[April 14, 2021] I was asked a couple of years ago to take a look at a local college to understand why their enrollment was falling. This request was unusual, as I have little experience in higher education compared to others in the field. The first thing I did was to ask for their “strategic plan” and turned immediately to the section on core values.
The college president had made it clear to me that they measured college success in terms of students enrolled and students completing one of their degree programs. Using their own metric, they were a failure. A staff member said they wanted me to find out why because no educator could explain it. I suppose I was their “last resort.”
Upon reading their strategic plan and speaking with staff and professors, I discovered several problems. There it was right in front of me. A real strategic plan can only help if those running the college know about what’s in the plan, understand it, and know how it can help them.
Core values would be the central element of any strategic plan, as core values are those driving forces that support an organization. Values are at the heart of what any organization and its employees stand for. Values tell us a lot about them.1
The problem with the local “failing” college was they had not read or adopted their strategic plan. Their core values were not even known to those I spoke to at the college. They were utterly unaware of their formal values (hint: college enrollments was not a core value). I had already detected a “drift” in their understanding of their mission and purpose. As the college president, she had failed to use their values as a guide.
A strategic plan and core values serve no purpose if they hold a place on the bookshelf. We had similar problems in the U.S. Army. We developed many contingency plans in case of war. And, there the plans were, stuck on a shelf with no one knowing what was in them or even read by leaders.
I am no longer shocked at organizational leaders who fail to state their core values clearly. Some are very good at codifying their values but are careless when it comes time to ensure their employees know, understand, and believe in those values.2
When you know your core values, and they are part of your being, then decisions are more manageable. They also provide us with independence and freedom of action. We know where we stand. If you are only guided by rules and regulations, like this community college, you will drift in your job, never knowing where you are at any point.
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- https://www.theleadermaker.com/knowing-core-values/
- For examples of core values, see this article: https://www.careermetis.com/organization-core-values/
Plans have a place in that creating them is an exercise in the study of the problem. Even if you don’t use the plan as designed, we can always use the methodology and apply it to another problem at hand.
Good point, JT.
Very interesting article, Gen. Satterfield. A bit out of the ordinary. I can see where you were hired to make sense of a failing college, as long as they knew you were around. I’m not, like you, too surprised at colleges failing during the pandemic (I use that word loosely).
Excellent application of core values. Yes, I am not surprised either that so many orgs fail to communicate either their core values or tell their employees about why they are so important. THis is, in fact, a common screwup at the senior leader level.
Yes, Wilson, core values have a great impact than most of us would think out right. Because they are so much part of us, we no longer “see” them but have them influence everything we do. Humans are malleable so keep that in mind when doing self training. Look at Gen. Satterfileld’s article from today on Intellectual Discipline to get a good idea of what I’m saying here.
Thanks Gen. Satterfield for a spot on article. It used to be our core values were based on Christian values but no more. They are now based on whatever floats best in the wind of our times.
Blowing in the wind. Wasn’t that a song? Ha Ha. That is what liberals do (or do I mean leftists)?
Great example, thanks Gen. Satterfield. It is always best when you use an example like a major institution which fails at adhering to their core values. Others like Woke Coke, Delta and United Airlines, MLB and MBA, …. many others but you get the idea.
All of us here are looking to our core values to pull us across the finish line in life. That is why, IMHO, that we should do our very best at everything we try to undertake. And, we also should work very hard to ensure the success of those organizations that we are a part of. That is why I’m a bit shocked that the “local” college president didn’t get the word out on her college. That is not real leadership and the college’s board of trustees should have fixed that quick. Fire her or make her do her job properly.
Probably a quota hire, you know, someone not as well qualified but helps make the college *look* like they are diverse. Simple.
We’ve seen this setup before. Move away from your core values and you get screwed. Easy to compromise ourselves. You can witness this problem – Gen. Satterfield calls it a moral drift – in US states like Michigan, New York, and California where their governors are giving criminals an upper hand while holding back law enforcement. Then they wonder why things are not going well.
Right, see this PowerLineBlog article, TEAR DOWN THIS WALZ
https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2021/02/tear-down-this-walz-2.php
Now, who is the worst governor in the US? Gov Walz certainly is in the running.
Yeah, LM, I’m GOING with Walz on this one over NY Gov Cuomo. I wonder which one killed the most of their people with bad policies and their people still love them.
Excellent article, LM. Thanks.
Seems obvious to us but why is it so many deviate from the obvious path? Too hard? Too complex? Fear? Cowardice? Many reasons but looking at one’s self and admitting your shortcomings is a start.
Muchas gracias!
… and thank you, as well.
If you don’t know what you stand for, then you are bound to fail. Nuff said.
Got that right, Army Captain. I am personally very conscious of what my strongest values are and work hard to ensure I don’t “drift” away from them. That is why I’ve been pretty successful in my life and I plan to keep it that way.
Hi Pooch T. I would suggest that maybe we are all that way …. at least those reading these pages of Gen. Satterfield’s leadership blog. That is why we are here – to assure ourselves that we have values that matter and that itself helps make us a better person and a better leader as well.
Good point, Pooch. Hey, I like you moniker. 😊
Exactly!!!!