One interesting and unforeseen result of the global health crisis is that both individuals and corporations alike are finding the need to take a pause. This pause provides a moment to re-evaluate not only where we are, but also where we want to go. For me, the pandemic has allowed me to take a step back and take stock in both my personal life and professional career. In my personal life, I have been asking myself the following questions:
- What organizations do I want to volunteer with in my free time?
- Which items on my calendar are there out of pure obligation?
- Which activities do I actually enjoy?
Professionally, I’m at the mid-point in my career with experience under my belt and key accomplishments I can point to. However, I still find myself contemplating the question… What do I want to be when I grow up?
This question is fitting in our present day when much of our world has been turned upside down. While we are taking a pause to reflect and re-evaluate, our customers are too. Original plans and goals have changed based on the rapid need for technology to back the foundation of education. Additionally, we are increasingly relying on technology to provide critical insights into our students since our face-to-face world is fractured.
Strategic Planning Education: A Unicon Evaluation
With the start of 2022, Unicon has seen a record number of engagements for our Evaluation offering. With this offering, Unicon helps our clients take a pause, evaluate where they are today, identify their short/long-term goals, and outline a plan with recommendations to help them get there. I find myself in my customer meetings, asking them the very same question I am asking myself, who/what do you want to be when you grow up?
Other questions our clients take a pause to ask themselves include:
- What has changed in your educational landscape?
- What additional market pressures does your organization need to react to?
- How has your customer and their needs changed?
- Do your long-term and short-term goals still make sense?
It has been great to work with a cross-section of our clients, providing strategic planning education to refine their technology strategies to tackle new goals. In partnering with our clients, these evaluations have spanned the entire spectrum of needs/challenges common in the education ecosystem. With strategic planning education, we are helping to define product strategy, customer onboarding, comprehensive testing, security reviews, and people/process changes and needs. Unicon is an impartial third party with a wealth of experience in the education industry. As an impartial third party, Unicon can cut across the organization and provide key insights to help your organization grow and achieve your goals. At the completion of the evaluation process, you will walk away with concrete plans to reach both your short-term and long-term goals and an implementation roadmap to get you there. What are the next steps for your organization? If you are ready to pause and reflect, we can help.
If you are interested in sharing ideas and how to take next steps, please reach out to us here at Unicon. It would be great to engage in a conversation and share ideas on this as technologies and best practices emerge.
