Motivational Keys

1. Motivational Keys that can Help to Ensure Quality when Implementing ICT Projects in Educational Institutions.

2. By: Chief NT Ratshitanga Department of Information Technology University of Venda Email: nkhumbuleni.Ratshitanga@univen.ac.za or edumotive@yahoo.comCell.: 072 289 2942

3. Introduction They say “charity begins at home”; I am saying “Quality must always begin at educational institutions (EIs)”. This statement does not in any way suggest that EIs do not care about the quality issues; however it encourages EIs to continue singing the quality song and at the same time it serves as a reminder for those who have forgotten the importance of adding value to their deliverables.

4. How do our customers feel about our services? • Are they happy? • How do we respond to their queries? • Does this ICT project that I am about to implement address the stakeholders expectations?

5. What is Quality Quality refers to meeting expectation and requirements, stated and un-stated, of the customer (www.vmec.org/glossary ,accessed: 10/07/2007) Quality is referred to be at a high degree of excellence; something that is good or well done (www.groundwater.org/kc/kidsvocab.html,accessed: 10/07/2007),.

6. From the above definitions, it is clear that in order to ensure quality in every process; an employee must know and understand expectations of the recipients. When you plan you must consider customers’ expectations about what you are planning and this is only possible if you do involve them and other stakeholders. It is also important to establish the level of quality that customer is expecting from deliverables. It is the customer who tells that deliverable is good or well done.

7. What is the relationship between motivation and quality? It takes a motivated employee or student to ensure that quality is built-in on every process that he/she finds himself/herself being part of. Hence the following motivational keys are important:

8. Vision It is true that if you don’t know where you are going; you never arrive and you never get lost. Quality starts from way one sets ones goals. For quality purposes ones goals must be SMART i.e. S-Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time Bound.

9. Example of a SMART goal: The goal of Information Technology Department is to: Install 100 computers in the new lab before 25 December 2008. NB: An employee or school without a vision is like a snake moving without a head (or headless chicken).

10. No Standards Set No Quality can be Realised

11. Setting Standards Ravens set for themselves high standards: Example: • Before building their nests they compare heights of trees, after which they choose to build in the tallest one; i.e. they only build their nests at the top of the tallest trees. • They only use strong twigs to build their nests.

12. Analogy: Through benchmarking employees, departments and organisations must be able set for themselves higher but achievable standards. Organisations must use tools and strategies that guarantee achievement of the set standards. Questions Why do you set lower standards for yourselves? What makes you to be different from those who are achieving higher standards?

13. Focus Definition: Focus means to give attention to one particular thing rather than another [1] Hornby, A.S., Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of current English, the 6th ed. Oxford University Press

14. If you do not focus, you lose life time opportunities. Irrespective of the number of resources that you have, focusing is important.

15. Points to note: • ICT officials must avoid delivering unwanted solutions to their users. • Irrespective of the number of ICT resources, if you do not Focus you will never achieve your goal. • Irrespective of the number of ICT resources; you can still realize your goal if you focus. The chameleon arrived at the destination with only four legs.

16. Attitude Definition: Attitude is defined as ones’ feelings or mood toward things, circumstances or people.[1] People; departments and other organisations are waiting to help you deliver the most excellent ICT services to user. What matters most in this case is your attitude towards them. Let me bring this analogy: [1]www.thedominican.net/articles/attitude.htm Accessed 23 Dec. 2006

17. Fact: If you want to benefit out of something you must have positive attitude towards that thing. Those people who have positive attitudes towards owls are benefiting from them whereas those people who have negative attitudes towards owls are chasing them away. Owl Story

18. What is your attitude towards those people who can help you to ensure quality in your ICT deliverables? • What is your attitude towards other departments? • What is your attitude towards your superiors? • What is your attitude towards your subordinates? • What is your attitude towards your customers or clients? • How do you speak with them?

19. Reputation Definition: Reputation is the general opinion of the public towards a personhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reputation Accessed: 23 Dec. 2006 Snail moving across a paved path - Story

20. As employees you have to leave a shiny track record irrespective of the difficulties you are experiencing. For Example: ICT staff must strive by all means to cultivate good names to their clients. NB: Good CV is built now not tomorrow. We all have to build our future today.

21. Time Management People need to be able to recite and live according to the following: • I know that “next-time” is a highway for failures. • I also know that “Right-now” is the most important moment for ensuring quality in every deliverable. • Every second is important for my success. • The right time to ensure quality is now.

22. The secret of success is to make every moment productive. Fact: It is absurd to think that a minute minus a second is still a minute. NB: Let us refrain from promoting the “Come-Tomorrow” slogan. Tomorrow does not exist? No one have ever seen tomorrow. The time to make the difference is now, since tomorrow does not exist.

23. Support from Management Ravens build their nests among three or more branches, which provide support to the nest Branches must be strong enough to avoid the nest from falling when the female raven sits inside when incubating the eggs; and also They should also be able to carry the hatched hatchlings.

24. Analogy: The success of employees, departments and organisations depends on the support that they get from other stakeholders. In order to ensure quality of products all stakeholders must show commitment by doing what they are supposed to do.

25. Examples: For every project to be successful, management must show commitment by providing funding for it. The body that is running the organisation must be the first one to sing and live the quality life. Government legislations must allow, protect and provide support for a flourishing project.

26. Communication Definition: Communication is about the transmission of information so that the recipient understands what the sender intends.www.welcom.com/content.cfm; accessed: 23/07/2007 A pair of ravens can be found sitting side by side in a tree cooing softly to each other as they clean each other using their long heavy beaks. • Sitting side by side implies that members of the pair understand each other. • Cooing softly to each other implies that when they communicate they do not shout.

27. Teamwork Definition: Teamwork is a joint action by a group of people, in which individual interests are subordinated to group unity and efficiency; coordinated effort. Teamwork; http://www.ifdn.com/teacher/glossary.htm; Accessed: 23rd July 2007 • For eggs to be fertilised, the two ravens must mate. • Upon hatching, ravens are helpless and require feeding every ½ hour which literally keeps both parents hopping.

28. For mating to happen both parents must be involved and act as a team; • After hatchlings have been hatched; both parents jointly feed them. Analogy: For the employees within organisations to be able to realise their organisational goals, they must work as a team.

29. Example: For a Computer Centre to be successfully built there should be a joint expertise and efforts from the following departments: Computer Services, Procurement Department, Plumbing, etc.

30. Confidence Definition: Confidence is freedom from doubt; believe in yourself and your abilitieswordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn Accessed: 23 Dec. 2006 The following examples demonstrate that ravens believe in themselves: • They are able to fly up to the last part of the tallest tree. • If they do not believe in themselves, they wouldn’t start to build nests.

31. They believe that when they sit on eggs, the warmth that they give them will make hatchlings to hatch out. • They also believe that their weight shall not break their eggs. Question What makes female ravens to believe that if they sit on eggs for 3 weeks there will be hatchlings coming out?

32. Analogy: For employees and organisations to succeed in what they exist to do, they must believe in themselves. When employees do something with confidence, they end up excelling. Example: Employees must never hesitate to pioneer new projects for the development of their departments and organisations.

33. Conclusion The above motivational keys can help us to ensure quality in whatever activity we find ourselves as ICT officials participating in. Quality is about delivering what recipients required; hence it is imperative to ensure that you know and understand what the people you serve want.

34. “A man with a watch knows what Time it is. A man with two watches is never sure.” Segal's Law