Fizzle Busting 2.0

Cute, huh? But beware. It’s gravely essential.

Fizzle Busting is a means of saving projects that seem to start well but inevitably fade or scatter into ineffectiveness or even abject failure.

Take technology implementation for example. Specifically, broad scale web development.

A problem with too many web development projects is that we think they are about technology, which they are decidedly not. That’s right. They are primarily communication projects. And they are training projects. And they are certainly culture-shifting projects in most cases, in most education organizations.

You need the right technology, for sure. So for example, don’t let anyone tell you that a piece of software designed for, say, Intranets, is suitable for public-facing web sites. They are different animals, with different audiences and different purposes.

But – and we say this with utmost respect for our IT brothers and sisters on whom our very lives depend – neither should you believe that your web development project is really about technology, or driven by technology considerations. You are destined to fail if you do.

Fizzle Busting seeks to ensure that your large scale web communication projects meet your communication objectives, that they are sustainable, and that leadership and staff are on the same page, not just during development but for years to come.

This sometimes requires entire continents to shift.

Have you ever thought how essential it is to have buy-in from your schools and school administrators? How do you accomplish that?

What is the management or budgeting structure of your organization? Does your web project fly in the face of this or reinforce it?

Do you have web staff? Do you even need web staff? More importantly, do you have ongoing training to support those whose task it is to publish content? Is the support they need related to communication or the use of technology?

Is there a communications mandate or are there administrative job descriptions that reflect possibly new demands from mass web publishing? And does this mandate flow back and forth from the online world to the many other modes and mediums of communication?

If you’ve thought of all these things, good on you. If this is messing with your assumptions, we’re glad, and willing to help. The good news is that it is indeed possible to very effectively address these and other critical issues that can threaten the very life of a big investment in communication technology. We’re always pleased when we see people do things well, especially when it comes to education. Just be careful about how you proceed.