High Performing Teams - Commitment to a Common Vision

Rick Koelsch

High performing teams produce some of UNL Extension's most outstanding educational experiences.  Most team references suggest that 1) commitment to a common vision, 2) individual accountability to the team, and 3) the right people (and skill set) are essential to successful teams. The book, "The Wisdom of Teams" by Jon Katzenbach and Douglas Smith, suggests those three attributes are fundamental building blocks essential to High Performing Team.

Starting with “Commitment to a Common Vision”, Katzenbach and Smith suggest that successful teams spend the necessary time for creating a team’s shared vision.  This commitment includes achieving agreement on a meaningful purpose (or outcome), specific goals for achieving that outcome, and common approach for implementation.  That outcome must be meaningful to all members of the team.  The goals must be achievable and measureable.  And all members of the team must contribute to a common approach to achieving the team’s outcome.  If this sounds like a promotion for a logic model, it should be noted that Katzenbach and Smith never mention the logic model. But the linkage between Katzenbach and Smith's principles for achieving a team’s commitment to a common vision and the principles of a sound logic model is undeniable.

So has your Extension team achieved a “Commitment to a Common Vision”? The following diagnostic questions may provide insights to the performance of your own Extension Team and opportunities for improvement.

1. Meaningful Purpose or Outcome
• Are team members  passionate about this outcome?  Do the outcomes belong to the team and not just defined by a leader or administrator?
• Do team members connect their own success to the team’s purpose?
2.  Specific Goals
• Has the team defined specific goals that are simple? Realistic? Measureable?
• Will these specific goals lead to a concrete set of team work-products?
3. Common Approach (implementation plan)
• Is the working plan for implementing these goals concrete (all team members know what will happen)?
• Does approach involve all team members in meaningful contributions?
4. General
• Do team members believe that they are actively engaged in developing the team’s vision?
• Do all members articulate the team’s purpose, goals, and approach in the same way?

Achieving a commitment to a common vision is a first step to every high performing team.  A future blog will focus on importance of team member skills and accountability.

UNL Extension’s Drought Response

Rick Koelsch

Administration is very appreciative of the excellent educational response our faculty and staff are contributing to the drought related issues. The survey results from 96 faculty and staff provided an excellent snapshot of those educational initiatives to date.

A one-page summary of those efforts has been developed for Senator Johann’s and Nelson’s visits to IANR this week. You may want to share this summary with key decision makers and stakeholders with whom you interact. See Extension Drought Response Summary at: http://go.unl.edu/c3u.

Critical Issues Facing Agricultural Extension Professionals

Rick Koelsch

At the 2012 NACAA annual conference, four extension educators from different regions of the US shared their thoughts on critical and emerging issues for agriculture in which extension professionals may consider engaging. Panel included Stephan Komar (NJ), Bill Burbine (MS), Mark Heitstuman (WA), and Scott Gabbard (IN). As you review the list, ask yourself which of these issues are critical to Nebraska? are you actively engaged? planning to engage?

Critical or Emerging Issue	Region of the US Proposing Issue
Natural Resource Topics	NE	NC	South	West
Agriculture impact on water quality	X	X	X	X
Invasive species (plant and animals)		X		X
Drought management/climate change		X	X
Loss of cropping system diversity		X
Water use for irrigated agriculture	X			X
CAFOs and regulatory compliance	X	X
Cropping Systems
Livestock Systems
Farm Management
High land prices	X
Implications of health care laws for agriculture	X
Immigrant worker programs and agency audits			X
Farm bill			X
Public lands management				X
Farm ownership transitions				X
Oil and gas development	X	X
Food Systems
Direct marketed crops - food safety	X		X
Direct marketed crops – traceability			X
Direct marketed crops -  production & risk mgmt.	X	X	X

What surprises did you find in this list among our peers around the U.S.? Here are some of my surprises:

1.      Traditional cropping and livestock systems production topics were not identified as critical issues. Is Extension becoming less engaged in production issues?

2.      Natural resource issues were among the most critical issues identified. Water quality was the only critical issue identified in all four regions.

3.      Farm management topics such as health care law implications for agriculture and immigrant worker programs were not on my radar screen. At least 50% of the 30+ educators in the room indicated they were engaged in educational programs targeteing immigrant workers or employer management of immigrant workers...also not on my radar screen.

4.      The educational need of producers directly marketing products to their customers (consumers, grocery stores, schools) is a mainstream Extension program in many states.

Consider sharing this list with your Extension Board or other agricultural groups with which you interact. What are their reactions? It is good to take a hard look at what we have historically done in Extension and ask if changes are needed.

Five Essential Elements for Great Extension Programs + 1

 

Rick Koelsch, July 19, 2012

One of the presenters I found engaging at the 2012 National Association of County Agricultural Agents national conference was Matt Palmer, Extension Educator with Utah State University in Sanpete County. This is a brief summary of his five essential elements plus one suggestion I will add to Matt's five.

1.      "Discovery" is a process of engaging clientele in a discussion of critical issues or needs. Successful educational programs start with recognition of a community’s critical needs . But he reminded us of the importance of a good extension educator to be aware of those emerging issues that clientele do not yet recognize and the need to build an awareness of issues coming over the horizon.

2.      "Program development" involves many questions to consider. What are the funding opportunities? What are the community resources (available educational opportunities, opportunities for tours, potential partners)? Who is your target customer and how will you be successful in engaging this customer (when, where, available time,...)? What educational resources already exist?

3.      "Promotion and Marketing", an afterthought for some Extension programs, is essential for success. Knowing your audience and the media they are viewing is essential. Having solid relationships with individuals leading your community's media resources (newspaper, TV, Radio) is critical. Don't forget to engage business (e.g. electric company’s newsletter, ag suppliers customer contacts) in the promotion. And don't forget to generate excitement with drawings, prizes, and sponsorships.

4.      "Program Implementation" do's and don’ts. Deliver to your customer's community, don't have them come to you. Distribute your agenda well in advance. Start and end on time being respectful of your customer's time. Ask your experts to limit their presentations to 15 minute, never giving the full load. Allow interactive team such as a panel discussion to allow customers to get answers to their important questions. Always include a local expert representative of your audience to help them recognize that the proposed behavior change can be accomplished.

5.      "Evaluation". Both short (knowledge gain and good intentions) and long term (behavior change) measures should be made. Carefully and honestly answer, "Did I make a difference?". Learn from your evaluation what changes were not made and use this information to guide future plans and follow up with participants.

I will add one topic to Matt's excellent set of ideas.  Is the program "Sustainable"? Clientele's behavior seldom changes with a one-time educational experience. A good program involves a continuum of experiences involving awareness building, education, sustained access to expertise and resources, and re-engagement with our clientele during application of the knowledge. A second critical element - is local expertise accessible to our clientele after the experts returned to campus? Was the local Extension Educator's expertise highlighted in the educational program?  Clientele will need access to a resource person, preferrably a local expert, with additional questions.   Successful extension program highlight the expertise of the local Extension Educator throughout the educational experience.