Everyone has a different perspective on change. Some people are driven by and thrive on it. Others are wary of it and measure satisfaction by the comforting consistency of each year being the same as the last. Others resist it. Whatever our perspective, how we feel about change is an important reality because constant change is now one of the few things we know we will continue to face ahead, whatever the catalyst. Our roadmap through change is articulated in our Strategy and last week’s All Staff Briefing flagged some of the important initiatives from that Strategy that are well underway. Critically, our processes for change are informed by our ethos and values – and I am very proud of these – and the pandemic circumstances we find ourselves in have only accentuated both their importance and their use.
In my video chat this week, Professor Mushtak Al Atabi, Provost in Malaysia, asks some questions about change to me and Professor Mark Biggs, Provost and Vice Principal, about changes in some of the senior leadership team roles and structure, changes in response to COVID-19, and how we obtain greater alignment with our strategy (as a reminder, you can see a written summary of these changes in this blog entry from last month). The common thread through all this is how we manage change, how we adapt and move forward as a community. A University is its people – and the underpinning rationale for these changes lies in improving the connectivity of our people across, and within, academic and professional services in all campuses. It also seeks to achieve a better alignment of operational activities with the delivery of our strategic purposes, to focus on ensuring time is spent effectively and with reduced costs. I hope you find our discussion helpful and interesting.
Next week I will write a little more by way of exploring some more personal aspirations I have for how we can position ourselves better, and to be a louder voice, in the domain of educating and demonstrating global ethical sustainability.
In the meantime, stay safe and thank you for being our conduit for change. How we act now will set the tone for all of our futures.
Professor Richard A. Williams
Principal and Vice-Chancellor