In a recent graduate course on Leadership and Technology, a discussion thread asked the question: What does a leader need to know about the organization’s technology issues in order to be effective?
Much of the student discussion revolved around the concepts of change management and the struggles leaders face when changes are not fully communicated throughout an organization. Most of the students in this organizational leadership program are currently frontline supervisors aspiring to higher levels of leadership, in diverse organizations from health care to sports management, through higher education.
One student wrote that if leaders were to be made aware of upcoming changes, they would be able to communicate with their teams more effectively, even if it is as basic as “this change is coming, more to come.”
The lack of such communication to frontline supervisors can cause a lot of frustration and confusion. Better communication would allow for leaders to focus not on how to communicate another poorly trained tool, but on the training itself and the potential positives of the changes. The lack of communication prior to changes can be a catalyst for errors and frustration.
Nicole Crowson works as a Dental Assistant at a periodontal surgery office and is currently working on her master’s degree in organizational leadership at Winona State University.
Christine Dvorak is currently working on her Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership at WSU.
Rachel Ferrington is a Human Resources professional and has a passion for analyzing how effective an organization is in achieving intended outcomes. She is attending Winona State University to complete her Master’s in Organizational Leadership.
Joshua Vu is a interim nurse manager at Mayo Clinic. He is working on obtaining his Doctorate in nursing practice (DNP) with an emphasis in Practice and Leadership Innovations at Winona State University.
Dr. Steve Baule is a faculty member at Winona State University (WSU), where he teaches in the Leadership Education Department. Prior to joining WSU, Baule spent 28 years in K-12 school systems in Illinois, Indiana, and Iowa, and two years teaching in the University of Wisconsin System. For the 13 years prior to moving to the university level, Baule served as a public -school superintendent. He has written 10 books on a variety of educational and historical topics and has served on the editorial boards for two journals. Baule earned an advanced diversity and equity certificate while in the UW system. He holds a doctorate in instructional technology from Northern Illinois University and a doctorate in educational leadership and policy studies from Loyola University Chicago.
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