In this episode, Dr. Sarah Holtan talks to Andre Logan, who is the Director of Strategic Initiatives in the Office of the Chancellor at University of Missouri, Kansas City. He used to be an engineer in the 2000s for Harley Davidson. He's in higher ed now, but his background as an industrial engineer gives a fresh perspective on how things are done in colleges. They discuss about centralizing certain processes across the different departments.

Andre believes in understanding your organization from a people standpoint. Looking at how universities manage their resources better especially with the recent changes brought about by the pandemic and what adjustments needs to be tightened up. If you're able to change your process fast enough, then it's a lot easier to start on a new idea which might be a better idea, and then stop doing the things that are ineffective.

Andre states that the biggest problem, not only in universities but also for many industries, is thinking that doing the same thing is enough. So, having someone come in with a fresh set of eyes and being able to ask the tough questions why you're doing it this way or what the ultimate goal is that you're trying to achieve as the key to avoiding inertia. It allows them to pinpoint some of your pain points and guide you in resolving them.

Episode Highlights

09:33 - There's pros and cons to have a centralized place whether it's business processes are taking place; one of which is, you may not feel the need, the need might not be met, because you want to have a standardization across the board.

20:50 - Quit making quick decisions from a process standpoint. It may be detrimental to what we're looking for, in terms of the longevity of the university.

27:48 - That's why many people hire consultants. It's because the consultant's job is to bring in that change or at least make you aware of the change that should be there or could be there.

Contact

Sarah Holtan, PhD

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Andre Logan

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