{"id":119850,"date":"2025-02-28T17:02:00","date_gmt":"2025-02-28T23:02:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/?p=119850"},"modified":"2025-02-27T13:30:23","modified_gmt":"2025-02-27T19:30:23","slug":"deans-address-strategies-to-reach-our-north-star","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/2025\/02\/28\/deans-address-strategies-to-reach-our-north-star\/","title":{"rendered":"Dean&#8217;s address: Strategies to reach our North Star"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"panel body-content\"><div class=\"panel__container\">\n<p>Can you believe it\u2019s been 18 months since I arrived in the beautiful state of Nebraska!\u00a0 Much has changed in such a short amount of time.\u00a0 We are now in phase II of our organizational changes. Since the fall, we have engaged in a visioning process with CFAR, an organizational culture consulting firm to clearly identify our North Star!\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We requested input from faculty, staff, students, alumni<del>,<\/del> and community partners in this process. We heard you<ins>,<\/ins> and appreciate the feedback to help us clearly define the future direction of the college. As we face uncertainty, we are even more determined to remain steadfast, resilient and committed to the important work that we have been entrusted.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As we continue to navigate through uncertain times, it\u2019s essential that we remain focused on our goals. The challenges we face can often feel overwhelming, but I prefer to see it as opportunities for growth and innovation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are a few strategies to help us steady the ship, stay on course, and arrive at our destination:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>1. Embrace Change: Adaptability is key. Let\u2019s view challenges as opportunities to rethink our strategies and approaches. Change can lead to new ideas and improvements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>2. Clear Communication: Open and honest communication fosters collaboration and trust. Let\u2019s keep the lines of dialogue open, sharing our thoughts, concerns<del>,<\/del> and<ins>,<\/ins> more importantly<ins>,<\/ins> solutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>3. Focus on Our Vision: With our new vision statement, keeping our long-term goals in mind will help us prioritize our efforts and maintain our momentum. Let\u2019s revisit our mission and vision to remind ourselves of \u201cwhy\u201d we are doing this work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>4.\u00a0 Support Each Other: We are stronger together. Let\u2019s cultivate a supportive work environment where everyone feels valued and appreciated. Encouragement and teamwork can propel us forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>5. Lifelong Learning: Uncertainty often brings new challenges that require new skills. Let\u2019s embrace learning opportunities that will enhance our capabilities and prepare us for what\u2019s ahead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Together, we can rise above uncertainty and emerge even stronger. Let\u2019s remain steadfast, resilient and committed to our goals. Helen Keller said it well, \u201cAlone we can do so little; together we can do so much.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Can you believe it\u2019s been 18 months since I arrived in the beautiful state of Nebraska!\u00a0 Much has changed in such a short amount of time.\u00a0 We are now in phase II of our organizational changes. Since the fall, we have engaged in a visioning process with CFAR, an organizational culture consulting firm to clearly [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":139,"featured_media":107412,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-119850","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","author_override-lepaine-sharp-mchenry-dnp-dean-of-the-unmc-college-of-nursing"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with 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