Big East adds Tom Jernstedt as advisor

[Abode4life]

As a leader, if she isn't getting the resources to do the job she was hired for, you need to make your business case known...not sit back.  Who says she has to yell "bloody murder" in public? 

You do know it is standard to hire agencies in just about all schools and conferences?  That the conference staff is lean and they set the strategy, budgets and direction in conjunction with their partners?  Marquette uses Nelligan Sports...and I have to say MU has done a very good job integrating their efforts as of late.

Yes I do know that, but when Val started, she was the only Big East employee...The American Athletic took everyone.  You expect her to wave her wand, bring in agencies, direct them in all facets of what makes a conference run, and also look for office space, hire full time staff (since she had none), and oh yeah four months is her measuring stick. 

I just think you are being way unreasonable with what you expect to get done in four months.  Granted, if next year isn't a remarkable improvement, absolutely I am with you.

[mu03eng]

Is there an organization in place prior to Ackerman to support marketing?  No and that is the members fault

Has Ackerman put an organization in place since?  Bits and pieces but doesn't seem significant, that's on Ackerman

Are there things like sponsorships and marketing deals in place at the championships?  No, some of that is on the schools, some on the parent organization.

Has there been any progress, doesn't seem like much if any.  Yes it takes an organization to do these things, but that organization should have been in place prior(schools fault) and should be in place now(Ackerman's fault)

[Pakuni]

Has there been any progress, doesn't seem like much if any.  Yes it takes an organization to do these things, but that organization should have been in place prior(schools fault) and should be in place now(Ackerman's fault)

I'm legitimately curious ... what's your knowledge of the organization in place, where/how did you come about that knowledge and what's your basis for asserting there's been little, if any, progress?

[mu03eng]

I'm legitimately curious ... what's your knowledge of the organization in place, where/how did you come about that knowledge and what's your basis for asserting there's been little, if any, progress?

Look at the webpage, under leadership it is only Val Ackerman there is no about section or FAQ or staff directory

Now look at the ACC
http://www.theacc.com/#!/page/StaffDirectory

or the AAC
http://theamerican.org/staff.aspx

Or look at the results, pretty minimal, so does that tell you there is a staff in place or not.  If there is no staff in place what's the hold up?  If there is a stay in place what are they delivering?

[mu03eng]

Not to mention the article that started this thread, the need to bring in an adviser to create a strategic plan....4 months after Ackerman should have had a strategic plan.  You don't take on this job without a very detailed 90 day plan.  And if she had a 90 plan and accomplished it without a strategic plan being one of the outputs than she is incompetent.

[Pakuni]

Look at the webpage, under leadership it is only Val Ackerman there is no about section or FAQ or staff directory

Now look at the ACC
http://www.theacc.com/#!/page/StaffDirectory

or the AAC
http://theamerican.org/staff.aspx

Or look at the results, pretty minimal, so does that tell you there is a staff in place or not.  If there is no staff in place what's the hold up?  If there is a stay in place what are they delivering?

It's a stretch to suggest that because the staff isn't listed on the website then no staff exists, isn't it?

[Pakuni]

Not to mention the article that started this thread, the need to bring in an adviser to create a strategic plan....4 months after Ackerman should have had a strategic plan.  You don't take on this job without a very detailed 90 day plan.  And if she had a 90 plan and accomplished it without a strategic plan being one of the outputs than she is incompetent.

Have you ever taken part in the creation of a strategic plan. Claiming Ackerman  should have had one in place before she even started, or even four months into the job, suggests you haven't. No organization the size of the Big East develops a strategic plan that quickly, especially when there are much more pressing issues to address - such as putting the infrastructure in place to conduct an actual season.
Also, the story does not, in fact, say Jernstedt is being brought in to create a strategic plan. It states that he's been brought in to help in the process, as well as in several other areas.

Seriously, this thread is becoming more evidence (like the FS1 preseason show thread) that Scoopers will complain about anything. Here we have the league being praised for bringing in a highly respected advisor to help it continue to get off the ground, and some of you turn it into a b*tchfest about a website you'll never visit.

[Spotcheck Billy]

the schedule is out and Bball will be played on time - job well done <clap>

[mu03eng]

Have you ever taken part in the creation of a strategic plan. Claiming Ackerman  should have had one in place before she even started, or even four months into the job, suggests you haven't. No organization the size of the Big East develops a strategic plan that quickly, especially when there are much more pressing issues to address - such as putting the infrastructure in place to conduct an actual season.
Also, the story does not, in fact, say Jernstedt is being brought in to create a strategic plan. It states that he's been brought in to help in the process, as well as in several other areas.

Seriously, this thread is becoming more evidence (like the FS1 preseason show thread) that Scoopers will complain about anything. Here we have the league being praised for bringing in a highly respected advisor to help it continue to get off the ground, and some of you turn it into a b*tchfest about a website you'll never visit.

Not to go all Chicos, but I manage a $10 mil product business and I had a strategic plan in place 60 days into my role(there were all sorts of pieces all over the place from previous management) and grew the business 20% over the last 3 years.  I've done this sort of thing for 10 years...I know a thing or two about strategic plans, product development, and marketing as well as rolling out new products(We've launched 4 in the last 1.5 years).  It's not like I don't know what I'm talking about.

My point, which you want to take to extremes, is there is a basic level of delivery 4 months in that should be more than just having a sports league running and a crappy website.  I haven't seen that delivered.  How hard is it have an org chart up?  What if I'm a potential sponsor, who do I contact, Ackerman??  At no point am I calling for Ackerman's or anybodys ouster.  I'm willing to give them the year Sultan and Warriorchick suggest, it's perfectly reasonable.  However, it also entirely fair to say to date they have not delivered what should have been delivered a week prior to a new league go live.  Some of that is on the schools, some on Ackerman.

I showed you mine, how big is yours? 

[keefe]

First of all, I'm not exactly sure what major "launch" you were expecting and how she failed to deliver.  Fox seems to be promoting the heck out of the product, including putting together a pre-season show that focused entirely on men's basketball.  

Second, I lay the entirety of the web-site's problems on the member schools.  That should have been outsourced immediately and completed by July 1.

Look, I have no idea if she is going to be good or not.  I think she walked into a situation that was very bare bones.  But I am struggling to see something that she has done wrong.  I agree with warriorchick that you have to give her a year to see what the results are.  (And the parallels to Yahoo are laughable.  The situations are nowhere near the same.)

Once again your lack of sophistication is showing. But you are correct on one point: it is not about Yahoo. It is about Yahoo's CEO who came into a directionless enterprise and energized it immediately. It is about leadership. Mayer is a leader. Ackerman is a bureaucrat. The Big East could have done much better in every way.

[Abode4life]

Not to go all Chicos, but I manage a $10 mil product business and I had a strategic plan in place 60 days into my role(there were all sorts of pieces all over the place from previous management) and grew the business 20% over the last 3 years.  I've done this sort of thing for 10 years...I know a thing or two about strategic plans, product development, and marketing as well as rolling out new products(We've launched 4 in the last 1.5 years).  It's not like I don't know what I'm talking about.

My point, which you want to take to extremes, is there is a basic level of delivery 4 months in that should be more than just having a sports league running and a crappy website.  I haven't seen that delivered.  How hard is it have an org chart up?  What if I'm a potential sponsor, who do I contact, Ackerman??  At no point am I calling for Ackerman's or anybodys ouster.  I'm willing to give them the year Sultan and Warriorchick suggest, it's perfectly reasonable.  However, it also entirely fair to say to date they have not delivered what should have been delivered a week prior to a new league go live.  Some of that is on the schools, some on Ackerman.

I showed you mine, how big is yours? 

So what information do you have that there is none in place?  Having a plan and implementing one is vastly different.  So you have grown your business (most likely a division of an already established company) and then grew the business over the last 3 years.  How was growth in 4 months?

Lets be real here.  In the Big East Media Days, Ackerman talked a little bit about what she was doing the past four months and that was find office space and build a staff.  (That was probably step 1 in the strategic plan) She also talked about how she was able to visit each school during that time.  Most likely getting additional input on where the conference should go and probably also what else can be leveraged.  

The fact that people are ripping on everything after four months is ridiculous.  Have there been issues?  Yes.  Is it Hiroshima and our conference cannot succeed because of it?  No.  Granted, you agreed that we should give them a year but the others who are acting like its the end of the world are just being ridiculous.  Give them time and if we still have some fumbling after a full year, then I'll be with you all complaining.  

[Abode4life]

And heading off the "all she was able to do was find an office, visit schools, and hire some people" comment.  Thats all that I know she has done as thats what I have heard her say in interviews.  If you have other information that she is not working hard and making strides, then feel free to prove me wrong. 

[GGGG]

Once again your lack of sophistication is showing. But you are correct on one point: it is not about Yahoo. It is about Yahoo's CEO who came into a directionless enterprise and energized it immediately. It is about leadership. Mayer is a leader. Ackerman is a bureaucrat. The Big East could have done much better in every way.

Nevermind....you aren't worth my time.

[keefe]

Keefe, that is a crazy bad comparison....just crazy bad.

C'mon Jamie it's about leadership. And after 4 months they bring in another bureaucrat. This isn't comparing Yahoo to the Big East (or vice versa.) It's about leadership.

Ackerman's number one priority is to build the Big East brand. How do I know it's not working? Because everyday on ESPN I hear mainstream journalists refer to it as the "NEW BIG EAST!" I can think of no more compelling indictment of Ackerman's ineptitude.

 

[mu03eng]

So what information do you have that there is none in place?  Having a plan and implementing one is vastly different.  So you have grown your business (most likely a division of an already established company) and then grew the business over the last 3 years.  How was growth in 4 months?

Lets be real here.  In the Big East Media Days, Ackerman talked a little bit about what she was doing the past four months and that was find office space and build a staff.  (That was probably step 1 in the strategic plan) She also talked about how she was able to visit each school during that time.  Most likely getting additional input on where the conference should go and probably also what else can be leveraged.  

The fact that people are ripping on everything after four months is ridiculous.  Have there been issues?  Yes.  Is it Hiroshima and our conference cannot succeed because of it?  No.  Granted, you agreed that we should give them a year but the others who are acting like its the end of the world are just being ridiculous.  Give them time and if we still have some fumbling after a full year, then I'll be with you all complaining.  

If you could send the hyperbole machine in for servicing so we could have a moment of level talk that would be great.  

No one said anything about Hiroshima or abject failure or the pastors wife in the corner screaming please god would someone please think about the children.  The point is, to date things have been a disappointment...the article to start the thread raises some concerns about the organization being a little rudderless and delayed....lets hope this turns around....that's it, full stop.

[mu03eng]

Also for the record, hiring Tom Jernstedt is a great move, it should have been done 3 months ago, but it's a strong move to get the organizational pieces together.  I hope a year from now someone thread necromances this thing and we're all laughing at what an idiot I am(as I am most times).  I just have some misgivings and the interwebs were built for misgivings and I've got a bad feeling about this.

[GGGG]

C'mon Jamie it's about leadership. And after 4 months they bring in another bureaucrat. This isn't comparing Yahoo to the Big East (or vice versa.) It's about leadership.

OK...why do you keep calling her a bureaucrat?  If you look at her background, that isn't how I would describe her.

[brewcity77]

Once again your lack of sophistication is showing. But you are correct on one point: it is not about Yahoo. It is about Yahoo's CEO who came into a directionless enterprise and energized it immediately. It is about leadership. Mayer is a leader. Ackerman is a bureaucrat. The Big East could have done much better in every way.

If you were just one-tenth as smart as you think you are, they surely would have declared you long of the world by now.

[mu03eng]

And heading off the "all she was able to do was find an office, visit schools, and hire some people" comment.  Thats all that I know she has done as thats what I have heard her say in interviews.  If you have other information that she is not working hard and making strides, then feel free to prove me wrong. 

So we are at the "you prove that I'm not wrong...no you prove I'm not right stage"?  This thread can officially close for business.  

It is a legitimate point that we don't have enough evidence to draw a complete conclusion, but I've seen enough to be concerned.  Seems you and Pakuni and Sultan are comfortable with everything to date.  Great, let's hope you're right and we'll see.

[keefe]

Also for the record, hiring Tom Jernstedt is a great move, it should have been done 3 months ago, but it's a strong move to get the organizational pieces together.  I hope a year from now someone thread necromances this thing and we're all laughing at what an idiot I am(as I am most times).  I just have some misgivings and the interwebs were built for misgivings and I've got a bad feeling about this.

I agree bringing in Jernstedt is a good move but only because the Commissioner isn't getting it done. But from his CV it would appear he is far more administrator and much less visionary. Ackerman would seem to excel at neither so the conference consistently referred to as the "New Big East" still has major deficiencies in its leadership portfolio.

[Pakuni]

Not to go all Chicos, but I manage a $10 mil product business and I had a strategic plan in place 60 days into my role(there were all sorts of pieces all over the place from previous management) and grew the business 20% over the last 3 years.  I've done this sort of thing for 10 years...I know a thing or two about strategic plans, product development, and marketing as well as rolling out new products(We've launched 4 in the last 1.5 years).  It's not like I don't know what I'm talking about.

My point, which you want to take to extremes, is there is a basic level of delivery 4 months in that should be more than just having a sports league running and a crappy website.  I haven't seen that delivered.  How hard is it have an org chart up?  What if I'm a potential sponsor, who do I contact, Ackerman??  At no point am I calling for Ackerman's or anybodys ouster.  I'm willing to give them the year Sultan and Warriorchick suggest, it's perfectly reasonable.  However, it also entirely fair to say to date they have not delivered what should have been delivered a week prior to a new league go live.  Some of that is on the schools, some on Ackerman.

I showed you mine, how big is yours?  

Well, if we're going to bring out a measuring stick and all, I've been part of the creation of a strategic plan for an entity with revenues of more than $85 million annually (at the time, today it's over $100 million, for which I take and deserve no credit).
This is something we took many months creating, making sure that all stakeholders had their say and opportunities to review before publishing, and we did so with the benefit of an already well-established model, staff and hierarchy (the organization is well over a century old).
Ackerman had none of these benefits, and yet you think a strategic plan is reasonable within a few weeks? Perhaps we're talking past one another, and your understanding of a strategic plan is different from my own.
And congrats on your success.

[keefe]

OK...why do you keep calling her a bureaucrat?  If you look at her background, that isn't how I would describe her.

Let me ask you this: what reaction do you have when every Mike DeCourcy writes about the "New Big East?" There are sins of omission and sins of commission.

There has been a stunning lack of productivity at a critical juncture. Great leaders inspire and deliver tangible results.   

[Abode4life]

If you could send the hyperbole machine in for servicing so we could have a moment of level talk that would be great.  

No one said anything about Hiroshima or abject failure or the pastors wife in the corner screaming please god would someone please think about the children.  The point is, to date things have been a disappointment...the article to start the thread raises some concerns about the organization being a little rudderless and delayed....lets hope this turns around....that's it, full stop.

Full stop + two more.  The article to start was about hiring Jernstedt (which I agree with you looks great).  You and others then read into the following quote:
"The new-look Big East is still getting its house in order, trying to figure out where exactly it fits in the college basketball hierarchy, trying to best determine how to maximize its potential."

And I don't think anyone out there can disagree with that statement.  However, if you are trying to bring in real quality people (like it seems they are with the couple known hires they have made), you can't just snap your fingers and get people to jump ship and join you.  

Speak of the devil...Big East hires Amber Cox as Women's Hoops Admin.  Seems like she has some good experience with the Phoenix Mercury.
http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/10/29/3718334/big-east-hires-amber-cox-as-womens.html

[GGGG]

Let me ask you this: what reaction do you have when every Mike DeCourcy writes about the "New Big East?" There are sins of omission and sins of commission.

There has been a stunning lack of productivity at a critical juncture. Great leaders inspire and deliver tangible results.  

Before I answer your question, I would like you to answer mine.

[keefe]

I will note that you never addressed the question I asked you.

I answered it. Great leaders inspire. And build. She has done neither.