- Author: Wendy Powers
A friend referred me to a TED Talk that I watched over the last couple of days. The talk was given by Davis Lee and the topic was “Why jobs of the future won't feel like work”. He talks about most jobs being replaced by robots in the future because we are overly focused on tasks rather than creativity – so our work is well suited for robots. His argument is that we need to bring our weekend selves to work on Wednesday and then Mondays will come easier. On weekends we are creative – we become gardeners, plumbers, builders and quilters. We do things we are passionate about. It follows then that if we had greater opportunity to be creative during the work week, we would be more excited about our jobs, resulting in improved outcomes.
I don't know if the suggested TED Talk is the result of a previous blog post or not, but it fits in the same theme as one of the sessions held at the Western Extension Directors Association annual meeting. That session focused on adopting innovative work habits. We had an interactive session where we worked with Adobe's Kickbox Toolkit to take what was originally presumed to be a bad idea and turn it into a good solution to an existing problem. It was an interesting exercise. My table ended up working through a concept of using virtual reality to teach and train, including demonstrating the impacts of different decisions. We used pruning techniques as the pilot project – through a VR platform, students could explore different techniques and the results of using the various methods. The problem solved was time constraints – for both instructors and students.
During that session we talked about ‘ideation' whereby many ideas are proposed rather than what is presumed to be the ‘best idea'. These many ideas are then evaluated such that small, early failures are achieved through testing and iteration. The idea that ‘sticks' is scaled for adoption and implementation. The goal is to avoid costly big mistakes by not testing ideas early on at a small scale and modifying them before costly scaling occurs. Ideation isn't always a team sport but teams tend to perform better than individuals. Creativity is stimulated by the group – assuming the environment and the team members are motivated and passionate about the creative process. This gets back then to fostering creativity by providing the right environment as well as the support to fail.
I attended the celebration of Steve Orloff on Saturday. I did not know him well but I was left humbled by his passion for his family and friends, his work, and life. The memories people shared were both touching and funny. The distance so many traveled to attend demonstrates the friend Steve was. I hope the event helped to begin the healing process for all who miss Steve.
- Author: Wendy Powers
Over the weekend I reviewed the compiled list of recommended condition changes that were collected by Program Team, Strategic Initiative, Statewide Program and Institute leaders. Thank you to all who were part of this process! Obviously there was a great deal of thought and effort put into the process. The next step is to make some tough decisions about what to move forward. This won't be easy because clearly we interpret words quite differently. Given that the purpose isn't to develop a list of changes that call out a program area/audience but rather develop a list that applies across program areas and audiences, it's important to use words that resonate broadly. To foster the sense that UC ANR is a system, as opposed to a confederation of individuals, the path forward will be to avoid calling out specific program areas in the condition changes and encourage people, teams, groups, programs to consider how their work fits into any of the condition changes, and what data support this. We'll be able to sort through the stories and indicators by program area using the Program Team codes that will replace Core Issues in the reporting program. The result is that when we can share the stories of how our efforts effect change, we can address the breadth of our programs or we can tailor the content to the audience by talking about the range of condition changes affected within the program area.
I had a chance to meet a few of our new Advisors this week when I visited Lassen, Plumas and Butte counties. While in Lassen, Janyne Little (Junior Specialist) talked about a project she is working on with David Lile, Laura Snell, Elise Gornish and Leslie Roche to look at post-fire grazing. It was a timely topic given what's going on across California. David and Mary Ann Gollnick (office manager) took me out to see some of the grazing sites that are part of the local research – a beautiful day and meadows that are really beautiful this time of year. It was nice to meet Darcy and Jack Hanson for dinner. Darcy is a long-time 4H program rep and Jack is a member of the President's Advisory Committee for UC ANR. It was a fun day despite all of the news rolling in about office closures due to fires.
The group that met in Plumas were all reasonably new to UC ANR, David Lile excluded. It was fun to listen to the group talk about how they could collaborate on different projects! As I mentioned in an earlier post, Traci Schohr hadn't even officially started yet. And I learned a ton of things about weeds from Tom Getts. Kari O'Reilly shared her perspective of the challenge of reaching more youth when the population is declining. This is a high energy group that keeps Barbara Goulet (office manager) busy, I'm sure.
The group in Butte County UCCE is relatively new as well. But already this is a tight-know team that enjoys each other's company. Oddly, even those that are ‘new' (Luke Milliron, Chelsey Slattery, Nicole Marshall) all have a past connection. Be sure to visit with them and learn about that connection. Don't forget to bring Suzie Lawry-Hall, Karina Hathorn and the ring leader, Emily Symmes, along to guarantee a fun time. We all went to the Chico State farm and met with Dean of the College of Agriculture who started about the same time I did (also an Animal Scientist and from Kansas State University so we have some colleagues in common). The partnership with Chico State is remarkable. Dani Lightle and Betsy Karle made me aware of this soon after I arrived in 2016. This was reinforced on this visit and we had a chance to see how Dani's work is progressing as well as some of the work that Emily and Luke are undertaking at the farm. Tons of opportunity to expand efforts with the college!
This blog is getting a bit long so maybe next time I will circle back to finish some of my thoughts that were stimulated by the Western Extension Directors Association meeting.
Please stay safe everyone!
- Author: Wendy Powers
Today was definitely a two hands on the steering wheel day as I headed north to Susanville. I even saw some tumbleweeds go across the highway. Despite the GPS indicating it was quicker to go to Reno and then head north, I decided to take the long way.
This evening I took a short cut. Instead of reading a book I learned about last week at the National Extension Directors Association meeting, I found that the author has a TED Talk on the subject and I listened to it. I try to listen to 2 TED Talks each week with no particular focus on topic. The book is Where Good Ideas Come From: The Natural History of Innovation by Steven Johnson. Here's a synopsis of the 15-min TED Talk:
An idea is a network – network of neurons. To develop into a good idea, your brain needs an environment where it is contact with more ideas (network expands). Good ideas are parts of ideas that are stitched or cobbled together to form something that actually works. This means we need to change our models of how deep thinking occurs. The change could mean providing creative spaces (i.e. Google pods or the British coffee houses that led to the Enlightenment) or Innovation Time Off (also Google). Important ideas have very long incubation periods (remember, overnight successes are rarely overnight). Great ideas linger for decades. Darwin's natural selection theory wasn't a ‘Eureka!' moment but instead took months to evolve. Therefore, in addition to creative spaces, we need to create environments that accommodate a long incubation time. Need to value the premise of connecting ideas and not just protecting them via Intellectual Property. Chance favors the connected mind.
A while back I read a report from a team across UC ANR that evaluated Work Groups some years ago. One of the conclusions was that there was insufficient cross fertilization of ideas across the entire division. Program Teams emerged to help foster ideas. I suspect Strategic Initiatives followed for much the same reason. This doesn't detract from the work and function of Work Groups but is intended to facilitate creative spaces for idea expansion. I've certainly found value in working across disciplines, sitting with people outside of my usual circle, and attending conferences that are outside of my typical meetings. Collaborations foster ideas; new collaborations should foster new ideas. Perhaps a path to new success is to brainstorm at the Division level, working across Program Teams and Strategic Initiatives, then implement at the Work Group level.
I have more to share and think through related to last week's meeting. But it's time to get ready for this coming week. I'm looking forward to my visits to Lassen/Sierra/Plumas Counties and Butte County. During the visit I will have a chance to meet Tracy Schohr, Assistant Area Livestock and Natural Resources Advisor headquartered in Quincy, with programmatic responsibilities in Plumas, Sierra and Butte Counties. Tracy doesn't officially start until next week so I am particularly appreciative that she is making time to meet.
This week UC ANR welcomes Mary Bonaparte-Saller, Assistant 4-H Youth Development Advisor, headquartered in Irvine with programmatic responsibilities in Orange County. I hope to meet Mary and many of the other new hires next week at the New Academic Orientation in Hopland.
I still have reading to do tonight. I'm about half through my grant reviews for the UC ANR Competitive Grants Program. It looks like there will be some hard decisions ahead – so many good ideas in the proposals! No shortcuts here, so I had better get reading.
- Author: Wendy Powers
Tomorrow I head back to California after attending the National Extension Directors Association annual meeting. I have much to share about ideas brought up during the meeting and things I've learned. I will get to that in the next couple of days. But what stands out in my mind right now is how the trip was book-ended by tragedy. What happened in Las Vegas is irrational and just can't be explained. How can one person cause so much harm to innocent people, and why?
This morning I learned about the death of Steve Orloff, someone clearly taken too soon and someone who had such a tremendous positive impact on all around him. I didn't have the opportunity to know Steve very long or very well but one didn't need to in order to see the passion he had for his family, his work, and life. I know that throughout UC ANR and the state many are deeply saddened by the news of Steve's death. Our hearts go out to Steve's family as they struggle to make sense of the situation. My sincere sympathy goes out to all of you who have lost a friend, colleague and, to many, a mentor and role model. Tonight we are very sad. But unlike those directly impacted by Las Vegas, the UC ANR family members who knew Steve have great memories and stories to share that reflect Steve's humor and kindness.
That's enough for tonight.
- Author: Wendy Powers
I arrived in Burlington, VT (think Stowe, the Von Trapp family and Ben & Jerry's ice cream) this afternoon to attend the National Extension Director Association annual meeting. The fall colors are far from spectacular but peak color won't be for another two weeks this year. I grew up not far from here so I know that some years October 1 would be closer to peak time no such luck this time. Note this is also my excuse for not having a photo. Given the timing of peak color, it is unlikely any of the ski resorts will be open in time for Halloween this year but soon enough it will be time to welcome the 2018 ski season.
For now, we are excited to welcome Randi Black and Brooke Latack to UC ANR! Both start tomorrow. Randi is an Assistant CE Advisor in Area Dairy Systems, headquartered in Santa Rosa, with programmatic responsibilities in Sonoma, Marin and Mendocino Counties. Brooke is an Assistant Cooperative Extension Advisor, Area Desert Livestock Advisor, headquartered in Holtville, Ca with programmatic activities in Imperial, Riverside, and San Bernardino Counties. Please welcome both new additions. I hope to meet Randi and Brooke at the upcoming New Academic Orientation in mid-October.
In the meantime, I need to prepare for the meeting this week. The Tuesday afternoon session focuses on 'Communicating the Impact and Value of Extension' – sound familiar? UC ANR is not alone in working on this. NIFA is part of the conversation as well as states across the US work to help get the message out about the importance of the work that Extension professionals do and, simultaneously, develop a mechanism for those Extension professionals convey the societal benefits of their work. No doubt a large portion of our conversation this week will address condition changes and the indicators. The timing of the conversation is completely coincidental with our own work within UC ANR, though not surprising given the need, nationally, for better messaging of Extension impacts to the public. What's different, perhaps, is the driver. A number of land grants are facing budget challenges of a magnitude greater than that faced by UC, at present. While those institutions may be looking at sharing impacts as a means to maintain budgets, we are looking at is as part of what might parallel an adaptive management approach to resources (conceptualize, plan, do, analyze, learn) – we have conceptualized the Vision, planned the Strategic Initiatives as a result of the 2025 Strategic Vision. The Strategic Initiatives have been a means to pull people together across program areas and/or audiences. Now we need to analyze how we are progressing towards achieving the Vision and the condition changes are a means of doing this that break the Strategic Initiatives down into societal changes. After we analyze our progress we learn from the information and adapt our plan by determining where gaps in reaching the Vision may exist and directing resources towards filling the gaps.
The timing of this really good in that we are now looking at proposed revisions to the current draft of the condition changes. I'll keep you posted what comes out of the conversation.