The Importance of Critical Roles

6 comments

On my drive to Boston this week, I was listening to a local radio show’s interview with the Chancellor of the University of Massachusetts, Lowell.  During the interview he was discussing his key objectives over the next year including a primary goal to increase the on-campus student population by 15%. 

As he discussed his goals, he also shared the key critical roles within the university that would “get him there”.  You’re probably thinking…get more professors and better qualified educators.  Nope.  Amazingly, one of key roles to achieving his goals was not better qualified professors but the head groundskeeper. Yes…groundskeeper.

See…when prospective students visit the campus, its not the professor that they see.  It’s the grounds — the flowers, the trees, the statues, the buildings.

Do you know your critical roles that will help you achieve your goals?

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  • http://www.newlearningplaybook.com Jeanne Meister

    Jason
    It’s pretty amazing but this Chancellor was right on. Companies need to be clear about what are their mission critical roles–meaning which jobs and roles have the most impact of the organization meeting their bottom line goals. .
    I would have chosen the webmaster instead of the grounds keeper in terms of using Web 2.0 for attracting students–but at least there is non conventional thinking going on at this university.
    Jeanne Meister
    http://www.newlearningplaybook.com

  • http://talentedapps.wordpress.com/ Ken Klaus

    Brilliant! Inspirational! Right on! The focus of higher education should certainly be learning, but there is so much more to the experience than what takes place in the lecture hall. Kudos to the Chancellor for thinking outside “the classroom” and seeing the value others team members bring to the game.

    -Ken

  • http://talentedapps.wordpress.com Amy Wilson

    With grounds keeping the critical role at UMass and street sweeping the critical role at Disney … I’m starting to think I need to reconsider my next career step :)

  • http://talentedApps.wordpress.com Meg Bear

    It’s ok Amy, we have already filled out an application for you with the Redwood Shores sanitation staff, you should be hearing from them shortly….

  • Pingback: Cloning and the Art of Succession Planning « TalentedApps

  • http://www.vandover.com Mary Quigg

    And the receptionist is the Vice President of First Impressions for a number of companies. I couldn’t agree more that first impressions count!

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