Tabletop exercises are a valuable way to identify situations where strategic partnerships are important to solve a problem, reach a goal, or manage a situation. There are times when relationships can develop during a process (serving on a committee) or times when it is necessary that the relationship is already in place (navigating a crisis situation). There are unspoken campus politics that can dictate who decision-makers are or who are seen as respected voices. This may be challenging for new professionals (who lack experience in this arena) or people in new professional roles (who haven’t had time to identify key constituents). community, provide efficiencies, and improve service. These partners may be found on campus, in the community, or within the larger campus housing industry and vendor community.
The ability to cultivate strong partnerships between HRL professionals and others can be a learned skill. To aid in this effort, the following scenarios can be used as tabletop exercises for entry and mid-level professionals to gain practice in building relationships with campus partners, which includes recognizing and managing politics. The goals of this exercise are to:
- increase understanding and knowledge of university culture;
- create a plan for identifying campus partners and building relationships;
- understand personal strengths and ability to influence others; and
- practice reflection, application, and revision of skills.
How to Use These Exercises
- Define strategic and aspirational relationships
Who are the people within your department, the division, and the university that you need to work with or that you can learn from? Use the exercises to identify these people, particularly when they may not be obvious. - Define sociogram
Map specific individuals in your social dynamic and professional relationships. See more specific information below. - Practical use staff guide
Any of these tabletop situations can be used in a staff meeting or in personal reflection. Specific uses for each are suggested and intended to build relationships or knowledge in advance of the possible scenario. They are divided into three sections where relationships are key: crisis/incident management, campus decision-making and professional development. - Personal reflection
This space allows for self-reflection and analysis of strengths and areas for growth. - Observation and discovery
What was surprising? What are unknown answers? How would I respond differently if I had more time? Who can help me learn? What relationships or partnerships need to be developed? - Determine variables
While we cannot predict everything that can happen, what are common variables to consider? What has history shown us (particularly in the pandemic) that we need to be prepared for? What are trends (such as the enrollment cliff) that we need to prepare for and have a Plan B? - Recount scenario/evaluation
Consider the general questions that can be applied to any reflection regarding strategic partnerships.
Download the full document to view the exercises and scenarios.