Budget season is a time of stress in institutions that is suffused with a task-oriented frenzy. Cheryl Hyatt recently contributed to eCampus news discussing the groundwork to a successful budget that far too many organizations skip. She notes,
Before you can do effective planning, you must have a clear picture of who you are as an institution. Take a wide view that considers an institution’s rich history, organizational culture, institutional values, and educational mission.
The most catastrophic budget missteps I have seen are ones that are divorced from an institution’s culture and values. You are not only planning for yourself or your Board of Trustees, but you are also planning for each and every one of your students, staff, alumni, and their families. In seeking to pacify contentious committees, leaders sometimes shortchange the very people they are called to serve.
