Learning by Design: April 16-18, 2008
Susan Robison
Living by Design: Time Management for Academic Faculty

Susan Robison, Ph.D. is a psychologist, author, and consultant. A former academic department chair, Susan is a professor of Psychology at the College of Notre Dame of Maryland where she teaches leadership courses in the graduate school. Susan is the author of two leadership books (Discovering Our Gifts and Sharing Our Gifts), a co-author with Barbara Walvoord et.al. of Thinking and Writing in College (1991), as well as numerous articles on leadership and work-life balance. Her Professor Destressor faculty development topics include stress management, leadership, work-life balance, and communication skills. Susan maintains a clinical practice at the Center for Extraordinary Marriages where she is co-director with her husband of 38 years. Her coaching clients consult her for help with improving work-life balance, time management, and increasing productivity. In 2004 the Executive Women’s Network presented Susan with the Mandy Goetze award for service and leadership to business women in the Baltimore area.

Living by Design: Time Management for Academic Faculty

Are you in charge of your to-do lists or are your lists in charge of you? Faculty are hardworking professionals who do a lot of good, yet sometimes forget to discern which activities are worthy of their time and energy. Intentional living or living by design is the focused application of your personal vision to the management of your resources of time and energy. This practical, interactive workshop will explore how to use those resources to live well while you do the good that you do. Participants will learn to:

• Anchor time management to the pyramid of power.
• Quick strategies to avoid or heal burnout.
• Set personal priorities, discover institutional priorities, and negotiate any conflicts for mutual benefit.
• Focus on important tasks instead of wandering from task to task with no sense of which tasks are important.
• Make to-do lists that are realistic and achievable.
• Develop work habits that lead to flow, engagement, and fun.
• Achieve congruency between your intended time use and your actual time use through five accountability methods.
• Apply five quick things to do when you are feeling overwhelmed.
• Develop a philosophy of work that makes your job fun, fulfilling and productive.
• Structure your time, energy, and space to support your professional activities including research and writing.