I am Casey Jakubowski, and This is How I Work

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Casey Thomas Jakubowski, PhD. He is the owner of CTJ Solutions LLC, designed to move you and your team from okay to Outstanding! We help you tame your conflict dragons! After 20 years in education leadership at the local, state, and regional level, Casey has created a career in consulting. He is an international expert in educational reform, rural education, civic engagement, and conflict management. He is the author of two books by Edumatch publishing, Thinking About Teaching and A Cog in the Machine. Casey has over a dozen authored articles and has presented on well over two dozen conferences and podcasts. Casey considered himself a public engaged scholarship and works with schools, districts, companies and states on re-imagining education. 

Current Job: Founder and owner of CTJ Solutions, academic at a large community college

Current Location: Albany NY

Current mobile device: Samsung 7

Current computer: Laptop

Can you briefly explain your current situation and research to us?

I lead a large department with 11 majors and liaison with every other area in the college. I also am the owner of a consulting company that specializes in coaching and team conflict management

What tools, apps and software are essential to your workflow?

All of the materials help me a ton! I love twitter, facebook, and e-mail. I enjoy research which helps with education, civic engagement, and reform efforts. 

What is your best advice for productive academic work?

Goals, flow and let the work roll, don’t let the details get in your way! Revise revise and revise. My books started as blogs. I used twitter to get the info out, and a publisher loved the content! 

How do you keep an overview of projects and tasks?

I have an excel chart I use (learned from teaching leadership and project management- Im Lean and six sigma certified)

Besides phone and computer, do you use other technological tools in work and daily life?

JSTOR and data bases are key

Which skill makes you stand out as an academic?

I love to coach and support people! I love to identify the strengths not the weakness, and I love to help move people to their best life.

What do you listen to when you work?

Classical or nature 

What are you currently reading? How do you find time for reading?

Permission to screw up by Hadeed. I make time, but it’s really hard- don’t forget that everything is academic writing and reading. Be more forgiving to yourself.

Are you more of an introvert or extrovert? How does this influence your working habits?

Extrovert- I need to talk through before I write- struggles as an academic!

What’s your sleep routine like?

Sleep is a struggle

What’s your work routine like?

Work is very structured b/c of teaching and my job. I love unscheduled times to help me be creative. 

What’s the best advice you ever received?

You are a brand, you are so worth so much more than you think you are!