The 13 Habits of Highly Effective Department Chairs
James R. Pomerantz and Mary B. McIntire
Rice University, Houston, TX
February, 2000

 1.Threaten to resign on a weekly basis.  This reminds your dean, provost, and president how indispensable you are as a member of their team.

2.Shoot back email responses immediately - don't spend too much time perfecting your answers or polishing your words.  Deans appreciate quick turnaround!

3. Maintain close contact with your provost and president, independently of your dean.  Although the occasional dean might express annoyance about the appearance of an 'end run,' most will appreciate your entrepreneurial spirit and admire your ability to mingle with the higher-ups.

4.Don't be overly attentive to mundane administrative details.  Inform your dean that deadlines amuse you and that for you, budgets are mere guidelines.

5.Make your motto 'Tenure For Everyone'.  Deans like chairs with positive, egalitarian attitudes and who are nurturing and supportive of all their colleagues.

6.Whenever possible, communicate to your dean or provost in a public manner, for example through the student newspaper or your departmental website.  This demonstrates to your dean your level of openness and your sense of public relations.

7.When dealing with outsiders such as the press, government officials, or donors, make it clear that the stated priorities of the institution are really pretty foolish, and outline your own development priorities for them.  This demonstrates that you are an independent thinker, not some tool of the current regime.

8.Keep your staff in line.  As we all know, effective chairs remind the non-faculty members of the staff who's the boss and let them know you haven't forgotten that they lack a PhD.  Displaying a command and control approach will inspire the confidence of your dean.  Kiss up and kick down, as they say.

9.Don't get upset over fairly minor matters such as sexual relations between faculty and students.  In fact, to show how cool you can be, invite some students over to your place to try out the hot tub.

10.When in doubt, threaten litigation, or welcome it as appropriate.

11.Don't waste time learning university policies and procedures.  You can pick that information up later, for example when you're being deposed.

12.Surprises, surprises, surprises.  Deans love surprises - after all, they are only human, at least partially.  So lift their spirits from time to time by, say, letting them know you've extended a job offer to a faculty member without actually checking with the dean first.  Or disappear from time to time, taking off for the summer without notice, for example.  Be a free spirit, be spontaneous.  Strategic planning is for plodders.

13.Whine, whine, whine.  Though you can practice on your spouse or friends, whining to your dean incessantly is the time-proven way of making sure your concerns are foremost in his or her mind.