I've spent years watching colleges navigate technological change, and it always reminds me of teaching someone to swim. There's that moment when they desperately want to learn but can't quite let go of the pool's edge. That's where many institutions find themselves today – knowing they need to embrace new technology while their fingers remain tightly gripped on familiar processes.
In a recent conversation with Adam Park, the CEO of Softdoc, I got a candid look at why this happens. It's not just about resistance to change – it's deeper than that. It's about institutional trauma from past failed projects, about departments that have weathered storms together and developed protective instincts, and about leaders who carry the weight of their institutions' futures on their shoulders.Think about the last time you had to learn something new that made you uncomfortable. Now multiply that feeling across an entire college campus. That's what we're dealing with. As Park points out, many institutions are still recovering from the whiplash of COVID-era technology adoption, when they had to transform overnight without proper training or preparation. It's left scars.
But here's where it gets interesting – and hopeful. The same conversation reveals that higher ed is evolving. Today's college leaders are increasingly viewing technology not as a necessary evil but as a strategic enabler. CIOs are stepping out of their traditional "Department of No" roles and into positions as true partners in institutional success. Cabinet-level executives are starting to see themselves as a "first team" rather than just defenders of their departmental silos.
The secret to successful technology adoption? It's not about the technology at all. It's about vision, trust, and empowerment. The institutions that thrive are the ones where leaders can paint a picture of a better future, give their teams the authority to make decisions, and connect every change back to the core mission of serving students.
Today's challenges – from enrollment cliffs to staffing shortages – are pushing institutions to innovate whether they want to or not. But there's a difference between change driven by fear and change driven by vision. The most successful institutions are learning to embrace the latter.The landscape of higher education is shifting. Traditional paths are no longer guaranteed, competition is fierce, and the stakes feel higher than ever. But within these challenges lies opportunity. The institutions that can overcome their psychological barriers to change, that can build trust across departments, that can move from reactive to strategic thinking – these are the ones that will thrive.It's not an easy journey. But as this conversation reveals, the first step is acknowledging the complex psychology at play. Only then can we begin to build the trust and vision needed for true transformation.
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