Leading From an Office of One

No office operates in isolation in higher and medical education. Whether your office is run by a team of many or a team of one, the quality of your work and the extent of your impact are directly dependent on the clarity of your vision, the partnerships you develop and your alignment with the institution’s mission.

When I transitioned from an academic administrative postdoctoral appointment in a multistaff office to directing a one-person research office for medical students, I quickly saw that each model has distinct strengths and opportunities. In a multistaff office, responsibilities for educational programs, finances and recruitment were shared among several colleagues. Therefore, individuals can specialize in particular areas or resources. In a solo office, specialization is still possible, but success relies heavily on the ability to prioritize strategically and build strong collaborations across departments and campuses.

A Strategic Approach

In this piece, I focus on the office of one, a term often used to describe an office where a single person is directly responsible for the entirety of their office’s operations. I share my firsthand insights and suggest practical tools for expanding the reach and impact of an office of one through collaborations grounded in shared purpose.

My approach to leading an office of one follows a cycle: Start with a vision, apply specific decision criteria, build relationships grounded in open communication, innovate with an eye toward sustainability and evaluate outcomes to drive quality improvement and guide next steps. This cycle reflects lessons I’ve learned through experience and has helped me expand collaborations in a one-person office.

A Cycle for Growing Office Impact

1. Clarify Your Vision and Priorities

A clear vision is the foundation for every decision you will make. First, define your mission, your primary learner population and available resources. A helpful approach is to create a logic model that visually connects your resources, activities, outputs and intended outcomes. This model shows how the office is expected to function.

In practice, this could mean (1) outlining your resources on a whiteboard, (2) identifying the learner groups they serve, (3) listing the results they have produced, (4) stating the changes you expect to implement and (5) defining the evaluation system for each change in (4). For example, if your mission is to strengthen medical students’ research skills, one program might serve second-year students interested in research. The objective might be to increase students’ confidence in presenting scholarly work, and a program outcome could be the production of research posters. Evaluation could track poster presentation numbers and postprogram survey outcomes.

In an office of one, protecting time for strategic thinking is fundamental. You are both the planner and the implementer, so without dedicated time, long-term priorities can be overshadowed by daily operational demands. Set aside one morning each week for planning and reviewing strategic goals to ensure your work remains aligned with your logic model priorities.

2. Apply Decision Criteria Strategically

Saying yes to the right opportunities can advance your goals. Saying no to projects that do not align can preserve time and energy for higher-priority initiatives. In an office of one, your decision-making approach must be consistently applied. Every yes directly affects the time and resources available for other work. For example, you might decline to create a stand-alone event if another department already provides a similar program. Instead, you can offer to collaborate, extending your reach without duplicating effort.

3. Build Collaborations With Curiosity

Once priorities are set, focus on building relationships that expand your reach and capacity. The most productive collaborations grow from curiosity and inviting others to be creative at the discussion table. Instead of opening conversations with “Here is what my office does,” consider asking,

• What are your goals for the year?
• What has been your biggest success lately?
• Who else might benefit from the resource we offer?

Relationships multiply your capacity. A single conversation can lead to resource sharing, co-delivered programs and support networks that extend your reach beyond what one person can do alone. For example, a conversation with a faculty member about their goal to increase student participation in clinical research might lead to co-developing an informational session that combines their expertise with your office’s resources.

Beyond individual collaborations, build a personal advisory network. This network can provide mentorship, different perspectives and early insights into emerging projects. Your advisory team might include deans, faculty and staff with experience in areas you want to explore or familiarity with tools you plan to adopt.

4. Innovate, Test and Plan for Sustainability

Innovation keeps your work relevant, while sustainability ensures its long-term success. The best initiatives advance your office’s mission and are realistic to maintain within your available capacity.

In an office of one, piloting a program before a full launch can be especially valuable. For example, if you want to start a research mentorship program, begin with a small pilot cohort. Gather feedback, track outcomes such as meeting frequency and satisfaction, and refine the program before expanding. Refinement should also include evaluating your own development process. Document wins and lessons learned as part of your sustainability planning.

5. Evaluate, Improve and Adapt for Growth

Evaluation is both a measurement and decision-making tool. Track quantitative and qualitative outcomes and compare them to your SMART goals and logic model (see Point 1) to identify what is working, what needs refinement and where opportunities for growth exist. For example, in a student research presentation series, you might track participant numbers, diversity of topics and postevent survey feedback.

Integrating these results into your quality-improvement plan ensures that resources remain relevant and responsive to emerging needs. When institutional priorities shift, evaluation data can guide whether to scale back, modify or pause an initiative. Adaptability comes from using these insights to find alternative ways to achieve your intended outcomes.

Strengthen Impact

The opportunities in a solo office are shaped by your leadership approach, including how you build relationships, make decisions and create opportunities that extend beyond your immediate resources. In my experience, the most impactful partnerships emerge from self-awareness and intentional connection. This means clarifying vision, making strategic decisions, cultivating purposeful relationships, fostering innovation while balancing sustainability considerations and committing to ongoing evaluation for adaptability.

Running a solo office is not about doing everything alone; it is about leading in ways that multiply the value of every effort. The same principles in this proposed cycle—from clarity of vision to continuous evaluation—can strengthen impact regardless of the field or team structure.