1. Divergent Ideation Workshop
January 25, 2013

2. Mike Mullen & Carrie Zelna
welcome

3. Today’s Schedule REVISED
Morning
Afternoon
9:00 Welcome 9:15 The Planning Process 9:30 Ideation 10:00 Ideation Exercise One 10:35 Report Out
11:15 Voting/Building on Ideas 11:30 Ideation Exercise Two 12:15 Report Out (lunch) 12:50 Closing Remarks, Voting, and Adjourn

4. Rob Brodnick & Carrie Zelna
the Planning process

5. Why Planning Now?

6. Four Stages of the Planning Process
design
divergent thinking
convergent planning
alignment
diverge
create choices
converge
make choices

7. Planning from the Future Backwards

8. Planning Process Design & Timeline
how does this affect us?
many opportunities
what is the future in 10 years?
several big ideas
what is happening now?
3-5
strategies
DESIGN
ALIGN
selecting & promoting
scanning
filtering
futuring
ideation
D I V E R G E C O N V E R G E
sense making
NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR

9. Some Important Terms
SHAPING/DRIVING FORCE: Existing or expected force acting on a situation that acts to hold things in place or to create change in a certain direction. SCENARIO: A future oriented synopsis of events, actions, or conditions. POSSIBLE FUTURE: Likely, expected or intended situation or circumstances. OPPORTUNITY: A favorable or advantageous circumstance or combination of circumstances. BIG IDEAS: The best of the opportunities – high potential. STRATEGY: A general, undetailed plan of action, encompassing a long period of time, to achieve a complicated goal.

10. Planning Timeline
Jan Futuring Template Distributed/Returned Jan 18 Futuring Analysis Completed Jan 25 Divergent Ideation Workshop Feb 11 Opportunities Synthesized Feb 27 Convergent Planning Seminar Mar 8 Big Ideas & Potential Strategies Mar 22 External Planning Symposium Apr 1 Potential Strategy Summary Apr 8 Drafting Workshop Apr 22 Final Plan Submitted

11. Strategies, Deliberate and Emergent

12. Focus

13. Rob Brodnick
ideation

14. Shaping and Driving Forces
Two questions were asked:
What forces are shaping the student experience or higher education today?
In 10 years, how will forces shape changes in higher education? How will work, professional practice, and the student experience of the future be affected?
A summary of the responses is available at each table (we’ll use this later)
These (and other) data were rolled up into an environmental scan

15. Environmental Scanning Summary
POLITICAL
ECONOMIC
SOCIAL
TECHNICAL
ENVIRONMENTAL
P.E.S.T.E. Framework (or STEEP)
Political
Economic
Social
Technical
Environmental
Common way to frame future, shaping, and driving forces.

16. Environmental Scanning Summary
POLITICAL
ECONOMIC
SOCIAL
TECHNICAL
ENVIRONMENTAL
NATIONAL/GLOBAL
STATE/
REGIONAL
LOCAL/
CAMPUS

17. Environmental Scanning Summary
POLITICAL
ECONOMIC
SOCIAL
TECHNICAL
ENVIRONMENTAL
NATIONAL/GLOBAL
many kinds of changes in job market
decreases in federal support for higher education
national financial crisis
protracted recovery or possible stagnation
higher education as a public versus private good
national demographic shifts & trends
increased student expectations
rapid & accelerating pace of change
global and cultural literacy
continued degradation of the environment
STATE/
REGIONAL
system-level planning and efforts
decreases in state support for NC State/others
ag/factory to tech/service
employer pressure on which skills to develop/train
more students need to work
increase in mental & physical needs
shift from brick and mortar to virtual world
technical skills required by the job market
regional drier, hotter summers, cooler winters
more impact from larger storms
LOCAL/
CAMPUS
alignment with local businesses as partners
students start at community college and transfer
rise in tuition & decrease in financial aid
pressure on time to graduation
value proposition for education & NC State
students want flexibility in learning
how courses are delivered
social media & social skill development
students demand more sustainable campuses
classrooms & learning spaces evolve & change

18. Identified Opportunities
The question was asked:
This future will affect how NC State’s Division of Academic and Student Affairs plans now for the future. List up to three of the most significant strategic opportunities for the division that you see.
Hundreds of opportunities were generated
Responses were clustered and sorted
A summary of the responses is available at each table (we’ll use this later)

19. Identified Opportunities
ways to gain efficiency
suggestions for funding increases or decreases
health & wellness
academic development
students as individuals & citizens
programs & program outreach
curriculum
course formats & course content
campus life
organizational changes
collaboration within the University
collaborations & partnerships
advising
accessibility
dealing with technology

20. What is Ideation? idea generation
a facilitated process for creating new ideas
Ground Rules:
Suspend Judgment
HEADLINE your thoughts
Use a pad to scribble, sketch, and create
Wish for the moon
That was then, this is now
Strategic focus

21. Rob Brodnick
ideation exercise one

22. Goal of This Exercise
To build a likely scenario for the future and identify additional opportunities for future strategy.

23. Scenarios & Opportunities
SHAPING/DRIVING FORCE: Existing or expected force acting on a situation that acts to hold things in place or to create change in a certain direction. SCENARIO: A future oriented synopsis of events, actions, or conditions. POSSIBLE FUTURE: Likely, expected or intended situation or circumstances. OPPORTUNITY: A favorable or advantageous circumstance or combination of circumstances.

24. Force One in Full Effect Force Two in Full Effect
Building a Scenario Grid
Shaping/Driving Force One
Shaping/Driving Force Two
Force One in Full Effect
Force Two Not Apparent
Force Two in Full Effect
Force One Not Apparent

25. Force One in Full Effect Force Two in Full Effect
Building a Scenario Grid
Shaping/Driving Force One
Shaping/Driving Force Two
Force One in Full Effect
Scenario A
Scenario B
Force Two Not Apparent
Force Two in Full Effect
Scenario C
Scenario D
Force One Not Apparent

26. Building a Scenario Grid
Shaping/Driving Force One: Adult Learners
Shaping/Driving Force Two: Job Market Changes
Proportion of Undergraduate Adult
Learners Dramatically Increases
Scenario A
Scenario B
Job Market Erodes
Job Market Recovers
Scenario C
Scenario D
Undergraduates Remain
Mostly Years Old

27. Scenario Descriptions
Scenario A Adults return to school or seek first degrees to compete for scarce jobs. Demands are placed on job placement and toward employer selected competencies. Traditional services and teaching methods are challenged.
Scenario B Adults flood to higher education for retraining and to gain critical technology skills. Traditional teaching modes, calendars, and services require revision. Adult learners bring life experiences to their learning.

28. Scenario Descriptions
Scenario C Jobs, when they are available, go to adults with experience, not students fresh out of college. Enrollment declines as 18 year olds choose menial jobs rather than college. Many disciplines find they have no demand for enrollment at all. Small colleges begin to close and funding declines.
Scenario D Enrollment demand soars as the workforce becomes more highly skilled and employers raise salaries for the best trained graduates. Adult learners have many opportunities and tend not to further their education. More students work and seek better internship and service learning opportunities.

29. Example Likely Future
Scenario B: Adults flood to higher education for retraining and to gain critical technology skills. Traditional teaching modes, calendars, and services require revision. Adult learners bring life experiences to their learning.
Opportunities this Creates:
develop, design, and implement programs that expand service coverage in evenings and weekends
shift learning modes to more active learning
reframe career development for midcareer learners

30. Small Group Instructions
Write the driving forces that you select on a blank scenario building grid
Agree on 2-3 sentences for each scenario that describe a possible future
Identify the one scenario that is most likely to occur to share with the group
On a separate sheet, identify 2-3 opportunities for the division given the likely scenario

31. Report Out Post 2 sheets on the wall (1 grid + 1 opportunities)
Identify your driving forces
Identify your likely future
One person from each group – share your new opportunities created by the possible future
Be prepared to vote on opportunities that you believe should be acted on

32. Rob Brodnick & Carrie Zelna
building on ideas

33. Planning Process Design & Timeline
how does this affect us?
many opportunities
what is the future in 10 years?
several big ideas
what is happening now?
3-5
strategies
DESIGN
ALIGN
selecting & promoting
scanning
filtering
futuring
ideation
D I V E R G E C O N V E R G E
sense making
NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR

34. Rob Brodnick
ideation exercise two

35. Goal of This Exercise
To begin to generate the “big ideas” that will help the Strategic Writing and Planning Team draft a Division Strategic Plan.

36. Refining Opportunities
consider the opportunities that arose from the futuring and those generated today
discuss which opportunities might be the best to pursue in the next three years
At your tables:
chose 2-3 opportunities
complete the “big idea” template for each one
complete at least 2 templates
be prepared to post and present your “big ideas”
you will have 45 minutes to complete the task

37. Basic Requirements for Big Ideas
recognizes the changing environment
division-wide
compelling
creates value
serves as a focal point of effort
Rob Brodnick

38. Big Idea Template What is it? Why is it a big idea?
At your tables:
chose 2-3 opportunities
complete the “big idea” template for each one (responds to all five requirements)
complete at least 2 templates
be prepared to post and present your “big ideas”
you will have 45 minutes to complete the task
Why is it a big idea?
recognizes the changing environment
division-wide
compelling
creates value
serves as a focal point of effort

39. closing remarks Mike Mullen
As you go to depart, please take your voting dots and vote for the “big ideas” you would most like to see implemented as strategy. Vote before you leave today. Thank you!