Budgets are as tight as anyone remembers. You’re the fortunate soul asked to occupy the chair of the Chief Information Officer, District Technology Coordinator, Director of Technology Services or whatever the title happens to be in your school district. Device prices are getting lower, but that only means that the desire for quantity goes up… along with the reliance on that infrastructure that is badly overdue to be upgraded. In some scenarios, you’re asked to fix it all and don’t really get a chance to give input on your budget (do you even HAVE one?!) and wonder how/when/where critical decisions are getting made that impact your technology environment.
The first suggestion is to slow down, take a breath and realize that things didn’t get this way overnight. As quickly as the landscape seems to change, things won’t get corrected overnight, either. You may be that diamond in the rough, that reservoir of untapped potential waiting to be unleashed to change everything in your school district. How do you let the critical members of the leadership team in on that information, though?
- Have a plan. That could mean many things. For the short term, though, you need to have some critical data elements at your disposal. To take the next step, you need to first know where you are. What’s the relative age of your devices and infrastructure? What pieces of software actually get used? What maintenance contracts need to be renewed every year? What would it even cost to update your wireless infrastructure or replace the staff and student devices that absolutely need to be replaced right now? I’m well aware that you may feel like you’ll never get a chance to provide this information, but your success depends on developing a strong knowledge of your own environment and a basic foundation detailing where you would like to go.
- Be helpful and build relationships. I heard a superintendent at the KySTE conference recently say that, if a CIO is looking for a way to get him to listen, then they should “fix my computer when it’s broken” (or words to that effect). You can be skeptical and declare that you’d never play favorites or that the students come first, but there’s truth in his words. If your bosses look at you as only a ‘tool belt’ type of person, you’d better start by being the BEST ‘tool belt’ person you can be. I’ll listen to people who have shown a willingness and aptitude to help me when I need help. Those in positions of strength don’t often like to ask for help with anything… so if they DO ask for your help, you’d better react quickly, in a helpful and friendly manner, and stick with it until the issue is resolved. Someone else may have to wait for a few minutes, but you’re demonstrating a strong work ethic and hopefully earning a spot in a conversation that will bring benefit to everyone in the future.
- Be ready when an opportunity presents itself. This likely means different things for different school districts. Are you attending any meetings of a long-range planning committee? Most school districts have some kind of extended facilities plan. The technology leader may or may not be on this committee. You may need to volunteer to be on this committee. I’ve heard of scenarios where a funding source is about to run out and you’re asked how to best spend $20,000… with the understanding that it has to be done by the end of the week (or day!) That may not speak to great planning, but it IS an opportunity and you’ll want to be ready to respond with little notice. You may have overheard about a grant opportunity that could help your program. Do you have a grant writer? If so, there’s an opportunity for a conversation. If not, this is something you can bring up and suggest that someone apply (thus noting the need) or even asking if you can apply on behalf of the district (showing initiative AND underscoring the need).
CIOs struggle for different reasons. Instinctively, we often assume that the lack of funding is the biggest struggle. It may be, but there are times where the perception of limited funds may really only be limited access to those funds. Have a plan (or a ‘vision’) for technology. Be helpful and genuinely work to see things DONE with technology (with an eye toward “how we can” instead of “why we cannot”). Be ready (with data, examples and whatever else is needed) to make your case when an opportunity presents itself. With a little luck, these tips may help you find a path to greater success in your technology leadership efforts. Take care!