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Archive for the ‘Internal Politics’ Category

Lesson 49 People Hear What They Want

Posted in Integrated Marketing, Internal Politics, Lessons Learned on February 26, 2011| Leave a Comment »

A reality of institutional politics is that we generally hear what we want to hear.   Most of us hold preconceived ideas about many issues, and what we hear from others just reinforces what we already believe. 

Communication researchers call this reality “selective perception.” 

Democrats become better Democrats when they hear Republicans speak. And Republicans become better Republicans when they hear Democrats speak. This type of polarization also occurs with many of our issues in the institutional workplace.  An example of polarization is the use of the  word “marketing.”

For many, the word means “commercialization,” and whenever it is heard in the context of the academy, the perception is that the consequence will be to turn the institution into a retail sales organization. The word “brand” is another example of this kind of selective perception. 

In Lesson 48, and elsewhere, I argue that it’s a waste of time to focus on converting detractors. It is also true that some people who have preconceived ideas are not totally committed detractors, and that over time they might change their minds. In other words, they are “on the fence” with respect to their opinion.

We are open to changing our minds when new information appears and begins to confuse us. We then seek more information to resolve this confusion. This state of uncertainty is often called “cognitive dissonance,” and we all seem to have an inner drive to resolve it.

The political strategy in this situation is to raise key questions, describe the complexity of the moment, and then articulate the best alternative solutions… those, of course, that support our objectives. Open forums, staff meetings, invited meetings, and other opportunities for dialogue, can be created for this purpose.

To summarize, committed detractors should mostly be ignored. It is a waste of time to try to convert them. But many people are only “on the fence,” and it is possible over time, through thoughtful, patient and persistent dialogue, to change their minds.

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Lesson 48 “Grass-Roots” Internal Politics

Posted in Internal Politics, Lessons Learned on February 20, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Today, I met with senior advancement officers at the combined CASE District III & IV annual conference in New Orleans to discuss my new book, Learning to Love the Politics.

Most of us in the advancement professions of marketing, communication, fund-raising, and alumni relations, would prefer to avoid internal politics, but all agree that dealing with institutional roadblocks to our work inevitably takes half or more of our time.

The first step in developing internal political savvy is understanding the larger context of each difficult situation. This involves analyzing how universities are fundamentally different from other organizations, identifying the various types of people who find themselves in academic leadership positions, and then listing the barriers and political situations advancement professionals typically encounter. It’s one thing to know these things, but it’s entirely another to carefully analyze them by making notes and developing action plans.

Identifying supporters, detractors and neutrals is the first step toward action.   Next you gather your supporters and ask for their help in educating neutrals. With that complete, you simply ignore the detractors. The biggest mistake you can make is to try to convert opponents. You won’t be successful. You will waste precious time. And you will make yourself frustrated. Believe me, you can get the institutional train moving down the track without them.

With “grass-roots” tactics in place to build overall support, you will now be able to develop initiatives to address the issues you are encountering with specific administrative leaders, trustees, and others. This will include one-on-one and group education, using “third-party” advocates, and making win-win deals.

It’s difficult to imagine that with all the conferences and professional development programs we have in advancement, we have never really made this topic a subject matter to explore.  The participants in my session today agreed that we need to continue our explorations and my book is just a beginning.

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Lesson 47 A “Learning” Organization

Posted in Integrated Marketing, Internal Politics, Lessons Learned on February 12, 2011| Leave a Comment »

In his 1990 classic The Fifth Discipline:The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization, Peter Senge argues that the only way to remain a leader in one’s industry is to learn faster than the competition.  I am amazed at just how much Senge’s work has influenced my thinking over the years.

My interpretation of Senge suggests that inspired leadership involves identifying  organizational deficiencies, learning about latest industry trends and practices,  clarifying identity and competitive advantage, and then implementing an education and training scheme that challenges managers and opinion leaders to “out think” and “out learn” the competition. 

While I was determining how I would approach writing my most recent book, Learning to Love the Politics, I once again came upon the work of Dr. Senge. This book is about how to gain support for a more sophisticated and integrated approach to advancing academic institutions, and once again I encountered the idea that finding a way to “teach” the organization about what this means is critical. 

First, I realised that as a foundation to understanding internal “politics” I would have to describe how universities are different from other organizations. Then, I found I would have to analyze the different types and styles of leaders that emerge in academic institutions, and the specific challenges involved in influencing their thinking.  That led me to outlining some “grassroots” tactics. But in the end there was no way to avoid the fact that advancement professionals would have to find a way to “teach” key people in the organization the basics of what they do.

In the book I use the example of how marketing and communication professionals could go about doing this. But those in other areas of advancement– fund-raising, alumni relations, student recruiting, and government affairs– should also do the same thing. 

Peter Senge made the case to me a long time ago that organizational leaders must systematize internal learning about their own industry’s trends, issues, and latest thinking. Indeed, I have come to believe that it’s the only way all organizations can remain successful.

In Learning to Love the Politics, I make the case once again.

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Lesson 34 Getting Recognition

Posted in Internal Politics, Lessons Learned on November 14, 2010| Leave a Comment »

People who make their  lives in institutional marketing and communication often complain about being frustrated because they get too little significant recognition for their achievements.

Over the years I have come to accept that much of this just comes with our chosen organizational territory. We are mostly in the business of making institutions and programs more successful, and that also involves making heroes of those that lead them. 

Chief executives of institutions and program heads will invaribly get the credit for their leadership and programmtic successes, even in those cases where we may have actually engineered that success from top to bottom.  It is embedded in the system that the credit for the acheivement will not go to marketing and communication professionals. Vision, strategy, brand identity, message points, supporting materials, and sometimes even key action initiatives, are often developed under the influence of marketing executives.  But the dynamics of organizational leadership will preclude the M&C professional from sharing in the glory.

It seems to me that there are two options open to us. The first is to identify dynamic leaders with high potential that you are motivated to help. Then, develop a collaborative relationship that can evolve into a coaching one. This kind of working situation often results in the kind of satisfaction a teacher gets from watching star students achieve.  Recognition then comes when that person attributes a ” my mentor” status to you, and sometimes in a very public way.

The second path toward professional recognition is to get involved in one of our major professional associations.  Speak at conferences, write articles and books, submit your work for award consideration– all of these lead to significant moments of rewarding recognition.  Because this recognition comes from your peers, it is likely to be the most satisfying of all.

One final point. The power of marketing and communication tools to transform programs and institutions is truly enormous.   Knowing how to harness that power, and make great things happen with it, is a very rewarding feeling.  Trading public recognition for personal satisfaction can be more than worth whatever sacrifice we end up making.

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Lesson 17 New Book is Here!

Posted in Internal Politics, Lessons Learned on July 16, 2010| Leave a Comment »

In “Lesson 8” some weeks ago I mentioned I had a new book coming out, to be published soon by CASE Books.

www.case.org/books

Well, that moment is arriving this weekend at the CASE Annual Leadership Summit in New York City.  A new book is an exciting time for authors, but it’s also a bit frightening!!

Alarming thoughts can come to mind:  Theses words were written nine months ago, will I still agree with myself?  I can’t say I was just kidding, can I?  Words feel so final when they appear in print!  Have I given credit where credit is due? My ideas come from countless interactions over time. How do I know where they came from? Yikes! And the worst thought of all: What if nobody cares?

This book is also about “Lessons Learned.” It is the result of reflecting on more than 40 years in higher education, as a professor, academic administrator, consultant  and advancement professional.  So I think I am pretty safe about the ideas. Whether they are helpful or not is up to you to decide.  Afterall, I did survive this moment three times earlier.  Surely I will again.  Won’t I?

A university is a different kind of organizaton, so I begin with a discussion about the nature of academic life and what kinds of leaders tend to end up in charge. What follows is an analysis of the typical political situations one encounters trying to get support for ideas and programs inside, as well as strategies and tactics to employ. Finally, I conclude that advancement and marketing officers must become internal teachers, so I show how to develop a “lesson plan” that can be used in small bites in meetings and office visits.

Some have looked at this material and suggested that people in nonprofits and even most business situations will profit from this read, noting that insitutitonal politics is a big issue everywhere.  I am convinced they are right.

So in the final analysis this book also tries to organize a “subject matter” that can be taught as a part of the curriculum in professional schools, or later on as a part of professional development.

This book just may become my focus for more thinking and writing in the coming weeks. Please do give it a read, and let me know what you think.

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Lesson 8 New Book Coming Soon!

Posted in Internal Politics, Lessons Learned on May 14, 2010| 5 Comments »

It takes me about four or five years to produce a new book. 

First, an idea comes to me during a seminar I am teaching, or in a conversation with a colleague, or while auditing an institution’s marketing program. Then, I begin talking to colleagues and collecting notes. Eventually an outline emerges in my head. And finally, when I feel I can pull it all together in a meaningful way I commit to a marathon period of writing.

The idea for this book came when teaching in the CASE Summer Institute in Marketing and Communication.  At the end of each institute the faculty would ask the participants what was on their minds as they headed back to their jobs. Collectively, each summer they would say: “If I did not have to deal with the damn politics, I could do a great job!”

Hearing this repeatedly I soon found myself responding: “There is no way to avoid the politics. It can take half or more of your time. You better accept it, and maybe even learn to love it.”

But I quickly realized that dealing with insitutional politics is the one big part of our work that we didn’t learn anything about in school. And it is indeed difficult to find pertinent subject matter, especially material that speaks directly to academic and non-profit institutions.

Learning to Love the Politics: How to Develop Institutional Support for Advancement, will be launched by CASE Books at the Annual CASE Leaderhip Summit in NYC in July.  It describes universities as small cities, analyzes what it takes to teach their citizens what they need to know about marketing and advancement, identifiies their major internal political issues, and suggests some approaches for dealing with those issues.

Come to the CASE Summit and join me in a session on the topic and/or at the book signing.  Afterwards I will take up some of the issues in this blog,  where you can also join in the conversation and maybe even add some of your own war stories.

Some colleagues tell me that while the book’s point of departure is academic institutions, the content really applies to all types of institutions, domestic and international. Let me know what you think. As our markets become more global, this may be just the beginning of my writing about this topic.

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Lessons Learned 2 Giving them what they want?

Posted in Integrated Marketing, Internal Politics, Lessons Learned, Planning on April 2, 2010| Leave a Comment »

      Following my first posting there was a comment about faculty members objecting to marketing because they don’t think higher education should be subject to giving students what they want.  I have encountered this objection many times over on campuses, and also with some nonprofits. So I respond here as my second lesson learned.

   When I am called to help address issues related to integrating marketing on a campus the situation often is that a number of academics are raising serious concerns. And I must say as a lifelong academic myself I can empathize with faculty members who are skeptical about basing education content on what students think they need.  Indeed, an experienced faculty member will know better than students what they will need to know to be successful. So its very important to understand that  just giving students what they want is not what educational marketing all about.

      Marketing research indeed asks both students and parents about their perceived needs and expectations.  And what we learn tells us how to make a connection with them.  But that’s it.  The process that follows is much more sophisticated.  Integrated marketing communiation properly carried out exposes students to choices they never knew they would have.  And when they finally arrive on campus the faculty will open a whole new world of ideas and possibilities they never knew existed.

     Public speakers have been told for years that they need to begin a speech by demonstrating that they know what the audience wants and needs. Then the challenge is to craft the balance of the speech so as to lead the audience into new insights and awarenesses. Even the car salesman asks what you expect in a car. He then shows you one that meets those needs but also shows you features you never knew existed.

    Marketing research and analysis then merely provides the point of departure. The faculty must take it from there. This same situation applies to many other organizations. We begin finding out the needs of people and then take them into whole new worlds.

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