Target Fixation: Don’t be Oblivious to Hazards
A friend of mine used to train helicopter pilots during the first Gulf War. He used a term, “target fixation,” in which pilots would focus so completely on the target that they were completely oblivious to other obstacles or hazards.
I think many colleges are suffering from higher education’s version of target fixation with an enlarged devotion to evaluating and enhancing their academic core. Unfortunately, even as they focus on their academic cores, they are letting other issues slide. They seem to believe that a strong core offers enough protection in today’s turbulent times.
Based on my experience, it will not.
Before I go on, let me be perfectly clear: the academic core is of paramount importance. Strong colleges all have strong cores.
But strong colleges have more than strong cores. They have strong brands, strong recruiting, strong fundraising, strong retention, strong financial controls, and strong leadership.
It will always be important to focus attention on your core, but it must never become your sole fixation.
Photo by Jack Vance
