See You There

For years, some of our colleagues here in Iowa and many more throughout the nation have remarked that extension is a “best kept secret.” Just last week, Representative Bruce Bearinger referred to us that way when tweeting about our hotlines.  Type “extension best kept secret” into Google and most of the top 10 results refer to extension work. (The others deal primarily with hair extensions, where I imagine a secret is a good thing.) But being a secret is nothing to be proud of for us. I’ve heard the reasons why for years – we tend to be busy and don’t like to promote ourselves.  Most extension professionals don’t like the spotlight.  It’s hard to fully understand all the variety of work we do.

To reverse this situation, we need a game plan. We need equipment, drills, plays, and strategies. (Sort of sounds like football, but then again, the Super Bowl was just last Sunday.) We need a playbook and our Organizational Advancement team is preparing one right now. You’ll receive your copy in time for Extension and Outreach Week, March 24-30.

The Advancement Playbook is a guide for our organizational marketing efforts. It contains plans to promote and advance Extension and Outreach and advocate to external partners about our educational mission and program impact. The Playbook will make it easier for all players in our system — statewide, on campus, and within counties and regions — to function as one team with one game message: We are a community-based education unit providing the state with educational goods and services that benefit many.

And therein lies the trick, which a playbook is designed to help address – to sort through the clutter, learn fast, and communicate faster. See you there.

– Cathann

Communication advancement, Communication, Extension

My daughter recently asked me – what was the largest living organism?  She thought it might be the blue whale, but that title is claimed by a quaking aspen estimated to be possibly a million years old. Covering 106 acres just south of Utah’s Wasatch Mountains, the aspen named Pando looks like 47,000 different trees. However, he really is one tree with one common root and a whopping 47,000 connected parts. Pando is a system.

Aspens don’t just grow up; they also grow horizontally underground. An aspen root may travel 100 feet underground before sprouting up, and each new stem can send out its own army of underground roots to form still more new shoots. Pando’s connected network of roots carries water and nutrients throughout the system, wherever they are needed. That’s why a quaking aspen system can survive in marginal environments where other trees would die.  In adverse situations, rather than shut down, the quaking aspen sends out new roots.  For example, if a fire wipes out many stems in a stand, the root system sends out a huge increase in new, rapidly growing stems.

If we pay attention to Pando, we can learn a few things about sustainability.

1. We can overcome marginal environments by taking advantage of our system.
2. We must communicate effectively. We have a variety of resources we can tap into, but we have to share information and data.
3. We have to know how to effectively deploy our resources.
4. If 47,000 trees can act as one system, then every person and every office connected to ISU Extension and Outreach can be part of our larger system as well.

The roots of Extension and Outreach are in youth development and agriculture. However, we extend Iowa State University to all the citizens of Iowa — not just to farmers, but also to community leaders, business owners, manufacturers, teachers, parents, families, and youth. We take Iowa State to main street as well as family farms, to schools and community centers, to industry and entrepreneurs, online and in person. Because of our partnership and commitment throughout all of Iowa’s counties, the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach system will leave our state better than we found it. See you there.

– Cathann

Communication Extension, Resources, sustainability, system

Early in my extension career, I took an inventory to determine my personality style. The facilitator then posted our styles up on an overhead (yes, that’s what we used) so we could all learn to work together as a team. What struck me was how everyone in the group clustered together … except for one outlier. The facilitator described the main group — the “people” people, and as she did so, I recognized who the outlier might be. I was the lone “idea” person. That made sense to me as I contemplated our work. Extension is full of interactions with people, and relationships are a key to our success. You want to have “people” people for this kind of work.  It also means we have a lot of nice people who work in extension, people who are agreeable and concerned about others. It’s unlikely you choose a line of work like extension if you aren’t a nice person.

I want to be clear that nice is a good thing to be. However, with so many nice birds flocking together, extension work can become mired in a “culture of nice,” keeping bad work from being eliminated and good work from getting better. We’re too nice to call a bad project a bad project. When we criticize, we criticize in vague, general statements. Of course, we engage in these behaviors out of human decency. Who wants to be the one to say that someone’s program is not worth the effort?

There also is self-interest. We work with a lot of partners in this business. You don’t want to have criticized someone’s program only to find out you need his or her help on your next effort. So we shut up, and sometimes efforts that everyone knows are sinkholes of mismanagement just keep floating along. I’m not saying we should stop being polite, but doing our best work requires that we address the less efficient practices, the programs with little or no impact, the publications we spend money printing and storing in air conditioning but that no one wants any longer, or the time-draining meetings that no one wants to talk about.

In the article, “When Nice Won’t Suffice: Honest Discourse Is Key to Shifting School Culture,” Elisa MacDonald describes how educators feel deeply reluctant to openly critique their own practices or those of others, and how this serves as a barrier to thoughtful, meaningful sharing, especially in professional contexts. MacDonald provides a helpful list of signs that the culture of nice may be creeping into your professional conversation, including rarely questioning practices and assumptions, only sharing successful efforts to avoid judgment from peers, and recommending strategies that are not applied to our own efforts.

MacDonald gives examples and offers strategies to refocus the discussion in a more critical, honest direction. The goal, she argues, is to replace the culture of nice with a culture of trust, where educators feel safe in sharing their own growth areas and shifting thinking and behavior. She maintains that improvement only can occur when we can openly question long-standing norms and have rigorous collaborative discourse. MacDonald mentions it takes courage to respond in ways that will lead to incremental shifts in thinking and behavior. See you there.

– Cathann

Attitude, Communication culture, Extension, honest, people, trust

Last week I gave the keynote address at the North Central Extension Regional Science Academy in St. Louis. I believe in 4-H and the land-grant mission, and that we are uniquely positioned to ensure our young people have the science, technology, engineering, and math skills they need to be successful in their futures. But more importantly, I believe there is increasing need for all youth to understand these areas to be well prepared as citizens and leaders who can make good decisions about the future of our communities and our world.

As I prepared my comments, I thought about all the things my children know to get along in 2012 that I barely dreamed of when I was their age. My sons laugh when I tell them about bag phones the size of a shoebox, or carrying my punch cards across campus to run one statistical equation on the mainframe that took up the entire basement of a university building. That computing power has now been surpassed by something I carry around in my pocket.

Twenty years ago, most of us thought a mouse was just a rodent. The idea of a wireless phone that could transmit pictures was something found only in science fiction. Twenty years from now, by the year 2032, we will need to know stuff we can hardly guess today.

Our youth also will have to face the fact that technology favors some and ignores others. Bill Robinson, who spent 30 years as an electrical engineer in Canada, says it well: “We spend our time and effort creating exciting new communications technologies, yet half the world does not have access to a telephone. We use the Internet to order the latest novel, yet many people in the world don’t have access to books. We are now discussing embedded processors to connect our refrigerators to other appliances and the grocery store, yet many children in the world go to bed hungry at night.”

As our planet swells, today’s 4-H members may have to live their adult life knowing that a billion people are starving in their world. In 2032, today’s 4-H youth no longer will be the youth at the beginning of 4-H’s second century. They will be our community leaders, our scientists, and parents of the next generation.

This year, we are partnering with the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences as it hosts the World Food Prize Iowa Youth Institute with focus on Global Food Security. We also will increase partnerships with ISU’s other colleges to foster enhanced pre-collegiate outreach opportunities. 4-H started with the simple idea that youth would get excited about the newest discoveries and technologies and become early adopters who could then lead change in their communities. That simple idea seems even more relevant now, as Iowa works to create jobs, increase family incomes, improve our schools, and reduce the cost of government.

Leaders in both the public and private sectors recognize that America’s ability to compete in a knowledge-based, global economy largely depends upon two things: a population that is well trained and technically competent, and the scientific and technological innovations they produce. I would add a third: We also need to cultivate an informed citizenry and leaders who can make wise decisions about how to use these innovations and knowledge in ways that build our economy, enhance our world, and enrich our lives.

See you there.

– Cathann

Communication, technology 4-H, change, decisions, education, Extension, STEM, technology

Thank you. It’s a simple expression of gratitude, yet it means so much. We don’t say it, or hear it, often enough. Our leadership summit began with a “thank you” — actually, with multiple thank-yous from our clients. Watch the video for a “feel good” message about the great work you do in ISU Extension and Outreach. I believe you will be touched by the sincerity of the sentiments these Iowans express.

Iowans value education and equality and demonstrate their concern for others. It’s no surprise that ISU Extension and Outreach resonates and is valued here in Iowa. Thank you for everything you do as part of ISU Extension and Outreach. Education, equality, concern for others — Iowans have set a pretty good example. How do we carry that forward?

The Executive Summary from the Advance: 2011 Leadership Summit now is available as a pdf online. This summary provides an overview of the issues we identified collectively during the summit and our agreed upon fundamental principles, action items, and priorities. I encourage you to thoughtfully review this document.

The Full Report with appendices will be available after the first of the year. The ISU Extension and Outreach Administrative Response, outlining actions and decisions for the coming year, will be distributed shortly afterward.

Collectively, the fundamental principles, action items, and priorities that we agreed upon now serve as the basis for shaping our future. No matter what any individual’s role is with ISU Extension and Outreach, we are asked to be one team with a common mission and common principles. We are all part of moving us forward. The decisions we make each day contribute to the success — or failure — of the organization. Together we can be a part of a meaningful endeavor—a relevant, vibrant organization, fully committed to anticipating issues, acting in catalytic ways, and supporting Iowans over the long haul. See you there.

–Cathann

Communication, Leadership, Mission, vision education, Extension, Mission, vision

Last week, more than 500 of us from 89 counties and campus came together for our leadership summit.  We agreed upon fundamental principles to guide our decisions, structure, behavior, and priorities in Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.  We also prioritized that we must collectively focus on some specific actions if we, as an organization, are going to thrive.  Finally, we pulled from the principles and actions to identify a set of priorities for our action. We agreed to strategically support partnerships and collaborations, the development of effective planning and coordination systems, including ones for professional development, and needs assessment.  The Leadership Team is already reviewing ways to realign resources and begin moving toward these priorities.  Prior to the summit, I pulled together a team that is already at work compiling everything we worked on into a report that will become our playbook. This action plan will guide how we invest resources—people, funds, and time—in the coming year and will be ready in a month.  In the meantime, see the one-page summary.

This summit marks the start of the new way we are going to do business in ISU Extension and Outreach. No more ad hoc, seat-of-the-pants operations. We have a lot of knowledge and best practices in ISU Extension and Outreach, and it would be good to have systems to share them. Think of the extraordinary capacity we would have if we could stand on each other’s shoulders.

We will have to strike a balance on a number of issues, and it won’t be easy:  how do we allow flexible entrepreneurship vs. having common structures, when do we use common systems vs. providing tailored responses, when is it most efficient to operate in a centralized vs. decentralized manner?  We’ll need to make these decisions as we proceed.

I went to the summit probably much like you, with expectations. I hope that like mine, most of your expectations were fulfilled.

• I hoped that we would remember we are a team. No matter which category you selected during voting, we are all one team with common mission and common principles.
• We are all part of moving us forward — decisions each of us makes determine our success and whether we create something meaningful as our “what’s next?” or whether we just go back to business as usual.
• We want to be a part of a meaningful endeavor—a relevant, vibrant organization. The summit certainly offered evidence of our shared commitment.

As I’ve said before, here in Iowa, people care about each other and their communities. They believe if something’s worth doing, it’s worth doing well. Iowans see the value in serving the public good, and they come together to get things done.  But, WE ARE NOT done. Please keep engaged; when asked, give input, serve on committees, pilot new systems. Take responsibility for helping us become what our early pioneers envisioned. Let’s live according to our principles. Let’s carry out our mission. Let’s be Iowa State’s treasured resource. See you there.

– Cathann

P.S. We are still taking comments related to the summit on the blog site.  To be able to review and share ideas when appropriate, we need comments by noon next Tuesday, Nov. 15.

Attitude, Communication, Leadership, Mission, Partnerships, vision Extension, guiding principles, needs assessment, Partnerships, people, planning, professional development, structure

“If you have an apple and I have an apple and we exchange these apples, then you and I will still each have one apple. But if you have an idea and I have an idea and we exchange these ideas, then each of us will have two ideas.”
– George Bernard Shaw (British playwright, 1856-1950)

ISU Extension and Outreach is a catalyst — and this really is at the heart of what we should be doing. Because of our networks and unique connections, we often are aware of different opportunities. We also can connect people in ways that perhaps they never thought of being connected. Through this sharing, we may create unique relationships or new funding opportunities that possibly didn’t exist before. This ability to catalyze, to gain energy from people coming together in some unique ways, results in great benefits for the state of Iowa. With our networks and connections, we bring the right people together to move Iowa forward. We’re not just sharing apples; we’re sharing ideas. See you there.

– Cathann

Communication, Partnerships, vision catalyst, Extension, ideas, Partnerships, relationships

“The percentage of mistakes in quick decisions is no greater than in long-drawn-out vacillation, and the effect of decisiveness itself ‘makes things go’ and creates confidence.” — Anne O’Hare McCormick (American journalist, 1882-1954)

How many extension professionals does it take to make a decision? Maybe that’s not the right question. How long does it take to make a decision in ISU Extension and Outreach? Too much of the time the answer is “too long.”

We have to learn to gather information, consider our options, and then not worry so much about the decisions we make, but instead, focus on implementation. When we spend too much time trying to make the perfect decision, by the time we finally decide, the time is past for effective action. Instead, gather the facts and make the decision. Then adjust as necessary during the implementation, which we often must do no matter how “perfect” the decision.

So, got facts? Good. Go start something. See you there.

–Cathann

Attitude, Communication, Leadership decisions, Extension, Leadership

Well over a decade ago, the tagline for ISU Extension was Knowledge That Works. I was part of the committee that promoted it, and many of us felt that it identified the core of ISU Extension and what we brought to the citizens of Iowa. Then something called the Internet and the Food Network showed up.

The Internet and cable television were total game-changers for extension because they provided 24-hour immediate access to information to anyone who could figure out how to use them. Suddenly, all the questions that used to come to the local extension office started to be answered by “Ask Jeeves” and eventually, Google. Information about food became accessible around the clock and it was entertaining too. So, if everyone has access to similar kinds of information – what exactly is unique about what ISU Extension and Outreach has to offer? If we’re no longer operating within an “expert” model, what model do we use?

Check out this photo for clues to what I think the answer is: That’s Jamie Flynn in the pink shirt, me, and Casey Allison at the Story County Fair. Jamie and Casey were kind enough to share their showmanship expertise with me in preparation for the State Fair. Clearly, I am not the expert in this situation. Marshall Ruble connected me with these young women, who were patient teachers.

ISU Extension and Outreach is people making connections with people and somehow changing for the better. Sometimes, extension educates citizens. Sometimes, citizens educate extension. The reason ISU Extension and Outreach can continue to be about knowledge long after that tagline is that we’re not just about information. We’re about people. That’s work that matters. See you there.

*Incidentally, the next day, Mary (the heifer I’m holding) was named Supreme Champion Breeding Heifer for the Story County Fair.  Congratulations to Jamie.

–Cathann

Communication, Partnerships Communication, education, Extension, information, outreach, people, relationships

“CSI” TV shows give viewers a chance to watch investigators collect and analyze crime scene evidence. Many of us have a good grip on that process and see the value of forensics and postmortems in determining what happened.  To solve a crime, we need to know what happened. However, postmortems seldom occur with failed organizations, because no one’s left to investigate. Gary Klein suggests organizations conduct a pre-mortem — to prevent death. Klein suggests an organization project into the future, assume failure, and then come up with the reasons. The goal is to figure how to prevent these major reasons for failure. 

 Think about ISU Extension and Outreach five years from now and imagine failure: When I offered this challenge at my interview forum, participants provided six highly consistent reasons. They are listed below in the rank order mentioned:

1. Poor communication (28%) — internally and externally

2. Inability to change (18%) — unwillingness to let go of familiar programs as well as irrelevant programs

3. Isolation (15%) — from constituents and critical partners, as well as field, campus, and upper administration

4. Unclear vision and mission (15%) — lack of vision or inconsistent vision with values of Iowa, constituents, and the university

5. Poor leadership (15%) — leaders who don’t motivate others, solve problems holistically, or build public support for the public good

6. Insufficient resources (9%) — continued decreases in funding

The first five issues can potentially impact our ability to generate revenue, and deserve our fuller attention.  However, funding was not the primary concern.  I hope to prove to you in the next few months that we already have taken steps to address concerns about leadership.  In the near future, I’ll be discussing these issues in greater depth. Until then, I encourage you to talk to colleagues, constituents, and stakeholders about these concerns. What do you think we should do about them? What do our partners think we should do about them? Invest some time in reviewing these issues generated by your experience and perspective. Prepare to work collectively to prevent them from blocking our successful future. We can imagine failure – but then let’s use what we learn to ensure our success. See you there.

-Cathann

Communication, Leadership, Mission change, Communication, Extension, funding, Leadership, Mission, vision