EMI: It's Not What They Say

The management institute is not exactly what Educause claims it is -- it's something better. The advance information I had about the sessions and intended audience of the event had me feeling apprehensive before I actually attended. A number of the sessions seemed to address "the basics" and the intended audience is described as new managers, people new to higher ed, etc.  This is not to say that I think of myself as some kind of big expert on all thing managerial -- but it's no use going to Management 101 when you already passed Management 234. Then again, I'm the sort of person who thinks taking a college math course every few years is good for the soul....

While I think that the experience was beneficial to people with little or no management experience, I think it was those of us who have been "in the trenches" for a while that got the greatest benefit from the week. My fellow attendees may disagree (click that comment button, folks!) -- and if all of us, regardless of experience, think that we're the ones who had the best experience, then so be it. I doubt anyone in Educause will shed a tear of regret over that sentiment ;).


Here's why I think that experienced folks can really benefit from this program:

I've attended a variety of training & professional development opportunities -- but the experiences I've learned the most from are those where I went in feeling comfortable about the topic in advance, so that I could focus on being better at what I already knew how to do.

It's sort of like taking a course in a new software package -- now that's some hard work! In one of those, I'm the one madly scribbling notes as the presenter talks, clicking the wrong things, flipping pages in the textbook, and all the while trying to absorb every detailed step about how to use each tool, feature, and configuration. And then there's the question of what to do when things go wrong or I need to try something new -- because in the course, everything goes exactly by the book. Yuck. And at the end -- have you really learned any more than a few hours alone with a how-to book might have taught you?

On the other hand, if I'm already comfortable with the topic, and the presenters are thoughtful practicioners, I can focus in on developing my perspective, my personal understanding of the topic, and my plans and goals to implement the ideas. In the end, this makes me more efficient, more comfortable, and generally more effective when employing the techniques and ideas being presented. At EMI, I learned a new way to talk about -- and to think about -- the things that I'm already doing (or not doing). I got the benefit of someone's personal perspective on a topic rather than struggling to figure out "the rules" (whatever they are!). I picked up new tips and ideas that I could weave into my own style. Now that is the way to become a better manager!

Would I have gotten all these benefits if I was in the swirl of anxieties, mysteries, and uncertainties that being "new" to something includes? Would I have had any perspective on what I was already good at and what needed work? On what approaches might work for me and which wouldn't? Probably not. I might have gotten other benefits -- and certainly, when I attended the university HR "new managers" course back when I was truly a "new manager", I benefited from that experience. Early on, I needed someone to point me in the right direction and get me started with the mechanics. But there's too much else to learn about at the EMI, the faculty are too good, the range of people to talk to is just too broad -- it's just too short and too good of an opportunity to focus on just the mechanics. Plus -- honestly -- it costs some serious cash. If something this good is going to mostly bounce off rather than stick, why not start with a few books and articles, get some experience under your belt, and then

In sum, I think it was my existing experience that let me appreciate what was being said at the EMI. Attending as a truly new manager, I would have missed out on what sets the Institute apart from other opportunities like it: context, energy, and perspective. I think everyone should attend Management 101 -- but they should do it at least twice. The first time, maybe it could be taught by anyone. The second time, it should taught by Educause Management Institute.