Forming Partnerships in Forming Partnerships in the Academic the Academic EnvironmentEnvironment

ByByDon HarrisDon Harris

Vice Provost and CIOVice Provost and CIOEmory UniversityEmory University

Official DisclaimersOfficial Disclaimers

►Higher Education is politicalHigher Education is political►The CIO must operate in this environmentThe CIO must operate in this environment►The reason to form and maintain The reason to form and maintain

partnerships is often politically motivatedpartnerships is often politically motivated►This presentation has a lot of political This presentation has a lot of political

overtonesovertones►Take what is helpful to you for your Take what is helpful to you for your

situation and leave the restsituation and leave the rest

What is Partnership?What is Partnership?

►An alignment between two An alignment between two organizations that shows itself in truly organizations that shows itself in truly collaborative working arrangementscollaborative working arrangements

►This is far from the vendor-customer This is far from the vendor-customer relationship many IT units have with relationship many IT units have with their administration or facultytheir administration or faculty

Reasons to PartnerReasons to Partner

► Working together on common goalsWorking together on common goals Especially those of critical institutional Especially those of critical institutional

importanceimportance► Increased likelihood of funding for projectsIncreased likelihood of funding for projects

Link projects to academic goals and not ITLink projects to academic goals and not IT► Greater leverage in working with othersGreater leverage in working with others

This involves those on campus as well as vendorsThis involves those on campus as well as vendors► Having someone to watch your backHaving someone to watch your back

Critical to allow your partner to tell you what you Critical to allow your partner to tell you what you don’t always want to hear, for example what don’t always want to hear, for example what others are saying about youothers are saying about you

More Reasons to PartnerMore Reasons to Partner

► Increasing the ability to deal with problems Increasing the ability to deal with problems when they occur on a projectwhen they occur on a project For example, when a vendor doesn’t deliverFor example, when a vendor doesn’t deliver When resources aren’t being brought to a When resources aren’t being brought to a

project by a campus unitproject by a campus unit When cost overruns are encounteredWhen cost overruns are encountered

► Having someone to celebrate with when Having someone to celebrate with when objectives or projects are accomplishedobjectives or projects are accomplished Joint successes have long lasting positive Joint successes have long lasting positive

effects on all participantseffects on all participants

Finding Common GroundFinding Common Ground

► Use your strategic planning process to seek Use your strategic planning process to seek partners with common goals and objectivespartners with common goals and objectives Bring others into your planning processBring others into your planning process

► Identify threads through plans that might Identify threads through plans that might lead to partnership agreementslead to partnership agreements Be sure that what you are identifying has Be sure that what you are identifying has

institutional supportinstitutional support► Make sure players are identified at several Make sure players are identified at several

levels in both organizationslevels in both organizations Partnership agreements between leaders only is Partnership agreements between leaders only is

not effectivenot effective

More Common GroundMore Common Ground

► Be sure to identify roles each group will play and Be sure to identify roles each group will play and how decisions will be made in the partnership how decisions will be made in the partnership arrangementarrangement What resources will be deployed by each group?What resources will be deployed by each group? How will additional resources be acquired?How will additional resources be acquired? How will impasses between staff be resolved?How will impasses between staff be resolved? How will funds be deployed for the project?How will funds be deployed for the project? How will project progress be measured?How will project progress be measured? How and who will give reports to senior How and who will give reports to senior

management?management?

A More Political ApproachA More Political Approach

►Take a systems approach to your campusTake a systems approach to your campus► Identify the players and their rolesIdentify the players and their roles► Identify the interaction between playersIdentify the interaction between players►Seek to better understand the strengths Seek to better understand the strengths

and dangers of partnership arrangementsand dangers of partnership arrangements►Align yourself and your organization in a Align yourself and your organization in a

way that promotes your goalsway that promotes your goals

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Know Your Potential PartnersKnow Your Potential Partners

►What are their backgrounds?What are their backgrounds?►What are their interests?What are their interests?►Who do they partner with?Who do they partner with?►What (or who) influences them?What (or who) influences them?►What are their “hot buttons”?What are their “hot buttons”?►Where are there rifts between players?Where are there rifts between players?►What is their history with your What is their history with your

organization?organization?►What do they think about you?What do they think about you?

Understanding your PartnersUnderstanding your Partners

► Read what they writeRead what they write► Listen to their speechesListen to their speeches► Formulate good questions and engage them Formulate good questions and engage them

in discussion about their area of interestin discussion about their area of interest► Invite them to present to your staffInvite them to present to your staff► Have your organization engage their Have your organization engage their

organization at several levelsorganization at several levels► Collaborate with them in presenting or Collaborate with them in presenting or

writingwriting

Seek Understanding of Seek Understanding of DynamicsDynamics

► Is one player stronger than the other?Is one player stronger than the other?► What role do you play in each partnership?What role do you play in each partnership?► Do partners have different business drivers? Do partners have different business drivers? ► How does campus governance affect the How does campus governance affect the

partnership?partnership?► Think about how you want to be identified with Think about how you want to be identified with

your partneryour partner ConvenienceConvenience Business necessityBusiness necessity Common goalsCommon goals Long term strategic importanceLong term strategic importance

Political Savvy: Systematic Approaches Political Savvy: Systematic Approaches to Leadership Behind-the-Scenesto Leadership Behind-the-Scenes

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Joel R. DeLuca, Ph.D.Joel R. DeLuca, Ph.D.EBG Publications 1999EBG Publications 1999

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Ways to Strengthen the Ways to Strengthen the PartnershipPartnership

► Conduct joint activities between groupsConduct joint activities between groups Management workshops (e.g., MBTI)Management workshops (e.g., MBTI) Training or professional developmentTraining or professional development Field trips to institutions with common interestsField trips to institutions with common interests

► Have regular meetingsHave regular meetings To assess work towards partnership goals and To assess work towards partnership goals and

objectivesobjectives To allow leadership to discuss concerns or new To allow leadership to discuss concerns or new

opportunitiesopportunities To just allow the staff to get to know each other To just allow the staff to get to know each other

betterbetter

More Ways to Strengthen…More Ways to Strengthen…

► Look for ways to interact with partnersLook for ways to interact with partners At campus social events like receptionsAt campus social events like receptions At arts programsAt arts programs Before or after regular senior staff meetingsBefore or after regular senior staff meetings

► Also seek to better understand your Also seek to better understand your partners’ professional interestspartners’ professional interests Attend the conferences they attendAttend the conferences they attend Interact outside the office on their “turf”Interact outside the office on their “turf” Invite them to your IT conferences and introduce Invite them to your IT conferences and introduce

them to your colleaguesthem to your colleagues

A Few Pitfalls to AvoidA Few Pitfalls to Avoid

►Be careful what you say and writeBe careful what you say and write Remember your partners also have Remember your partners also have

partnerspartners Be very careful in email which is easily Be very careful in email which is easily

forwardedforwarded Be sure that project reports and budgets Be sure that project reports and budgets

are reviewed by leadership of both groupsare reviewed by leadership of both groups Don’t send out anything “official” before all Don’t send out anything “official” before all

issues are worked out with your partnerissues are worked out with your partner

More PitfallsMore Pitfalls

►Be careful that you don’t get tagged Be careful that you don’t get tagged with any “bad press” your partner with any “bad press” your partner receives due to their poor managementreceives due to their poor management

►Learn how to distance yourself from Learn how to distance yourself from your partner when he or she isn’t your partner when he or she isn’t pulling their share of the loadpulling their share of the load

►Protect yourself and your organization Protect yourself and your organization from financial problems your partner from financial problems your partner may encountermay encounter

Being Visible as PartnersBeing Visible as Partners

►Develop joint “press releases” and Develop joint “press releases” and stories for campus publicationsstories for campus publications

►Also consider joint brochures, web Also consider joint brochures, web sites, articles and even videossites, articles and even videos

►Feed news items to the campus paper, Feed news items to the campus paper, newsletters, alumni magazine, etc.newsletters, alumni magazine, etc.

►Be sure to emphasize that you are Be sure to emphasize that you are addressing institutional goals and not addressing institutional goals and not your personal agendasyour personal agendas

Celebrate Your Joint SuccessCelebrate Your Joint Success

►Look for ways to capitalize on the results of Look for ways to capitalize on the results of successful partnershipssuccessful partnerships Awards for your staff, conference presentationsAwards for your staff, conference presentations

►Strive to be seen as an organization with Strive to be seen as an organization with which others wish to be associatedwhich others wish to be associated Be prepared to prioritize and say no to some Be prepared to prioritize and say no to some

requests for partnershipsrequests for partnerships►Use success to strengthen your Use success to strengthen your

organization and seek funding for other organization and seek funding for other initiativesinitiatives

Think About Partnerships Think About Partnerships Outside Of Your Own InstitutionOutside Of Your Own Institution

► Identify partnerships that might already existIdentify partnerships that might already exist► Consider how you might partner with another Consider how you might partner with another

institution to support collaborative workinstitution to support collaborative work► Hold joint meetings to consider projects and Hold joint meetings to consider projects and

exchange opportunitiesexchange opportunities► Also seek to involve faculty and administrators Also seek to involve faculty and administrators

in these discussionsin these discussions► And don’t forget about EDUCAUSE regional And don’t forget about EDUCAUSE regional

conferences and other events where you can conferences and other events where you can explore partnership opportunitiesexplore partnership opportunities

Ending a PartnershipEnding a Partnership

►Possible reasons to end a partnershipPossible reasons to end a partnership When your partner is leaving the institutionWhen your partner is leaving the institution When your partner becomes a liabilityWhen your partner becomes a liability When your goals are no longer mutualWhen your goals are no longer mutual When your priorities (or resources) shiftWhen your priorities (or resources) shift

►Some ways to bring about an endSome ways to bring about an end Have partnership linked to annual planHave partnership linked to annual plan Have specific timeframe to review Have specific timeframe to review

partnershippartnership Use your regular meetings to redefine goalsUse your regular meetings to redefine goals