Starting a CSO or Incubator - making your case to administrators

One of the first steps in starting a contract service organization or incubator is to get buy-in from your administrators.  We collected the suggestions below from a session at the Bio-Link 2018 Summer Fellows Forum.  

Panelists:  

  • Deborah Davis, Bluegrass Community and Technical College, KY 
  • Linnea Fletcher, Austin Community College, TX
  • James Guenther, Delgado Community College, LA
  • Lisa Seidman, Madison College, WI 
  • Tom Tubon, Madison College, WI 

 

Consider your administrator(s)

  • Think from their perspective
  • Bring solutions not problems
  • Acknowledge and express gratitude for support already received
  • Keep it short and concise—use their time wisely
  • Speak to their level of content knowledge, don’t overwhelm
  • Make your request explicit – don’t be vague or sugar coat your ask so much that they don’t know specifically what you need from them
  • Avoid tech-speak


Emphasize the benefits 

  • Focus and feature the benefit to the institution that will result if request is granted
  • When describing benefits, use metrics that matter to your administration (retention, placement, enrollments, etc)
  • Explicitly tie benefits to the goals of the college
  • Know your college policy very well; speak from that base
  • Emphasize alignment with state mandates and CTE goals (especially when involving high schools)

 
Be strategic

  • Include your colleagues in your planning; come in with one voice when speaking with administrators
  • Closely follow established hierarchy and protocols to avoid political and social missteps; don’t over reach or go over anyone.
  • Identify those with the authority to grant permissions and cultivate relationships with them.
  • Be visible to administrators at all levels – go to meetings the President calls, volunteer for committees, help them see that you can help them meet goals, be visible
  • Hold events to publicize your work
  • Include how you are connecting with and/or involving industry
  • What is your five-year plan, what is your three-year plan?  Make this plain.  ​


Call and run effective meetings

  • Create a meeting plan for your team that details what you hope to accomplish and how you will get there
  • Provide an agenda in advance 
  • Lead off with accomplishments and provide as a written brief  
  • Provide a one-pager with what, why, how, timeline to make the best use of the administrator’s time
  • Have your data in hand

 
Know your financials

  • Again, have your data in hand
  • Explain why the goal cannot be met with more efficient use of existing resources
  • Will there be revenue generated?  Of any kind?  If so, make that very clear and explain where it will go.
  • Be aware of the long-term costs; account for these in your ask.

 
 Overall

  • Say what you will do, and do what you say
  • Keep decision makers current on your successes
  • Get others to “sing your song” – students, industry, other VPs, etc
  • Bring in industry to talk with administrator during an ask but also along the way.