Franchising Academic Traditions:

Lessons from Education

BY

Professor Elaine Estervig Beaubien

Tenured faculty, School of Business

Edgewood College

CEO,

Management Training Seminars

6520 York Heights

Waterloo, WI 53594

www.elainetrain.com

920-478-2811

elainetrain@aol.com

When serious organizational development and progressive business practices are discussed, educational institutions are rarely the model used as exemplars in the field. There are, however, several significant practices I think the academic world really does right and these very common collegiate cornerstones are something I think business should adopt into their culture. This is particularly true now when businesses are in need of rapid change, creativity, a competitive edge and an integration of the new generation.

I live and work in both the highly competitive world of business and the ivory tower of academia. I have been a member of the business faculty of Edgewood College for over two decades and I have been an entrepreneur and business woman for all of that. In my experience, I think there are at least four academic practices I think would transfer to business and create a more effective environment.

Sabbaticals. Every six years, faculty members are encouraged to develop a customized professional project which is then submitted to a committee of their peers for review and approval. These proposals are considered, discussed and if they meet rigorous standards, they are awarded. Sabbaticals are not long, leisurely vacations.  They are opportunities to pursue an assignment of personal and profession interest, a time to refresh and renew intellectual capital, a time to take a step away from the pressure of business as usual, a time to grow, develop and engage the creative flow of original thought, in other words a time to add value to the overall effectiveness of the organization. Think about what you could do in a six month or one year time span that would benefit you, the company, and the greater community.

Sabbaticals are a significant investment by the institution. The work of the absent individual still needs to be done, so a substitute has to be in place. Their salary and benefits continue (full salary for half a year, half salary for a full year). Some continuity is temporarily lost.

An investment by definition is expected to yield results and sabbaticals can do that. Their value can far exceed their cost. Often key players in an organization don’t need more resources to be innovative…they need more time. Reflection, inspiration and stimulation requires undivided attention. The benefits of sabbaticals are immediate and immeasurable. People returning have greater energy, enhanced interest and increased competence. The projects themselves can turn an organization around, put them into a better competitive position, increase the skills and capabilities of the leadership and/or expand the opportunities for the organization.

Tenure. I know that this is sometimes controversial because we all remember or have heard about a burned out old professor who needed to retire or should have been replaced who was protected by tenure. This is rare and the anecdotal cases are still a small price to pay for the huge benefits that accrue to an organization from considering tenure-like commitment to their employees. You ask them for their loyalty, return the pledge. It doesn’t breed incompetence, it shows reciprocal allegiance and constancy. If it sounds like a marriage, maybe it should. The official doesn’t ask just one party if they make the promise to the other…both parties are asked to make the commitment.

In addition, I have worked in the tenured world for over two decades and I have seen the communication and interaction that are the result of protection. From a protected position, strong voices will be heard. Without any fear of retaliation, diverse opinions will be offered. In today’s workplace, honest, candid, straightforward feedback is necessary for growth and survival. In my management courses and leadership training seminars, I continuously teach organizational leadership to encourage open communication. In theory, most people agree this is good for a team. Tenure is a way to assure it will happen. Of course it takes courage to have this kind of dialog flying around. It takes a thick skin to hear honest discourse. Tenured people develop this in short order. It is a refreshing change to go into a faculty meeting and hear what is really on a person’s mind and not have to overhear it through informants, accidental break room chatter, consultant’s reports or exit interviews. One of my favorite definitions of consultant is “someone who looks at your watch and tells you what time it is.” Give people tenure and save the consultants for slick outside expertise and imaginative ideas instead of therapeutic facilitation or uncovering the reasons for high turnover and low morale.

Assessment: This puts everyone responsible for production into the process of establishing measurable goals, articulating specific outcomes and being accountable for the results. We spend a great deal of time discussing and developing quantifiable outcomes and are accountable to internal committees and external accreditation for the results. It helps focus departments on specific tasks and encourages early corrective action when necessary.

The statistics that result from the measurement gives us specific information on what is working and what is not. Action can be taken for improvement. Businesses have income statements and balance sheets, but these are simply the numerical picture of overall performance. It is the process of dialogue, discussion, debate and internal accountability that is the value in assessment…not just the bottom line.

The amount of time and effort we spend determining the essence of what we are trying to accomplish, discussing and debating the absolute outcomes, establishing the tools for measurement, then doing the actual assessment is huge. But the results are also significant. Both the process and the level of accountability are beneficial to the members of the organization and the people they serve.

Governance. Policies, procedures, and governing by-laws are developed by consensus and are the result of the work of the people on the front line of production. The faculty, who are the functional workers in the operation and the closest to the customer, is responsible for the development of the product, the rules of conduct, the guidelines surrounding the delivery system, the strategic planning of the academic programs, the study of trends in both their field and in the general industry and their internal application, and the measurement of results.

Faculty elects committees of peers to oversee the application of the rules they have written and modify them as conditions warrant. In addition, they enforce the rules and take appropriate action when necessary. Promotion and tenure votes begin with representatives of the body. We have employee search committees that require a democratic procedure for the selection of colleagues. While these actions take longer, the results are incredibly satisfying.

We, in essence and in reality, govern ourselves. It is equitable, empowering, and has worked for centuries to assure constant and consistent delivery of higher education. This form of internal decision making is participatory and democratic in the extreme…and the new generation of workers is committed to the concepts of both involvement and extreme. It will work with them better than autocratic top down management.

Sabbaticals, tenure, assessment, and governance are all very old ideals in the academic culture. How about considering these models for your organization. Sometimes old traditions can form a foundation of excellence.