LEADING THROUGH CHANGE Ellen Kim, The Johns Hopkins University Rachelle Hernandez, The University of Texas at Austin
LEADING THROUGH CHANGE
Ellen Kim, The Johns Hopkins University
Rachelle Hernandez, The University of Texas at Austin
Because we are!
New leadership at the executive level; changing state
and Federal aid guidelines; changing students;
changes in state legislature; changes in staffing;
changing technology.
Why does it feel like we’re in a constant state of change?
Change and leadershipEnrollment Management Case Studies
How do we as enrollment
leaders effectively facilitate,
sustainable change?
And help staff members be their best
selves, keep up with changing
expectations, and foster, effective,
productive and desirable work
environments?
“Whosoever desires constant
success must change [their]
conduct with the times.”
— Niccolo Machiavelli
“If you do not change
direction, you may end up
where you are heading.”
— Lao Tzu
Case Study 1: Lessons LearnedJohns Hopkins University Office of Undergraduate Admissions
Ellen Kim
Dean of Undergraduate Admissions at
Johns Hopkins University.
• Responsible for strategic oversight for the recruitment and
selection of first-year and transfer students to the Krieger
School of Arts and Sciences and the Whiting School of
Engineering
• In addition, manages the communications, visitor center
and admissions counseling teams
Case Study 1:Lessons Learned from JHU Admissions
What were the desired
goals of new leadership?
• Official perspective — President/VP
• Staff’s perspective
“Culture does not change
because we desire to change
it. Culture changes when the
organization is transformed —
the culture reflects the reality
of people working together
every day.”
— Frances Hesselbein
Case Study 1:Lessons Learned from JHU Admissions
Challenges
A. Resources
B. Internal vs. External Expectations
I. Internal: Staff vs. Leadership
and the implications of “change”
II. External: University and
Industry partners
“Change is hard because
people overestimate the
value of what they have and
underestimate the value of
what they may gain by
giving that up.”
— James Belasco and Ralph Stayer
Case Study 1:Lessons Learned from JHU Admissions
Methods
A. Staff structure and culture
B. Systems: Technology/Data,
Standardizing the work
C. Establishing short/mid/
long term goals
I. For individuals
II. For office/staff
III. For institution
D. Clear and consistent focus
on the work
I. Success measured against
goals; not feelings
Case Study 1:Lessons Learned from JHU Admissions
Mistakes/Lessons
Learned
A. Perception of appetite for
change vs. reality
B. Confusing morale with authentic
buy-in
C. Change management isn’t a
one-time step
D. Culture is the hardest but most
important to change
E. Transparency is relative
Case Study 1:Lessons Learned from JHU Admissions
If I could do it all
over again
A. Make changes more aggressively
B. Better balance personally
C. Assess stakeholders and
prioritize sooner
“Our dilemma is that we hate
change and love it at the
same time; what we really
want is for things to remain
the same but get better.”
— Sydney J. Harris
Case Study 2: Change in ProgressThe University of Texas at AustinEnrollment Management
Rachelle Hernandez
Senior Vice Provost for Enrollment Management
at The University of Texas at Austin
• UT Enrollment management includes the: offices of admissions,
registrar, financial aid, student success; enrollment analytics;
enrollment communications; academic information systems;
and new areas under development, one stop services, and the
university’s new college to career initiative.
Case Study 2: Change in Progress
Framing New Role,
Change Efforts
“Change readiness is the new change
management. Change readiness is the ability
to continuously initiate and respond to change
in ways that create advantage, minimize risk,
and sustain performance.”
— Anonymous
STEPS TO
TRANSFORMING
YOUR ORGANIZATION
H A R V A R D B U S I N E S S R E V I E W , M A R C H / A P R I L 1 9 9 5
Case Study 2: Change in Progress
1. ESTABLISHING A SENSE OF URGENCY• Examining market and competitive realities
• Identifying and discussing crises, potential crises or major opportunities
2. FORMING A POWERFUL GUIDING COALITION• Assembling a group with enough power to lead the change effort
• Encouraging the group to work together as a team
3. CREATING A VISION• Creating a vision to help direct the change effort
• Developing strategies for achieving that vision
4. COMMUNICATING THE VISION• Using every vehicle possible to communicate the new vision and strategies
• Teaching new behaviors by the example of the guiding coalition
5. EMPOWERING OTHERS TO ACT ON THE VISION• Getting rid of obstacles to change
• Changing systems or structures that seriously undermine the vision
• Encouraging risk taking and nontraditional ideas, activities, and actions
6. PLANNING FOR AND CREATING SHORT-
TERM WINS• Planning for visible performance improvements
• Creating those improvements
• Recognizing and rewarding employees involved in the improvements
7. CONSOLODATING IMPROVEMENTS AND
PRODUCING STILL MORE CHANGE• Using increased credibility to change systems, structures, and policies
that don’t fit the vision
• Hiring, promoting, and developing employees who can implement the vision
• Reinvigorating the process with new projects, themes, and change agents
8. INSTITUTIONALIZING NEW APPROACHES• Articulating the connections between the new behaviors and corporate success
• Developing the means to ensure leadership development and succession
Eight Steps to Transforming Your Organization, Harvard Business Review, March/April 1995
Case Study 2: Change in Progress
Clarify Expectations
Needed to articulate reasons
for change
• Renewed university focus on student success,
explicit focus on serving students from across
the state
• Explicit focus on upward mobility
• New leadership and expectation for even stronger
outcomes and enhanced collaboration across
campus
1. ESTABLISHING A SENSE OF
URGENCY
2. FORMING A POWERFUL
GUIDING COALITION
Case Study 2: Change in Progress
Vision, Mission, Values
Articulated who we are and what we
are doing
• Needed a way to describe internally and externally
what these changes meant
• Developed scope of student journey related to EM
• Unit wide staff committee to develop mission,
vision and values
3. CREATING A VISION
4. COMMUNICATING THE VISION
5. EMPOWERING OTHERS TO ACT
ON THE VISION
Case Study 2: Change in Progress
Immediate Needs
Focused on immediate needs and
corresponding ‘quick wins’
Step 1 — Connect vision and goals: Clearly articulate
university goals
Step 2 — Identify and celebrate quick wins: Recognize
history of success, identify and celebrate quick wins
Step 3 — Recognize and communicate impact of
change: Progress communications to campus
leadership
5. EMPOWERING OTHERS TO ACT
ON THE VISION
6. PLANNING FOR AND CREATING
SHORT-TERM WINS
Case Study 2: Change in Progress
Prioritize Leadership and
Training• Elevated clear leadership roles and began
succession planning efforts: Communicated to
campus clear lines of authority
• Developed an executive leadership team:
Established expectation of cross-unit leadership
communication
• Established commitment to training and
professional association membership: Established
expectation of state and national leadership
5. EMPOWERING OTHERS TO ACT
ON THE VISION
Case Study 2: Change in Progress
Set the Stage for Long-
Term SuccessArticulate long term campus needs and plans (in
progress)
• Communicate macro goals (outcomes)
• Develop documentation of unit specific goals
and plans
• Establish collaborations with key campus partners
Develop leadership support structures
• Focus on stakeholder relationship management
• Implementation of project management systems
7. CONSOLODATING IMPROVEMENTS
AND PRODUCING STILL MORE
CHANGE
8. INSTITUTIONALIZING NEW
APPROACHES
Case Study 2: Change in Progress
Advice for New Leaders• Find/establish your network
• Communicate, communicate, communicate
• Pick your battles; outcomes focused, sustainable
change is key
• And remember, enrollment management
leadership is a marathon, not a sprint
“Hindsight is 20/20…A new hire will need to
understand the university's position and narrative,
align themselves with that message, and to
continue to carry that torch forward.”
— National University EM Leader
“It doesn't matter how fantastic your predecessor
was. Do not be afraid to investigate and take
action on items that you think are issues. Even in
a high functioning organization you will find things
that need attention. It is no one's fault, but don't
think you have to be there any certain amount of
time to have ‘credibility’ in addressing these.”
— National EM Leader
Leading through Change“Effective Traits of a Leader”
• They asked, “What needs to be done?”
• They asked, “What is right for the enterprise?”
• They developed action plans.
• They took responsibility for decisions.
• They took responsibility for communicating.
• They were focused on opportunities rather than problems.
• They ran productive meetings.
• They thought and said, “we” rather than “I.”
— Peter Drucker in On Leadership
One Final Thought…
You must welcome change as the rule
but not as your ruler.
— Denis Waitley