Personal Operating System
Table of Contents
Identity Stack (One-liners, Narrative, Non-negotiables)
Leadership Philosophy: Values → Sense-making → Systems → Policy → Culture
Jesuit Integration Map (Ignatian language you can own)
CliftonStrengths Engine (Power, Shadow, Antidotes)
Signature Stories (Interview-ready, STAR)
Decision Filters and Weekly Rhythms (Discernment in practice)
Policy-as-Formation Framework (How you design culture)
Academic Planning Translator (Marketing/auxiliary → AVP responsibilities)
Program Economics: Simple P&L and viability checklist
Stakeholder Map and Pushback Playbook
Metrics and Evidence (What to measure, how to show traction)
Resume Guardrails and ATS Keywords
Cover Letter Skeleton (Story → Values → Ignatian → Outcomes)
Growth Edges (Blind spots and training sprints)
30–60–90 Outline (Values in action)
Vocabulary Bank (Ignatian and Jesuit terms)
Action Plan (next 10 days)
1) Identity Stack
One-sentence value prop
I translate values into governance, turning discipline, discernment, integrity, and consistency into equitable systems, policies, and culture that improve outcomes.
Two-line narrative
I am a systems-builder who aligns mission, market, and operations. I design governance that people can feel: clearer approvals, fairer access, stronger student experience, and I measure the change.
Non-negotiables
Discernment over speed for consequential choices.
Equity is a design constraint, not an add-on.
Policy must be lived through training and feedback loops, or it does not exist.
Evidence beats opinion. Always bring data plus story.
Operating motto
Values → Insight → Structure → Policy → Formation
2) Leadership Philosophy: Values → Sense-making → Systems → Policy → Culture
Values: Discipline, Discernment, Integrity, Consistency.
Sense-making: Filter information through mission, impact, risk, and capacity.
Systems: Convert insight into models such as workflows, stage-gates, RACIs, scorecards.
Policy: Codify decisions into standards, protocols, roles, and timelines.
Culture: Train, coach, and review until the habit sticks (formation).
Interview line:
"My values shape how I interpret data, which shapes the systems I build. Those systems become policy, and policy forms culture."
3) Jesuit Integration Map
Cura personalis (care of the whole person) → Accessibility, inclusive language, tailored support
Discernment → Decision filters, governance calendars
Reflection in action → Weekly retros, micro-adjustments, evidence reviews
Formation → Policies and rhythms that shape habits (training, coaching, feedback)
Cura apostolica (care for the mission) → Prioritize initiatives by mission impact and social good
Bridge sentence:
"Where others see policy as compliance, I see policy as formation, Ignatian pedagogy at scale."
4) CliftonStrengths Engine
Restorative
Power: Fix broken systems; triage; design repairs.
Shadow: Hero mode, patching over root causes.
Antidote: Always pair with root-cause diagram plus owner plus timeline.
Developer
Power: Grow people; feedback that builds capacity.
Shadow: Overinvest in low-leverage coaching.
Antidote: Tie development to role outcomes and KPIs.
Positivity
Power: Sustain morale during change.
Shadow: Over-optimism; under-weighting risk.
Antidote: Add a premortem before launch.
Futuristic
Power: Vision; pathway design.
Shadow: Leap ahead of capacity.
Antidote: Stage-gate with resourcing checks.
Strategic
Power: Option mapping; clear tradeoffs.
Shadow: Analysis paralysis for ambiguous data.
Antidote: Time-box decisions; default to reversible tests.
Composite line:
"Restorative and Strategic fix what is broken with a path forward; Developer and Positivity carry people; Futuristic keeps us building what is next."
5) Signature Stories (STAR)
A) Accessibility Framework
Situation: Inconsistent accessibility in digital communications; risk and inequity.
Task: Build a sustainable, adoptable framework.
Action: Audited assets; wrote standards; trained staff; built QA checklist; quarterly reviews.
Result: Compliance uplift; faster approvals; improved student satisfaction.
Ignatian tie: Cura personalis, reflection in action.
B) Inclusive Language Policy
Situation: Fragmented voice, exclusion risks.
Task: Codify standards, maintain freedom plus inclusion.
Action: Convened cross-unit group; drafted guidance; training; feedback channel.
Result: Consistent institutional voice; fewer escalations; higher trust.
Ignatian tie: Formation via shared practice.
C) Student Design Agency → Teaching Pipeline
Situation: Ad-hoc student work, low skill progression.
Task: Create a structured pipeline with learning milestones.
Action: Defined roles, learning outcomes, review cycles; portfolio checkpoints.
Result: Placement rates up; cycle time down; quality up.
Ignatian tie: Context, Experience, Reflection, Action, Evaluation.
6) Decision Filters and Weekly Rhythms
Decision filters:
Mission: Does this advance purpose and common good?
Equity: Who benefits and who loses? Are barriers removed?
Evidence: Market demand, cost, capacity, risks.
Formation: How will this shape habits and culture?
Reversibility: Can we pilot first with stage-gates?
Weekly rhythm:
Monday: Funnel and KPI check; risks and next actions.
Tuesday: Stakeholder 1:1s; unblockers.
Wednesday: Build (policy drafts, playbooks, dashboards).
Thursday: Review (retros, training, feedback).
Friday: Write (memos, updates, evaluation notes) and discernment for next week’s big decisions.
7) Policy-as-Formation Framework
Inputs: Values, mission, data, risks
Process: Co-design with stakeholders, draft standards, pilot, revise
Outputs: Policy doc, training deck, checklist, dashboard, feedback channel
Outcomes: Behavior change, equity gains, speed and quality of approvals, satisfaction
8) Academic Planning Translator
Your Past Practice → AVP Responsibility
Governance policies (accessibility, language) → Curriculum and approval workflows
Funnel analytics and outreach → Graduate enrollment funnel reviews
Teaching pipeline system → Pathways and stackable credentials design
Cross-unit coordination → Deans, Registrar, Marketing orchestration
QA checklists and dashboards → Program assessment and continuous improvement
One-liner:
"I have been doing academic planning under different labels, the artifacts are the same."
9) Program Economics
Simple P&L
Tuition per credit x credits x headcount = Gross
Subtract discount rate to get Net Tuition Revenue
Subtract costs (instruction, admin, marketing CAC, instructional design, overhead)
Net Contribution = NTR minus costs
Test sensitivities: ±5 heads, ±5 percent discount, ±10 percent CAC
Viability checklist:
Market demand signal
Distinctive mission edge
Faculty capacity and delivery mode
Break-even headcount realistic
Two-year scale plan plus sunset trigger
10) Stakeholder Map and Pushback Playbook
Stakeholders: Deans, Program Directors, Registrar, GEPE/Admissions, CMO/Marketing, Mission and Ministry, Students, Faculty Senate
Likely pushbacks and responses
Mission drift → Use mission rubric and formation examples
Too fast → Stage-gates, reversible pilots, governance calendar
Quality risk online → Standards, instructional design partnership, QA rubric
Budget → P&L, break-even, incentive shares
11) Metrics and Evidence
Funnel: inquiries, applications, admits, yield, time-to-decision
Quality: satisfaction, faculty load balance, completion
Equity: access rates by segment, accommodation cycle time
Financial: CAC, net tuition, margin, payback
Culture: training completion, adoption rates, exceptions trend
Program Report Card: Quarterly, Green/Yellow/Red with commentary and next actions
12) Resume Guardrails and ATS Keywords
Guardrails:
Lead with systems and governance, not communications.
Show Ignatian mapping without jargon overload.
Every bullet should show structure or outcome.
Keywords: academic planning, program viability, graduate enrollment strategy, stackable credentials, pathways, data-informed planning, shared governance, assessment, CRM alignment, mission alignment, Ignatian pedagogy, curriculum approval, sunset criteria
13) Cover Letter Skeleton
Hook: Story such as accessibility framework with result
Values → Ignatian: Name values, map to Jesuit terms
Systems evidence: Governance playbook, funnels, QA, stage-gates
Economics: Simple P&L view and incentive alignment
Fit: Why Seattle U, mission, innovation, partnerships
Close: Policy as formation plus 30–60–90 preview
14) Growth Edges
Faculty governance depth: Learn WSCUC and committee processes
Program P&L: Run 3 practice scenarios
Slate/CRM alignment: Learn graduate flow structures
Ignatian articulation: Rehearse 3 stories tying policy to formation
15) 30–60–90 Outline
30 days: Listening tour, publish Program Launch Playbook draft, weekly funnel review
60 days: Graduate Portfolio Snapshot, propose 1 pathway and 1 stackable program, governance calendar
90 days: Launch 1–2 pilots, Program Market Review cadence, sunset criteria memo, impact report
16) Vocabulary Bank
Cura personalis: Care for the whole person
Discernment: Reflective decision process
Formation: Habits and virtues cultivated by structures
Reflection in action: Learn and adjust while doing
Cura apostolica: Care for the mission
Phrase bank: Policy as formation, Ignatian discernment in governance, Equity as design constraint, Reversible pilot with stage-gates
17) Action Plan (Next 10 Days)
Write one-page Program Launch Playbook draft
Build P&L template and run 3 scenarios
Draft two vignettes mapped to Ignatian terms
Update resume bullets to show policy and culture outcomes
Draft cover letter with story → values → Ignatian → outcomes
Prepare Committee Pushback one-pager