Working with Problem Faculty: A Six-Step Guide for Department Chairs

Working with Problem Faculty

When asked to name their number one concern and problem, department leaders overwhelmingly said that it was dealing with difficult people. Now R. Kent Crookston draws on the wisdom of seasoned department chairs, the academic literature, and his own experience as a department head and dean to shed new light on this perennial problem. Working with Problem Faculty outlines a practical six-step process that aims at improving an entire department and charts a clear course for dealing with problem faculty by

• Clarifying values and expectations
• Following policy
• Building trust with colleagues
• Evaluating yourself and your perceptions
• Listening
• Taking appropriate action

By following these six steps, department chairs are able to challenge problem faculty with consideration, confidence, and effectiveness.

“Anyone seeking practical help in dealing with difficult people will appreciate this book. Using relevant examples, Crookston describes a six-step process for managing people who might appear to be unmanageable.”
Mary Lou Higgerson, vice president for academic affairs emeritus, Baldwin Wallace University

“Crookston has done his homework. After careful research and decades of personal experience Dr. Crookston shares a practical, insightful, and crucial handbook for addressing the most formidable challenge all leaders face. And best of all, he doesn’t just advise on how to act when things go wrong, he gives proactive guidance to ensure that things go right.”
Joseph Grenny, New York Times bestselling coauthor of Change Anything and Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High

R. Kent Crookston is the director of the Academic Administrative Support Program at the Brigham Young University Faculty Center. In addition to researching academic administration, he currently researches and teaches effective decision-making.