Small Units in a New Perspective

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Small Unitsin a New Perspective
Strategies for Surviving and Thriving in Perilous
Times

• Jim FosseNational Centers for Animal Health
• Steve PendryMary Greeley Medical Center

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Less is the new more, right?

• Microsoft commercial

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A Paradigm Shift

• An expanding need for biocommunications support
• An increase in importance of the product
• Reduction in available funding
• Galloping technological development
• Increasing interest and skill among our clientele
  a sense of participation

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The resource crunchin small units

• Not enough time (FTE)
• Not enough skills to cover it all
• Not enough depth to provide backup

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Where's home? Your place in the administrative
structure

• Where do you fit into the structure of the
  organization?
• Do the managers above you understand the purpose
  and function of your unit?
• Who is your champion when things get rough?
• How is your place in the organization perceived?

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Develop your unit identity

• Size doesnt matter a unit is a unit
• Your reputation is an aggregate of individual
  perceptions

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The invisibility of excellence

• The faucet syndrome nobody notices something
  that always works perfectly
• You need to actively promote your units
  abilities and accomplishments
• Maintain examples of your abilities, commitment
  and decision making
• Save and pass on your kudos

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Build allianceswithin the organization

• Especially with facilities IT
• Cover any gaps in the fabric of services
• Promote genuine teamwork
• Make the other guys look good.

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Essential Contacts
Administration
Home Department
Information Services
Vendors
Facilities Management
External Users
Media Services
Media Professionals
Purchasing
Internal Users
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Act like an owner

• Be aware of how you are perceivedHired help or
  valued resource?
• Be watchful for creeping deterioration of
  services and facilities
• Anticipate users needs
• Be proactive

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Capture experience here's how

• Standard operating procedures are essential
  information
• Effective crosstraining
• Details can also be saved for user reference in
  self serve facilities (Get instructions validated
  by actual users)

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Value added products services

• Offer more than is expected
• Anticipate needs and opportunities
• Learn your gears unused features
• Capitalize on your versatility

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Getting Help

• Students
• Interns
• Volunteers
• Automation

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Empowering Users

• Skill building capitalize on every opportunity
• Offer training for groups
• Provide ad hoc training combine skill building
  with routine assistance
• Establish yourself as a recognized resource
• Be proactive in offering creative solutions

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Get buy-in from the user base

• Participation in the processes builds a shared
  commitment
• Address needs that are acutely felt by users
  conspicuously provide solutions
• User self confidence and comfort level are key

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Get support for funding

• Generate key user support
• Gather the facts and make the case
• Provide multiple levels of detail
• Clearly indicate priorities

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The value of an advisory group

• Objective input for decision making
• Insight into users needs
• Advocates for your positions
• Sounding board for new ideas

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Streamlining what stays, what goes?

• Recognize services that are no longer needed
• Accept the facts when new technology misses the
  mark
• Reconsider pet projects
• Decide which services address current needs among
  your users

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Promote standardization justify it

• Uniform user experience and familiarity
• Simplified support
• Exact replacement units for backup
• Affordable stocks of expendables

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Build understanding within management

• Establish a routine opportunity for discussion of
  your unit with management
• Practice reverse mentoring to develop
  understanding of what you do
• Establish a clear understanding of the linkage
  between your units major efforts and major
  organizational goals
• Build understanding of potentials

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Build on your strengths

• Versatility many hats,
• Agility minimal administrative burden and rapid
  decision making
• Coherence fewer mixed messages and cross
  purposes
• Unity less internal friction and a common
  understanding of the overall mission

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Mistakes happen act positively on them

• Recognize the value of readily setting things
  right
• Never allow disputes to erode confidence and
  support within your user base
• Dont miss the lessons to be learned
• Review policy and procedure as needed

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Reevaluate and innovate

• Reconsider sacred cows why do we do it this
  way?
• Actively watch new technology for emerging
  opportunities (go to meetings)
• Build and maintain linkage with others in your
  field networking is essential

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Improve communication in every direction

• A little is good more is not better be succinct
• The first goal is to get attention then go for
  understanding and agreement
• Clarity is the holy grail work to convey
  factual information to the exclusion of all
  other possibilities
• Dont force others to assume your actual meaning
• Anticipate needs misunderstandings

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• Everything that can be counted does not
  necessarily count everything that counts cannot
  necessarily be counted.
• Albert Einstein

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Questions/Comments?