Biggest Challenges Faced By A Chief Of Staff At UCLA Anderson
Teresa's biggest challenge as Chief of Staff is "learning the different styles of colleagues," adapting her approach to maximize effectiveness; this contrasts with the immense satisfaction Teresa derives from "managing people," viewing it as an opportunity to foster professional growth and celebrating their successes as a "badge of honor."
Executive/Leadership, Communication, Overcoming Challenges, Prioritization, People Management
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Undergrad
Grad Programs
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Teresa Djedjro
Chief of Staff
UCLA Anderson School of Management
American University and Antioch University (2019)
currently at UCLA Law, MLS program
International Relations & Affairs
Education
Operations and Project Management
Scholarship Recipient, Took Out Loans, Immigrant, Worked 20+ Hours in School
Video Highlights
1. Teresa's ability to adapt communication styles to different colleagues is a crucial skill for success in a Chief of Staff role and demonstrates strong interpersonal intelligence.
2. Prioritization is a key challenge and skill that develops over time in this role, requiring the ability to understand and adapt to changing priorities from different leaders.
3. Teresa highlights people management not as a challenge, but as an opportunity for personal and professional growth, emphasizing mentorship and fostering the career development of her team members as a source of satisfaction. This showcases a leadership approach focused on employee growth and development.
Transcript
What is the biggest challenge in your role?
What I enjoy is working with different kinds of people. It's not about trying to be different myself, but the more I work with colleagues, the better I understand how to manage them laterally.
For example, if I know a colleague dislikes early morning questions, I'll avoid asking them then. This is because I won't get them at their best. Of course, emergencies are different, but learning the different styles of my colleagues is a challenge. It helps me adjust my own collegiality to achieve my job goals.
Another challenge is learning how to prioritize, though I think this comes with more time on the job. I've had different deans with different priorities, so I've had to learn to re-prioritize accordingly. I've been in this role long enough to understand these priorities. If I have a list of five tasks, I can identify which ones need to move up.
Many people find managing people to be the biggest challenge, and it certainly can be. However, I've found it to be a good opportunity to learn about myself and others. Being in the "people business" has been incredibly enjoyable.
Honestly, I get very happy when people who reported to me move on to new jobs. I've had work-study students who graduated or left the school and then moved on to great things. Similarly, career staff members have also advanced.
To me, this is like a badge of honor. I hope I played a small part in helping them move closer to their dream jobs or what they truly wanted to do, or simply helped them grow professionally. So, managing people, while challenging, is a great opportunity.
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