Latest news with #ClackamasCommunityCollege
Forbes
15-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Why Most Change Fails—And How VIRSA Can Help Fix It
Saby Waraich—CIO at Clackamas Community College and keynote speaker—empowers leaders to drive digital change with clarity and trust. Despite decades of methodologies and models, many change initiatives still miss their mark. Whether it's a technology rollout, cultural shift or digital transformation, many organizations stumble not because of poor intent but because they overlook key components that ensure change sticks. That's where the VIRSA framework comes in—an antidote to chaos disguised as complexity. What Is VIRSA? VIRSA, which stands for vision, incentives, resources, skills and action plan, was developed by education researcher Tim Knoster. It provides a clear, structured, actionable framework for driving successful change initiatives. When one of these elements is missing, the outcome can be confusion, resistance, frustration, anxiety or stagnation. VIRSA doesn't replace popular frameworks like the ADKAR (awareness, desire, knowledge, ability and reinforcement) model or Kotter's eight-step process. Instead, it complements them by giving leaders a simple diagnostic tool to identify gaps before or during implementation. Breaking Down The Framework Change must start with a shared vision. It answers the question: Why are we doing this? Leaders must paint a compelling picture of the future that connects with both hearts and minds. Employees may be skilled and well-resourced, but if they don't understand the vision, you may see morale dip or efforts splinter. Takeaway: If employees can't see the destination, they'll resist the journey. Change is hard. Without personal motivation, people will naturally resist. Incentives aren't just bonuses or promotions (although those can help); they also include purpose, recognition, autonomy and alignment with individual goals. Takeaway: If there's nothing in it for them, expect pushback. Great ideas fail without execution support. Leaders must provide the time, budget, tools and systems needed to make the change not just possible but sustainable. Leaders often paint a grand vision but then underfund it or expect teams to 'do more with less.' The result? Burnout, workarounds and initiatives that stall out. Takeaway: You can't build a bridge with vision alone—you need materials. Even with the best tools, untrained teams falter. Developing skills through coaching, mentoring or training is essential. Otherwise, you risk burnout and disengagement. Crucially, build in time for people to practice new skills and make learning safe (i.e., it's okay to make mistakes while learning). Takeaway: Don't expect Olympic performance without training. Finally, execution requires a roadmap. An action plan tells you who will do what and when. It sets accountability, timelines and milestones that keep things going. Without a clear plan, teams can descend into well-intentioned chaos—a lot of activity but no cohesion. Takeaway: Hope isn't a strategy—a plan is. Why VIRSA Works What sets VIRSA apart is its versatility. It scales from enterprise-wide transformations to department-level changes. It works across industries and adapts to the public sector, private enterprises and nonprofits. VIRSA also helps leaders have better conversations. Instead of vague strategy meetings, teams can pinpoint exactly where things are breaking down. Real-World Impact Mesa County Valley School District 51 (D51) in Colorado implemented a competency-based education (CBE) model, shifting away from traditional seat-time learning. Aware that reform often fails due to foundational gaps, district leaders embraced the VIRSA model to guide planning and execution. The shared language of VIRSA helped teams identify bottlenecks early and course-correct without losing trust. D51's case shows that when change management includes both people and systems, reform has a greater chance of sticking. University Health Network (UHN) in Toronto undertook a complex rollout of an electronic medication ordering and administration system. These types of initiatives often encounter staff resistance and workflow disruption, but UHN's leadership turned to the VIRSA model for guidance. The project was framed around a clear vision: improving patient safety and care efficiency. The results were significant: medication errors dropped, staff confidence improved and system adoption exceeded expectations. When the City of Portland's permitting system overhaul stalled again, many believed the project was doomed. Originally launched in 2008, the Portland Online Permitting System (POPS) had seen multiple failed restarts. Legacy systems, siloed bureaus and shifting priorities drained confidence. When I inherited the project, I realized we didn't need more tools. We needed alignment. That's when we applied the VIRSA framework. We began by unifying all seven stakeholder bureaus around a single vision. That clarity helped cut across silos. We moved from compliance-driven talk to community impact by making the permitting process faster and more transparent for residents and businesses. We realigned resources by hiring a dedicated cross-functional team. Skills were strengthened through training and vendor partnerships to bring in modern development practices and user-centered design. VIRSA didn't replace the project methodology. It exposed what was missing. And that made all the difference. Takeaway For Leaders The next time you face change, ask yourself: • Do we have a clear vision? • Have we aligned personal and organizational incentives? • Are the right resources in place? • Do our people have the skills? • Are we following a structured action plan? If any answer is "no," VIRSA gives a starting point for correcting the course. Conclusion Change doesn't fail because people hate change. It fails because we don't prepare them for success. VIRSA isn't a silver bullet but a practical tool that gives leaders the clarity and structure needed to deliver results without chaos. This is your executive litmus test. Next time you see change fatigue or stalled progress, run a quick VIRSA check and act. When change is done right, it doesn't just stick—it scales. Forbes Technology Council is an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs and technology executives. Do I qualify?
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Running for good: Community college president raises money, awareness for students in need
SALEM, Ore. (KOIN) — A marathon-running college president will make his way through Oregon on foot beginning on June 16, totaling over 1500 consecutive miles on his route to all 17 of Oregon's community colleges. Clackamas Community College President Dr. Tim Cook will visit Chemeketa Community College as a part of his Running for Oregon Community College Students marathon program. Chemeketa students and faculty will complete the final mile with him on campus. This marathon is a labor of love in many ways, one of which is a love for the activity itself. In an interview with Let's Talk Portland, Dr. Cook said, 'I've run over 50 marathons, I've been running for about 20 years pretty avidly… but never anything this ambitious.' Not only does Cook love running — he cares deeply about his students. 'For several years I've been concerned about basic needs for community college students,' Dr. Cook said. 'Even before the pandemic I was seeing students that were having problems with getting food, I knew there were students living in their cars that were taking classes. It was just something that had been on my mind.' Funds raised through the ROCCS program go to students facing food insecurity, housing instability, and other welfare challenges. Dr. Cook was inspired by Fernando Rojas, a Clatsop Community College faculty member who made a similar trek on a bike to visit OCCs in 2021, entitled 'Bandit Biking for Books,' in order to raise money to go towards covering textbook costs for students. Cook has taken advice and aid from Rojas in planning this journey. According to a Hope Center survey conducted in Spring 2023 on Portland Community College students, 43% of responders experienced food insecurity, 56% reported challenges to their housing stability, and 18% disclosed not having a place to live at one point during the last year. Financial instability in community college students is an issue not unique to Oregon — according to New America, many students end up abandoning their education due to these challenges. Cook and Rojas are setting examples for what the greater public can do to help the next generation obtain degrees and become successful in the workplace. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘Everybody's scared': Wyden, Bynum get earful at town hall
OREGON CITY, Ore. (KOIN) — More than 1000 people — shoulder-to-shoulder in bleachers, on the ground and on folding chairs — jammed the Clackamas Community College in Oregon City for a town hall with Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden and US Rep. Janelle of those attending, like G. Thomas Williams, told KOIN 6 News they were in line for hours just to make sure they got in for the 5:30 p.m. event.'I did not vote to elect this president, but I'm still an American citizen. He still is my president and still represents me and made promises that I want to make sure kept,' Williams said. '17% of my income comes from overtime, and he promised to eliminate taxes on overtime. I'm not a server. I don't get tips. But there are lots of people that we're expecting to get relief on taxes on their tips, income.' The crowd — another in a series of packed town halls with elected officials in Oregon and in other places across the country — demanded to know what Wyden and Bynum and everyone else is doing to fight back against the Trump Administration's efforts in nearly every area. As one person said, 'Everybody's scared. Everybody's panicked, and it's affecting physical and mental health. My question is, what can we actually do to stop this chaos?'Many of those in attendance want to see more action from the Democrats, and they want it now. 'What are you going to do to fix our veteran problem and the Medicaid,' another person asked. At one point Bynum, in one of her first town halls since taking office as Oregon's 5th District representatives, tried to calm the fears. 'Everything ultimately is going to be OK,' she said. 'It doesn't feel that way. I hear you and I feel that it is going to be OK.' But the crowd wasn't having it, loudly pushing back — 'It's NOT going to be OK!' Wyden told KOIN 6 News they are taking each topic head on, with the IRS on his to-do list soon. 'I'm particularly concerned about people getting their refunds on time and getting a service in a prompt way,' Wyden said. 'l have a chance to get some changes when those hearings start.' Bynum said 'it's really important to build the case law. That is Number 1. And working through the courts and making sure that we have the verdicts that we need to get people back to work to make sure people's services are turned on.' The attendees were angry with the Trump Administration. Bynum said she gets that. 'I think it's an important part of leadership to tell people, is to reassure them, is to kind of bring the temperature down so that you can get to a point where you can actually be effective,' she said. 'Some people are, you know, they're going to work from their anger, but this is not a sprint. This is a marathon.' Wyden and Bynum began their day at the community college in Linn County. A staffer told KOIN 6 News that town hall also 'was packed.' Who attended, skipped the Trump speech to Congress On Tuesday, Wyden will be in Crook and Deschutes counties for more open-to-all town halls. Organizers said these were the largest venues available for these four town halls on these dates, but space may be limited. and many town halls in Oregon and elsewhere have seen overflow crowds. Earlier this week on Capitol Hill, Wyden grilled Dr. Mehmet Oz during his confirmation hearing to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Wyden asked Oz if he agreed 'there should be nursing homes without nurses?' When Oz began his answer by saying, 'It's a complicated question,' Wyden interrupted. 'No, it's not,' Wyden said. 'We need a nurse in a nursing home. That's not too complicated.' Editor's Note: An earlier version said Bynum will be with Wyden at all 4 town halls. Rep. Bynum will appear with Sen. Wyden only at the Sunday town halls. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
