How Innovative is Your Workplace?

Christenson sets the stage for The Innovative University by questioning the innovation of higher education institutions.  The former Education Secretary’s comparison of universities to “mature enterprises” was an interesting way of framing the shortcomings of higher education. “Increasingly risk-averse, at times self-satisfied, and unduly expensive,” these characteristics are not shocking criticisms, but I hadn’t really attributed these traits as a reflection of the maturity of higher education business model. In my environment at a large UC campus, many of our obstacles stem from the complex bureaucratic processes that consume everyday tasks. As a slower moving beast, change is something that is challenging to say the least.

It’s clear that one educational model won’t meet the needs of every community, but for some reason imitation tends to be more common than innovation when it comes to setting university program objectives. The Harvard model is still seen in many schools of thought as the gold-standard of education, but as Christenson points out, very few institutions have the resources to sustain a Harvard-type institution. And what’s more is that we, as a country, may not need more Harvard’s to serve our population and remain globally competitive. The text made me think about how we model our university programs and if there might be too much value placed on the exterior. Things like rankings, and competitive admission, while desirable should not overshadow student learning outcomes.  I’m most interested in how to design innovative university programs that are mindful of the environment that students enter upon graduation. Do you think your place of work is preparing students for the current economic reality? How can we be more connected to our student’s needs? These are thoughts that frequently run through my mind in the slow but steady process of disturbing the aura of the ivory tower.  

Clay Shirkey - Cognitive Surplus & Changing the World

What is a culture of generosity and how can it be used to improve education? What does it mean to say, "Free cultures get what they celebrate?" How can you as a leader affect what you celebrate?

Clay Shirky’s TED talk finds unlikely commonalities among LOL Cats and Ushahidi. His talk is centered on the idea of “cognitive surplus,” a combination of collective free time and media tools that allow us to create and share. These are qualities that are required for both comical and philanthropic digital ideas to flourish.

When Shirky uses the phrase “culture of generosity” I think he is pointing to the productive use of free time and the social contracts that we intrinsically maintain. But, as evidenced by the day care study, cultures can be broken. Not every digital venture goes viral and in successful projects I think that smart planning and opportune timing bring out a culture of generosity. 

In other words you get what you give, or “free cultures get what they celebrate.” To create something of civic value I think you need to be familiar with your community and present something that has some value to your audience. As leaders I think that we all have the power to affect the culture of our workspace and therefore influence what we celebrate.  

Invictus Reflection

I must admit that I have always had a soft spot for most sports movies, there’s just something about the competition, the anticipation, and the triumph. Beyond the feel good qualities, I think that sports serve as a great vessel for exhibiting character traits. Nelson Mandela, a politician (not an athlete), is the protagonist in Invictus, but it was interesting to watch his actions influence rugby team captain Francois Pienaar. Mandela was not afraid to go against the grain when it served the greater good and this trait was echoed in Pienaar’s actions as well. When Mandela’s closest supporters resisted his decision to preserve the rugby team he did not modify his vision. When Pienaar shared a team song in what was once an “enemy” tongue, he saw past initial push back from his teammates. Both of these men have strong conviction in their actions and this translated into confident leadership.

Another theme that resonated with me throughout the film is the belief that no one is invisible. Mandela took a keen interest individual’s personal lives. This was evident by his questions to his bodyguards on his morning walks and his diligence in learning every rugby player’s name. He knew the importance of gaining trust. I think a parallel act of inclusion was when Pienaar got a world cup ticket for their family housekeeper. He was seeing beyond his usual circle, and while this was more of an act of kindness than a leadership tactic, it is apparent that Mandela’s leadership style was both infectious and effective.  

What the Internet knows about you

It was nice to revisit this piece. I think that the subject matter of Eli Parson’s TED talk is even more pertinent today then it was when he gave it in 2011. Advances with search engine personalization are becoming more extreme as google acquires more pieces of the internet puzzle. I know that when I apply for a job or am at any professional/academic milestone I have a few different friends “google” me because I am fully aware that my own search results are skewed. It’s always interesting what pops up and how this is different for each “googler.”

As human beings I think that we have to make technology work for us and not the other way around. Resting on technology can be dangerous, and as Parson points out, it can place people in bubbles. Isolated and not connected. I think that understanding the behavior and habits of the online machine is key for anyone navigating the Internet. I am not going to take searches or ads as truths, but instead look at this online playground as a something that reflects the choices or clicks I have made. Like everything created by humans—it is flawed. Using caution with the Internet is as relevant as being a critical consumer of research. The lesson? I would say, always question.

Drive Discussion Questions

Discuss a time when you’ve seen one of the seven deadly flaws of carrots and sticks in action. What lessons might you or others learn from the experience? Have you seen instances when carrots and sticks have been effective.

One of the seven deadly flaws that I recently encountered was a case of unethical behavior in a university classroom. While I can’t state specifics of the case, I can describe the general circumstances of this classroom cheating epidemic. A social science course had moved towards an online platform of testing and had switched from taking multiple tests to taking one online test for the course grade. The switch in format created more of a high-stakes environment and added pressure on the students. The test was designed to take several hours and was open book and open notes, but called for individual work. Unfortunately several students presented identical tests with exceedingly fast test taking times. It was readily apparent that people had disregarded the regulations of the test. Aside from the pressure of succeeding I think another factor, in addition to carrots and sticks, played a part in the students cheating—unfamiliarity with the back end of the online testing system.  In this specific case I think that a series of online tests, some collaborative and some individual, would have created less of a high risk/high reward scenario.  I also think that creating other learning metrics, aside from test taking, would have created an environment that would reduce the temptation to cheat.     

One instance where I think that the standard rewards and punishments system of carrots and sticks worked is at a case study challenge I was competing in six years ago. Teams of four people would act as business consultants from a large and respected organization and present an action plan to a given problem. The teams were given less than 48 hours from the time the case was presented to conduct research and present a comprehensive plan of action to the panel of judges. The top three teams won relatively substantial monetary rewards and all of the finalists were able to bypass first round interviews for this company. After we were given the case our team was energized and worked intensely for the short window of time to analyze the problem and create sound strategies for the client. I do not think that there would be the same quality and intensity of work without the rewards and guidelines in place.

As you think about your own best work, what aspect of autonomy has been most important to you? Autonomy over what you do (task), when you do it (time), how you do it (technique), or with whom you do it (team)?

Autonomy has been a major factor in my personal productivity and it this was reinforced in Daniel Pink’s Drive. All types of autonomy have value, but if I had to select the most beneficial type of autonomy for myself I would choose autonomy over what I do. I find it critical to focus what my workload entails. As a departmental marketing manager the types of projects I can take on are endless, and it is easy to lose focus. I am a much more effective employee when I can hone in on the projects that are most in line with our departmental mission. I want to have control over the types of initiatives I am managing because it allows for a sense of ownership and connectedness. I like the symbiotic feeling that my efforts are working towards a larger objective. While other types of autonomy are also important to me if I am granted autonomy over what I do, then I am generally more flexible on when, how, or with whom the project is completed.

Learning in New Media Environments

Dr. Michael Wesch presents an engaging and all too often true talk about the state of classroom learning today. The unspoken constrictions of a “typical” class or lecture run counter to the exciting and evolving presence of technology in contemporary society. Wesch stated that when media changes it can lead to the change of the whole structure of a society. He uses his experience in New Guinea and how the simple addition of maps and books drastically altered the make up of their community. This proves his points that you cannot opt out of new media.

Gleaning on my personal experience as a student and educational leader, it is clear that there is a level of resistance in changing the culture of education to adapt to a different student in a radically different environment. Why are college lecture halls usually so drab and daunting in the same glance? Why don’t teachers typically involve students in determining the goals of a given course? While Wesch shows us his way of collaborating and breaking across physical and conceptual barriers, there are still several classes that hang onto antiquated ideals of college lectures. In my own undergraduate experience I can attest to a range of classrooms and teaching styles, with only a couple teachers who embraced technology in a similar manner to Wesch.  I think that relearning how to teach requires an instructor to be vulnerable and give up a level of power. If we are in accordance that students should not simply sit and absorb information then Wesch’s push for co-constructing knowledge and embracing new technology is a way to meaningfully engage students.
 

Visitor or Resident

Visitor or resident…or somewhere in between…

I was relieved to hear Dr. White talk about the visitor and resident characteristics as a continuum as opposed to an either or label. For the duration of the video I was wavering as to what I would call myself—a visitor or resident of the online world?  Much like Dr. White, I see the value of social media and the internet in my professional life. All of the feature writing that I do is accessible online, I oversee our departments social media presence, and the majority of the marketing efforts that I manage are internet-based; in that way I have to call myself a resident. I have intentionally left a trace of my organization and myself online.

Sometimes competing with my very public professional persona are my personal trepidations about putting myself out there. I have been resistant with embracing the internet in my personal life mostly because I am a naturally private person and I don’t see equivalent gains with creating a personal online presence. This blog and my new personal twitter account are stretching my boundaries and I’m curious to see if I will keep this up after the duration of the course. Only time will tell.