L&D Manager Spotlight - Krista Hadavi

Krista Hadavi,
Assistant Vice President and Chief Business Officer for FAS Business Services

1. Describe your role for UT.  

I serve as Assistant Vice President and Chief Business Officer for FAS Business Services. My organization provides essential services in the areas of finance, technology, and human resources to many units across campus. We strive to provide efficient and positive support to our partners so they can focus on the important work they do for the University.  

2. What was the most important lesson you learned as a new manager?

The biggest lesson for me as a new manager was that it isn’t about me or my preferred management style. Being a leader means adapting your style to the needs of the people you support. Every single person on your team is an individual. They learn in different ways, are in different phases of their career, and approach situations based on their own personal experiences. Being a successful leader means finding a way to support people where they are and in the way they need.

3. What advice do you have for managers to help develop their team?

Providing opportunities for your team to learn is important. However, even more important is giving them the opportunity to practice what they learn. Learning does not just occur in the classroom. Find ways for your teams to implement the things they are learning. Allow people to try new things, knowing that not everything will be a success, but that sometimes you learn more from your failures than your successes. 

4. Why is learning in the workplace important?

Providing opportunities for people to learn is the best way to spark new ideas. Learning new skills and finding innovative ways to approach our work will ultimately benefit both the individual team member, as well as the University. Allowing team members to be involved in learning opportunities helps them to be engaged, feel challenged, and see that they are valued as an employee. 

5. What have you recently learned, what are you currently learning about, or how are you developing yourself as a professional?

I am relatively new in my current role and it is safe to say that I learn something new every day. I am consistently impressed by the vast and varied knowledge my team has to offer. I am not afraid to ask questions or admit I don’t know something. Personally, I learn best by doing, so I often ask my team to show me where a particular process resides so I can give it a go. Ultimately, this helps me be a better leader because I can better understand the work my team is doing.