Welcome to 2021!
As a university leader, you spend a fair amount of time strategizing successful moves to create successful outcomes. However, many of us do not realize the ultimate value of inspiration. Inspiration comes from clarity of the mission, recognizing your importance as a team member, and the result it will have for the community; knowing the whole is more significant than any individual but realizing what each individual brings to the group. They need a road map for the path. When team members understand the priority and the objectives with actionable steps for success, they become motivated, especially when they know their responsibility to each initiative and each other. Motivation increases productivity. When your team realizes the answer to the questions “What is in it for me?", and “Why are we doing this now?”, then they step up to the challenge, demonstrate more effort, and momentum occurs.
Momentum is a valuable commodity. Imagine a mound of snow or an avalanche moving downward on a mountain, and visualize the energy it develops along the way. It begins slow but then creates great speed and circumference, enveloping the entire mountain. This energy and breadth are what you need to develop in the community. Momentum and motivation become the tenets for success. When values are shared and expectations are clear, momentum takes over.
Patrick Lencioni explains it best in The FIVE Dysfunctions of a TEAM. Teams must have trust to engage in passionate dialogue to resolve conflicts and achieve genuine buy-in for commitment ensuring accountability and exclusive focus for results. We are going for the opposite of dysfunctional. We are going for an "extreme team" as you expect in sports. Higher education needs extreme enrollment teams right now. The path could not be more challenging. Some call it a high achieving team, but I like to refer to it as Extreme. We are looking for team members that are "all in, and unstoppable." They literally can't help themselves.
You have to "suggest" when to take a vacation, a break, and a holiday. These breaks are when the “aha” moments occur. They are "performance junkies." They enjoy working late when they see the momentum that a little creativity and innovation can make. They couldn't wait to get back to their work-life after the holiday break because they are addicted to finding solutions. They probably did a little "reading, research or catching-up" over the holiday. They may have done a lot! They gave up family time to work on a standing project. This extreme behavior is what you need representing your enrollment effort. They enjoy it so much that they feed off of each other. They are always at the ready, and they are continually striving to improve. When you think about that extreme sports team, they are continuously conditioning and preparing for the next event without the prompts. These are the people you need to hire, develop, and promote.
I am currently using Lencioni’s book to coach several university enrollment leaders, and the benefits are noticeable. It takes a little time, but it is definitely worth the effort. First, the team must bond with their leader and trust one another to create a passionate debate for the deep-dive into authentic commitment. Once you have real buy-in, employees assess their strengths to develop a clear plan and focus on accountability, elevating results. And, YOU set the tone. Give them a clear game plan and genuine trust, and you will spend less time strategizing and more time celebrating success! If the team wins, you win.
Begin 2021 with the focus on your team. Tackle the significant challenges with creativity and innovation. Disrupt the "status quo" and give them a license to take risks to move the growth cycle. Demonstrate that you trust them, and they will take the necessary risks to create change. You will discover what doesn't work, but you also might determine your real opportunities. When you loosen the reins, the occipital cortex can relax, insight occurs and creativity has the opportunity to meet innovation.