What’s The Big Idea??

UPCEA Career & Economic Development ForumJanuary 13, 2011

Bili Mattes

Let’s Get the Conversation Going!

At your table:

Pick a facilitator – your job is to keep the conversation going and make sure everyone participates including you

Pick a scribe – to record all the good conversation you will have

Introduce yourselves to one another – name, institution, position, and how long you’ve been in cont. higher ed

Discuss these questions…1. What is your approach to strategic planning now?2. What is your process?3. What challenges do you face with strategic

planning?

You have about 10 minutes….GO!

Key Elements of Strategic Planning/Plans

• Develop communications strategy• Establish and convene a strategic planning task force• SWOT; enviro scan, competitor analysis• Vision• Mission• Critical success factor/outcomes/impacts• Strategies and actions for objectives• Prioritized implementation schedule; time targets

Key Challenges

• More opportunities than resources • Dinosaurs live and are big!• Time and timeliness• Things change – ongoing need to change the plan• Plan in isolation• Some say it is a waste of energy• Sits on a shelf

Sometimes it feels like….

A Cure?

PERSPECTIVE CHANGE !!

Tell a compelling/interesting storyWhat to focus on

Context that makes sense and you can follow

The Source If You Are Interested

David McCandless

His books…

Information is BeautifulThe Visual Miscellaneum

His websites…

informationisbeautiful.nethello@davidmccandless.com

Google David McCandless TED and check out his TED talk on YouTube

How Can We Conceptualize Being Strategic Differently?

•Focusing for success – what’s out there; what’s important

•Key trends and issues in relationship to program and marketing objectives

•Avoid tedious thinking

•Start with the big picture

The Big Idea Approach

• Select big ideas around which to grow your programs, services, revenues, and reputation

• A big idea should connect to your institution on a broader basis to build internal stakeholders

• A big idea should be relevant and timely but also have longevity; connected to workforce of today or future

• Becomes a rallying, outreach, organizing and strategic focus • Helps you say no and goodbye to dinosaurs

• Helps you say hello to, and cultivate, internal and external partners

• Builds a spectrum of related but diverse programs for your institution

At Harrisburg University

We are a STEM institution – so that is our first filter

We start with the phrase “the application and integration of technology to…”

Big Ideas (connected to priority industries/occupations)

the teaching and learning processthe safety of the food chainbusiness and decision making

There are a couple more, but these become our core strategic ideas…but we are not above being opportunistic

Visual Representation of One Big Idea

Concept Mapping and Data VisualizationA Couple of Tools

MindMeister. com

Florida Institute for Human & Machine Cognition(CMapTools)

Now It’s Your Turn!

• What are the high priority industries in your area?

• What are the economic development priorities?

• What are key academic strengths in your institution?

• For what do you want to be known as the “go to” place?

• What areas will allow you to win friends and influence people internally and externally?

• Where is everyone else…not, not yet or not much?

Here’s Wishing You Bold Thinking and Big Ideas !