Think Tank

SO, yesterday I attended a session at our Institutional Development Day. It was billed as an invitation to the college's new initiative: a think tank. Definitions and descriptions seemed to evade the group for most of the session; however, colleagues and I brainstormed other descriptive words that seem not to have made the cut: Think-
-vat
-hole
-stew
-bog
...and my personal favorite, Think-tub. This last conjures up delightful images of a group of innovative thinkers engaged in "ideation" as they soak in a hot tub, sipping their favorite beverages.

If only it were so.

Instead, our troupe trooped into oblivion and came back 90 minutes later somewhat worse for the wear. We were at odds with one another, the institution, and the world in general after our basking in the brine of boiling ideas.

Here's what I walked away with: we came to embrace the idea that the membership of the tank must have decision makers aboard, yet it must be an organization that is organic and fluid in nature. It would be tasked with shaking down good ideas to address key issues posed to the group on a regular basis. The tank would be populated with innovators, free thinkers, but also with critically minded individuals who could really give a thought some thought. Ideas presented would be to help "build a better Butler," which is vague, but wide-opened, and these ideas would be prioritized, reviewed, executed upon, added to...

...in other words, it was a more grass-roots version of the structure we've been building since I arrived here, that has 4 Priorities with Initiatives and goals underneath, presented to- and then groomed by- an executive council.

Two things were important, from what I could gather: 1) we need to insure every idea is given air and (more importantly) feedback whether acted upon or not. 2)we need to feel the current exec. council or whatever body is managing the current structure has everyday folk on it in equal number to the deans and bean counters.

Overall, it reminded me how very important feedback can be. I need to take that into my teaching, my home, and my life in general.