth Myers, senior assistant registrar in the service department.
"I know that no matter what the situation is, Mary Beth is there to back us up. She encourages us to work together as team players with positive enthusiastic attitudes. She is aware of the many hats we wear that may make our jobs stressful. So she is quick to find a solution to a problem or a better way to handle a situation when we can't. But it is always done in a way that says, 'hey, we're in this together and your problem is also my problem.'"
As a boss, Myers is "always there to lend a hand," said Avarez-Valentin.
"On days when we are short-staffed and she notices a long line of customers waiting to be served, Mary Beth will immediately sit at an empty desk, assist our customers, answer the phones and still make herself available to us as our supervisor."
Effective bosses have something called "habits of mind," says Barbara Mackoff, an expert on the leadership qualities of successful managers, who spoke last month at the 51st annual Indiana University School of Business Conference in Indianapolis.
Mackoff, an expert on leadership qualities of successful managers, is also the author of the books The Art of Self-Renewal, Leaving the Office Behind and What Mona Lisa Knew. She believes that the "personal resources" for an individual's success are often derived from experiences they have with people most influential to them throughout their lives.
Several executives at the conference related to Mackoff that their mentors taught them the value of listening and delegating, the importance of taking risks, and the roles of commitment and teamwork.
What are "habits of mind?" Mackoff described them as "optimistic and resilient thinking or the way you make sense of the negative events in your life." A third quality, "renewal," encourages people to "use private time wisely and well, to find a counterbalance of satisfaction between your job and your personal life."
Related Link:
http://www.iuinfo.indiana.edu/ocm/releases/buscover.htm
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