I have a passion for working with leaders in higher education to help them succeed. I grew up in a “family of preachers and teachers” where education and service were a way of life. Through first-hand experience I have seen what it takes to help educators and institutions achieve success.
Academia is a unique environment where educators frequently move into higher levels of administrative responsibility with little or no training in leadership or management. The consequence is a frustration for the individual, and a failure of the institution to achieve its goals and potential.
My unique background and 35 years of professional experience in non-profits, higher education, corporations, and as a certified professional coach allows me step in with individuals and organizations to help them overcome the things holding them back and to help them achieve success personally and professionally.
I am a social scientist at heart! I love understanding human behavior and why people do what they do, what’s working (or not working), and what can be done to impact behavior that brings about desired outcomes. I have developed and applied this expertise in environments as diverse as group homes for youth, elementary school classrooms, corporate boardrooms, and the halls of academia.
Through working with me as their coach, the leader clarifies what they want, sets goals, overcomes fears and shortcomings, and is held accountable to enact change so they find success. I am both their champion and challenger; An independent third party providing something they rarely find elsewhere in their life.
Tim founded Ressmeyer Partners in 2013, and since then has coached hundreds of professionals in individual and group programs. A background that includes the academic, corporate and non-profit professional experience positions him well to work with the unique needs of leaders in academia looking to be happier, more successful, and more fulfilled.
Tim has been hired by individuals knowing that an investment in coaching will help them move forward. Costs are covered by professional development funds provided by the institution, monies available through existing grants, or out of their own pocket. Senior leaders (Presidents, Provosts, Deans) who see the value of coaching and leadership development for themselves and those for whom they are responsible will allocate money from their budgets.
Coaching programs are customized for the individual or team and can include 1:1 coaching, group coaching of leaders, and workshops for larger groups such as academic or administrative departments. Goals are established for the individual or groups, and there are regular check-in points with stakeholders to make sure the program is on track.
Select an option below to learn more about Tim's academic & corporate experience.
Tim’s academic credentials include an undergraduate degree from Valparaiso University, a Master’s from the State University of New York at Stony Brook, and a Ph.D. from Northern Illinois University. All of his degrees are in Political Science with concentrations in political behavior, quantitative research methods, politics and the life sciences, and American politics.
While doing his doctoral coursework, Tim served on the faculty as a research and teaching faculty member. He carried out research as a member of the Social Science Research Institute, the Longitudinal Survey of American Youth, and the International Center for the Advancement of Scientific Literacy at the Chicago Academy of Sciences. He presented numerous professional papers at professional conferences, including the American Political Science Association, Midwest Political Science Association, Midwest Association for Public Opinion Research, and Southern Political Science Association.
His dissertation, Attentiveness and Mobilization for Science Policy (1994) expanded on a model of political participation that suggests when trying to enact policy, leaders can identify those citizens most likely to engage by stratifying them as being nonattentive, interested, or part of the attentive public to a specific policy domain.
Tim left academia after completing his doctorate and for 20 years worked within the corporate world, primarily in the areas of market research and consumer insights. When asked how the Ph.D. in Political Science aligns with market research, Tim answers, “Understanding why someone votes Democrat or Republican is not unlike discovering why someone buys Tide or Cheer laundry detergent.”
In his corporate career, he worked with clients such as Procter and Gamble and Pepsico, managed local and global teams, presented original research at professional conferences, and produced thought leadership pieces for industry publications. His last corporate position was as Senior Vice President – Group Director of Analytics for Starcom Mediavest, part of the Publicis/Leo Burnett advertising group.
A recently appointed senior leader was confronted with the global 2020 COVID-19 crisis and its impact on faculty, staff, students, families, etc. Already having an established relationship with an executive coach, she – and her team – were able to work with the coach to manage their own stress during the crisis while carrying out their essential responsibilities. Coaching provided an independent source of support to the leader that helped her maintain clarity and compassion as she made decisions during unprecedented times.
After an extensive national search, a Provost was hired at a public university. Having worked with an executive coach in the past, he hired the coach to work with him to be set up for success in the new, high profile role. Through one-on-one coaching with the Provost the coach helped with the transition to a new insitution with new responsibilities and relationships. The coach helped the client clarify objectives for the first semester and full year, be aware of old habits that might not be relevant or useful in the new situation, and how to develop effective an relationship with the President.
A new leader wanted to help create a cohesive team where there had been a great deal of dysfunction in the past. Some of the team members had been long time employees of the university and were having difficulty trusting the new leader. Other team members had reporting accountabilities to other departments on the campus, and there were frequent competing agendas. The coach spent time on campus and virtually working with the team to create a common vision, agree on how they would treat each other when there was conflict, and how to support each other in their relationships in the entire University community. One-on-one coaching was also included so the coach could help each leader develop richer leadership skills and be more effective and successful.
A long time Dean had a Department Chair he knew was a rising star who would likely be successful in the role. He also recognized there were potential problems arising quickly due to inexperience. A coaching program was designed to help the new leader set development goals to achieve through the course of the year. The goals were in alignment with the expectations of the Dean, and were updated through the course of the engagement. The investment paid off because the Chair was able to achieve the desired professional growth, the department began to function more effectively, freeing up the Dean for other responsibilities.
A college dean admitted her two biggest challenges were handling conflict positively and managing the drama that was rampant in the college. Much of the focus in the coaching engagement was on her own willingness to lead when it was uncomfortable. Through coaching she was able to see how her own unwillingness to address conflict kept her from tackling issues as they arose with the faculty. She learned to trust her gut and gained the confidence to bring up difficult topics in a constructive, curious manner. By creating a new culture of transparency and respect, even long-standing rifts between faculty members became less problematic
A University Unit was comprised of three dynamic departments. Each department had their own undergraduate and graduate programs, and together they created a powerful School led by a Director and their staff. The School was struggling to align with a clear vision of how the three departments fit together and how they should support each other (if at all). Workshops for the entire faculty, and individual coaching of the key leaders began with discovering and creating agreed upon norms for how to treat each other (e.g. respect, transparency), including giving permission to challenge each other if those values were not being honored. After improving trust among the individuals, the next step was to openly and fairly assess the path forward to clarify the vision and mission of the individual departments and the School. The result was clearer purpose and support to achieve the multiple goals of all parties involved.
“Executive coaching from Tim Ressmeyer has been valuable in building skills in individual faculty and staff leaders; building better work environments within office teams; fostering collaboration across academic colleges; and moving through challenging times within academic departments. Working with Tim Ressmeyer has demonstrated to me that building a strong workplace culture means as much to our institutions as the academic talents of its individual members.”
