Today’s Tuesday Reading is from Peggy Huston, Leadership Coach at MOR Associates. Peggy may be reached at [email protected] or via LinkedIn.
The recent Tuesday Reading Leading IT Integration in Higher Education: Lessons from 12 Universities brought to mind lessons from my own experience leading the merger of administrative operations into a shared services center at U.C. Berkeley. The center employed as many as 700 staff and offered several functional areas including HR, procurement, IT desktop support, and research administration. While my experience was a few years ago, I believe the lessons are relevant based on the challenges that I hear from those leading similar efforts today.
Our North Star
It was difficult to create a compelling vision that would inspire action at all levels. Like many other institutions of higher education, Berkeley’s strategy had always been to ride the funding roller coaster, i.e., tighten the belt in tough times and then spend quickly when the funding was available. For this reason, many thought that if they stalled action, the funding would return and change would not be necessary. However, among the impacts of the economic downturn of 2009, Berkeley’s state funding was reduced by about 58% and it was clear that this would not return in the foreseeable future. To make a case for change, we asked leaders across the campus to identify the current challenges in administrative operations and to identify opportunities. Then we had them create two scenarios: 1) if we do nothing, what would the future look like, and 2) if we take advantage of current opportunities, what could the future look like. This engagement helped folks to understand that it was necessary for the benefit of the University mission to urgently take action.
From Consensus to Decision-Making
We had a consultant work with us in the diagnostic phase of our initiative. Before they left, they gave us the gift of feedback. They shared their observations of the campus culture. They called out the strengths: a strong culture with a unique soul and distinctive set of values; a clear mission with an unambiguous focus on excellence in research, teaching, and commitment to access; and a workforce committed to the mission of the institution. They also called out the challenges: a penchant for analysis over action that slows decision-making and implementation, a critical culture that does not reward decisive action, and a weak performance management system in which rewards are not tied to performance. This reflection was incredibly helpful for us. On the one hand, it highlighted that if we delivered a vision where the changes aligned with the University mission, our workforce would make it happen. On the other hand, it also highlighted that we must learn how to make decisions. If decision-making isn’t challenging enough when it crosses organizational boundaries, it is even more challenging in higher ed when it crosses funding boundaries. To accomplish the necessary decision-making, we created a governance structure with clear roles and responsibilities and provided support and tools that enabled leaders to reach a decision.
The Art of Connecting with the Community
In conjunction with decision-making was communications. We used executive leadership communications infrequently and kept them focused on providing direction, e.g., making it clear that the campus was moving toward a shared services model. My unit’s responsibility was to communicate frequently on the “how.” Referring back to the 5P’s, we communicated on the plan which was critical in setting expectations; the part which was essential in engaging folks in the change; and the practices to support the behavioral changes which would ultimately deliver the desired results. In the transition, it was important for us to remember that we were communicating with those in the future shared services center as well as those in the multitude of areas the workforce would move from. At the beginning, we assumed we could communicate through our website, newsletters, and email with talking points to leaders that they would use to communicate within their areas of responsibility. This worked somewhat in administrative areas, but failed terribly in academic areas. We had to make changes to ensure that everyone had access to the information we were sharing and could provide input and feedback to us. Of course, having access to our communications did not mean they would read our communications, so we also planned regular in-person meetings to communicate key messages and ensure we were hearing from everyone. At times, it felt like we were never getting it right, but by continually measuring effectiveness, being willing to listen to feedback, and maintaining a mindset of ongoing improvement, we were learning and getting better over time.
The Culture Catalyst
Culture played a key role in achieving integration. In addition to the campus culture, there was also the culture that folks brought with them from their prior work environment. It took time and effort to achieve a melting pot. At first, it was a cultural mosaic where each group or individual was maintaining their separateness. This was expected to begin with and I knew we could improve this over time. While I did not want to take away the identity and pride that folks felt toward their former organizations, I wanted them to create a collaborative, high-performing culture for the shared services center. I believed this would happen by having them connect first as humans, then as co-workers. We were in many locations across the campus and a location two miles off campus. Some of the activities that we used included inviting groups of employees to meet each other, ask questions of me, discuss challenges, and do problem-solving. We held quarterly town halls online so that all could attend and invited faculty to share their research. We would highlight those in the shared services center who were supporting that faculty member and their research. We had social events planned and organized by staff volunteers. One of my favorites was a holiday event where team members were invited to share their talents outside of work. At that event, we learned that we had a rich culture of musicians, singers, bakers, painters, sculptors, dancers, and many more. These opportunities for building relationships led to productive team work.
Your Journey, Your Growth
Leading organizational change in an organization anchored in long-standing traditions is a monumental task. To everyone who has stepped up to this challenge: Congratulations! This is your ultimate proving ground—a rare opportunity to stretch your comfort zone and practice every leadership skill in your toolkit. Do not let this moment pass without making it an investment in yourself. Pause today and define your personal goals. When this initiative concludes, how will you have grown? How will this experience transform you? Set your own North Star, own your leadership development, and go after it.
Which would you most like us to explore more in a future Tuesday Reading?
Last week, we asked what lesson resonated the most with your experience.
- 26% said people feel it is being made with and for them
- 25% said lead with data, not turf
- 16% said align leadership and communicate relentlessly
- 14% said match the pace of change to the institution’s culture
- 11% said integration is a journey, not an organizational chart
- 8% said expect to adapt
The common thread among our experiences with integration efforts is that of meaningful collaboration. We’re all in this together. There is no “them,” it is all “us.” Key to our success is grounding in common purpose and using that to work toward the common goal. The proverb is fitting here: If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.