Getting what you need from people who don't view the web as important.

There is not a single web person out there who hasn't had to deal with the harsh reality of people not seeing the power or value of the web. Whether they be upper administration or colleagues on your level, there will always be those who don't understand why the web should get any of their time. Unless you have a full blown web team with writers and designer and producers, chances are that you're going to have to work with other, non-web, professionals at your university....which can often lead to headaches. Your expertise is ignored. They don't deliver content on time. When they do deliver content, it is half-assed. Ultimately, this reflects on you since you are delivering the final product and you will perpetually feel like punching a wall.

But you have to work with them anyway. Since very few of us have a full-blown web team to work with, here are some strategies to get what you need out of your colleagues who may not see it as a good use of their time to provide material for the web:

1) Be proactive: Plan things in advance, instead of on the fly. You'll have a lot more ammo if you go to someone saying "You know three months ago that we were going to need this" rather than "You knew three days ago that we were going to need this." Involve them in the process of creating your master calendar so that they feel like they have buy-in.

2) Talk to people like they are human: All too often in higher education, people get very territorial and treat every other person they work with like they don't know what they are doing. We all get hired for a reason (seemingly because we are viewed as an expert on the day of our job interview) but those reasons tend to get tossed out the door as soon as we start the actual job part. Don't buy into this. Treat the people you work with like they are the experts that people saw in them on their interview. Make them feel like you respect them and their opinions and they will be much more open about having a dialogue with you regarding what you need from them. It also doesn't hurt if you ask them leading questions so that they feel like they came up with the ideas themselves (this tends to work more with men ;-) )

3) If all else fails, babysit: No one likes to babysit but it is sometimes necessary. Make sure that everyone knows their deadlines well in advance and that you have notified them in writing (preferably email). Remind them of the deadline EVERY TIME you have a conversation (in person or electronically) on the topic. Send last minute reminders before deadlines to check on progress. If they miss the deadline, send follow-up reminders. If missed deadlines are still a problem, make sure your (and their) supervisor knows of the issue and has the documentation.

Finally, make sure you use positive re-enforcement when people do what you need them to do. Thank them. Show them the results of their efforts. Make them feel like you value your contribution. I find that the words "thank you" or "great work" are so often ignored in our business and when you're having a bad or stressful day, knowing that people value your efforts can make all the difference. So be nice - but only AFTER you get your stuff. Being nice before then just makes you a pushover.