Educause Southeast Regional Conference 2006 Atlanta, Georgia June 19 – 21, 2006

1. …in a worldwhere no individual can possibly have all the answers, it is the inclusive organization that excels! Frances Hesselbein, 1996 President/CEO of the Drucker Foundation

2. Balancing Today with Tomorrowthrough Innovation, Collaboration, and IntegrationBuilding Collaborations… The Challenges of Diplomacy Educause Southeast Regional Conference 2006 Atlanta, Georgia June 19 – 21, 2006

3. Educause, 2006… …whether your focus is administrative services, information resources, teaching and learning, technology infrastructure, or management within higher education… …one will need to understand and practice the skills tied to the ‘art’ of diplomacy…in order to facilitate the goal of building a collaborative environment ….

4. Begin with the ‘never ending’end in mind including identification of the organizational goal, i.e. collaborationand the necessary critical building blocks to achieve this goal. Leadership Knowledge Management Information Technology/Systems Change Management Drivers of Change Strategic Planning 21st Century Organizational Strategic Readiness

5. End result defined as….collaboration …means to co-labour, to work together; does not mean harmony or agreement …requires that neither person’s perspective dominates …depends on shared values, goals, perceptions and is co-operative; existence of trust …requires consulting (communication), exchanging, assertiveness, and listening skill sets

6. A WORD ABOUT CONTEXT:“…the CIO is accountable for the leadership, return-on-investment, standards/policies, performance, security, support, access, availability, reliability of information technology, infrastructure, networks, systems, support, services….while striking the right balance among innovation, service, compliance, operational continuity…”

7. Centers,   Points of Pride  Quick Facts  Administration  External Affairs  Campus  Honors Program  Visiting UGA  History  Undergraduate  Continuing Education  International Students  Financial Information  Schools and Colleges  Undergraduate Programs  UGA News  Resources & Services  Graduate  Mission  Graduate Programs  Undergraduate Research  Policies & Handbooks  Academic Resources  Libraries & Computing  Research at UGA  Research Office  Department Directory  International Education  Distance Education  Living on Campus  Academic Matters  Student Resources  Health & Recreation  Careers & Jobs  UGA Quick Links  Service & Outreach at UGA  Policies & Procedures  Money Matters  Continuing Education  • 33,405 students • 76% between ages of 18 and 24 • 70% freshman class applied via email with 99% providing email address • 5,908 full-time faculty/other professional = 62% of University employees • $227 million in sponsored research activity • 84 Student housing buildings • 372 Athens Campus buildings (excludes leased space) • 7,370 Athens Campus basic rooms (classrooms, labs) (UGA, 2004) 21st Century Organizational Strategic Readiness

8. cont. on average, 1.4 million email messages per day processed through UGA domain with estimated 800,000 unsolicited and/or SPAM 6.6 million transactionseach month on the IBM mainframe not includingdrop/add; during drop/add, estimated 10 million transactions estimated 32,000 devices on the campus network not counting wireless (e.g., computers, printers) WebCT used to augment estimated 5,600 courses with 45,600 individual students enrolled

9. cont. • approximately 500 wireless access points available with 300 in PAWS network supporting estimated 3,000 wireless devices • 800+ uga.edu domain web sites; number of web pages on UGA main web server estimated at 645,000 • Administrative computing/business processes running on legacy systems (Finance, HR, Financial Aid, Student) in decentralized environment supported by both core administrative computing support and functional user IT support

10. Campus Expectations • High performance computing/parallel computing…central administration funding • 24x7 access and functionality forUniversitydata management in an integrated environment based on enterprise model; data warehouse/data mining capability • Comprehensive information technology security planning; contingency and disaster recovery plan; 24x7 monitoring, intrusion prevention, ‘protection’ ; education, awareness and training • Life cycle management of campus systems/applications • Support for Public Serviceand Outreach systems and services state-wide, and through international education

11. Responsive, reliable, client and service-oriented central computing organization reflecting strong leadership and management for the core; demonstrates cooperation, collaboration and innovation • Comprehensive long term IT planning model for core infrastructure, architecture, systems and services • Comprehensive business model based on standards, policies, ROI, and enterprise model

12. CIO Reality Check…. • Decentralized nature of campus reflecting combination of a distributed funding and staffing model; absence of comprehensive IT plan • Campus push-back in developing, implementing and managing IT policy, standards, guidelines, ‘best practices’ as basis for managing and protecting core systems/applications • Absence of campus-wide enterprise planning effort and/or decisions for IT investments, life cycle management and future requirements

13. …the heart of IT alignment within an institution is a common understanding of the institutional priorities derived from an inter-connected web of strategic leadership activities—IT strategic planning, IT governance, communications, and measurement/assessment….in addition to the distinctive culture--the characteristics that define the institution. ECAR, 2004 Change Management

14. Drivers of Change at UGA • UGA student body • UGA Mission/Goals • American Higher Education’s ‘three’ Revolutions • UGA Strategic Plan 2000-2010 • Five-year Program Planning Process/Provost • UGA Accreditation 2009-2010 • State/Federal data requirements • Enterprise Approach for IT Planning • Requirements for Data-driven Functionality and Capability

15. Client Services Provost 5-yr Program Planning Office of CIO/ Compact Planning Process 5-Yr Plan Network & Operations UGA Goals Decision-Support and Planning Strat. Plan, Governance Research Computing Building the New Learning’ Environment Promote admin units Bus Operations/Admin Information Tech. Security Infrastruct/Support Tied to budget process Communications, PR and Marketing Research Investment Instructional Computing Resource allocation Over longer period 5 yr Research Computing Administrative Systems and Planning Customer Support Competing in a Global Economy Business Office Info Tech & Data Security Performance measures, progress Outreach & Partnerships Licensing/Contracts

16. Optimizing IT in a Business-related Culture requires collaboration…. For example... when an administrative unit is faced with the need to provide new and/or more timely services, to produce new products, and/or to increase efficiency or productivity,… alignment of the units within the organization becomes increasingly critical (i.e.,“the proper positioning or state of adjustment of parts, or an arrangement of groups or forces in relation to one another”).

17. Alignment and Commitment go hand in hand; creating compliance will not provide high levels of alignment. Ownership, a connection to the customer, and belief in the organization are required to obtain lasting, willing commitment. This requires engagement across organization in planning. (e.g.,Compact Planning is a collegial, participatory and ongoing planning process involving clients, partners, and IT professionals both within EITS and throughout the University and Board of Regents.)

18. Compact Planning is a: • negotiated, bilateral written agreement focused on long-term planning; • venue for establishing initiative-based priorities; • cyclical, iterative, and annual process; • process that creates an alignment of unit and organizational goals and strategies; • process that provides for accountability through specific performance and outcome measures tied to initiatives; • process that positions actions, outcomes, and performance expectations with respect to shared responsibilities via partnerships and codicils. Strategic Planning

19. “…if you take a look at current literature about the role and scope of a CIO, you’ll see that the qualifications that business, industry, government, and higher education are looking for now emphasize less high-end technology expertise, and more organizational skills……Other attributes include the ability to engage people, planning skills, being able to understand the business side of the house, and certainly, understanding technology’s role, applications, and major players in the market.”Dr. Barbara A. WhiteCampus Technology 2005

20. Re: Leadership Skills Proactive/positive influence Teamwork Strategic Thinking Deliver Business Results Decision making Creativity Communication Staff Development Gartner 2006 Leadership

21. Environment…Skills Set • Company specific knowledge • Functional area process knowledge • Industry knowledge • Business process redesign • Change management • Management of stakeholder expectations • Project management • User relationship management • Negotiation experience

22. …in addition to recognizing Barriers…. • Overwhelming backlog of requests and projects • Inadequate budgets • Shortage of time for strategic thinking and planning • Unrealistic expectations from the organization • Lack of key technical skill sets within IT department • Overwhelming pace of technology change • Lack of business knowledge within the IT department • Lack of alignment between business goals and IT efforts • Difficulty proving the value of IT CIO Magazine, Jan. 2006 Survey: State of the CIO

23. So….. to build a collaborative environment, one must understand the nature and role of diplomacy….that said…“…when was the last time being ruthless…i.e., plotting, reflecting infighting and displaying retribution,…resulted in collaboration?”

24. Diplomacy is the art and practice of conducting negotiations between representatives of groups…. In an informal or social sense, diplomacy is the employment of tact to gain strategic advantage (e.g., the phrasing of statements in a non-confrontational or social manner). Informal diplomacy is a specific kind of diplomacy in which non-officials (academic scholars, retired civil and military officials, public figures, social activists) engage in dialogue, with the aim of conflict resolution, or confidence-building. Wikipedia, The FreeEncyclopedia Wikimedia Foundation, 2006

25. “…I hope that many of you have heard about our four pillars of our public diplomacy effort, the four E's, I call them. As a communicator, I like to boil things down to basics. They're: Engage, Exchange, Educate and Empower. And it strikes me that our institutions of higher education and learning are at the intersection really of those four E's….” Karen Hughes Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Washington, D.C. 2006

26. …Academic exchange and collaboration across cultural and national borders are enormously important to fostering goodwill, building lasting diplomatic ties and creating a culture of mutual understanding and cooperation. It's impossible to overstate the importance of those outcomes…i.e., soft diplomacy… within the increasingly global economy we live within. John B. Simpson, President University at Buffalo 2006

27. The Art of Diplomacy Diplomacy Lessons 101 Barbara A. White circa 1950

28. Lesson One: Talk to each other….remember it isn’t always about competition, but about cooperation and collegiality.

29. Lesson Two:Don’t get lost in the detail….remember the ‘big picture’

30. Key Success Factors • Clearly articulated campus vision and/or priorities • Understanding of campus culture and perceptions of IT (e.g., perception is reality) • Documented interface between campus planning and budgeting process, and IT planning process • Documented engagement of campus constituents, customers, peers, staff in systematic planning process (e.g., Compact Planning) • Emphasis internally and externally on accountability and performance metrics, i.e., the facts! • Active and functional Advisory Committee structure(s) • Communication, communication, communication!

31. And…Lesson Three: It’s OK that not everyone cares about the same thing, but one needs some level of organization and focus

32. …Remember, alignment/transformation and thinking strategically in collaborative environment requires organizations to change… ‘How’ do we get people to be more open, to assume more responsibility, to be more creative? ‘What’ are we trying to accomplish? What are the necessary changes? What are the indicators that will signal success? ‘Why’ do we have to change the way we do things? Why do these changes cost so much? Why does productivity need to be improved? Why is additional capital needed? Why do we need a new generation of products?

33. …with the trends of information society, a modern diplomat takes on a specific role of: * public relations officer, * manager, and * coordinator. Further on, one predicts that the diplomacy of the future will be increasingly public, networked, technology-driven and electronic. What Kind of Diplomacy for the 3rd Millenium 18th International Public Relations Research Symposium, 2001

34. So….what’s the Problem in being a diplomat and/or creating environment of diplomacy? Could it be the diversity of… • Opinions • Leadership styles • Expectations (real or unreal) • Committee structure(s) • !!Budgets!! • Campus Politics • Scope (e.g., Enterprise vs Dept) • Timelines (e.g., ‘now’ vs long term) • Ceaseless Debate (e.g., noble cause or bluff)

35. Approaches to Consider • “take the high road”….keeping long term goal in mind • Persevere i.e., steady as she/he goes…..rather than sporadic efforts • Remember, always in context of testing; mixed messages and absence of fact weakens role as diplomat and eventual chance of collaboration • Use care in picking individuals to whom you vent! Remember, rumor = reality particularly in political and changing environments • Diplomacy requires ‘big picture’ and ‘close up’ assessment, i.e., organizational goals, priorities in concert with expectations in concert with players, personal agendas…leader has to know them all!

36. Cont…. • Assess appropriateness of charisma in building collaborations via role as diplomat; remember ...how we act and react depends not so much on what occurs around us as on how we perceive it… • Pick your battle as a diplomat carefully; recognize importance of alliances, alignment, communications, advocates of issue, facts….one can’t be too prepared • May not always be about ‘peacemaker ‘ , but about managing relationships to create peace! • Step out…engage others….don’t wait for them to come to you • “Walk the talk”….compared to pulling on diplomatic approaches only when needed; be known as a diplomat

37. …in a worldwhere no individual can possibly have all the answers, it is the inclusive organization that excels! Frances Hesselbein, 1996 President/CEO of the Drucker Foundation

38. Dr. Barbara A. WhiteCIO and Associate ProvostThe University of Georgiabarbwhit@uga.eduwww.eits.uga.edu/cio