Tag: change

Change Change Change

Not really having a great day (or month or year for that matter) but in the midst of this most recent despondancy, as ever, all I have to remember to do is breathe, look up, look around to find space, signs, a way forward. In this case this image from Theory U, by Otto Scharmer (www.theoryu.com) via a workshop description from Reboot 9 by an old friend and mentor, which also reminded me why I’m here. “Open Mind…Open Heart…Open Will” indeed. Take 3 times, repeat as needed.
EdTechPost may go a bit quiet for a while (even quieter than the one post a week currently). In the words of Stiff Little Fingers, “gotta gotta get away.” Where to I’m not sure. But gotta find some space to work things out. Peace out.

Great Presentation on the Role of the IT Liaison

http://connect.educause.edu/library/abstract/BetwixtandBetweenThe/44446

So I am still waiting to hear the results of Brian’s foray into the lion’s den at IT4BC, but that’s only one of a number of things that have had me thinking on a perennial topic of mine, how to engender innovation in higher ed, specifically with conservative IT departments, or to frame it differently, how to improve my management ‘kung fu’ and make change happen within the political landscape on a typical campus.
Which is why I found this presentation by Matthew Braaten of Lander University on The Emerging and Necessary Role of the IT Liaison so interesting. The sections I found particularly helpful were the discussion of the “political framing” of organizations (“scarce resources and enduring differences make conflict central to organizational dynamics“) and the technique for mapping the political terrain. Even if the maps seem too simplistic to you, the very act of considering these dynamics before you engage strikes me as another step towards cultivating awareness and intent, which is to say, better kung fu!