Guide to Accelerating New Technology Adoption through Directed Technology Transfer (2014)

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30 Tier 1: Foundational/ Organizational Components • Address Societal and Legal Issues • Have an Effective Champion • Engage Decision Makers • Develop a T2 Plan • Identify, Inform, and Engage Stakeholders • Identify and Secure Resources An effective champion is a basic element of guided T2. In fact, the influence of champions with a positive bias for change is well documented in several of Everett M. Rogers’ works, including his classic text on technology innovation, Diffusion of Innovations, 5th edition (2003), and also in an article addressing specifics on T2, “The Nature of Technology Transfer” (Rogers, 2002). In Diffusion of Innovations, Rogers describes champions of innovation as “individuals in an organization who provide enthusiastic support for a particular new idea” (2003). He further characterizes champions as those “[who] may connect an innovation with an organizational problem and may identify the financial or personnel resources needed to adopt and implement the new idea. Champions act as cheerleaders for technological innovations, including their transfer from external sources” (Rogers, 2003). When Rogers is discussing champions in “The Nature of Technology Transfer,” he states that, “A champion is defined as a charismatic indi- vidual who throws his or her support behind an innovation, thus overcoming the indifference or resistance that the new idea may provoke. Research has shown that innovation champions may be powerful individuals in an organization, or they may be lower-level individuals who possess the ability to coordinate the actions of others” (2002). Rogers acknowledges that it is certainly not bad to have a highly placed, powerful individual within an organization to be a champion, but he also notes that those who are less senior are more accessible to others in the organization: The important qualities of champions were that they (1) occupied a key linking position in their or- ganization, (2) possessed analytical and intuitive skills in understanding various individuals’ aspirations, and (3) demonstrated well-honed interpersonal and negotiating skills in working with other people in their organization. Thus champions were brokers and arrangers for an innovation in an organization, helping fit it into the organizational context. (Rogers, 2003) C H A P T E R 3 Have an Effective Champion 1. Is there an effective champion? If yes, proceed to the next question. If no or unsure, proceed to the component discussion. 2. Does the named champion meet all needs/expectations? If yes, proceed to the next question. If no or unsure, proceed to the component discussion. 3. Would you like to review the champion’s role? If yes, proceed to component discussion. If no, proceed to the next component.

Have an Effective Champion 31 Rogers’s discussion on the role and characteristics of champions clearly describes an aspect of T2 relevant to transportation practice. Transportation practitioners also acknowledge the critical influence of champions for T2 efforts. In NCHRP Synthesis 355: Transportation Technology Transfer: Successes, Challenges, and Needs, state DOT research units and Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP)/Tribal Technical Assistance Program (TTAP) representatives identified the presence of a champion as a highly important strategy or factor affecting T2: Champions were drawn from the practitioners, from management, and from within advisory com- mittees. If champions had not been identified, respondents [to surveys administered for the syn- thesis] advised finding them and involving them directly in the project. Champions facilitate T2 by perseverance—not giving up until the project succeeded, they foster user ownership, recognize future benefits, provide needed impetus for introduction to change, and create faster buy-in with management and workers. (Harder and Benke, 2005) T2 involves change—fostering the movement from the current and most likely familiar to something new, innovative, and potentially unfamiliar. Champions help span the gap that exists between the current-familiar to the new-unfamiliar. Effective Champion: Geosynthetic Reinforced Soil in Defiance County, Ohio Geosynthetic Reinforced Soil—Integrated Bridge System (GRS–IBS) is an Acceler- ated Bridge Construction (ABC) technique that focuses on the application of soil stabilization technology for bridge substructure construction. Used primarily for bridges on low-volume roads, GRS–IBS technology can reduce the costs of stan- dard bridge construction by 25% to 30% (Adams et al., 2008). In 2005, Defiance County, Ohio, teamed with the FHWA to build a prototype GRS–IBS bridge in 6 weeks, rather than the conventional several months, and realized cost savings of 25%. Based upon the success of that prototype, the County Engineer champi- oned the technology by recognizing its value and making a commitment to using it throughout the county. Working in collaboration with his FHWA partners and serving as a local champion, the County Engineer not only succeeded in build- ing the prototype bridge for less money and in a shorter time, but he went on to realize more benefits for the county by building at least 18 more bridges with the GRS technology with local resources. Committing county resources (person- nel and financial) to further the deployment of this technology demonstrated his commitment to champion the technology. He further championed the tech- nology by co-authoring a paper (Adams, 2008) about the prototype bridge built with FHWA that included empirical evidence about the construction technique as well as the stability of the completed bridge so that others could benefit. FHWA’s research geotechnical engineer provided both design and construction assistance to the initial bridge construction, strengthening the effect of the local champion, who tapped this nationally available expertise to further the work to be done in Ohio. In addition, the County Engineer recognized that FHWA also serves a champion for the technology, by providing webinars, training videos, design guides, and standard plans to help promote and disseminate the technology for Ohio as well as throughout the United States (U.S. DOT, 2011). http://www.fhwa. dot.gov/publications/research/infrastructure/structures/11027/index.cfm http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/infrastructure/structures/ 11026/11026.pdf (U.S. DOT, 2012)

32 Guide to Accelerating New Technology Adoption through Directed Technology Transfer Champions fulfill their role through their technical credibility, contagious enthusiasm, per- severance, and interpersonal skills. The presence of such advocacy for the T2 activity is highly desirable, and significant effort should be made to ensure that such talent is available for each transfer task undertaken. Both the general literature and transportation experience suggest that without a champion, a T2 effort is particularly difficult. Champions can emerge from various sources associated with T2 activity, for example, from upper management who extend organizational power to foster buy-in, supply resources, and ensure willing recipients of change. However, drawing attention to T2 at that level does not routinely occur unless the activity is a highly visible, high-risk, or politically hot issue (Rogers, 2003). For the most part, T2 champions for transportation applications are found in middle management or among operational and technical staff who are perceived as knowl- edgeable and credible by their peers and colleagues. Often these champions are located in the organization that will be using the outcome of the transfer, but they can be highly credible individuals who are strong advocates for change from outside the ultimate user organiza- tion, as well. For a practitioner looking to enlist all the strategies possible to increase the likelihood of suc- cessful T2, identifying a competent and effective champion to assist in facilitating the guided T2 effort is essential. In many guided T2 efforts, a champion self-identifies simply by being an informed innovator, the most vocal technically credible advocate for the transfer effort. These champions are convinced that the technology (knowledge, process, or technique) is beneficial and should be considered or used. In other guided T2 efforts, careful review of technically com- petent people may be required to surface a champion. Considerations Regarding a Champion What Actions Should Be Considered? Assess the availability of a champion • Has a champion self-identified? Are the capabilities of this champion adequate? • Does a champion need to be identified? • Is there a champion at the executive level of the organization? • Who is the credible, capable, and available champion from middle management or operational/technical staff? • Does the champion have experience managing and negotiating interagency and regulatory issues (budget, environmental protection, legislative, etc.)? • Has the champion worked with decision makers of other agencies to successfully resolve such issues previously? Identify (name) and establish a champion for the guided T2 effort • Formally recognize the champion(s), whether self-identified or named though an organiza- tional selection process • Provide support as appropriate to facilitate the champion’s activities The goal of the assessment is to formally identify a champion for the guided T2 activity. There may be significant challenges in identifying and establishing a champion, yet getting a capable champion is critical. Additionally, support of the champion, once formally identified, will enhance the champion’s effectiveness. If no champion can be identified, revisiting the viability of the guided T2 effort may be necessary.

Have an Effective Champion 33 What Are Some of the Challenges and Barriers to Identifying and Establishing a Credible, Capable, and Available Champion? • Recognizing a champion • Getting a qualified champion to emerge • Accurately defining the champion’s role • Shortcomings associated with the champion – Lack of credibility with peers and others – Inadequate technical competence – Lack of focus on organizational objectives – Collateral duties that reduce availability – Overpowering or misdirected advocacy – Intolerance for administrative processes • Reluctance for management to approve/endorse a champion • Champion not located in the organization that will use the outcome of the guided T2 effort • Lack of resources hinders effectiveness of champion • Turnover/loss of champion mid-effort • Managing the executive-level champion What Are Some of the Tools or Strategies to Overcome the Challenges Encountered? Recognizing a champion • List the characteristics of a champion and match them with potential people who may fill the role • Describe the expectations of the champion’s role and discuss the availability of a champion with management • Scan for potential champions Getting a qualified champion to emerge • Identify and explain the need for an effective champion to potential champions • Communicate role, responsibilities, and expectations as described above • Work with the champion’s management to remove barriers for the champion’s engagement Accurately defining the champion’s role • Describe responsibilities and expectations • Identify unique conditions for the specific transfer effort that can affect the champion’s role • Work with the champion to better define the T2 plan and the champion’s role Address shortcomings associated with the champion • Improve credibility with peers and others – Determine where credibility can be strengthened, add others with well-accepted talents to assist the champion – Communicate the champion’s competence – Strengthen the champion’s image with peers – Engage management support to endorse the champion’s credibility • Improve technical competence – Provide technical training and education to strengthen the champion’s understanding of the technology – Identify others with superior technical competence to partner with the champion as needed

34 Guide to Accelerating New Technology Adoption through Directed Technology Transfer • Improve strategic skills and marketing and communication competence – Provide opportunities for training and mentoring to enhance interpersonal skills such as building influence, trust, and credibility; exercising creative solutions; and problem solving and other skills associated with marketing and communications such as public speaking and team building • Focus on organizational objectives and T2 goals – Create well-articulated statement of the T2 goals and how they align with organizational objectives – Have regular meetings with the champion to ensure focus – Listen to the champion for indications of other productive avenues for T2 • Reduce collateral duties that reduce availability – Communicate a clear definition of the roles and responsibilities of the champion to his or her managers and review with them the earlier commitment given (accountability) – Identify support needs that can be provided by others to assist the champion – Provide tools to assist the champion in maximizing his or her sphere of influence • Direct proper levels of advocacy – Provide open and honest communication with the champion regarding effectiveness – Limit or redefine the champion’s role to focus on strengths – Show performance successes when advocacy is appropriate—reinforce the successes – Review the T2 plan to redirect energies • Embrace administrative processes – Find staff support to assist the champion – Provide tools to ease administrative burdens—travel, communication, seminar support Reluctance for management to approve/endorse a champion • Define responsibilities and role of the champion that engages the champion’s management • Get a formal agreement (if necessary) for the champion’s involvement • Provide administrative support to focus the champion on priority activities Champion not located in the organization that will use the outcome of the guided T2 effort • Provide opportunities for the champion to engage and interact with necessary participants in the guided T2 effort • Create marketing information to boost the credibility of the champion in the organization receiving the outcomes of the guided T2 effort Lack of resources hinders effectiveness of champion • Enlist the support and assistance of supporters in the champion’s agency or other agencies as appropriate, to help identify and either avoid or surmount potential obstacles (legal, regula- tory, budgetary, etc.) to successful guided T2 effort • A champion promoting an innovation may not recognize that a lack of any of the varieties of resources may be hindering progress. If the potential for a successful guided T2 effort is high, approach the champion about what resources could make a difference • Work with the champion to identify potential suppliers of the needed resources and identify a benefit-to-cost argument to show the advantage of supplying the resources • Solicit decision makers to make the needed resources available • Follow up with the champion to assess the impact of the resources and inform the suppliers of the resources of the impact • Also refer to the identify and secure resources component Turnover/loss of champion mid-effort • Help the champion create or identify an “understudy” champion during the course of the project

Have an Effective Champion 35 • Capture knowledge of the champion prior to departure • Get agreement from management to encourage the initial champion to consult with the new champion Managing the executive-level champion • Identify the executive’s vision for the outcome of the guided T2 activity • Get the executive to identify priorities (if possible) for the guided T2 effort • Identify the executive’s role to maximize effectiveness of the guided T2 effort • Provide support—marketing and communications to enhance visibility for the effort Suggested Readings Adams, M., W. Schlatter, and T. Stabile, “Geosynthetic Reinforced Soil Integrated Bridge System.” Proceedings from the EuroGeo4 Conference, EuroGeo4 Paper number 271 (2008). Accessed June 6, 2013. ftp://ww4.dnr. wa.gov/eng/terratech/GRS%20documents/11%20EuroGeo4_0271rev1.pdf Harder, B. T., and R. Benke, NCHRP Synthesis of Highway Practice 355: Transportation Technology Transfer: Successes, Challenges, and Needs. Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, Washington, D.C. (2005). Higgins, M., C. J. Weiner, and L. Young, “Implementation Teams: A New Lever for Organization Change.” The Journal of Organizational Behavior, Vol. 33(3) (April 2012), pp. 366–388. Hunter, S. T., and L. Cushenberry, “Leading for Innovation: Direct and Indirect Influences.” Advances in Develop- ing Human Resources, Vol. 13, No. 3 (August 2011), pp. 248–265. Rogers, E. M., Diffusion of Innovations, 5th Edition, Simon & Schuster, Inc., New York, NY (2003), pp. 414–417 and 434. Rogers, E. M., “The Nature of Technology Transfer.” Science Communication, Vol. 23, No. 3 (2002) pp. 323–336.