Transcript Report of the Pulse Working Group Nov 2011

Pulse Working Group
Warwick Business School
WBS Working Group: Group members: Andy Lockett (Chair), Lisa
Burton (secretary), Daniel Chicksand, Kam Johal, Tina Kiefer, Anne
McQuillan, Alessandro Palandri, Martin Parker, Sotirios Paroutis,
Cecelia Russell, Sue Shaw, Pat Sullivan, Flo Swann, Nigel Sykes,
Oliver Walmsley.
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Background to the PULSE Survey
•
Annual University PULSE Staff Survey (spring term).
•
PULSE outcomes are a “snapshot in time” set of descriptors that
enable leaders in the University to understand how their people feel
about their jobs, their department and the University.
•
In 2011, the survey was condensed to focus on the 3 key themes
that had emerged during the previous PULSE survey: leadership,
change management and communications.
•
All depts. reviewed their PULSE outcomes and agreed action plans.
•
In order to produce action plans, a number of departments set up
working groups to review their PULSE outcomes.
•
WBS working group to drill down into its PULSE responses, seek to
understand the views behind these and recommend ways forward.
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Remit of the working group
To review, investigate and understand the PULSE
survey results.
• To make recommendations to the Dean and the
Senior Management Team (SMT) on a response to
the findings.
• Areas covered: leadership, communication and
change management.
•
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Issues: change management
•
The process of change has proved unsettling for a
number of people in WBS. Views expressed included:
• Concentration of decision-making and “loss of autonomy”.
• Feelings of job insecurity.
• Uncertainty about new structures.
• Concerns about a lack of transparency about change.
• Concerns that decision-making is overly drawn out.
• How long will the process last?
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Issues: leadership (Dean and SMT)
•
There has been a significant shift in management
style towards a more executive style of leadership
with the introduction of the new Dean and SMT.
Views expressed included:
• Concerns about transparency of decision making.
• Concerns about visibility and approachability of leadership.
• Concerns about the tolerance of differences of opinion.
• Is there an “in crowd” (new hires and/or SMT)?
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Issues: communication
•
The overriding message here is that there has been
insufficient information communicated: downwards
(from the Dean and SMT), upwards and laterally.
Views expressed included:
• High level vision but what does this mean day today? And
what does it mean for me?
• People don’t feel like they are being consulted.
• People don’t feel like there is room for dissent.
• Internal communication not always well expressed.
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A summary of the issues
Change brings with it great uncertainty, and the
longer the change process persists, the greater the
uncertainty. People need more information.
• A lack of information about the changes (e.g. the
motivation behind them? the ends to which they are
focussed? steps along the way?) creates more
uncertainty.
• The rumour mill works overtime to fill the
informational void.
•
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Recommendation 1: the Dean and SMT to
communicate a clear vision for WBS
•
We all need to appreciate that the HE landscape has changed.
•
Explain the vision for WBS in more detail.
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Explain the School strategy in more detail, making it clear what
the required actions are, their implications for the School, and
the relation to the University in the short, medium and long
terms.
•
Acknowledge and explain why there has been a shift in
management and leadership style.
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Recommendation 2: develop better 2-way
communication processes
•
Appreciate diversity of opinion and encourage a more open
communication.
•
Provide for more Q&A open discussion at School Assembly.
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Steering Group to include representation from HoG.
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Establish regular information bulletins.
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Steering Group to provide periodic briefing meetings.
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The Dean and SMT to “press the flesh” within WBS including
attending group/ section meetings etc.
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Recommendation 3: provide greater
transparency
•
Decision-making: explain how are decisions being made, the
reasoning behind them, and how will they be communicated?
•
Aims and goals: explain how are they decided on, what is the
reasoning behind them, and how they will be communicated?
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Clarity of goals for performance management: particularly for
probationary/junior academic staff and administrative staff.
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Recommendation 4: develop a more
supportive culture of engagement
•
Decide what should be the “shared values of WBS” and then
promote them.
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Important to boost morale and bring people together
• Recognise that promoting positivity and engagement is based on
assumptions that staff are (and feel) valued.
•
Appreciate (even celebrate) differences between academics
and administrators.
• Retaining administrative trust is important.
• Perception that the ability to demonstrate value is more difficult for
administrators.
•
Responsibility for building relationships lies on both sides.
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Summary
•
Change brings with it great uncertainty, and the longer the
change process persists the greater the uncertainty. People
need more certainty.
•
Developing a culture of open communication will take time
and will require there to be trust between all stakeholders of
WBS. This does not mean that all stakeholders will agree with
one another, but that they better understand why difficult
decisions are being made.
•
There is a desire for better communication within WBS. It is
important that, for this consultation to be effective, there
needs to be demonstrable change.
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