“The Mendoza College of Business is a rocket that is preparing for launch.”
These were the words I used in my impromptu remarks on August 3 — my second day as senior director of operations and my first opportunity to speak to faculty and staff of the College — to describe my optimistic view of the amazing potential and opportunity in front of us.
After nearly two months, dozens of one-on-one meetings, six annual program/functional reviews and several chats over coffee in the faculty/staff lounge later, I’m more convinced of this view than before. Dean Cremer’s enterprising and mission-centered vision, the commitment of faculty leadership to teaching and research excellence, and the staff’s orientation to service and operational excellence are a winning combination that will propel us toward achieving our ambitious goals.
Those are also the reasons I chose to return to Mendoza 18 years after earning my MBA here. It is a privilege to be part of an organization that is growing and adapting. There is plenty of evidence of this growth and evolution, including:
- New Ph.D. programs
- New graduate programs
- Growing graduate program enrollments
- New undergraduate honors programs
- Planned facility expansions/enhancements
I am still in the midst of my listening tour and I’m thoroughly enjoying the opportunity to learn and discover new points of view on the many issues facing the College. Here are a few themes that I’m hearing:
- Prioritization: What’s most important right now? That is the most frequent and emphatic question I hear and it has expansive implications for resource allocation, planning and execution.
- The Matrix: Whose team am I on? After we get through the bullet-dodging, blue pill/red pill jokes, there is a sense that we need to improve how we communicate, work and relate effectively/efficiently in this new structure.
- Customer/Metrics: Who are we serving and how do we know when we win? This is very important because it will determine how we set OKRs, manage performance and assign rewards and recognition.
If I haven’t already spoken to you and you would like to connect, please claim one of the available office hours or contact Heather Denton (hcook2@nd.edu or 1-5189) to schedule a meeting.
In these early days, with input from College leadership I’ve started to set my own priorities and hope to make movement on them this academic year. Here are the three areas where I will spend my time and attention this year:
- Strategic Planning: With Dean Cremer’s support, we will develop a strategic plan for the College and I will facilitate the process for that work. Everyone will have an opportunity to contribute and I’m committed to making this something we all own.
- Matrix Management: We will enhance the effectiveness of the new matrix organization with an emphasis on teams and tools. Our success is dependent on our ability to execute consistently in a more complex environment.
- Student Journey: In partnership with my colleague, Tim Bohling, and our respective functional directors, we will map the student journey, identify the areas of greatest leverage/need and optimize the student experience.
I look forward to your input and using future entries in the Mendoza Exchange to update you on our progress against these priorities.
I wish to express a heartfelt thank-you to those that have been so welcoming and helpful in my transition to the College. The sense of belonging that I have felt is the most powerful opportunity we have in creating a more diverse, equitable and inclusive environment. How we welcome our newest members is the first sign of the strength of our community.
Going back to my rocketry analogy, I was struck by the parallel of this weekend’s news of four civilians safely completing the first tour of space on the SpaceX Inspiration4 mission. Founded in 2002 with the mission of making humans a multi-planetary species, SpaceX is well on its way. It will take even less time for them to put humans on Mars. How long will it take us to reach the future we envision on the proverbial rocket we have prepared for launch and what else will we discover along the way?
In the words of Fr. Sorin in his now-historic letter to Fr. Moreau just nine days after the founding of Notre Dame in 1842, “... this college cannot fail to succeed.”
Gratefully,
Rob
Rob Kelly
Senior Director of Operations
Senior Director of Operations