leadership

Some perspectives on performance and results from Peter Drucker

On 10/20/2010, in business, leadership, strategy, by Daniel Christian

Defining one’s performance
Performance is not hitting the bull’s-eye with every shot, that is a circus act.

Performance is not hitting the bull’s-eye with every shot. Performance is rather the consistent ability to produce results over prolonged periods of time and in a variety of assignments. A performance record must include mistakes. It must include failures. It must reveal a person’s limitations as well as his strengths.

The one person to distrust is the one who never makes a mistake, never commits a blunder, never fails in what he tries to do. Either he is a phony, or he stays with the safe, the tried, and the trivial. The better a person is, the more mistakes he will make — for the more new things he will try.

From DSC:
This is not just true in the corporate/business world, but it is also true for all of us who create and deliver educational content — we will make mistakes, we need to be able to experiment and try things. We need to be able to mess up in front of our students and be ok with that. We are all learners…and in my mind, experts are a dying breed; the world’s spinning too fast to be an expert in most things anymore.

The faculty I really love to work with try things — they don’t care if they make mistakes, as they (and I) consider that a given. I don’t know everything about each tool, nor do I expect others to know even 25-50% of the features that any given tool offers (I list a range here due to the variety of learning curves and feature sets out there.)

Results That Make a Difference
What results have to be achieved to make a difference?

The decision about “What should my contribution be?” balances three elements. First comes the question: “What does the situation require?” Then comes the question: “How could I make the greatest contribution, with my strengths, my way of performing, my values, to what needs to be done?” Finally, there is the question: “What results have to be achieved to make a difference?” This then leads to the action conclusions: what to do, where to start, how to start, what goals and deadlines to set.

From DSC:
This reminds me of the work of Marcus Buckingham, in which he stresses the need to go with one’s strengths.

Tagged with: business • leadership • philosophy • strategy

It is time for a new kind of B-school: Blair Sheppard, Dean, Fuqua Business School (Duke)

On 10/18/2010, in 21st century, business, change, changing business models, dangers of the status quo, higher education, leadership, staying relevant, workplace, by Daniel Christian

It is time for a new kind of B-school: Blair Sheppard, Dean, Fuqua Business School — from MBAUniverse.com (original item from deanstalk.net)

As the world recovers from the crisis, B-schools need to adapt and change to serve the new realities. It is time for a new kind of B-school. That’s the message from Dr Blair Sheppard, Dean, Fuqua Business School, Duke University, USA, while speaking at the 3rd International Business School Shanghai Conference, hosted by the Antai College of Economics and Management, Shanghai Jiao Tong University in Shanghai, China on Monday, October 18, 2010.

Said Dr Sheppard, “Given the massive changes in the way business works today, compared to how things were 20 years back, it is clear that it’s time for a new kind of B-school. We need to reinvent MBA education, else we will become increasingly irrelevant.”

Dr Sheppard highlighted four key pillars of the new MBA model. He said that B-schools need to move from:

— Regionally based, to Global in form and spirit
— Isolated from the University, to Linked across the university
— Focused on Daytime MBA, to offering full suite of offerings
— From ‘disciplined-based’, to engaging the fundamental issues confronting the world

Tagged with: change • game-changing environment • leadership • reinvent • staying relevant • workplace

EDUCAUSE 2010 Day 2: Hamel, Gates, lecture capture, and tough publishers — from InsideHigherEd.com by Joshua Kim

From DSC:
Especially of interest here to me was the item about TechSmith and Sonic Foundry…veerrry interesting. Also, administrators, deans, and department chairpersons NEED to hear Hamel’s presentation/thoughts. To me, it held some of the most lasting value from any presentation that was offered online yesterday.

Gary emphasized the need for us to keep reinventing ourselves — and I would add, given the pace of change, this is just as true of each of us as individuals as our collective organizations. He noted the accelerating pace of change, that knowledge itself is changing…and that most organizations today were never built to handle this kind of change. He stressed the need to be more nimble.

The web:

Dematerializes
Disintegrates
Disintermedites
Democratizes

Too often organizational change is episodic, convulsive — reacting to a time of crisis. (From DSC: Read…when the organization has been broadsided.)

We are broadsided not because we couldn’t see things coming down the pike, but because those things were not pallatable to us….hmmm…sounds of online learning and web-based collaboration are ringing in my ears…

Try to imagine the unimaginable.

Tagged with: change • emerging technologies • game-changing environment • Global learning • leadership • lecture recording • organizational change • pace of change • perfect storm • publishing • vision

The world changed, colleges missed it — from edreformer.com by Tom Vander Ark

A bunch of colleges are going out of business, only they don’t know it. They pretend that trimming costs and jacking tuition is a solution. They haven’t come to terms with a world where anyone can learn anything almost anywhere for free or cheap. Art Levine, Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation, sees three major change forces: new competition, a convergence of knowledge producers, and changing demographics.
…
To Art’s list of three big change forces, add shrinking government support, the press for more accountability, and emerging technology…the next few decades will be marked by a lumpy move to competency-based learning…instant information and the ability to learn anything anywhere.
…
The shift to personal digital learning is on. Some colleges get that. Others will seek bailouts until they go out of business. Working adults are getting smart on their own terms.

From DSC:
Time will tell if Tom’s assertions are too harsh here, but personally, I think he’s right.

I have it that:

There is a bubble in higher ed
There also exists a perfect storm that’s been forming for years within higher ed and the waves are cresting
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Institutions of higher education need to check themselves before they become the next Blockbuster
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We must not discount the disruptive powers of technology nor the trends taking place today (for a list of some of these trends, see the work of Gary Marx, as well as Yankelovish’s (2005) Ferment and Change: Higher Education in 2015)
Innovation is not an option for those who want to survive and thrive in the future.

Specifically, I have it that we should be experimenting with:

Significantly lowering the price of getting an education (by 50%+)
Providing greater access (worldwide)
Offering content in as many different ways as we can afford to produce
Seeking to provide interactive, multimedia-based content that is created by teams of specialists — for anytime, anywhere, on any-device type of learning (24x7x365) — at any pace!
“Breaking down the walls” of the physical classroom
Pooling resources and creating consortiums
Reflecting on what it will mean if online-based exchanges are setup to help folks develop competencies
Working to change our cultures to be more willing to innovate and change
Thinking about how to become more nimble as organizations
Turning more control over to individual learner and having them create the content
Creating and implementing more cross-disciplinary assignments

Tagged with: 24x7x365 • adult learners/learning • budgetary • business side of he • competency-based learning/education • consortiums • cost of getting an education • cross-disciplinary assignments • culture • dangers of the status quo • Daniel S. Christian • disruption • educational technology • financial aid • game-changing environment • innovation • leadership • Lifelong learning • new business models in he • online learning • perfect storm • staying relevant • strategy • traditional • trends • United States • Using teams • Walmart of Education

Principals learn through social media

On 10/12/2010, in blogs / blogging / vlogging, K-12 related, leadership, social learning / networks, by Daniel Christian

Tagged with: best practices/tips • blogging • K-12 • leadership • personal learning networks (PLNs) • social learning • social networking

Reinventing management for a networked world (Educause)

On 10/07/2010, in change, changing business models, dangers of the status quo, disruption, education technology, emerging technologies, future of higher education, game-changing environment, higher education, innovation, internet, leadership, new business models, strategy, by Daniel Christian

Reinventing management for a networked world — one of topics/presentations at Educause 2010

From DSC:
The following summary of this presentation is a powerful message that I’m looking forward to hearing (emphasis mine):

Over the past decade, the Internet has had a profound impact on just about every organization around the world. It has enabled dramatic efficiency gains in core processes and has radically changed service delivery in industries as diverse as education, financial services, publishing, and entertainment.

However, the greatest impact of the Internet is likely to come over the next decade as it starts to reshape the traditional management processes and structures that are used to run large-scale institutions. The management practices found in most organizations today trace their roots back to the Industrial Age or to medieval religious orders. While this model was well suited to a world requiring conformance and discipline, it is woefully inadequate and even toxic in today’s world of accelerating change.

To thrive in the years ahead, every organization must become as nimble as change itself—a challenge that will require a fundamental rewiring of our tradition-bound management principles and practices.

Unlike most organizations, the web is a cauldron of innovation; it is extraordinarily malleable and highly adaptable. In these respects, it already exhibits exactly those qualities that will be most critical to organizational success in the years to come.

That’s why the management model of every organization will need to be rebuilt on the fundamental values of the web: freedom, openness, transparency, collaboration, flexibility, and meritocracy. In this provocative and practical presentation, Gary Hamel will lay out a blueprint for “Management 2.0” and outline the steps you can take to help your organization to become as adaptable as the times demand.

Tagged with: change • dangers of the status quo • disruption • educational technology • emerging technologies • future of higher education • game-changing environment • higher education • innovation • internet • leadership • strategy

Business Model Generation — may be a good book to check out for the times we are in

On 09/27/2010, in business, business side of he, dangers of the status quo, economics, future of higher education, game-changing environment, higher education, leadership, new business models, strategy, by Daniel Christian

Tagged with: business side of he • dangers of the status quo • economics/business • future of higher education • game-changing environment • leadership • new business models • new business models in he • strategy

Four ‘business model’ scenarios for higher education: An introduction to strategic planning through storytelling

On 09/17/2010, in IT in HE, leadership, new business models, strategy, by Daniel Christian

Four ‘business model’ scenarios for higher education: An introduction to strategic planning through storytelling — from Gartner

This document and its related research has two purposes: (1) to equip higher education executives with a set of planning tools that enable actionable, institutionally aligned strategic planning through transparent communication and participation; and (2) to highlight several trends and technologies important in institutional strategic planning for the next 10 years.

Key Findings

According to Gartner experience, more than 60% of higher education IT strategic planning is isolated from the institutional strategic planning process, or the institution doesn’t have an institutional strategic plan, or strategic plans are not linked to the budget-planning process.

The technology of today is a disruptor of old business/institutional models as well as an enabler of new business/institutional models. Institution strategic planning cannot be done without considering the impact of IT.

Recommendations

Higher education CIOs who want to become the trusted business partner need to address the core mission of the institution in order to be able to make relevant contributions to the senior management and strategic planning.

Higher education CIOs should use scenario-planning methodology — strategic planning by storytelling — to involve, communicate with and align with institutional stakeholders.

Higher education CIOs should only use Gartner’s higher education “business model” scenarios as a context and guide in forming their own strategies, focusing as much on the collective journey as the end goal.

Tagged with: IT • leadership • new business models in he • strategy

Tagged with: 1:1 • 24x7x365 • budgetary • cost of getting an education • course redesign • curriculum • dangers of the status quo • Daniel S. Christian • disruption • education reform • educational technology • engaging students • future of higher education • game-changing environment • Global learning • higher education • information overload • Keeping students engaged • leadership • learning ecosystem • Mobile learning • multimedia • new business models in he • ocw • online learning • open • Open Learning Network (OLN) • perfect storm • strategy • student expectations • student-related • surviving • traditional • ubiquitous learning • United States • willingness

Campus technology leaders: Before and after — by Joshua Kim

On 09/02/2010, in cost of getting a degree, education technology, IT in HE, leadership, strategy, vision/possibilities, by Daniel Christian

Campus technology leaders: Before and after — from InsideHigherEd.com by Joshua Kim

Before	After
Implements Strategic Vision	Develops Strategic Vision
Reports to a Top Academic Official	Is a Top Academic Official
Background in Technology	Background in Education or Libraries
Focus is on Systems and Technology	Focus is on Learning
Supports Faculty Teaching	Enables Active Learning
Manages Local Technology Infrastructure	Manages Cloud Based Technology Infrastructure
Manages Enterprise Systems	Manages Integration of Enterprise with Consumer Systems
Technical and Managerial Intelligence	Social and Emotional Intelligence
Has To Do More with Less	Has To Do More with Even Less
Focus is on Implementation	Focus is on Implementation and Experimentation
Presides Over Expensive Services	Key Driver of New Revenues and Increased Productivity
Manages Technology Infrastructure	Evangelizes Potential of Technology for Educational Transformation

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From DSC:
This caught my eye because I am a firm believer that all decision-making boards at each and every college and university (across the entire world) must now have a visionary, informed technology leader on them — as such technologists will be able to provide important strategic direction to their organizations. It’s not just about keeping the systems running anymore (which is a tough enough job by the way) — it’s also about setting strategic direction and using technology to increase the number of students one can assist/develop (while aiming to decrease the price of such offerings).

Tagged with: cost of getting an education • educational technology • IT • leadership • strategy • vision

Susan Patrick: Why online learning is a smart solution

On 08/30/2010, in education technology, K-12 related, leadership, online learning, strategy, by Daniel Christian

Tagged with: educational technology • K-12 • leadership • online learning • strategy

Elliott Masie’s Learning 2010

On 08/30/2010, in collaboration, corporate / business world, corporate universities / corporate training, global / globalization, leadership, mobile learning, social learning / networks, training / L&D, web-based collaboration, workplace, by Daniel Christian

Our Keynote Thought Leaders include:

Apolo Ohno: Mastering the Olympics & Dancing with the Stars
Marshall Goldsmith: Putting the Mojo in Learning and Leaders
Maestro Roger Nierenberg: Orchestrating Greatness: The Musical Paradigm!
Betsy Myers: Counter-Intuitive Leadership
Diane Hessan: Communities of Knowledge & Collaboration
Lori Aiken: MTV Networks, 20’s Talent!
Jonathan Kopp: The Power of Word of Mouth & Video Stories
Greg Hale: Disney Parks & Resorts, Teaching Safety!
Elliott Masie: Learning Changes and Learning Challenges in 2010

Our Learning Themes in 2010:

Changing Learning: Agile, Social, Targeted, Mobile & Global
Distributed Work: Distributed Leadership and Distributed Learning
Learning Leadership: Creating & Implementing Strategic Learning Projects
Learning Research: Neuroscience & Learning, Impact and Evidence-Based Learning Design
The Business of Learning: How to Resource, Charge and Support Learning Budgets
Learning Modes : Video for Learning, UserContent, Coaching & Performance Support
Learning & Talent: Changing Role of Learning in Retention & Development of Talent
New Learning Roles: Evolving & ReSkilling the Learning Function & Roles

Tagged with: collaboration • corporate / business world • corporate training / universities • corporate universities / corporate training • Global learning • leadership • Mobile learning • social learning • training • web-based collaboration

Well…there goes another one who discounted the impact/value of technology…

On 08/27/2010, in disruption, education technology, game-changing environment, innovation, internet, leadership, staying relevant, strategy, by Daniel Christian

Blockbusted: A Netflix Knock-Out, Bad Metaphors on the Path to the Movie Monster’s Bankruptcy — from Fast Company – Technology by Austin Carr

The Blockbuster age is fading, and at last the company is preparing for bankruptcy. In the past two years, the shrinking video-rental store has struggled to stay afloat with $920 million in debt, drowning all the while in revenue losses of $1.1 billion. The LA Times reports that Blockbuster executives and senior debt holders have entered discussions with major movie studios for a “pre-planned” bankruptcy mid-September.

But for everyone other than Blockbuster’s sunny faced spin masters, bankruptcy was about as surprising as another Rocky comeback. Blockbuster’s brick-and-mortar business was unviable in the digital world, and competitors Netflix and Redbox took every advantage to pick apart the dinosaur’s carcass. The company’s numbers have signaled extinction, too, with value withering from $8.4 billion when Viacom purchased it in 1994 to total market value of $24 million today. Continuing the Mesozoic metaphor, here’s why bankruptcy hit Blockbuster like a surprise asteroid.

Netflix Who?

From DSC:
And I would add the questions:

“Who cares about the iPod?”
“What does Internet-related technology have to do with our business anyway?”

In a presentation I created last year (see Section II), I used Blockbuster as an example of an organization who completely discounted the disruptive impact of technology..and now they are paying the price (along with much of the newspaper industry).

There IS a lesson here for those of us in higher ed.

I’ll end this posting with the following quote/excerpt:

“This is a pattern we see over and over,” he said, of the many parallels he could draw to Blockbuster’s financial troubles. “If a company is not able to keep up with the changing needs of its customer, it will become irrelevant,” he said.

Ultimately, it was these words which may have saved the company. Blockbuster was not able to keep up with the changing needs of its customers.

Blockbuster has become irrelevant.

Relevant addendum:

I just ran across this posting on educationstormfront — What Blockbuster Can Teach Higher Ed

Tagged with: disruption • educational technology • game-changing environment • innovation • internet • leadership • staying relevant • strategy

Items from Edutopia.org regarding online learning

On 08/26/2010, in dangers of the status quo, game-changing environment, K-12 related, leadership, online learning, by Daniel Christian

Discover the Brave New World of Online Learning — from Edutopia.org

Online Classes Personalize Teaching and Learning
Discover how students and teachers benefit from virtual classrooms.

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Starter Kit for Teaching Online
Expert advice on shifting from brick and mortar to bytes and bits.

Video Pick: Meet a Virtual Principal
See how one educator leads from a distance.

Also see:

Tagged with: game-changing environment • K-12 • leadership • online learning

Distance Education: The Centralization vs. Decentralization Debate

On 08/25/2010, in distance education, leadership, strategy, by Daniel Christian

Distance Education: The Centralization vs. Decentralization Debate — from Faculty Focus

The debate for “control” of distance education at institutions of higher learning continues. On one side, the administration side, there is a need for centralization of operations, to include course development, instructor training and development, scheduling, evaluation, and student and faculty issues. On the other side of the debate, faculty leaders (deans, department chairs, program coordinators) tend to favor decentralization.

In June 2010, the Western Cooperative for Educational Telecommunication (WCET) asked the membership how institutions were doing with this issue: centralization vs. de-centralization. Twenty-three administrators (provosts, VPs, associate VPs, directors, associate directors, COOs, deans, associate deans) and faculty members provided their valuable insights on the issue.

Tagged with: distance ed • leadership • strategy

Previous Entries Next Entries

Learning Ecosystems

Some perspectives on performance and results from Peter Drucker

It is time for a new kind of B-school: Blair Sheppard, Dean, Fuqua Business School (Duke)

EDUCAUSE 2010 Day 2: Hamel, Gates, lecture capture, and tough publishers

My fear for many institutions of higher education…