Successful Initiatives | 025 | Avoid Pitfalls
Five questions that separate the implementers from the intention-setters.
Over a decade ago I developed what I call “Five Process Elements.”1 I’ve conducted countless trainings on them and developed a guide. I created this resource because higher ed doesn’t suffer from a lack of plans.
We have a tendency to kick off plans and initiatives before we’ve wrestled with what it’s actually going to take.
Here’s what happens all too often:
· Someone gets excited by a new strategy or initiative.
· A group is voluntold to work on it.
· A meeting is scheduled.
· The work begins.
Sort of.
Soon enough, it stalls. The team’s confused. Leadership’s frustrated. Faculty roll their eyes. And yet again, nothing sticks.
If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. I’ve coached a multitude of institutions through this. I’ve seen what works and what wastes everyone’s time.
So here it is again: five deceptively simple questions every college should answer before launching that next initiative. It can also be used for existing initiatives.
1. Why should we pursue this initiative? (Purpose)
This is your elevator speech. The thing that motivates busy people to contribute.
In one case, it was painfully clear:
“Over 90% of students, especially disproportionately impacted, did not persist in STEM.”
That stat said it all.
Task: Write a 1–3 sentence statement or visual that communicates why this matters.
You’re building ownership.
2. What will make the planning and implementation process successful? (Assess)
You need indicators of success while you’re still in planning mode.
That might include:
Faculty buy-in and ownership
Timely data
Cross-division coordination
For one federal initiative I supported, our team listed “City buy-in” as a must-have. It saved us months of wasted effort when the city pulled out early, before we got too deep.
Task: List what will tell you that your planning is actually working, and where risks lie.
3. Who is the champion to thoughtfully shepherd the work? (Leadership)
Someone needs to own this. Not just show up to meetings.
Not just have the title.
The right person doesn’t need to be the content expert. They need to facilitate, follow through, and listen.
I’ve seen the wrong pick derail an entire planning team: the person who knows everything about the topic but dominates every conversation. The one who “leads” by shutting others down.
Task: Choose a leader based on what the work requires, not just on expertise or title.
4. Who will assist to improve the quality of the work? (Expertise)
Most good initiatives need support from someone with perspective, internal or external.
In one case, we brought in the IT Director and me. Why? Because tech ideas were flying, and someone needed to say, “We don’t have the infrastructure for that.”
Task: Identify who brings the knowledge that will raise the bar and avoid costly mistakes.
5. What are our settings and how do we make the best use of meeting time? (Impactful Meetings)
Bad meetings are how good ideas die.
We set up a core team and a pre-meeting team. The pre-meeting was where we crafted agendas, troubleshot, and followed through.
That’s what made the actual meeting productive.
Task: Create your structure. Who attends? Who facilitates? How often? Who tracks follow-through?
Final Thought
Excellence isn’t about doing flashy things. It’s about doing the ordinary extraordinarily well.
Before you chase the next big thing, ask these five questions.
Get your answers down in one sitting.
Then revisit them. Again and again.
Most initiatives don’t fail for lack of ideas.
They fail for lack of clarity, ownership, and follow-through.
Let’s connect on LinkedIn.
Onward…
Dr. Al Solano
Founder, Continuous Learning Institute | About
Host, Student Success Podcast
A meaningful test of success is how helpful we are in contributing to our fellow human being’s happiness.
Adapted from the Continuous Learning Institute, “5 Questions.”