Guest Post by Dr. Paul Regan

As I encounter students who are new to writing, at least as a core part of a course, inevitably I see two types of writing emerge.

One type of writing that comes out is found in the discussion of a text. In discussing, as authors grow more comfortable with the course setting, the writing is soundly couched in that author’s personal reaction and understanding of the text. They “get” certain parts of the text and are able to go on at length about the meaning or intent of the author. The parts of the text that they don’t “get,” they can point to as well; often as they articulate why the text puzzled them, they come upon a solution of their own. Their words have the confidence that is born of understanding their own relation to the text. This writing comes from our need to be heard and understood. It is writing that takes risks and finds rewards.

The second kind of writing is what gets submitted as an essay on a text. Initially the writing is stilted. It overreaches itself in its attempt to sound informed. It often parrots what the student has read elsewhere, or what I have offered up in discussion. It is a form of writing that attempts to give the instructor what a student thinks the instructor wants. It is often shallow and lacks any voice whatsoever. This writing comes from a place of seeking approval. This is safe writing that never admits there is anything difficult about a text and never covers new ground.

In the best cases, by examining their discussion posts and their essay writing side by side, I can demonstrate to students that their best writing comes from a place of both understanding and trying to understand. Instead of filling their essays with safe certainties, they should be building, brick by brick, their own answer to a question that puzzles them. Even if they fall short of their ultimate premise, the journey will be instructive.

If there are no risks, there are no rewards. Students should be encouraged to take ownership of their own writing, to chart their own course and surprise us all.

Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/brightmeadow/281659324/

Posted by Matt Grawitch

In my last post on this blog, I emphasized the importance of “presence” as the primary element of the engagement experience. I stand by that definition of engagement, but I was criticized by both a reader who informed me that I “missed an essential point to promoting engagement…trust” and another blog for “[absolving] management from making an effort” because I did not highlight the importance of trust in my blog posting. Of course, this author also criticized me for not having given people a step-by-step guide to creating engagement – which could never exist because every context is different.

I decided to play the part of the good professional and respond to these critiques. Here’s a newsflash for everyone out there: trust does NOT equal engagement. If you have major trust issues with your employees, then why in the world are you spending time reading my blog post on engagement? Engagement is the least of your worries!

Trust is a crucial antecedent of engagement. If people lack trust in their direct supervisor, then it will serve as a barrier to the engagement experience. Workers need to:

• Trust that you will have their backs when needed;
• Trust that you will make decisions that will be good for the department;
• Trust that you will consider their well-being when making critical decisions;
• Trust that you will provide honest and constructive feedback about their performance; and
• Trust that you will not keep them in the dark regarding important issues.

And I’m sure there are many more things we need to trust about our supervisor.

Of course, developing trust takes time – lots and lots of time. It is easy to lose and difficult to gain. That, unfortunately, keeps deep mistrust from being much of an actionable issue. Sure, there are probably some things you can do to help improve the trusting relationship you have with your subordinates, but that assumes there is something there on which to build.

An Organizational Development perspective treats relationships as the primary unit of accomplishing goals. Establishing trust and rapport with your subordinates is the cornerstone of accomplishing anything – whether it is day-to-day performance or improving the engagement experience. However, don’t assume that establishing a trusting relationship with your subordinates is the solution. It is only the foundation on which to build an effective culture.

And if you have serious issues of mistrust between you and your subordinates, one of you may need to go. As in sports, though, the easiest way to change the culture of a work team or unit is to remove the person at the top: You.

Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mcleod/3909431214/

Posted by Matt Grawitch

The Organizational Health Initiative at Saint Louis University emphasizes the importance of a psychologically healthy workplace in overall organizational performance. As a way of contributing to the concept of a psychologically healthy workplace, I attended and presented at the recent Psychologically Healthy Workplace Conference. It was probably the best conference experience I’ve ever had.

The topic of my particular talk focused on engagement. There are so many misconceptions out there about what it means to be engaged at work. Some people think it relates to your workplace friends or workplace relationships. To that I say being too social at work and having too many close friends sounds like the archenemy of performance.

Other people think that it means loving your organization and feeling connected to the organization’s mission. To that I respond that loving your organization can occur for a variety of reasons (such as great pay or benefits), and feeling connected to the organization’s mission means nothing if you can’t perform your job well.

I am not bashing the benefits that people can experience when they feel connected to the mission of the organization or have a few close friends at work. Both of those can be instrumental in an employee’s sense of well-being. It’s just that those two things are not engagement.

To really understand engagement, you have to go back to the original definition that Kahn presented in 1990. He argued that engagement was defined as “psychological presence.” That means that to be engaged in something – like a hobby or a sport – you need to be psychologically present in what you are doing at the time. In layman’s terms, it means you are harnessing every ounce of you – your energy, your concentration, your emotion – and applying it to what you are doing at the moment. That is the engagement experience.

I’m sure those of you who have heard me speak before will not be hugely surprised to find that my talk made a few waves. That’s because when I start talking about engagement, I start talking about the importance of understanding the unique engagement experience of individual employees. What do they feel like when they are engaged? What are the things that happen in the organization that facilitate that experience? What are the things that happen in the organization that inhibit it?

Now, that doesn’t sound controversial – until you realize that many consulting firms make a living providing people with misinformation about engagement. Engagement is about a best friend at work. Engagement is about what your boss does to engage you. Engagement is about feeling connected to the mission. If I were British, I would yell “Bollocks!”

Engagement isn’t about any of those things. Engagement is about feeling mentally, physically, and emotionally present while you are completing your work tasks. Being present means you’re not distracted by worries at home. Being present means you’re not thinking about something else you’d rather be doing. True, your boss can have a positive impact on the engagement experience, but there are many factors that can influence “presence.”

Being present means:

1. Having sufficient personal resources (energy, time, skills) to meet work demands;
2. Possessing sufficient interest in meeting those demands that you are willing to marshal your resources toward effectively responding to them; and
3. Responding to demands in an environment that does not promote distractions and interruptions that might disrupt your flow.

That’s what being present means, and that’s what it means to be engaged at work. So, if you want to better manage your people, create an environment and a culture that promotes actual work engagement, not just one that promotes friendships or effective management.

Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nate/279320072/

Posted by Matt Grawitch

In today’s market landscape, creating an effective work-life interface is essential as a way of managing stress. A recent poll in the UK found that more people ranked work-life balance as a top priority when looking for a new job (at 36%, the highest result in the poll) than they did a competitive salary (at 31%). Similar polls in the US and around the world continue to find that people crave a better interface between the work and non-work lives.

What does this mean?

It means that many workers around the world are struggling to keep the stress and demands of their work lives from spilling over into their home lives. Some organizations provide greater levels of flexibility (such as flextime or telecommuting) that permit employees to better manage and juggle their work and personal life demands. That can be an effective tool, if you (a) have access to flexible workplace practices, and (b) possess the personality and competency necessary to utilize them effectively.

Instead, though, some people try to ‘get more done’ by working on two or more tasks at the same time. We see it all the time. People talk on the phone while checking their email. People will be an active participant in a meeting and shift their attention back and forth between the meeting and information coming in on their smartphones. We affectionately refer to this as multitasking.

Is multitasking really an effective way of ‘getting more done’? The research on this topic says, unequivocally, NO! For example, I recently posted elsewhere that multitasking can decrease performance by as much as 40%.

In a recent study my colleagues and I completed, we found that people who responded to emails while checking their voicemail messages responded to 19% fewer emails that people who did not have the distraction of checking their voicemail messages. Furthermore, the multitasking resulted in a decrease of 18% in the accuracy of email responses. So, not only did multitasking slow people down, it also lowered the quality of their work.

Perhaps even more damning was the fact that multitasking resulted in increased levels of stress and negative mood. So, not only did performance suffer, but so did multitaskers’ well-being.

The conclusion we can draw from all of this is that multitasking is not an effective way to ‘get more done.’ It also is not an effective way of decreasing the stress that results from a poor work-life interface. All you do is end up less efficient and more stressed. I’m pretty sure that is self-defeating!

Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamescridland/298264141/#/

Posted by Marita Malone

Hello from the School for Professional Studies’ Criminal Justice and Security Management Program! We’re halfway through Spring 1, and we’re excited about our upcoming Panel Discussion on “Cyber Attacks: Advanced Persistent Threats.” It is being held Thursday, March 10th, 2011 in the Busch Student Center, Rooms 172-173. It will be from 6:30-8:30 p.m. and complimentary cocktails and hors d’ouerves will be served.

Is 2011 the year of the cyber attack? Globally, numerous government entities and companies have already been attacked by Advanced Persistent Threats (APT). These threats are not simple one-time hacker attempts, but sophisticated ongoing cyber attacks that steal and change sensitive data and information over a long-term period.

These attacks cannot be easily removed from computer networks. The first step, though, is to understand what separates these threats from traditional, human-hacker attacks. With APT, prevention is ideal, but detection is a must. The panel will discuss these differences and the fundamentals of detection.

We have a fantastic panel of speakers for this panel, including Larry Cockell (Senior Vice President and Chief Security Officer for Time Warner, Inc., and former Deputy Director of the United States Secret Service), Jeff Pricher (Technical Director, Information Security at Savvis, Inc., and Cyber Operations Officer at Missouri Air National Guard), Joseph Malec (Security Analyst, and President of Information Systems Security Association-St. Louis Chapter), Dr. Ed Wassall (Director, Precon Systems Engineering, Guarantee Electrical, and former Senior Vice President Integration Services, SBC Communications), and Brad Breier (Unit Chief, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Cyber Division).

Interested? Register for this free event. We’re excited to beable to also offer complimentary parking across the street at the

Laclede Garage: 3642 Laclede Ave., St. Louis Mo 63108.

For more information or questions regarding this event, please contact the Office of Alumni Relations at alumni@slu.edu or 314-977-2250, or contact Dr. Marita Malone, Criminal Justice and Security Management, School for Professional Studies, 314-977-3204.

Photo Credit: http://www.fotopedia.com/items/flickr-2830319467

Posted by Marita Malone

Terrorism is a word thrown about in the world and in the media, especially since the attacks on September 11th, 2001.

What is terrorism? There are several different kinds, and not all of them are so black and white. Two of the most commonly known types are domestic and international, but you can also add religious, dissident, and state-sponsored to the list.

Is dissident terrorism acceptable if it’s the only way to express one’s disagreement and to change things?

What about those poor, fuzzy minks that are released because they’re in captivity to die for their coats?

Speaking of fuzzy, is releasing these minks so clearly wrong? On a larger scale, is it so wrong to fight in any way possible for a way of life that was your father’s and your father’s father? There must be answers.

After September 11th, in response to all the terrorist threats to this country, President George W. Bush and his Cabinet created the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which allocates resources to defending the United States against terrorism and being on the offensive.

The DHS website covers the Department’s counterterrorism area, as well as its concerns about immigration and cybersecurity. The cyber world is a fertile terrain for terror in the most recent decade, and having qualified employees in this area is becoming an increasing need for the government.

The department’s website gives an acceptable definition of terrorism, but it does not help Americans to understand what terrorism is.

During this upcoming Spring 1 term, you can increase your knowledge of the history of terrorism, the reasons behind the movements, how the media plays a role, and the future of terrorism in the elective course CJSM 393: Introduction to Terrorism.

In this course, you learn some of the answers to the questions in the first paragraph of this blog—as well other questions that are even more complex.

Within these eight weeks, students gain a new perspective on terror and the rationale behind it. They also acquire a clearer understanding of the kinds of terrorism and how they influence the American society.

Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/birdeye/3071528506/

Posted by Matt Grawitch

This time of year is supposed to be one of the most festive times of the year. Yet, inevitably, the Christmas season has the ability to stress many of us out. Shopping, parties, the end of the semester, family celebrations, and numerous other demands (exacerbated when you have children) can create an exorbitant amount of stress.

It amazes me that many people who effectively manage a stressful daily work life can sometimes forget how to apply those skills to stressful times outside of work (and I put myself in that category as well). But if you are one of those people who do a good job of managing your work-related stress, now might be the time to think about ways to apply those skills to the non-work domain.

Those of us who study issues surrounding the work-life interface would talk about this application as work-to-life enhancement or enrichment. It occurs when stuff that you learn or acquire at work spills over into your non-work life in a positive way.

So, if you have some effective time or stress management skills that come in very handy at work, try putting a little extra effort this year into applying them outside of work. Here are a few suggestions:

1. Conflict management – If you are great at conflict management in the office, it’s time to make sure you apply some of that during the Christmas season. There’s no need to allow yourself to get into unnecessary arguments with your spouse, children, family, or friends.
2. Time management – Do you have a schedule that you actively manage at work? Do you do a good job of minimizing interruptions so you can accomplish your goals? If so, how do you do it at work, and how might you apply that at home?
3. Deep breathing – Many people use deep breathing or other stress management techniques at work when they get overwhelmed. If you are one of those people, pay particular attention to your breathing and stress management during the holiday season. Shopping can be a brutal experience, standing in line for hours at a time. Unfortunately, people around you may not be handling their stress all that well. So, make sure you engage in conscious stress management techniques during this time.
4. Health habits – Some people are very good at maintaining at least a reasonably healthy lifestyle. They eat right, exercise, and get plenty of sleep. Unfortunately, for many of us, that behavior disappears during the holiday season as we allow demands on our time and other resources to ‘force’ us into unhealthy behaviors. To increase your ability to survive the holiday season unscathed, try making sure that maintain at least some of your healthful behaviors during the holidays.
5. Mood management – Dealing with conflict, time demands, stress, and unhealthy choices can be a lot easier if you enter into those situations in a positive mood. Positive mood increases resiliency to negative events. So, start your day with something that puts you in a positive mood, whether it is music, a good breakfast, a workout, or a warm shower. It can help set the right tone for the day.

These five suggestions are, by no means, designed to be all-inclusive. Some people may like all five, some may like only one or two of them (a very small number may not like any, I admit). But, I would like to know what works for you. What do you do to help you manage the holiday stress that inevitably comes (unless you lock yourself away for a month or so). So, comment and give me your suggestions. And I wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! Stay safe and have fun!

Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/laffy4k/310048508/

Posted by Marita Malone

I decided for this blog posting that I would provide some insight regarding jobs in the field of Criminal Justice and Security Management.

If you’re interested in highly coveted government job, check the Internet under “Office of Inspector General” and see how many hits you receive. MANY jobs are in the federal system, some requiring no degree, some a baccalaureate, and others an advanced degree. If you are interested in being a Special Agent (you can not apply until you’re 35 years old and older if you have military experience), agencies such as the Secret Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and U.S. Post Office require advanced degrees.

However, the Drug Enforcement Administration and almost all of the Offices of the Inspector General require a bachelor’s degree and might hire you with limited professional experience. Special Agent positions in the Offices of the Inspector General and law enforcement agencies do not have some of the “blood and gore” that local and state law enforcement people confront, with the exception of the Drug Enforcement Administration.

The advantage of the Criminal Justice and Security Management (CJSM) degree is that it opens your options to the private and the public sector. To be a supervisor of security, you will need some entry level experience, or come from a law enforcement agency.

When I say entry level, I do not necessarily mean a security guard, although many security positions pay more than what you might be currently making. Starting from the ground level as a security guard, unless the salary is higher than your current salary, is not the best move for advancement. Loss prevention investigators or a support position with a security division might be a better start.

If you’re currently in law enforcement, you cannot assume that moving into a private sector management position will be easy, because you lack the terminology and culture of private security (“Talk the talk, and walk the walk”). The CJSM degree will help you with that.

To help you get started in your job search, check out some of these resources:

• Drug Enforcement Administration
• State and Federal Police Careers
• Federal Jobs Locator
• Corrections and Probations Jobs
• Loss Prevention Jobs

If there are other good places to start, please feel free to comment and share.

Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/djackmanson/3870849170/

Posted by Matt Grawitch

I am gearing up to teach my first graduate course at the School for Professional Studies. The course is Contemporary Organizational Leadership and it is offered as a fully online course with a blended option for students who want some face-to-face interaction.

The course is a core requirement of both our Leadership and Organizational Development Program and the Organizational Informatics Program. I have to say, I am extremely excited (and a little nervous) about teaching this new course.

Teaching (and being a student in) a graduate course is very different than an undergraduate course. The workload is more intense. The expectations are much higher. As an instructor, my job shifts from the role of subject matter expert to learning facilitator. Students are encouraged to explore their own perspectives on leadership, and it is my job to provide them with ample resources and opportunities to do that.

The online format is a terrific way to offer this seminar course. Podcasts, YouTube videos, online readings, and other electronic resources offer so many more options than a traditional face-to-face class. And, of course, there are asynchronous discussions and blogs, so my students can log in and share their thoughts anytime from anywhere. Add to that the weekly lunch and learn webinars (which can be archived), and students have many opportunities to maximize what they take away from the course.

So, as I gear up for this new teaching experience, I do so with nervous excitement! I want my students to succeed, and I want to be an effective learning facilitator. I want to be able to see how their perspectives grow and change during the course and throughout the program. But, most of all, I am looking forward to providing them with the foundation they will need to become better leaders and managers – and that foundation comes from encouraging self-reflection and self-awareness. And there is no better place to encourage self-reflection and self-awareness than a Jesuit University.

Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kathyschrock/3548570278/

Posted by Stephanie Mooshegian

The 2010- 2011 school year is here! August is one of my favorite times of the year. A new school year, list of classes, and a fresh start…what more could an academic and life-long learner love?! Students have returned to campus – either filling seats in our classrooms or actively participating in online discussion boards. Summer routines are fading, and for the Nontraditional Billiken, fall schedules are evolving into weeks packed with work, class, and personal activities, such as children’s soccer games and scout meetings – and for those students in the sandwich generation, parents’ appointments and doctors’ visits. The weather is starting to cool, which is a much needed relief in the St. Louis area, and as the seasons shift, undoubtedly, change is everywhere.

For the most part, I see students (and faculty and staff) catch the wave of excitement for the new school year and quickly adjust to the fast-paced schedule. Students become accustomed to life on the go and tend to manage their responsibilities remarkably well. During the hustle and bustle of daily routine, students are challenged not only to meet their work, life, and school demands, but are also challenged to expand their worldview by learning about new ideas and thinking critically about familiar concepts. In being part of SPS’s learning community, students are continuously growing and developing, even though students may not make the time to fully recognize these changes as they occur. Being immersed in the daily grind, students may be prevented from seeing the big picture – why they chose to be part of SPS’s learning community in the first place.

In this first week of school, I know that students are inundated with course syllabi outlining eight weeks of course requirements and the daily hassles of preparing for a new term. I notice how quickly students tend to adjust to overdrive! Instead of becoming absorbed in the details, I encourage students to stop and take a few moments to pause and reflect. Think about why they choose their major or program of study…how they contribute to SPS’s learning community…what they will do after graduation…what they are called to do in life. Reflection is an integral component of learning and development. In taking the time, even just a few minutes a day, to pause and think about the big picture, students gain perspective about those exciting changes that are happening each day.

Not only does reflection enhance personal and professional development, reflection is at the heart of the Jesuit mission in which Saint Louis University was founded. There are a number of resources available to students who would like to learn more about reflection and spiritual development. SLU’s campus ministry offers a number of programs, and some are even customized for a busy lifestyle. Our distance learners who cannot access SPS’s campus might check out a comprehensive mission website, organized by campus ministry at one of our fellow Jesuit institutions, Creighton University. Whether or not students decide to participate in formal methods of reflection this week, I encourage all of them to take a deep breath, pause, and remember why they are doing what they are doing now and who they are called to be. It’s one way to acknowledge not only the moment but also the possibilities that await.

Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ekkaia/126094248/