Building Working Relationships
Strategic Priorities
To serve as the Learning College of Choice for the Region, Butler will focus its efforts upon the following strategic priorities.
Ensure Student Success
Focus on student completion
"Students Finish What They Start"
Contribute to our Communities
Focus on Partnerships for Economic Development and Community Service
"We'll Get There Together"
Invest In Our Employee's Success
Focus on Performance Excellence
"High Standards Drive Our Work"
Advance Institutional Effectiveness
Focus on Strengthening the Fundamentals of our Business
"We Act On Fact"
Provide excellent service
If you provide excellent service, you will stand out from the crowd. "I wish I could help you, sir, but there is nothing I can do" must never be our response. Even if you cannot resolve the issue, connect the customer to the person who can. Poor service and sluggish responsiveness over time develop a slow burn in users, and can quickly flare into anger if a system problem (or other) event sets it off.
Butler Online will be known as the team who will consistently exceed the expectations of the customer - students, faculty, administration, and the public at large.
Break the ice
Whenever there is an impasse between two parties, neither one is naturally inclined to make the first move -- which is to establish communications. Take the lead and do it. Most of the time, the other party is hoping you will. They'll be more than happy to engage in communication because a situation where no one is talking to anyone can be unbearable on all sides. It's also extremely unproductive for Butler. Connect with those instructors who are reluctant to use Canvas or SALSA. Encourage them, understand them, and help them to see the advantages for their students and them.
Listen
You will likely initially receive criticism from Faculty, Staff, and Students. When this happens, it's important to listen. What are they really saying?
Are they frustrated because they reset their Butler Password and it still doesn't work?
Are they upset that they are being required to use Canvas and/or SALSA?
Collaborate
Actively engage Faculty when working with a new software like SALSA. This is a great way to achieve new collaboration and to dislodge old feelings of anger or distrust. Show the instructors that they can successfully create their syllabus and gradebook in Canvas. Encourage them to come in the office to work until they feel confident on their own.
Have the end user assume an active role in learning
All too often, trainers tend to meet with end users (faculty, staff, students) of a new program or a new process and then leave the end user to fend for themselves. The best strategy to ensure collaboration and a constant alignment of expectations is to involve the end user in the role of leader and to allow them to take control of their own part of new learning and processes that are implemented at Butler. They need to be kept involved throughout training's, projects, testing, or process changes from the very beginning and clear through the end. If they feel frustrated, confused, or just need a little clarification, we need to be willing and available to help make their new learning and the assistance we provide, meaningful and relevant to them in any way that we can. Actively working together can help us all succeed and become better leaders, instructors, students, staff, and faculty members and goes a long way to enhance the culture in our working environment.
Put a user-friendly IT person in front of the user
At Butler Online, we possess great people skills, and we know how to bring out the best in people and their work. If you encounter an angry or disgruntled user, work together to resolve the issue with them. Listen, understand their position. Meet them where they are and help them move forward to meeting Butler expectations.
Empathize with the learning pain the user is experiencing
Everyone has been in a position where you had to learn something new that was completely out of your comfort zone. It is crucial that we don’t forget what it’s like to take on new tasks and processes that seem overwhelming. Putting yourself in someone else’s shoes is the only way you can truly empathize with them and make things better to improve the relationship and ultimately the learning process.
It really is a big deal for an end user to have to take on new learning when things have been done the same way for a long time. When the change comes, they just want to see plain English on paper and find out how it is going to affect them personally. Similarly, though, when you are the person who helped develop the learning, you want the end user to know that you have designed it with them in mind.
Communication is the best policy in making a seamless transition when developing and introducing new learning. Communication, instead of allowing anxiety to build up over the new learning, is the key. If poor communication is the original source of a relationship breakdown, even doing something little like calling with an update on a problem issue can go a long way toward mending the fences.
Be honest and direct
No one likes to be behind or out of control of their work. It is always better to know what is changing so you can adjust before you get in over your head. It is easy for things to seem out of control when we are not aware of changes or requirements - even if we were properly informed but did not take notice. Understand that some of our instructors and students are in this position at times. Be honest about expectations but put on that friendly IT face.
Avoid being controlling
Instructional Technology is a control-oriented discipline, so it's second nature for many of us to take charge in projects. Overall, this is a valuable trait. But it can work against you if you become so control-oriented that you start dictating to end users what they should and shouldn't do in Canvas. In the case if faculty, extreme control is not well received. We, as Instructional Technologists must understand this and be willing to bend when possible to meet the instructors halfway. Approach each interaction with faculty or students as an open and collaborative dialogue.
Know when you are licked!
All of us can recall someone we were trying to help but couldn't because the mental and emotional channels just weren't open. When you see this, the best thing to do is make sure that your communications are open, direct and specific -- and do your best. Feel free to reach out to others on the collaborative team to combine talents and expertise. The good news is that you won't encounter these individuals very often, because almost everyone, even if they are unhappy about an issue, wants to build relationships and meet Butler's expectations.