Change is hard
Now is the time to use change for the good!
During my 40 years working for one of the largest aerospace companies, I have experienced tremendous re-prioritization, organizational upset, and political change. Every new leader or customer introduced new constraints which ultimately brought new priorities to our internal research projects.
The constant churn required restructuring as we found a new way to innovate. I saw organizations restructure, reinvent, and move forward — stronger and more resilient. Sadly, I also saw good research projects cut as new constraints were introduced. I learned to navigate funding cuts and changes, working to justify and demonstrate value of our R&D portfolio and define a way to develop new opportunities for us to improve.
Here are my five key learnings for those of you navigating university-industry research portfolios:
- PEOPLE: Identify your current customers. Often the organization changes and the person you identified as the decision maker may only be one contributor to the decision. As a result, your communication may need to be relevant to multiple business units and people. In my year’s visiting universities, I often encountered people unclear on the role of the industry team visiting campus, which led to pitching the wrong products and even jeopardizing the ongoing projects. For example, at one university we brought technical experts ready to fund a specific research project. The university team wanted to tell us about an unrelated program they were developing. They started with the unrelated presentation. We ran out of time and left without ever discussing the original project. In spite of the fact that we came with the intention of funding the project – we left without any information on it and did not fund it.
- PURPOSE: Every research project must have a purpose. Make the purpose clear, and clarify what differentiates your research. Listen to your customers, find out what they want, and pivot your plans to include their ideas. Give them full credit for the great ideas as you seek to strengthen your own.
- PLAN: Plan a detailed strategy and proposal with your industry partner. Include a schedule and a first level minimal budget. Have a plan to review and get more funding. In my most recent position, we required all research collaborations to have a detailed Statement of Work that defined inputs, milestones, tasks, and outputs. Each element of the plan was scored by leadership for clarity, and a risk assessment was developed for incomplete or poorly defined elements of the plan.
- PROPOSAL: Once you have the elements of a plan and purpose as outlined above, you are ready to develop a proposal. It starts with a sales pitch. Articulate, clearly, your work in a value proposition that is concise. You must have your elevator speech so well refined that you can change any potential decision makers’ mind in minutes, not hours. At any moment, the executive can re-prioritize and it is critical to be able to communicate the value of your research. For example, in one instance my company needed a better way to move huge pieces of equipment overhead on a shop floor. There were considerable technical challenges as well as safety issues. The university came with technology, proven in another industry, and presented it to us as a viable option. The fit was perfect, and it was because they clearly understood our need and were able to provide a detailed plan to test and implement on our shop floor.
- PROGRESS: Monitor and communicate your progress. Implement a plan to include regular reviews and measure incremental progress. Find the time to communicate progress as well as update your plan in sync with the ever-changing environment. Doing so protects your project – if requirements suddenly change, you will benefit from clear metrics and immediate knowledge that will allow you to pivot.
Today’s geo-political and economic environment is putting pressure on universities and the industries who engage with academia. Now is the time for us to come together, learn and improve.
It’s time to use all our tools for prioritization, metrics, and tech transition. Industry must share those approaches with the many universities experiencing funding challenges. We can adjust and partner to leverage the changes for the common good.
Continue the conversation with me at this UIDP Conference!
Deborah Radasch
UI Collab Consultant