Reflections and questions if you’re a hippo*

Below follows this post after discussions I've had with others working within higher education and it's best you read that first. It's not a reflection on one place, situation or person though is related to UK campus based universities - particularly in professional service aiming to become more 'agile' and embed 'digital transformation'.

Let’s assume you're in senior role and want your products and services to meet your user needs and your organisation seeks to be end user (student) centred. You need to reduce the number of complaints, open contacts and repeated questions into your service desk, the noise and demand failure you keep hearing from colleagues and respond to rapidly changing technology and user expectations. 

Ask yourself: Are the teams who operate, maintain and improve products and services talking with clients, students or other staff? Have you actively ensured resources are in place to do that (i.e. time, space, people, skills and knowledge)?  

Go grab a coffee and chat with people who use your products and services and listen to their experiences. It’s not quality research but there’s no replacement for direct feedback and this can be your start. Think about how you’re going to use what you learn - don’t just throw it back or into teams. If you say your organisation values end users, think about what budget, knowledge, people or other support you can put in place to check and do this in reality. 

Ask yourself: The structures and processes you have already were given the chance to shape over many instances - why expect new ones to be right the first time now?

Recognise if you don't change the workflow, knowledge and space - you can’t expect your organisation impacts, outputs and outcomes to change. That includes you. If you’re the voice saying a skills set, approach, outcome is valuable to your organisation's vision and strategy, please learn and behave in ways which show you value that. Don’t be random in where you start to support change - the product, operational issue, project you select.  Don’t compare the ease or flow of the old with the newly developing.  

Ask yourself: What organisational or internal expertise needs to be drawn together? Who are your trojan mice and what are you doing to help them find each other?  

If you don’t know who or where the trojan mice are - reexamine what you’re doing because they will exist and are invisible to you for a reason(s).  Once you’ve found them, create opportunities for them, embolden them, celebrate progress -  practically and at a volume they are comfortable with. Think about what you can do to support them and what you should stop doing or asking for.  

Ask yourself:  What new knowledge and skills need to be brought in? What should change in your organisation for individuals, informal networks and formal structures to be supported and open to talking, listening and shifting together?

If you’re inviting new voices, pause until you’ve got foundations in place. Pause unless you know you’re going to listen to the ‘new-to-you-voices’, will be curious for ideas which are radical to you and ready to encourage people to do the same. Be honest with yourself, the context you’re in and power or influence you have. If you have to proceed regardless, do so in the knowledge those foundations aren’t there and will impact on how new people, practices and skills will land.

Trojan mice and hippos together  

How digital products and services are experienced by students and staff in the education sector is shaped by the people who provide them. We have a responsibility to ensure those experiences are positive, not endured.  

You want to deliver the right product or service and also change how it’s shaped and delivered?  That’s all work and recognise that's more than double the load compared to everyone quietly ‘doing what we’ve always done’. 

I promise you (whether you’re a trojan mouse or a hippo), there’s positivity and joy in that too. 

*Often the one with the 'Highest Paid Person’s Opinion’ in the room (hippos).