Good 2 Great Workshop 1: 2009-04-03
Mindmap notes
Attendees: Derek Keats, Kasturie Sanasy, Amer Nazir, Anne Caldwell, Clare Walker, Felix Ubogu, Harshila Dulabh,
Kevin McCloughlin, Luci Carosin, Nhlanhla Mabaso, Paiki Muswazi, Parish Bhana, Rene Schutte, Rosa Kotsiovos, Thabo
Mabena, Zarina Hassim
Contents
1. Why Good 2 Great
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Activity 1. Good is the enemy of great
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Outputs results:
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Activity 2: Key Drivers
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Qualitative Indicators
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Activity 3: Qualitative indicators of Greatness
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Disciplined People: Level 5 leaders
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Activity 4: What Leader are you? Why Level 5
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Context at Wits
10.First who then what
11.Activity 5: Disciplined People Activity
12.Activity 6: Brutal Facts (What is holding us back?)– Survey
13.Hedgehog
14.Activity 7: Core Values
15.Flywheel
16.Building greatness to last
17.Special Challenges
18.Activity 8: Big Hairy Audacious Goals
19.Going from Good to great
20.What is our mission
21.Activity 9: What is the centre of our hedgehog?
22.Activity 10: Low Hanging Fruit - Survey
23.Next Steps
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1. Why Good 2 Great
Top 100 is Great.
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We (The University) wants to get there and we want to do all we can to get there.
We will play a role in Uni's strategic planning process
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IT enabler
Play role in strategy and develop other competencies
Actively be involved in interaction with World at large
KIM – Focus on what we need to do
About Good 2 Great: considerations
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2.
Empirical right down to operations
What was the turning point for companies?
What will be our turning point?
What caused companies to go from good 2 great?
What will enable us to go from good 2 great?
Activity 1. Good is the enemy of Great
Characteristics of Good
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Good limiting-acceptable
Good is not threatening
Good is comfortable
Good is 2nd best
Good stifles innovation as no reason to step out of the box
Good gets you stuck
Good is adequate, if you set sights low
Good is mediocre
Good is measurable
Characteristics of Great
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Greatness - to infinity and beyond
Great has no limitations
You have to be beyond good to be great
Top 100 is Great
Great is a journey not a destination
Nobody tries to measure Great
Great is an emotional concept
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3.
Outputs results:
Is Dependant on
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4.
Inputs
 Disciplined people
o First who, then what
 Disciplined thought
o Confront brutal facts
o Hedgehog concept
 Disciplined action
 Discipline culture
Building greatness to last
 clock building
 innovate, preserve core and stimulate progress
Delivering superior performance
Making a distinctive impact
Achieve lasting endurance
Activity 2: Key Drivers
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Emotional clusters
o having fun
o journeys lead to self growth
o passion
o part of a team
o deep emotional connection
Core business of institution
Long term goal clusters
Great quality
Know what's expected before asked
Research
Macro economic factors
o petrol enabling bus to go
What is the destination? Does the journey end? Road is forever under construction?
Not sure when we get on the bus where it will take us
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5.
Qualitative Indicators
Ordinary: Others control our destiny
Good: Implement other people's ideas well
Great: Others implement our ideas
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Activity 3: Qualitative indicators of Greatness
Using systems effectively and efficiently
Top talent competes to join Wits team
Data Quality improvements
Knowledge is for decision making
Creating technologies/innovative mindset
Easy access to IT service
Be willing to take calculated high risk - high return bias
World class processes
Anticipate what is going to be required
Integrate information literacy
Cultural - recognises outstanding wonderful achievement - Internal/External Perception
Innovation Culture
Enhance, encourage innovation
Network architecture fosters innovation while protecting data
Access to Research Resources
High flying flock of staff
UWC
o Other people implement our ideas
o Participate in designing and growing the academic business of Wits
o Our clients are satisfied that we help them innovate
o We are invited to keynote and run workshops at local and international conferences
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Disciplined People: Level 5 leaders
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Leadership as a concept vs leaders paid to lead
Ambitious for the institution
Fierce resolve
Cling tenaciously to best, great
Build enduring greatness
Make sure that the "right decisions happen" that supports the journey to greatness
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8.
Activity 4: What Leader are you? Why Level 5
Level 5 Characteristics
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Help inspire the world
Make a difference in the community
Compelling standards, contribute towards the greatness of Wits
Balance across levels: May operate at different levels at times depending on
situations
Live and work with purpose and great passion
Enabling environment for sustainable success
Assist others to identify their capabilities
Create the possible but improbable
Make lasting changes for the institution
For the greater good
Staff that are greater than self and constantly innovative
Be the change you want to see in the world
Should level 5 leaders be firefighting?
How consuming is this
Which level should we be with respect to the fire
If you remove yourself into the firefighting level, never move beyond that - should be
looking down and come up with a plan of action to prevent fire happening again and
let the firefighters fight the fire not the chief
Level 5 leaders need strong support structure of other level 5,4,3 etc
Level 5 executives have strong teams
Level 5 leaders in this context should think vertically (concentric circles) not
horizontally (hierarchically) - in the middle guiding the direction
Context at Wits
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Get things done in Diffuse power scenario
Perception that Paid to Lead
Academics and University Ethios: Independent thinkers - a thousand times no!
KIM is at the centre
a. Central, Federated, Semi-Autonomous (Schools, Centres), Individuals
10. First who then what
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Who
Neurotically productive
Get neurotically productive people on board
Use vacancies as opportunity
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11. Activity 5: Disciplined People Activity
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How do we ensure have right people on the bus
o Rigorous recruitment and assessment
o Grow your own timber
o Clear and inspiring vision
o Accepted Vision
o Scour the earth - find the right people
 Explorers with a record
o Have awesome knowledge of what is needed
o Make comfortable for the right people
o Longer probation period for new staff
o Is the person fit for the job/task
What are the Key Seats
o Drivers
o Monitors - are we on track
o Persuaders - get back on track
o Inventors - are we going in the right direction, should we change
o Person leading seats - Must have right capabilities
Are they filled correctly: Find their passions
How do we get wrong people off the bus
o Firefighting tasks for them
o Help identify weaknesses /strength
o Reassignment and correction, disciplinary behaviour
o Disciplinary procedures
o Managing Talent
o May get off if uncomfortable
o Measure and Manage
o Suggest another route to them that will be more attractive
o Attrition, relocations, firing as last resort
How do we keep the right people on the bus
o Make it comfortable for them
o Give them the opportunity to spend time on other passions
o Toys for them to play with
o Not salary driven
How do we fill stop gaps when right people get off the bus
o Succession planning
o Grow Internships
o Be creative
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12. Activity 6: Brutal Facts (What is holding us back?)– Survey
First: Data integrity/reliability problems
Second: Unpredictable Decision making processes
Third: No time for research innovation
Fourth: Staff not motivated
Fifth:
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Money constraint
overstretched infrastructure
Critical Mass
Other brutal facts:
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Over reliance on vendors
Network not academic friendly
Inadequate attention to academic program
Vacuum in HR Info Sys Manager
Not growing talent
Slow adoption, followers not leaders
No easy single take on process
not enough pcs for students
staff incapacitated
unavailability of learnership staff
not maximising subsidy
Web technology decision
Personal agendas contrary to vision
Turf wars blocking progress
Competetiveness
13. Hedgehog
Idea is every organisation should have one big thing that they focus on
 For the University: BHAG is top 100
 What are we deeply passionate about
 What do we stand for
 What are our core values
 Why are we here
 Mission and Purpose
 What can we be best in the world
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What can we contribute to people: what can we do better than anybody on the planet
What drives our resource engine: Time, Money, Brand
Focus on the Intersection of the circle
Enables predictable decisions
Focus on opportunity that contribute to hedgehog and NOT on opportunities taking focus
away from hedgehog
14. Activity 7: Core Values
First: Passion and Fun
Second: Integrity
Third: No time for research innovation
Fourth: Innovation
Fifth: Team Work
Sixth
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Output Driven
Freedom
Love
Trust
Support
Other core values:
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Quality technology, Respect, Honesty, Adding Value, Easy Access, Information correct
data structure, Consistent rules, Simplicity, Freedom, Fairness, Connectness
Collaboration, Transparency, Achievement, Service,
15. Flywheel
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Attract believers
a. Time / Money
b. Vision
c. Use a common brand to attract believers
Energy to turn wheel
Demonstrate results
Take actions to build brand What is our brand?
a. Need to be identifiable
b. make reputation
c. By building a common brand - make flywheel go faster and attract believers
i. 50% Focus on KIM brand, 50% Focus in Portfolio brand
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16. Building greatness to last
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Clock building
Don't manage under uncertainty
TIPS
17. Special Challenges
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Federated organisation
Limitations - lack of possibilities within the vision due to organisational constraints
o Cannot hold onto great talent, nowhere for them to grow - Be creative
Today's excellence is tomorrows ordinary
Watch out for diversions from the journey
18. Activity 8: Big Hairy Audacious Goals
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sharing one vision
Kim greatest support ethics by 2025
Top elearning infrastructure in the world
To be perceived by the academic core as being excellent
Best reportin infrastructure
Rival Wikipedia as trusted knowledge source by 020
Crystal clear vision and purpose understood by all
Greatest technology infrastructure to support the academic endeavour
Robust, Reliable, easy to maintain suited to top 100
Top Research support infrastructure in the world
Access to information resources from anywhere at anytie using anything by 2012
Kim the next Google environment. the best want to join us by 2015
KIM activities underpinning Teaching, Learning, Research and Admin by 2013
KIM will establish Wits as top research institutions by 2012
Largest African innovation contributor by 2014
BY 2012 Wits will be recognised globally for innovation in e-learning processes
(pdagogies, autogogies_ applied to its own institutional context
Adopting a SOA, Wits will possess one of the most innovative student information
management processess and systems by 2014 and will sustain that for at least 20 years.
Be the leader in information management by 2020
By innovating in a context of connectedness in all our areas of operating KIM will help
build Wits as a globally leading University by 2022
Will lead digitisation centre in the Southern Hemisphere by 2022
1 PC for 1 student by 2012
KIM will enable Wits to reach top 100 by 2022
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19. Going from Good to great
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Change is given
o Change is contentious
o Change presents opportunities
No Pain no gain
o Initial value when changing seems reduced - until pain curve reaches the trough
o Zone of latent benefit until the value reaches the state prior to change
o Strategic alignment - mitigate
o Build competentcies
Look for opportunities
20. What is our mission
21. Activity 9: What is the centre of our hedgehog?
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Innovation
a. Leading appropriate technology
Free Knowledge
World class graduates
Excellence unparalleled phenomenal service
Quality Information Services
a. Excellence Data Information Infrastructure
b. Top Quality resources
c. Knowledge and Competence
Architected Processes
Information Access: Quick, Easy, Simple Access
Embed/integrate information skills into research and teaching
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22. Activity 10 Low Hanging Fruit – Survey
How do we overcome inertia and get flywheel turning?
Top Red: Purchase a laptop for each student (7 red, 2 blue)
Second Red: Collaborate and Communicate (6 red, 2 blue)
Third Red: Wireless Wits(hotspots) (5 red, 6 blue) , 4 hour a week per staff member to
promote ethos of innovation/research (5 red, 2 blue)
Fourth Red: Implement Single Signon Throughout systems (4 red, 1 blue), Introduce
basic linux support (4 red, 2 blue) ,User Training (4 red, 5 blue), Finalise Process Analysis
and Leverage to Weak Faculties (4 red, 2 blue)
Top Blues: Wireless Wits(hotspots) (5 red, 6 blue)
Second Blue: Online Application (1 red, 5 blue), User Training (4 red, 5 blue),
Third Blue: Hosted email ps. google partnerships (1 red, 4 blue)
Fourth Blue: Change the network architecture to foster academic work (while not putting
admin systems at risk) (3 red, 3 blue), Digitise all IT Related Training (1 red, 3 blue)
Other Reds and blues: Complete Executive Dashboard , Finalise HOS reports Use
HEMIS Dashboard,Finalise HOS portal,OSCON, Podcasting, part of a wireless and mobile
Wits, facilitate completion of school data -check and sign off, FOSS CMS, Digitization and
the semantic archive (Library and Docman), Stabilize Project data mart, Graduate Trainee
Program, Free and Open resource strategic and implementation plans, Create a Wits
Digitisation Centre, Ways of moving data traffic eg. City of Jhb, ,Attract / clutivate
learnerships from 2nd year
Only Red: Introduce newer information sources, FOSS ITSM, Cleanup and present
impeccable data to the community, Build Technology Awareness
Only Blue: Update Glossaries, Reorganising Project Universe and implementing box,
Demo eLearning with distributed approach using Chisimba, 1 Presentation repository,
Modelling and Analysis
23. Next Steps
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Other stakeholders
Online activities
Draft strategy workshop
Broader stakeholder workshop
Online activities
Review with all stakeholders
Approval process for strategy from VCO,SET, ICT Committees to Council (FINCO?
Faculty ICT)
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