Managing Strategic Planning and Leading a Unit
Through Transformation
Rick Ginsberg, Ph.D.
University of Kansas
The Hope for Strategic Planning
Goals for this Session
• Explore the Planning Process
• Discuss a Significant Transformation – Implementation of a
Technology/Online strategy
• Consider Issues in your School/College Necessary for Successful
Change
Even the Best Planning Offers No
Guarantees I
Even the Best Planning Offers No
Guarantees II
Even the Best Planning Offers No Guarantees
III
Even the Best Planning Offers No
Guarantees IV
Even the Best Planning Offers No
Guarantees V
Gnawing Issues – The Context
• Accountability/Expectations/Challenges
• Diversity and Projections
• Disruptive innovations
• State Funding
• Cost/Affordability
• Changing Students
Don’t Allow the Process to Overwhelm the
Purpose
• Clarify and Establish the Needs (The WHY)
• Set realistic expectations – Know what is going on that might impact success
• How work will be accomplished (The HOW)
• Garnering involvement
• Establish Reasonable Timelines (The WHEN)
• Identify Outcomes (The What)
• Consider data you will need to collect/anaylze to assess
• Play out scenarios – Protect against “Dumfoundedness”
The Real Challenges - 1
• Can be very high-stakes for you!
• Creating a culture of change
• Getting participants involved so
goals are meaningful to them
• Dealing with:
• The pathologically cynical
• Purposeful Ignorance
The Real Challenges – 2
• Consider the Data/Metrics/Analytics you will need, but
remember that “weighing the pig doesn’t make it fatter!”
• Data Don’t Lie!! Though they do keep their fingers crossed sometimes
Ingredients for Success
• Know your context
• Full Transparency
• Find your champions
• Communication, Communication, Communication
• Essential: Incentives and support for participants
• Take care of yourself – create a strong social ecology
Case: Implementing an Online Strategy
• The Need
• Changing times, enrollment, competition, creating the future
• Expectations – Involvement
• Context at KU
• Discussion of issues facing SOE’s:
• Joint reading – Kamanetz, “DIY U”
• Creation of “Enterprise Zone”
• Support
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Funding for course development
Tech Camps
User Groups
One dept. created a “Design Lab”
Case - II
• How (Get work done)
• Time
• Partner with Private Vendor
• Created new faculty role
• When (timelines)
• Work with partners
• Consider faculty workloads/schedules
• Do you hire new faculty to help?
• What (Outcomes)
• Establish clear goals – Are they shared?
Case - III
• Assess
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Research University – set up a research/evaluation agenda
Use data that are meaningful
Annual report
Creating a learning environment
• Play Out scenarios (Feedback loops)
• Expect the unanticipated
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Working with a private partner
Fair Use
Course evaluations
Textbook timing
Government approvals
Process challenges
Questions/Comments??
How About You???
• Think about a change you initiated or were part of (go to:
padlet.com/kthomas23/CADREI)
• What went well?
• What are your regrets?
• What lessons did you learn?
• Discuss and share the top five lessons from your group