Lessons Learned from a Century of Success
This past week during the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Centennial Conference we had a great opportunity to hear from some outstanding speakers. However, Dr. Chester Fehlis, Director Emeritus for Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service provided us with five points within an Extension context that must be our focus if we are going to be successful in the future. With Dr. Fehlis’ permission we are sharing these five points as a reminder to our field managers who will be providing the leadership that will ensure Texas A&M AgriLife’s success for the next 100 years and beyond.
According to Dr. Fehlis (Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Centennial Conference, January 7, 2014) the following are lessoned learned in our history that will position Extension’s success in the future:
- Visionary Leadership- The visionary leadership that brought Extension through the first 100 years and it will be visionary leaders that will sustain us into the next 100 years. The wisdom, vision, creativity, ingenuity and leadership exhibited by those who created the Land Grant System and those who have since led it to be what it is today has truly positioned Extension for success in the future. So, it is extremely critical that Extension should staff leadership positions with individuals who are keenly aware of the issues and opportunities that face our clientele, and have a clear vision for what Extension can be in the future. People who are not just looking for a job, but people who are looking for a fulfilling career, willing to devote their lives in service to others and have a passion for accomplishing the mission of Extension. People who are continually scanning state-of-the-art technologies, research, trends and needs of our clientele will keep Extension on the cutting edge. And always have their feet firmly planted on the ground with their eyes focused on the future.
- Embrace change- Change is the norm; the variables are the intensity and the speed. And aren’t we glad there is change!! If not, we would still be running to the outdoor privy, and riding a horse and buggy everywhere. The principle for organizations, businesses and culture in general today is “you are either changing to meet your clientele needs or you are going backwards.” There is no maintaining status quo and generally no good reason to do so. We must accept the fact that when we represent one of the absolute best University Systems in the world, doing the job of taking cutting edge research and education out to the people of this state, nation and the world, those people expect us to embrace, seek, lead and facilitate change in every event, activity and situation, every day. We cannot be afraid of or reject change. That is a major requirement of every staff member. Just consider in your mind the tremendous changes that had to take place to get us where we are today. More importantly, try to envision what changes are going to occur in the next 30 or so years that will change the way you do your jobs and our clientele do their jobs. We must have that vision today and prepare our entire staff to understand the need for us to change as the needs of our clientele change.
- Relevancy- We have learned over the last 100 years that to survive and continue to grow in importance to the people of Texas, all aspects of Extension must continue to be relevant. The question of relevance is examined by our clientele and our funding sources every day. A good example of this happened in 1999. The Texas legislature had the historic task of developing the first State of Texas budget for the 21st century (i.e., the 2000 and 2001 fiscal years). There was lots of hype about the start of the new century and a general feeling of a need to reexamine everything, and every agency and their accomplishments in preparation for year 2000 and the new century. In anticipation of that session, I scheduled a meeting with the Speaker of the House who happened to be the Honorable Pete Laney, a cotton farmer from Hale Center up near Lubbock. He was a great friend of Extension garnered by the fact that he was an active farmer whose family was highly involved in 4-H and Extension Homemakers, and he greatly appreciated the work of our local county agents and the district staff at the Lubbock Center. And, he was considered the most influential leader in Texas Government – other than the Governor. As I discussed some of the funding needs for Extension for the next two years, Mr. Laney asked me a question that I will never forget. He asked “do you think Extension will continue be relevant in the 21st century?” He shared his thoughts that there was becoming many ways for farmers, homemakers, gardeners, communities, businesses and youth to get information – implying the question “will we still need Extension?” He was quick to compliment Extension as being one of the most important agencies to the economic and social growth of Texas in the 20th century. His statement wasn’t a criticism. With his roots in agriculture and observing all we had done for him and his family, it was actually a desperate plea of “Texas really needs Extension to be relevant in the 21st century.” Well, as you can imagine lots of meetings and conferences occurred after that day and when it came to our appropriations request, it was loaded with things that were focused on keeping Extension relevant in the 21st century. And today after 100 years of Extension, there will be more challenges of that type in the future. And so today, I will echo that desperate plea of Mr. Laney’s words “Texas needs Extension to continue to be relevant for the next 100 years.” We must be willing to meet the challenge. It will not be easy. But neither was it easy for those Extension professionals over the last 100 years.
- We must maintain the unique position of being an honest to goodness grassroots organization- A lot organizations claim to be grassroots but Extension is truly grassroots. This means utilizing a valid process of Involving the people living in every county in the state in identifying the key issues in their life, families, communities and businesses. These issues then allow Extension a valid path to establish programmatic priorities to address those needs. This is truly a unique approach to education that only Extension can effectively accomplish. Our network of having local Extension educators serving every county in Texas is one of the greatest assets of this agency. As a Texas A&M agency with the cadre of outstanding teaching, research and extension faculty on the campuses and at the Research and Extension Centers, the success of Extension hinges on (1) the critical flow of the research information through the expertise of our Extension specialists and agents into the hands of the local users, and (2) the flow of honest and sincere input on critical needs and issues of the users back to the University. Don’t forget that all politics are local because every politician is elected to by the local people. Austin or Washington D.C. is only where they work; back home is where they are accountable.
- The fifth lesson from the last 100 years is that we are associated with one of the greatest, most unique, ingeniously organized, highly respected, effective organizations in the world- It has withstood 100 years of struggles, challenges, change, good times, difficult times, growth and reductions and 17 different US presidents and 15 state Extension Directors. It is a unique agency of collaborations, cooperation, partnerships and associations at the local, state and national levels. And with all of that, it still works and is getting better. Consider that it is one of the few successful agencies created by federal, state and county authority – thus the term Cooperative Extension Program. Every Director has at some time has argued in Washington, Austin and with a County Commissioners Court about the bargain they have as the costs are shared between the three to maintain this amazing national network of educators. And with the county affiliation and presence of local educators, the partnership becomes priceless in the political environment. Another unique collaboration we enjoy is our affiliation with the Land Grant Institutions. This affiliation links the University teaching, research and extension faculty in a national network of cooperation that benefits each of the parts as well as virtually every person in America. Another strength lies in the original Smith Lever act that directed our programs to work in the areas of “Agriculture, Home Economics and subjects related thereto” which since 1914 has evolved to almost any subject related to life today. And thus our program focus to agriculture and natural resources, family and consumer sciences or human sciences, community economic development and 4-H and youth development provides Extension a world of opportunity and a world of people to work with. What is truly amazing is that over a period of almost 60 years from 1857 when the Morrill Act was first introduced in congress, until 1914 when the Smith Lever Act finally passed, a national system of education, research and extension was created specifically for the benefit of the people of that time – and yet 100 years later it is still a highly successful system that has dramatically changed the world and is the envy of countries around the world.
As we reflect on Dr. Fehlis’ remarks it is important to remember that County Extension Agents, District/County Extension Support Staff members and Extension Assistants/Associates are looking to our field management for leadership! It is important to embrace the concept that Texas A&M AgriLife Extension will continue to be relevant in the future if we continually evolve as an agency. The future of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension is bright but only if revolutionary thinking and action is employed by bold and progressive leaders who have the vision, courage, and capability to lead such change (Fehlis, 2005) .
References
Fehlis, C. P. (2005). A call for visionary leadership. Journal of Extension [On-line] 43(1) Article 1COMM1. Available at: http://www.joe.org/joe/2005february/comm1.shtml
Fehlis, C.P. (2014).Sustaining the Legacy……Lessons Learned from a Century of Success. Presentation during the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Centennial Conference.
This Article was Posted by Drs. Darrell A. Dromgoole and Susan Ballabina, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service.
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