The secondary education system is undergoing seismic shifts,
as mentioned in an aforementioned post. Tracey Dodenhoff's discussion, University 2.0, offered another
perspective; that of an entrepreneur who has parachuted into academia and is now
reforming a University. She has been tasked with helping Northeastern better
partner academia with business, to help them commercialize their research and
learnings. Typically universities struggle with this, they are not institutions
recognized for being agile and able to recognize the commercial viability of
their ideas.
In the simplest sense, how do you get the ivory tower to use
the word innovation, a world whose ideas can remain cloistered and armored by
layers of politics and bureaucracy? Tracey recognized that the first place to
start is in understanding the incentives that shape behaviors. If you can
better align the incentives you can in turn change the behaviors that protect
ideas that can be commercialized and expanded upon. Then one day she was taken
aside and told, 'move slowly, you're a threat to people inside Northeastern.'
Often, the uncomfortable changes and creative destruction that accompanies change
is the crux of innovation. I asked her for some clarity on this point and she
thoughtfully edited 'move slowly' to say, 'move deliberately.'
the word innovation, a world whose ideas can remain cloistered and armored by
layers of politics and bureaucracy? Tracey recognized that the first place to
start is in understanding the incentives that shape behaviors. If you can
better align the incentives you can in turn change the behaviors that protect
ideas that can be commercialized and expanded upon. Then one day she was taken
aside and told, 'move slowly, you're a threat to people inside Northeastern.'
Often, the uncomfortable changes and creative destruction that accompanies change
is the crux of innovation. I asked her for some clarity on this point and she
thoughtfully edited 'move slowly' to say, 'move deliberately.'
'You need to understand the stakeholders. Tap into their
passion and dedication, you can't fight them. Go into the situation with high
expectations, your attitude will permeate.'
passion and dedication, you can't fight them. Go into the situation with high
expectations, your attitude will permeate.'
What Tracey is implicitly talking about is understanding and
having empathy for her audiences. By listening and leveraging them as resources
she can be an agent for change. Three key takeaways from her discussion:
having empathy for her audiences. By listening and leveraging them as resources
she can be an agent for change. Three key takeaways from her discussion:
1. Establish relationships
2. Be ready to propose new models
3. Understand internal incentive structures
In this way, she sees Northeastern University holistically,
as an organism made up of many parts with slightly different motivations but
aligned to grow and develop. In order to guide this growth you don't have to
necessarily move slowly, just deliberately. And with passion and high
expectations.
as an organism made up of many parts with slightly different motivations but
aligned to grow and develop. In order to guide this growth you don't have to
necessarily move slowly, just deliberately. And with passion and high
expectations.