Leaders in Higher Education are confronting unprecedented complexity. How should they respond? Clearly, the traditional approaches to strategy -- strategic planning -- do not work well. These old habits are too slow and costly. Strategic Doing offers an alternative. This presentation captures the views of a number of leaders in higher education who are busy transforming their organizations using this new, more agile approach to strategy.

1. TRANSFORMING THE UNIVERSITY
USING STRATEGIC DOING TO ACCELERATE INNOVATION AND
TRANSFORM THE UNIVERSITY
Ed Morrison
Purdue Center for Regional Development
January 2014
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2. THE STARTING POINT
THE CHALLENGES WE FACE
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3. COMPLEX MESSES OVERWHELM US
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4. LIVING WITH COMPLEXITY: WHAT TO DO?
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5. MEETING THE CHALLENGES
SOME TESTIMONIALS
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6. emphasis
RAGU ATHINARAYANAN
CHAIR, DEPARTMENT OF TECHNOLOGY LEADERSHIP & INNOVATION
PURDUE UNIVERSITY
Challenge: Merged Department
“
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Strategic Doing has brought our faculty together to work
toward a common goal, in a department that recently
underwent a merger.
.
“

7. RENA COTSONES
ASSISTANT VP FOR REGIONAL ENGAGEMENT
NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY
Challenge: Aerospace Cluster
“
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Decision-making in higher education institutions is
infamously slow, with multiple layers of approvals and an
emphasis on the need for new resources. Strategic Doing's
focus on what we could, should and will do with the
existing talents, resources and authority of the people in
the room at the time breaks people free of that limited
thinking and helps them move forward in real time.
“

8. emphasis
JANYCE FADDEN
EXECUTIVE IN RESIDENCE, SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH ALABAMA
Challenge: College Strategic Plan
“
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Strategic Doing has proven to be very effective. In a few
hours each of 6 cross functional teams of professors,
students and staff set a plan that all agree will advance the
University of North Alabama's College of Business.
.
“

9. emphasis
SHARON GULICK
DIRECTOR, ECONOMIC AND ENTREPRENEURIAL DEVELOPMENT
UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI
Challenge: Rural Development
“
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Working with small, struggling rural communities and regions
.
presents a number of challenges, not the least of which is a
sense of hopelessness and defeat. Using Strategic Doing we
have been very successful in helping them achieve tangible
results that re-ignites their belief in the future and their
ability to impact that future. These communities are now in
control of their future and are seeing significant, positive
change.

10. emphasis
CHRISTI BELL
DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA
Challenge: Economic Development
“
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When Strategic Doing is incorporated into the culture of an
organization it is possible to not only drive new innovation
and more rapidly achieve desired objectives, but at the same
time energize a team or teams to achieve more with less
individual effort. Those that approach Strategic Doing as a
practice will learn new strategic approaches and tools to
more effortlessly manage growth or strategic change of an
organization.

11. emphasis
BRIAN FARKAS
CHAIR, DEPARTMENT OF FOOD SCIENCE
PURDUE UNIVERSITY
Challenge: Incoming Department
“
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Strategic Doing has been a new way for us to look at the
planning process. It provides the necessary structure to frame
a plan for the future but allows us the ability to work within
an environment that is fluid.
“

12. emphasis
BOB BROWN
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF UNIVERSITY-COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
Challenge: Rebuilding Flint
“
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In neighborhoods besieged by complex, wicked problems,
Strategic Doing creates hope through the power of taking
action with the assets or gifts that we already possess. In
that moment when we combine assets we begin to tell a new
story of opportunity and possibility. Strategic Doing gives us
the power to change our lives, our neighborhoods, and our
communities.

13. UNIVERSITIES IN OPEN NETWORKS
Start-up firms
Provides capital
and expertise
Provides ideas,
incubators
and smart people
Recruits
smart people
Venture investor
and angel networks
Entrepreneurship !
Ecosystem
Accelerates
new venture
investment
Colleges and
universities
Recruits and
trains smart people
Provides network
and mentoring to
start-ups
Provides
investment
and generates
wealth
Provides
R&D partners
Provides technology
support and training
Skilled talent
pool
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Recruits and
supplies
smart people
Innovating
Growth
Companies
Innovation !
Ecosystem

14. MEETING THE CHALLENGES
COMPLEXITY REQUIRES AGILE STRATEGY, SIMPLE RULES, FOCUS AND
PRACTICE…
STRATEGIC PLANNING
STRATEGIC DOING

15. CHARTING DOING IS ACHIEVING SCALE
STRATEGIC A NEW PATH
PURDUE STRATEGIC DOING WORKSHOPS, 2008-2013
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16. THANK YOU
Ed Morrison
edmorrison@purdue.edu