One of the benefits of consulting is the opportunity to see patterns among a cross section of the industry. Higher education shares common opportunities and obstacles across the spectrum of institutions: public/private; two-year/four-year; liberal arts/vocational; colleges/universities and the like. I heard Howard Gardner, the Hobbs Professor of Cognition and Education at Harvard’s Graduate School of…Read more
Author: Rick Bailey
Takeaways from the 2019 CIC Presidents Institute
Like every good learning experience, I walked away with questions. Here we are at the start of 2019. IMHO, 2018 passed entirely too quickly. Still, it’s great to have yet another opportunity to celebrate a fresh start. Assuming you are reading this on a college campus, you may celebrate “new year’s” more significantly on July…Read more
Current Location: Your Visionary Destination Needs a Starting Point
We all know people who refuse to use a map. Their confidence in their sense of direction precludes their need for reference. In their minds, they’ll get there eventually—and the adventure of the journey is part of their fun. A few wrong turns don’t phase them. The strategy of “winging it” works pretty well when…Read more
Making the Most of Your Slate Instance
Ensuring that you are maximizing your investment in your Slate instance requires regular examination to determine if your configuration and processes are meeting best-practice standards. The RHB Slate Diagnostic is an excellent place to begin if you are experienced users. To explore the details and benefits of the Slate Diagnostic, we encourage you to download this guidebook…Read more
Building and Training a Great Campus Slate Team
Coherent teams are necessary for both colleges and universities and projects to be successful. While not every institution has the staff resources to build a large team, and some implementations fall entirely to one person, I’ve found that implementation teams excel with the right combination of personas, as well. As you build your team to manage your Slate instance, I encourage you to download this guidebook that identifies four important personas you’ll need to be successful…Read more
Slate Implementation on Your Campus Precisely–and Quickly
You’ve decided to invest in Slate. What will it take to be up-and-running and make fast progress toward being able to use it? In this guidebook, Alex Williams introduces you to the big questions surrounding your implementation. Download this guidebook for a closer look at five important questions to consider before you make your investment in a new CRM. You’ll also discover how an expedited implementation may be a good solution for you…Read more
Place Branding in Higher Education
Leveraging your location may be your most important strategy toward growth. At the risk of broken-recordism, you are likely familiar with the four (or five) Ps of the marketing model: product, price, place and promotion (some add people and still others add position, though I believe position is informed by all the others). Whether you…Read more
How To Shop for Professional Services in Higher Ed
I cringe when someone refers to me as a “vendor” and especially when clients refer to me as “their vendor.” The word conjures up a picture of someone on the street with a dancing monkey on a leash. It’s true that RHB sells professional services. I’m good with that; in fact, I love what we do and I’m proud to bring our expertise to the higher ed market. But, we do not have much that can fit readily into a shopping cart, whether on wheels or online. I admit that it may be difficult or even confusing to “shop” with us…Read more
Best Practices for Successful RFPs
My goal in this piece is to help you achieve your objectives when submitting RFPs for professional services. I have to say at the outset that I don’t believe RFPs are the best avenue for securing the results you want and need from a consultant. RFPs may be great for buying staples and tissues, but not so much for buying expertise. We’ve read hundreds of RFPs in the course of our RHB history and 99% of them are problematic for one reason or another. For one, they generally fail to seek the best match between a client and a service provider. The requisites and questions aren’t crafted for a multitude of variables…Read more
If Delta Can Do It, So Can You
Teams of recruiters and development officers tell us that high levels of personalization are impossible given all of the demands on their time. We’ve been told that personal notes just cannot be expected when inquiry pools and alumni lists are as large as they are. Taking time for a personal note following a visit or phone conversation or for a hand-written event may, in fact, be the best possible investment you can make…Read more