Bad employees: fire them or make them quit?

People matter the most and have the greatest impact on the organizational success and failure. It is (or should be) clear to all leaders that their primary focus needs to be on attracting and retaining top talent and that this should come ahead of policies, processes and technology which are also of great importance. However, at times, we will make …

Why Educause matters to me

Each industry has a number of organizations that unify professionals and enable them to network, collaborate, communicate and exchange ideas and knowledge. For me, one of such organizations, is certainly Educause. Educause is an association that unifies all of us who are in higher education (higher ed) information technology (IT) and provides opportunities for collaboration with colleagues and vendors. When …

Scope creep will kill your projects

Managing the scope of your projects is an acquired skill, one that should not be taken lightly. If you don’t freeze the scope chances are that you will not deliver a successful project. It is as simple as that, if the requirements keep changing while the resources and timeline remain the same you are quickly approaching a point of no …

Be mindful of the present, but staff for the future

Build your teams thoughtfully. As opportunities open up to add new staff, carefully consider both your team’s and organizational needs then staff accordingly. Don’t simply replace “like for like”, but rather focus on both current needs as well as your future strategic direction you are planning to take. Each member of your team has a role to play and is …

How to staff your team during training

Providing training to your team is essential in order to continue improving the quality of services you offer as well as to enhance career development opportunities. However, when training takes place, it is important not to neglect services you currently provide. The actual staffing process depends on the size of your team, services you provide and training opportunities and schedule. …

Top 3 areas to focus on at a new job

Top 3 areas to focus on at a new job may vary when it comes to specifics and details. However, the overall theme of the three areas that deserve and need you attention once you join a new organization are: Meet your coworkers – learn what their hopes, goals and ideas are. Leverage their institutional knowledge and experience in adapting …