Welcome to the Change Blog

I was inspired by all of the discussion at our Negotiating Profound Change ISE. Particularly when Connie Mefford said, "why don't we communicate through a blog." I attempted from memory to add people from the ISE as authors and you should have received a request through email. However, I could not remember everyone so please send me an email to flattj@missouri.edu for people I have missed.

Don sent us home with the charge to look at the article by A. J. Schuler and identify which reason we might have for resisting change. For me it is number 4: People fear they lack the competence to change. Particularly I feel the fear of negotiating the process of change among seasoned colleagues and how that will be received from a very new colleague. However, Schuler suggests that change campaigns must be staged from the broad to the specific.

So I had two ideas: 1. connecting faculty across categories in a capacity of support and resources (i.e. giving someone to call when things are tough or they have questions), and 2. creating a mechanism for discussing research and trade books relevant to extension cross-categorically or within specific subject areas (i.e. organizational change, adult education, leadership development OR youth development and business and industry).

I suppose I "vetted" these ideas at our recent ideas and am still in the process of co-creating what the manifestation of the ideas are! My plan is to type up proposals related to the two ideas and share them with Team Spirit and beyond to help develop a more specific plan. This helps minimize my fear that I am "off-base" or disconnected with the feelings, perceptions and experiences of my colleagues.

Let's make this an organic experience! Respond to this post or post your own ideas. Again, if I have left off anyone and you did NOT receive an invitation to be an author via email please send me a note and I will add you.

THANKS for experimenting with this method with me :)!!