ImperativeB

From AgriLife WIki

Contents 1 Imperative B – Enhance Recognition of the Value and Excellence of our Programs 1.1 1. Implementing change starts with a clear VISION of what the change is to be 1.2 2. Aggressive and frequent COMMUNICATION is the oxygen of change implementation. 1.3 3. The best plans in the world are useless if you don’t have the SKILLS to implement them. 1.4 4. Identify adequate RESOURCES to implement the plan. 1.5 5. Provide INCENTIVES for adopting change to make the process more meaningful 1.6 6. Develop a written ACTION PLAN to maintain accountability and measure progress.

Imperative B – Enhance Recognition of the Value and Excellence of our Programs

The following is a collection of ideas about pending changes in Texas A&M Agriculture related to the referenced strategic positioning and communications initiative. This document is organized around a generally accepted model of change management that identifies the following key factors to implementing change; 1) state your vision; 2) communicate; 3-4) ensure you have the required skills and resources to successfully carry out the required tasks; 5) provide incentives for people to change; and 6) ensure that actions items are clearly stated and measurable. This document is not presented as a solution to a problem, rather as a pathway for a discussion that will result in a better understanding of the initiative in question, an opportunity for a free exchange of ideas and the integration of new information. Ultimately, it is believed that such a process will improve outcomes and better define the respective roles of our faculty, staff and students. From this will come greater acceptance and ownership by those on whom we depend to implement these changes.

1. Implementing change starts with a clear VISION of what the change is to be

It is important to put forward a clear statement of vision and match the vision statement with a series of desired outcomes; for example, “In three years, Texas A&M Agriculture will be known and respected as a national leader in _______. To do so, our web presence must reflect the image we wish to portray, so we will transition from our current web presence to ________. “

Is our vision clearly understood? Regardless of past efforts to clearly identify the vision, the following comments from the discussion group indicate that there is room for further discussion about the visioning process.

• We need a clear statement of the benefits and how to measure our success. Our faculty and staff, not to mention our key partners and clients, will be looking for compelling specifics.
• We need to consider identity issues from the audience perspective. Which identity(ies) are most meaningful to which audiences? In the counties, for example, the primary relationship a client experiences is with an Extension agent. At the university, the primary relationship a student experiences is with a faculty member. "Consistency," if it means having one brand that means one thing, doesn't make much sense in organizations as complex and multi-faceted as ours.
• Which identities do us the most good? TAES and Extension are both separate line items in the state budget. For that reason alone, these two identities bring a great deal of value, which suggests that they should maintain separate.
• Relatively few people know who TAES/Extension are, and, no matter what you call them, few people ever will. So don’t confuse people and don’t make a big deal about differences between COALS/TAES/Extension; just stick with a close identification with Texas A&M. However, we need to understand the risks associated with being "lost" within the overwhelmingly strong brand associations Texas A&M already has, which have little to do with our agencies and subject-matter.
• There is no one cookie-cutter approach - we need the ability to customize. The College, TAES, and Extension are all in different places with respect to identity and marketing, and we need to respect that and to learn from their unique histories and the plans and systems they already have in place. They all have different audiences with whom they need to maintain strong relationships, and those relationships are based on different roles, perceptions, and values. No one approach will work for all three.
• Departments and Centers are the integrators of teaching/research/extension/regulatory and there needs to be coordinated effort at the top. Departments and Centers are the places where the different and potentially competing identities are in closest proximity; they need a custom approach to reconcile these potential tensions.
• There has been no statement of what we are trying to accomplish, no statement of client groups and no discussion of economics. We need more transparency.
• Who are our customers? Who are the highest-priority audiences? Where are our most critically important relationships? Once we know that, branding will be easier.

2. Aggressive and frequent COMMUNICATION is the oxygen of change implementation.

Communicating the decisions that have already been made and how future decisions will be made is an important part of this process. Some steps to communicating during a time of change are listed below.

Define what the change is. Name changes, process changes, new websites, etc. Tell people the reason for the change; e.g., Agriculture means old; We can’t be all things to all people; We don’t get credit for the things we do, and if we don’t, we may not exist in the future; etc.

Identify the likely impacts. Change in the way we organize, change in the way we approach our customers, realignment of services with expectations.

Point out the benefits that will be derived. Clear direction and focus with support from those who can really help us and to whom we truly serve. The CMS allows us to create a sustainable information archive and capture scholarly information provided the process for using the CMS allows for the level of individual creativity that has fostered the development of the large majority of web-based information by faculty and staff in Texas A&M Agriculture Departments and Centers. This is a way for everyone in the organization to participate in the web design process.

Communicate the potential drawbacks. Negative feelings from traditional customers, retooling and refocusing take time and energy and can interrupt the inertia of targeted programs.

Share what details are known. We have hired Big Picture Thinking to help identify the problem; we have begun a simultaneous and coordinated process of building a web platform that will support our new identity; etc.

Identify what details are not known (???)

While some of this communication has already taken place, the following comments from the discussion group identify areas where questions linger:

• Something needs to come from Elsa about the whole thing.
• When do we tell the BOR, Governor, Legislators, our own employees? This isn’t something that we can just make happen.
• Elevate this to a level of credibility.
• Tell people the reasons why we are doing this.
• This has been too much of a well-kept secret.
• We need to tell everyone where we are in the process.
• We need buy-in from our own people and need to ask our own people how to do this. They want to participate and to contribute their considerable expertise.
• We must respect the fact that we are knowledge workers in an academic environment. We are fundamentally different from a corporation producing cars, or breakfast cereal, or widgets.

3. The best plans in the world are useless if you don’t have the SKILLS to implement them.

Equally as important as knowing what to do is knowing how to do it. The discussion group indicated that a critical element in this step is the consultant’s recommendations and continuing involvement in the process. Tapping the capabilities of faculty, staff and students to refine and implement the process is another important element. It is also recognized that additional staff will be needed. Central to this discussion was a strong feeling by the group that to effectively use the skills of our faculty, staff and students, we must keep them engaged in the process as evidenced by the following comments:

• We must harvest the enthusiasm of faculty, not stifle it.
• If it appears that this is a top-down process, we can get derailed.
• Don’t impede the ability of faculty to adopt new technology.

4. Identify adequate RESOURCES to implement the plan.

The plan design process must be followed up with resources to implement the plan and transparency in terms of the economic impact of this project is important. The discussion group provided the following insight into some possible concerns that could impede implementation if adequate resources are not identified:

• Don’t just expect the units and faculty to somehow carry this out.
• Give employees the resources to implement this change.
• No more mandates without offering help and dollars.
• Honestly assess the real costs of this and identify money to cover it.

5. Provide INCENTIVES for adopting change to make the process more meaningful

If we really believe in the validity of the process, then we must be prepared to give incentives and rewards to employees and units who successfully move the change process forward. Recognition, paid time off, gifts and bonuses are examples of how this can be accomplished. Examples of non-monetary recognition could include a program similar in concept to Former President Bush’s “Thousand Points of Light” or some other public recognition for accomplishing certain goals related to the strategic positioning and communications initiative.

In addition to incentives, the discussion group felt that care must be taken not to create disincentives to participation as evidenced by the following comments:

• Acknowledge the importance of individual units while recognizing their impact on the whole.
• The image of any organization, including its web presence is the property of the faculty, staff and students, and, if we stifle their creativity, they will not participate in this change.
• As a counter argument, we can question where faculty, staff, and students should be directing their creativity. Is their creativity more important in the development of knowledge, or in designing the appearance of a web page?

6. Develop a written ACTION PLAN to maintain accountability and measure progress.

This element is straightforward and easily understood, but is often difficult to implement. Sometimes the temptation is to operate on a “read and react” basis when implementing change because there is less risk of failure if you don’t define what success is in the first place. Also, it is a common misconception that you don’t alienate as many people or have to fight as many battles if you don’t take a clear stand in the beginning when, in reality, the opposite is true. The consultant's report, including specifics about research findings as a source for the recommendations, will be central to this process.

The discussion group touched on accountability in several of their comments, but one stands out as representative of them all:

• For all of the expectations that have been raised and for all of the money that has been spent, this better make life easier.

Training

Regardless of the size of change, people need help in transitioning from the way things are, to the way things will be. It is suggested that the Texas A&M Agriculture conference held in January is an excellent opportunity to provide information and training about the changes that are to occur. Additionally, the following comments from the discussion group suggest areas where training may be needed:

• Teach faculty how to participate in peer review of web-based information just like journals, etc.
• Brand management training provided by the consultant.
• Show employees how to integrate the web into the way we do business.
• Provide clear guidance to departments about how they are expected to manage 3 separate and distinct brands/missions.

A word about the website

A common area of discussion surrounded the new web presence for Texas A&M Agriculture, TAES, Extension, and COALS. The discussion group brings forward the following comments

• Content management is good; content control is bad.
• There should be no moratorium on new websites.
• Implementation of a new website should be done gradually (2-3 units followed by 2-3 more units) rather than a rapid and radical change.
• There must be provision for handling large data sets.
• Involvement by and empowerment of the faculty will go far in easing fears associated with this change.
• Strong web linkage between research, teaching, and extension is critical.

Summary

In conclusion, there seems to be more agreement than disagreement about where we are going as an organization and how we need to get there. It is understood that changes are coming, and it is equally clear that people want to have as much information as they can and as much involvement as possible in working to both shape and implement the change.

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It’s not so much that we’re afraid of change or so in love with the old ways, but it’s that place in between that we fear… It’s like being between trapezes. It’s Linus when his blanket is in the dryer. There’s nothing to hang on to. -Marilyn Ferguson

It is not its slickness, polish, uniqueness, or cleverness that makes a brand a brand. It is its truth. . . . Live your brand. -Harry Beckwith, The Invisible Touch.