I traveled a lot as dean prior to the pandemic. Some of that travel was designed to raise funds for our key initiatives, but the biggest part of my job is to understand how the world is changing so we can shape the development of the curriculum and college to meet emerging needs and remain relevant. This requires that I meet with people who are inventing the future so that we prepare students to compete in that world rather than the world as it used to be.
It is startling how insular most large organizations become. Universities are no exception. They think-“our situation is unique and we have a lot of smart people here so we can figure this out on our own. We don’t need outsiders.” Such arrogance is the road to death in business and individual careers. It is way better to remain humble, engage with the outside world in an effort to learn something new and develop a network of outside experts who can give you a fresh take on what’s going on.
The pandemic made this more difficult to do and frankly my own learning suffered as a result. The podcast helped me explore some new ideas and trends but it was not the same as immersing myself in the outside world. So I’m looking forward to getting back on the road in earnest this week and engaging with some folks in south Florida who are helping to shape the future. I plan to listen to a little Willie Nelson on the drive down and come back with a few new ideas for my team to consider. I know they love it when I do that.