Witnessing and Practicing Leadership

Students who work for the Rockefeller Center meet twice a term for group learning sessions that focus on a wide variety of workplace topics, such as performance management, goal setting, feedback, and organizational culture. For the first spring term session, Rockefeller Center Staff Vincent Mack and Lynn Spencer, along with Ben Bradley, of the Dartmouth Bystander Initiative, co-facilitated a session on taking initiative in the workplace, especially in the face of inappropriate behavior.

Student participants had the opportunity to think about the role bystanders play in a professional environment when they notice forms of sexual harassment and how they can take initiative in situations when harassment occurs. Activities provided time for small groups to brainstorm solutions and discuss their merits. Participants then role-played various situations of harassment and discussed observations and reactions.

“Our staff meeting focused on initiative, specifically when it comes to stepping in during an uncomfortable or inappropriate situation in the workplace. By talking through these issues, I think our staff is now much more prepared to handle these tough interactions using the DBI guidelines,” says Sander Kushen ’19, Student Program Assistant for VoxMasters.

Kelly Caputo ’19, who works for Rocky as a Student Program Assistant for the Management and Leadership Development Program, found the staff session to have useful real world applicability. “Talking about workplace sexual harassment allowed our staff to gain a better understanding about these situations that really do happen at work.”

Student Program Assistants play a vital and integral role in Rockefeller Center events, programs, and activities. “Most students find that their workplace skills and level of professionalism are enhanced by their time spent working at Rocky,” says Assistant Director Elizabeth Celtrick. “As a Center, we are committed to providing students a workplace environment where they can witness, practice, and reflect upon leadership and management skills and competencies which will prepare them to excel in a professional work environment both during and after their Dartmouth career.”

- Submitted by Bethany Malzman '19, Rockefeller Center Student Program Assistant for Communications