The beginning of each new year presents a natural opportunity for reflection and readjustment. Admittedly, these past months have been challenging; yet what I see is the extraordinary ability of our staff to come together to respond, solve critical issues, and address unexpected events with a focus on ensuring academic and business continuity. Our expertise and the work we do, along with our networks, cloud services, and ecosystem of IT tools, literally equip and enable the campus community to do their jobs. This is why what you do is so important.
The partnership with the campus is symbiotic—the better we understand the challenges and needs of our constituents, whether students, faculty or staff, the better we can partner with them. This is why conversations for action and authentic relationships are vital.
As we continue serving the campus and building those connections, I am constantly reminded of how challenging this can be. Recently, I heard a simple analogy that highlights why there can be a disconnect that so often happens with conversations about technology:
Imagine you are in a building on the 5th floor. The person you’re speaking with is on the 2nd floor. You keep shouting down the stairwell to the person wanting them to come up to your level because it will ultimately be better for them—they will have a superior view of the horizon and get a perspective they can’t see on the 2nd floor. However, despite all of your efforts, they are not moving.
Instead of continuing to shout, put yourself in their shoes. What are they trying to process and why are they where they are at? Connect with where they are versus where you are at. In these situations, think about metaphorically taking the time to walk down the stairwell and meet them; then, together, head to the 5th floor. In other words, how do you better understand what concerns your constituents as you guide them to a new place?
This semester will certainly entail challenging conversations as the campus responds to the IT security threats, effectuates on student success initiatives, and adapts to the hybrid-forward work modality. The class of 2025 is halfway through their first-year experience and many plans are underway in preparation for the incoming first-year students coming this fall. All of these activities certainly keep us extraordinarily busy, and are what make CU Boulder a vibrant, complex, and remarkable institution.
Thank you for all that you do; it truly makes a difference.
