Conklin Bueschel Consulting
Executive coaching, advising, and workplace assessment with a focus on higher education leaders
Services
Conklin Bueschel Consulting (CBC) provides custom executive coaching, confidential advising, and tailored workplace assessments to support higher ed leaders and others interested in professional development.
Coaching—With over three decades of work in and around higher ed, most recently in the president’s suite, Andrea is well-positioned to provide higher ed executives with coaching support, whether they are new to the role or farther along in a career. Her candid, constructive feedback facilitates the progress each client makes. She also serves as a trusted coach for those in fields outside of higher ed who are interested in their professional development, regardless of role. The coaching relationship can be as brief as a few hours or take place over months, depending on the needs of the client.
Advising—In some cases leaders seek a trusted, strategic thought partner to work through specific challenges confidentially. In many leadership roles it can be challenging to have candid conversations with colleagues in reporting relationships. Advising sessions with Andrea remove that dynamic and allow for complete candor. Unlike the coaching relationship which is guided by the client, an advising situation is a dialogue, and Andrea brings to bear her extensive experience in higher ed to help think through how best to tackle problems or work through complex situations. In many cases coaching and advising work can coexist, in whatever form is most useful to the client.
Workplace assessment—In addition to the individual expertise Andrea brings to the consulting relationship, she is certified to administer the DiSC assessment of work styles. This tool provides valuable information to engage with, whatever the background of the leader. Results are not determinative, but the data encourage consideration for areas to attend to and even improve. These assessments can also be administered to teams to create a vehicle to engage people in conversations that can otherwise be difficult to manage. Andrea is available to facilitate workshops for groups to help make sense of DiSC results and recommend ways to move a team forward.
Please contact us about fees and packages of services.
Approach
“We think we listen, but very rarely do we listen with real understanding, true empathy. Yet listening, of this very special kind, is one of the most potent forces for change that I know.”
— Carl Rogers
Listening matters. No matter how much experience or expertise one has, there is always more to be gained by listening. Andrea listens for understanding, which ensures she centers the coaching and advising work on the client and their needs.Additionally, every interaction begins with the presumption of good intention, good faith, and good humor. Whatever the reason for the consultation, these foundations help build the trust necessary to grow and change. Or to just get to the heart of the matter and tackle it.
There’s no single right way to manage whatever challenges come our way. But Andrea is a trusted thought partner who commits to staying focused on you and your priorities in any shared work.After her own successful career, nothing makes Andrea happier than to help others have theirs. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to learn more about how she can work with you.
About
Andrea Conklin Bueschel has 35 years of professional experience in and around higher education as a teacher, researcher and leader. She has worked on a liberal arts college campus, been a member of the leadership team at a midsized private university, and was in the C suite of a state public university system. She has also worked as a funder of education research at a national foundation, managing director of an educational consulting business, and a research scholar at a think tank. In addition she served for three terms as a trustee for her undergraduate alma mater. She brings all of these experiences to bear in her current work as a coach and a teacher.
EDUCATIONPh.D., Stanford University, Stanford, California
Social Sciences, Policy, and Educational PracticeM.A., Stanford University, Stanford, California
SociologyM.A., Stanford University, Stanford, California
Higher Education Administration and Policy AnalysisB.A., Bates College, Lewiston, Maine
PhilosophyADDITIONAL TRAININGExecutive Coaching Certificate,
University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PAInstitute for Educational Management,
Harvard University, Cambridge, MACertified DiSC Practitioner
Wiley CompanyFor additional information, click here.
In addition to her consulting work, Andrea serves on the faculty of the School of Education and Social Policy at Northwestern University. In this role, she teaches in the master’s program in higher education administration and policy, teaching courses in research, budgeting and finance, and policy.Prior to her current positions she was the Senior Vice President for Administration and Chief of Staff at Rutgers University. Earlier, Andrea served as Associate Provost at Northwestern University, and before that, she was Associate Vice President at the Spencer Foundation, a research scholar at the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, and managing director for an educational consulting firm. In addition, she has conducted program evaluations for non-profits and has held various other administrative posts in higher education.Publications include chapters in Changing the Conversation in Higher Education (edited by R. Thompson) and Cases of Teachers’ Data Use (edited by H. Fives and N. Barnes), and special issues on data use for Teachers College Record and American Journal of Education (co-edited with Cynthia Coburn).Andrea served as a trustee of her undergraduate alma mater, Bates College, for fifteen years. Her other volunteer work has focused on foster children, as a foster parent, CASA (court-appointed special advocate) and CASA county office board member.
People Who Know Our Work
"Andrea's wide experience as a leader and strategist has provided me with critical insights as I navigate our institutional needs in these challenging times. She asks just the right questions to skillfully diagnose a problem, and is masterful in her ability provide guidance toward a solution that best fits the needs of our particular culture. Her managerial advice to me as a CEO has been invaluable at pivotal moments in my career and I completely trust her balanced, honest assessments."
Kelli Armstrong
President | Salve Regina University
"Andrea understands higher education inside and out. She offers wise advice and counsel that assists with challenges, helps diagnose issues, and opens up new directions and strategies. I always appreciate her valuable perspectives, positive energy, and essential interventions. Sometimes she does this by asking probing questions, sometimes by offering critical insights, and always by listening carefully. Her knowledge of higher education, its stakeholders, and its culture allows her to partner with higher education leaders to unlock personal or organizational potential."
Garry Jenkins
President | Bates College
"Andrea has been a critical thought-partner for me for years. Her breadth of expertise is unusual—she is the rare individual who can span the academic and operational sides of the enterprise. What I think is most impressive is that she brings a certain elegance to her problem-solving. There are always winners and losers in the contests over ideas and organizational excellence. Andrea’s special talent is for all sides in the debate to leave the room feeling heard and seen and understood—whether they won or lost that day’s contest."
Jonathan Holloway
President and Professor | Rutgers University
"Andrea brings decades of professional experience and a deep knowledge of higher education institutions and leadership development to her coaching practice. She is a deep listener and clear-eyed strategist who possesses remarkable emotional intelligence. She has a solid understanding of what it takes to maintain focus on institutional mission during times of upheaval, and she can support leaders in the efforts to build and maintain a high-functioning, collaborative leadership team."
Valerie Smith
President | Swarthmore College
Andrea has been fortunate to work with many talented leaders at a range of institutions over the course of her career, providing counsel and engaging in problem solving. Others have talked about her capacious sense of the higher ed landscape and how she has been an invaluable sounding board and strategic partner. They note that she develops plans that reflects values and invite collaboration.Contact her below to learn more about how she might support your goals.
Contact
Andrea is based in Chicago, but works with clients across the country and the globe. Contact her for information about in person and remote work by using the contact form below or by emailing directly at [email protected]