How will you earn the trust of your faculty and coworkers?
"I feel the best way to earn the trust of my faculty and coworkers is to be helpful, always do what I promise, and be honest with them at all times. Strong relationships have to be built on these principles."
"Trust is something you earn over time with people. I will lead by example and be transparent in my communications. Trust happens when people deliver on doing what they say they will do. I take the approach of underpromising and over-delivering to accelerate the trust process. With strong trust, teams can accomplish great things together."
The interviewer wants to understand your approach to building relationships and establishing credibility in your new role. An academic dean needs to have the trust and support of their colleagues to effectively lead and promote a positive and collaborative working environment. You may want to highlight your past experiences in building relationships and fostering trust with colleagues and your commitment to open communication and transparency in your leadership style.
"Building trust with my faculty and coworkers takes time and effort. First and foremost, I will be transparent and communicative with the people I work with. I will be open about my goals and values and keep my colleagues informed about decisions and initiatives that affect them. Additionally, I feel it's important to be approachable and collaborative and seek input and feedback from others whenever possible. By being responsive to the needs and concerns of my team, I can build a culture of trust and respect that will help me achieve my academic goals and objectives. Finally, it's important to lead by example and to model the behavior I want to see in others. By demonstrating a commitment to excellence, integrity, and professionalism, I can earn the respect and admiration of my colleagues and establish myself as a trusted leader in my field."
Community answers are written by other candidates practicing this set. Reading how others frame the same question is one of the fastest ways to sharpen your own.
Anonymous Answer
Trust is the foundation for building relationships, and these relationships will be vital in my ability to succeed as a Title 1 Dean. I will earn my teachers' trust by having integrity, and by being honest and treating everyone fairly. I will earn their trust by being an active, empathetic listener, always keeping my word, and always giving them my undivided attention. I will look for opportunities to make connections and to stay in tune with their personal needs.
Rachelle's Feedback
This response would make me want to hire you on the spot. Very well said!
Anonymous Answer
Trust is something built over time but can be earned by doing what you say you will do, respecting people's time, as well as personal lives, and taking the time to learn about their values. These things take time and careful nurturing but can build a strong team. I've used a listening tour as a strategy to get to know people when I've changed positions. I've been able to get many people involved in the program, including faculty, staff, students, and alumni. This helped formulate a communication plan for the group and individuals, as well as providing me with an understanding the perceived strengths and weaknesses of the program.
Cindy's Feedback
This is a good way to start. The question may be seeking a plan or an approach that you rely on to build trust, and can be illustrated with an example of how you've accomplished this in the past. Do you have a process that you can share?
Anonymous Answer
Trust is a by-product of leading by example and being transparent in my communications with faculty and coworkers. I will earn their trust by underpromising and overdelivering to accelerate the process. But, over time faculty and my coworkers will grow to love me. It has been my strongest trait within my work ethic.
Stephanie's Feedback
Your response shows that earning the trust of your colleagues is important to you. However, I would caution against using language like "grow to love me," as this could be misunderstood by an interview panel to be overly confident or inappropriate. Will they instead grow to appreciate and/or trust you? What are some examples of small, practical steps that you'll take to earn that trust?
Anonymous Answer
Keep your word! Once you promise it, make it happen! Think over and over before you promise!
Chad's Feedback
Being trustworthy is an effective way for a leader to earn the trust and respect of their team members. Good job! If this approach has been successful for you in the past, share details of the situation with the interviewer.
Unlock all 35 Academic Dean questions
Unlock expert responses to complex questions about institutional vision and academic governance.
Get Started