As I continue my journey through the world of Agile and how its principles and values can transform higher education institutions, I have realized that it is time to revise a few of my initial thoughts on the topic.
One that most recently popped up during an enlightening conversation with a former university provost was a deceptively simple question:
Where does change come from and where does it happen?
The insight I had at that moment caught me by surprise.
In Part 4 of my series on transforming higher education administration based on Agile values and approaches, I leaned on two Agile 2 principles stating that “change must come from the top” while an “inception framework” needs to guide change in its initial stages.
I understood this concept as that “we must start with the individual leader whose personal transformation journey is embedded in a greater structure—a framework that incorporates multiple cyclical and self-reinforcing change processes that eventually involve teams and the entire network.” (Source)
Although I stand by this initial interpretation, I now see that there is much more to it.
Change does not happen in one per-determined place in an organization, especially not exclusively “at the top.”
Instead, what I have come to realize is this:
We can drive change from the top – but we must create it from the bottom up.
Driving versus creating is a crucial differentiation.
As hard as this may be to admit, formal/executive leaders of any higher education institution generally do not possess the knowledge or expertise of what is truly happening on the ground in the administrative offices across our campuses. They will have little to no actual understanding of how decisions made at the executive level will impact those charged with implementing them. Nor will they understand how current systems, workflows, and procedures support or hinder realizing their goals in the first place.
Therefore, they are generally ill-equipped to create the specific change needed to attain their vision.
What they do have is resources, vision, and the proverbial 30,000-foot view of the issues facing their institutions and the longer-term strategic goals they wish to achieve. In other words, they have the power to drive change and maintain direction throughout the process. But the decision about the minutiae of what this change looks like—no: must look like—cannot be theirs to make. At least not theirs alone.
My dear friend Nozomi Morgan’s framework (and podcast) for “boundary-less Leadership” is based on what she calls the “3 Cs”: Capacity, Collective Wisdom, and Co-Creation.
Creating change from the bottom up while driving and maintaining its momentum from the top is a real-life implementation of Noemi’s approach:
- Formal leaders recognize, appreciate, and activate the collective wisdom inherent in staff at all (and especially the “lower”) levels of their organization. They understand that front-line employees can either make or break any change initiative by actively or passively supporting or working against it.
- Inviting these professionals with the most up-to-date and in-depth knowledge of what their institution and its stakeholders—in particular students—need will bring change-makers into the conversation who understand what change is most impactful and meaningful. This will then allow for the co-creation of SMART goals: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.
- In doing so, formal leaders build capacity within their ranks, focusing on front-line staff—those ultimately tasked with implementing and (informally) leading the change. They empower them, include them in strategic decision-making, and then remove obstacles so that the “real” experts can do the best work of their lives.
This strategy recognizes that sustainable change is not something the upper echelon can simply impose. It also acknowledges that leadership is inherent in all employees, irrespective of positional authority.
However, it requires a mindset shift in formal leaders who may fear relinquishing control or credibility by admitting they don’t have all the answers. Yet, without such internal change—at the “top,” mind you—meaningful and sustainable change throughout the institution is much more difficult, if not impossible, to achieve.
So, let’s start with changing mindsets. Your organization will thank you for years to come.
P.S.: I changed the original title of this post to include the word “live.” After all, change is not a monolithic one-time occurrence but an organic process that happens within the complex adaptive social systems that our institutions truly are. Would you agree?
Questions for reflection:
- Who in your institution, regardless of their position, do you need to bring in make change happen?
- How can you provide them a seat at the table and ensure they are both heard and actively included?
- What steps can you take to shift your own mindset to broaden your view of who the change leaders at your institution are?
Frequently Asked Questions About Where Change Lives in Higher Education
What’s the difference between driving change and creating change?
Driving change means providing vision, resources, and overall direction, something formal leaders are well positioned to do. Creating change means shaping the actual details of what that change looks like on the ground, and that work needs to come from the people closest to the day to day operations.
Why can’t top executives create change on their own?
Executive leaders typically lack the ground level knowledge of how decisions will actually affect the people implementing them. They may not fully understand the existing systems, workflows, and procedures that either support or block their goals, so they are not well equipped to design the specific changes needed.
What is Nozomi Morgan’s “3 Cs” model of Boundaryless Leadership ?
1. Capacity 2. Collective Wisdom and 3. Co-Creation. The 3 Cs. Formal leaders draw upon the wisdom of staff at all levels, engage them in the development of SMART goals, and build capacity through involving them in strategic decisions and removing barriers.
Why do front-line employees matter so much in higher education change initiatives?
Front-line staff have the most current and detailed knowledge of what the institution and its students actually need. They can also make or break a change effort depending on whether they actively support it or quietly work against it.
What change in the mindset of formal leaders is necessary for change to succeed?
Leaders need to be okay with not knowing everything and giving up a bit of control over the specifics of how things get done. It’s hard to get sustainable change across the institution without that internal change at the top.”