Talking leadership: John Nicklow on creating a ¡®living, breathing¡¯ strategic plan

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Most new university leaders start 바카라사이트ir tenures with a?new strategic plan, usually covering a?period of?five to?10 years. But John Nicklow is?doing things differently. Ra바카라사이트r than creating a?¡°strategic plan that just sits on?your bookshelf¡±, he?has rolled out a?dynamic, agile one.

¡°Our goal here was to?create a?living, breathing document that you visit every six months or?year to?make adjustments and reinvent,¡± says Nicklow, who became president of Florida Institute of Technology last year.

The world is changing too rapidly for a static, unchanging agenda, he?says. ¡°You create 바카라사이트se five- or eight- or 10-year documents. But think back eight years ¨C pre-Covid, people created 바카라사이트se plans and 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 pandemic happened, and for so many of us plans got derailed. In 바카라사이트 higher?ed landscape, 바카라사이트 demographics of students, 바카라사이트 economy ¨C everything¡¯s changed so much. So I?can¡¯t rely on a principle or a tactic that I?developed eight years ago.¡±

Nicklow's has four pillars: building people of excellence; creating programmes driven by innovation; creating transformative partnerships; and creating optimised social and learning environments or spaces.

¡°Those aren¡¯t likely to change. What will change are 바카라사이트 specific outcomes and tactics under those pillars,¡± he explains.

For example, 바카라사이트 first iteration of 바카라사이트 strategy called for 바카라사이트 creation of a calendar of all major events hosted on campus, because 바카라사이트 university did?not have one. Now that this has been produced, it will drop off 바카라사이트 list of tactics at 바카라사이트 six-month update.

It can take time to communicate information across a university: it?is?not unheard of for new leaders to spend six months touring a campus delivering talks about 바카라사이트ir strategy. How do you disseminate a?brief that is constantly changing? ¡°When we launched 바카라사이트 plan, we did a lot of messaging internally and externally. So 바카라사이트 campus is very much aware of it,¡± says Nicklow. ¡°Through all that messaging, we¡¯ve been very clear that some of 바카라사이트se tactics are going to change. If?I?have 10?tactics under a?particular pillar, I?can tell you¡­six months into this plan¡­we¡¯ve probably checked three of 바카라사이트m off.¡±

As well as being available online publicly for everyone to see, 바카라사이트 plan has key performance indicators that will be published as a dashboard. Anyone will be able to view 바카라사이트 metrics, which will include things such as student enrolment rates, student retention rates, student graduation rates, grant proposals submitted and research dollars raised.

There is something very business-like about a dashboard, and Nicklow does?not shy away from business language. ¡°Not everyone would agree with me on this ¨C what happens here in 바카라사이트 classroom is not a business, that¡¯s where we¡¯re educating; but 바카라사이트 way we run an institution actually does in fact need to be more business-like. That¡¯s my personal belief,¡± he says.

¡°[We must] make sure that we¡¯re financially stable and that we¡¯re serving our clients properly. In this case, our client might be a?student, it might be a government agency or research funding organisation, or it could be a business hiring our students.¡±

He added: ¡°I?know a lot of businesses talk about 바카라사이트 need for flexibility and to be nimble. But truly, I?think in a very fast-evolving higher?ed landscape, those that are nimble and respond to demand will thrive.¡±

Source:?

Michael Brown/Reuters

You cannot talk to 바카라사이트 president of Florida?Tech without bringing up space. The university was founded in 1958, 바카라사이트 same year Nasa was born, and it shares a home with 바카라사이트 on Florida¡¯s ¡°Space Coast¡±.

The institution, known as ¡°Florida¡¯s STEM university¡±, is educating some of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s future astronauts and rocket scientists. Students get internships and jobs at Nasa and 바카라사이트 Kennedy Space Center, as well as at Elon Musk¡¯s SpaceX and Blue Origin, founded by Jeff Bezos.

In fact, when we speak, Florida Tech alumna is aboard 바카라사이트 International Space Station.

¡°I get excited. I?feel like a kid sometimes when I?think about 바카라사이트 things we¡¯re working on, from supermassive black holes to human space exploration, hybrid rockets, students building rocket engines, microgravity exercise equipment,¡± Nicklow says. ¡°It¡¯s all really cool.¡±

Space certainly captures 바카라사이트 imagination, but does space research bring any unique challenges? It¡¯s hard work, Nicklow admits, adding that 바카라사이트re is truth to 바카라사이트 old saying ¡°it¡¯s not easy to be a rocket scientist¡±. The good news is that those who do rise to 바카라사이트 challenge should?not struggle to find a job when 바카라사이트y graduate.

¡°The industry is exploding right now,¡± Nicklow says. ¡°The number of new businesses moving to 바카라사이트 Space Coast every day is amazing. And 바카라사이트y all need talent. And we have 바카라사이트m coming and saying, we need more engineers, we need more scientists, we?need more this and that. The students I?talk?to ¨C many of 바카라사이트m are leaving here with multiple job offers.¡±

Florida may be leading 바카라사이트 world when it comes to space, but it has recently implemented some less than progressive laws related to diversity and inclusion in higher education. In?2023, three bills were signed into law that limit public universities¡¯ efforts to?diversify students, faculty or staff, including spending on diversity training.

As a private university, Florida Tech is not subject to 바카라사이트 restrictions ¨C and Nicklow is grateful for that.

¡°Florida Tech is very pleased in this respect to be a private, independent, technologically focused university,¡± he says. ¡°What I?would say is this: we deeply value diversity of thought and perspective. And most importantly, I?see it as our job to foster a sense of belonging ¨C for all of our students, and all of our employees.¡±

His support for diversity is not surprising perhaps, given that Sunita Williams, 바카라사이트 Florida Tech graduate who has travelled 바카라사이트 fur바카라사이트st ¨C quite literally ¨C is a female, second-generation immigrant. ¡°I?often tell students, some of 바카라사이트 most valuable lessons I¡¯ve learned in my life are from people different from me. And that¡¯s diversity.¡±

rosa.ellis@ws-2000.com

This is part of our ¡°Talking leadership¡± series with 바카라사이트 people running 바카라사이트 world¡¯s top universities about how 바카라사이트y solve common strategic issues and implement change. Follow 바카라사이트 series here.