SUPERSTAR SUPPORT STAFF PART II
BLAKE SEUFERT: DAYS OF OUR DIGITAL LIVES
McKinnon's Information Technology Support Manager, Blake Seufert is right at home sitting in his office amidst the background noise: the hum of the high tech equipment and the energetic buzz of his techno-savvy team. Blake and his seven colleagues are ever-ready to take on the various daily challenges that lie in store for them.
Blake has worked at McKinnon Secondary College for nine happy years so it surprised me when he confessed that he hadn't enjoyed his secondary schooling. He couldn't wait to leave school at the end of year 12, and gave a sigh of relief when he departed knowing that he'd never have to set foot inside a school again...
After a stint with one of Australia's biggest retail groups where the priority was primarily dollars and cents, Blake became disillusioned with the corporate world. That, coupled with the lack of any personal connection, forced him to re-evaluate his options. Ironically an employment agency suggested that he'd be the perfect fit for an administrative role in a school. As luck would have it he was offered the role at McKinnon Secondary College. It's back to school again for you Blake! (He now admits that after working at McKinnon he is reinvigorated and his faith in the state education system has been restored).
The IT Help Desk is the beating pulse of the school building, and Information Technology staff are usually under the pump having to work with complicated internal systems. As information technology underpins all aspects of school life it's necessary to employ a team of highly skilled staff who are comfortable knowing all of their colleagues and students rely on them to deliver "just in time" information.
I'm curious about the strategies Blake employs for developing an effective team...
Declaring: "Managing staff is one of the hardest things I've ever had to do". He shares his wisdom: autonomy, ownership and accountability. Each team member is asked to set their own objectives. He says he's taken a leaf out of the Principal, Pitsa's book. The two share the same philosophy for building strong teams: Autonomy, Mastery and Purpose. He confides: "Pitsa gave me 'enough rope' when I first started. It's all built around trust".
Blake's ultimate aim is to empower every staff member to solve their own problems so there's an intensive induction program for newcomers. When initiating projects he must clearly articulate the goals to all staff to ensure the investment is utilised.
Blake seems laid back, able to handle any crisis. I press him to tell me about the tricky times that may have stumped him...I'm fishing for problem situations that have tested his experience. Not so - "Only frustrating issues with internet connections or staff laptops that can sometimes be slow. I always try to simplify something that is very complex". Smart move... when in doubt this cool customer defers to someone who is further up the 'expert' chain!
Blake's expertise has been called on to advise schools in other states and in other sectors. He's worked with the Catholic Education Office in Western Australia and is a consultant for Google Chromebooks.
The Chromebook is a new, faster computer. It starts in seconds, and offers thousands of apps. McKinnon Secondary College is one of two "navigator schools". Their case studies are featured on its website and can be found on:
https://docs.google.com/a/google.com/file/d/0B__OTXR_u3RbcU1qSGpXcDh3cHc/edit
Click on this link to read an article Blake wrote about Chromebooks:
https://medium.com/educating-tomorrow/why-chromebooks-2aaee1c563f2
In an age of social connectedness this guy sure is well connected!
Blake is an enthusiastic member of the new McKinnon Environment Group, led by Dan Farthing. Its aim is to reduce waste and focus on sustainability for the school. Students will work on a research project and present their findings.
"I'm also in the early stages of working through a new initiative called 'Carbon Free Classrooms'. We are trying to reduce the energy we consume as a school and looking at ways we can produce energy. The eventual goal is to bring our cost of power to $0".
Interested in graphic design, Blake designed the school website and the iNewsletter. In his spare time he builds apps and he's currently making a D.I.Y. video clip to demonstrate the process. During the school holidays he'll spend two days conducting a Teaching and Learning Conference at the school and he's also launching a podcast early in Term 4.
Family is important to Blake. His wife is an intensive care nurse at St Vincent's Hospital. He speaks about her with much admiration. Together they have travelled extensively and on their most recent trip they visited 26 countries in four months.
Blake's brother Chris also worked at the school for four years. Blake was his boss! "He's a brainiac... a borderline genius when it comes to computers". His brother left to develop a do-it-yourself website company. Their mum, Merilyn, works in the school's Bursar's office.
So what's life like out of school hours for Blake? He likes his sport: he's a Leeds United Soccer Club fan, he played ice hockey for Melbourne Demons for years and he's a Cats (A.F.L.) supporter. He was a drummer in a rock band for a number of years and headlined at the Precinct Hotel (formally known as "The Depot") in Richmond. He and his wife are looking forward to moving in to their new house in East Brighton.
Blake is impressed to report that in 1974 McKinnon was the first school in Victoria to acquire a computer. He refers me to page 124 of "The Tradition of Excellence", a book that was compiled to celebrate the 60th anniversary of McKinnon Secondary College. (I have inserted an interesting photo and extract that was featured on the subject).
Looking ten years down the track what does Blake think life will hold for him? "I'd like to be impacting on a bigger scale, helping other schools. I want to be able to do something to make a better place for everyone. We've made such improvements, now it's evolutionary not revolutionary".
Blake applauds Steve Jobs and quotes the Information Technology guru: "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication".
It strikes me that this is an apt description of Blake. Beneath his supportive, confident, charming exterior, Blake has a million things going on but still manages to keep it simple.
Lee Collie
Public Relations Officer