Access, Excellence, and Everything in Between
If you were able to attend last Wednesday’s campus conversation regarding strategic planning at both the CSU system and Cal State San Marcos levels, I think you’ll agree that it was meaningful, significant, and an indicator of a healthy future for our campus. What I found fascinating, is that the bookends of our strategic priorities, Educational Equity and Academic Excellence, also frame the discussion for strategic planning for the California State University: Access and Excellence. However, in that framework, the day’s discussion was filled with content regarding all of our strategic priorities, including Campus Climate, Student Life, and Community Partnerships.
Our campus recently received the Carnegie Foundation’s honor for being an externally engaged campus; if there is some sort of award for being an internally engaged campus, we should be at the front of that line. Not at the front of the line because everything here is perfect; not at the front of the line because we’ve crossed some virtual higher ed finish line and we’re done and can go home now. At the front of the line because we know it’s a process; at the front of the line because of how we interact with each other in that process; at the front of the line because we’re willing to do the work.
Why did the day work so well? I think a lot of credit goes to those designing a day that had the right players in the room – faculty, staff, administrators, community members, a trustee, and students (although admittedly more student participation would have been better). There were facilitators from various groups on campus to help the conversation move along the path of each respective topic (insert domain). Sponsored by the Provost and the Chair of the Academic Senate, there were opportunities to provide input, to receive input, and to think and rethink ideas in both large and small groups, and finally, to come together to return to the bigger picture of how the separate elements of the discussion form a whole.
Although the day was planned and executed very well, there are different reasons why the day was unique. We can put tables in a room – controllable. We can invite people to sit at the tables and hope for their attendance – somewhat controllable. What’s not controllable is what happens when they get together. As some famous person said (or apparently not-so-famous since I can’t remember who it is), the best measure of a parent is how their children talk about them when they’re not around. Having members of the campus community in attendance and listening to how we describe each other is rather remarkable and for me, a direct reflection of the environment that my (our) president has encouraged, if not demanded. Having a trustee in attendance and having our respect and admiration for each other prevail (in whatever the political environment might be) really describes who we are as a campus. Truth is, we do get along better than most and as well as any. That describes why we are leaders not only in the work we do, but in how we do it together…and that my friends is truly special.
Choices and Missed Opportunities
In business, when calculating the return on investment of various investment choices, it is important to consider something called “opportunity cost,” also referred to the “cost of the forgone alternative.” This means that in addition to measuring the value of the existing course of action, we must also consider the benefits that we will forego from those initiatives we choose not to undertake as a result.
While this is a routine concept in investment analysis, it is just as important throughout our professional lives and perhaps even more so in our personal lives, although not applied with the same predictability. Sometimes because we don’t believe we have a choice, sometimes because change is difficult, or sometimes because the new course may be uncertain. As a result, we might be inclined to simply maintain the status quo and not fully explore other options – so grooved into our current path that we do nothing.
It is important to remember however, that doing nothing is a choice – “not to decide is to decide.” Stuck with what we believe are “have tos,” we divert our energy to obligations rather than opportunities. Unfortunately, doors open and doors close, so while we are striving to keep our lives stable, we are missing the chance to have the lives that fill our dreams. Professionally, we run the risk of missing opportunities that might lead us to an outstanding career or lead our organizations to greatness. Personally, we run the risk of missing opportunities that create personal happiness and ensure that we do not under-live our lives. It sounds tragic because it is.
This is certainly not a new concept. As Robert Frost described 92 years ago in “The Road Not Taken,”
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--I took the one less traveled by,And that has made all the difference.
So, before you choose to do nothing, you should commit to explore other paths, to not under-live your life, to find your authentic self, and make your dreams your reality. That will make all the difference and will take your life from tragic to magic.
Patience with a Sense of Urgency
Referring back to the original installment of this blog, Email is for Old People and Other E-piphanies, we discussed the difference in expectations of various generations as it relates to the timeliness of communication. Looking beyond communication, Gen Xers and Millenials push for action – immediate action in response to any of their (our) needs. While technology gives us the easiest examples, such as one high-speed internet provider’s suggestion that anything less than instantaneous is “so dial-up,” the need for speed extends to any and all services. But it’s not just the post-baby boomers that have benefited from greater speed – our entire society (including those over forty) has morphed its expectations and definition of a reasonable response time to align with the desires of the younger generations.
Harvesting the abundant sources of inspiration for changing how we do business, we of course recognize that our students have increased their expectations of us (or rather they just haven’t decreased their expectations relative to their familiar retail-oriented surroundings). Beyond our student population are our employees. As the workforce becomes younger and our students actually become our employees, they look outside of higher education to the corporate world and see the benefits and flexibilities afforded its workers. In spite of perceptions and myths that those working in industry have greater demands placed on them and therefore deserve the highest level of work-life advantages, employees in the public sector have increased their expectations as well. So, if we want the best employees – and we do want the best employees – we need to adapt in order to compete.
Sure, there is some pushback from Traditionals and Baby Boomers as they advise the “youngsters” to be patient, to take it easy and things will work out – ah, the wisdom of experience. Things do work out – when we make them work out. Gen Xers and Millenials don’t understand why decisions cannot be made, actions taken, and plans implemented if we have all the information we need. “Where is your sense of urgency?” they might ask. The answer to balancing what seems like rushing and greater risk to some with what seems like stalling and missed opportunities to others might be a blended picture – less than absolute certainty of our decisions with absolute certainty of our actions. Let’s take the time to do our due diligence, but let’s not overdo it – it’s okay to accept some risk. Then, let’s implement. Herb Kelleher of Southwest Airlines is quoted as saying, “We have a strategic plan. It’s called doing things.”
So as we strive along with President Haynes to become a “best place to learn and work” for our students and our employees, let’s create an environment where we are patient to a point, yet stay on task to move forward – patience with a sense of urgency.
“Git ‘er done!”
