Kevin Waldrop

Transformation can create as much disruption as improvement, especially when universities ask teams to work differently. At UC San Diego, the challenge is not simply building a consortium of services, but ensuring those services remain stable, reliable, scalable and responsive while the organization grows and transforms. Drawing on the experience of The Collaborative at UC San Diego, we will explore how a Strategic Alliance acts as an institutional insurance policy, protecting service continuity through a disciplined peer network and shared accountability that gets stronger through connection. We will also dive into "Avast!", a gamified approach to waste reduction that empowers staff to "drop the sea anchors" of obsolete processes, shifting the focus from mere survival to strategic scalability. The conversation will examine how to balance transformation with day-to-day delivery and create the confidence needed for teams to adopt a new way of working.

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