PARTNERS IN CHANGE: HOW FOUR FOUNDATION COLLEGE MANAGERS MADE A DIFFERENCE Conference Presentation – 2006 TEM Conference, Sydney Hilton Darlene Sebalj, Susan Hudson, Jan Ryan & Juliet Wight Boycott

Partners in Change DARLENE SEBALJ PhD Student, University of Newcastle Former College Manager, College of Science Technology and Environment, University of Western Sydney SUSAN HUDSON Project Manager, Office of the DVC (Corporate Services) Former College Manager, College of Arts, Education, & Social Sciences University of Western Sydney JAN RYAN College Manager, College of Business (Previously known as the College of Law and Business) University of Western Sydney

Partners in Change University of Western Sydney 7 th largest University in Australia 35,000 + students 6 teaching campuses – spread across Greater Western Sydney 1 January 2001 – 3 “member” universities join to form one unified UWS 3 separate cultures had to merge Birth of a new organisation

Partners in Change The Four Colleges: Academic structure of 4 “super” Colleges led administratively by a College Manager 4,500 – 10,000 student enrolments Contained between 4 and 7 Schools and 1 and 5 Research Centres Budgets of between $23M - $50M Based across 3 to 6 teaching campuses Consisting of between 45 and 100+ administrative and technical staff Initial 12.5% admin staff reduction target

NEED FOR AN ALLIANCE Poor Communication with Key College Stakeholders Difficulties in Achieving Set Objectives Environmental Turbulence & Uncertainty Low Staff Morale Positioning & Power Struggles Lack of Common Policies & Procedures Competition for Resources Loss of Networks Partners in Change LARGE-SCALE ORGANISATIONAL CHANGE ENVIRONMENT

Partners in Change The alliance amongst College Managers was founded on: A strong work ethic Personal and collective integrity A commitment to resource efficiency A commitment to administrative best practice A commitment to the well being of each College and their staff A commitment to the success of the “new” UWS A good sense of humour A strong element of TRUST

Partners in Change Benefits of the Alliance: Provided an organisational voice Built our organisational profile and strength Significantly improved our bargaining and negotiating power Provided a platform from which to lodge collective strategies and initiatives

Communication Channels Underlying Values & Principles Supportive Environment Staff Engagement Standardised Processes & Practices ALLIANCE Staff Development & Empowerment Partners in Change The Alliance – Core Strategies:

Partners in Change Clear and effective communication in a change state: We deal far better with change when we have information on what is going on Honest, forthright communication is essential In times of change, people are hungry for information Alliance Core Strategy – Develop Communication Channels

Partners in Change Create ways to communicate: Identify areas of disconnect and work on reconnection by establishing key consultative groups Meet regularly with your staff Establish forums Identify areas of potential trouble and establish rapport with all relevant stakeholders Alliance Core Strategy – Communication Channels

Partners in Change The value of consultation: Creating network Ensuring consistency of information Dealing swiftly with problems Providing a forum for lobbying opportunities Providing avenues to avoid pending disasters Providing opportunities to bridge the disconnect Alliance Core Strategy – Communication Channels

Partners in Change “...the most critical ingredient of any change effort is leadership and managing change is fundamentally a people issue…” (Karp, 2006, p. 4) People ARE the organisation Staff Engagement Alliance Core Strategy – Staff Engagement

Partners in Change The individual is central to accepting or rejecting change It is crucial to articulate the vision and provide rationale for the change Manage interactively – ensure open, 2-way information flow Walk the talk – nothing beats face to face Empower your people It is important to ask……“What do you think?” Cultivate quality relationships Alliance Core Strategy – Staff Engagement Engagement in a change state:

Partners in Change Providing a supportive environment: Create staff development opportunities Create Group opportunities to enable sharing of stories Provide an environment to validate experiences and allow staff to value their contributions Create Individual opportunities to provide an opportunity for staff to develop and grow in the new environment Alliance Core Strategy – Supportive Environment

Partners in Change How did we pull this together? By developing a culture of openness in a consultative environment By creating strong relationships – TEAM formation Respect for each other Sharing of ideas Recognising the individual

Partners in Change The Four Change Dimensions:.. PERSONAL INTERPERSONAL MANAGERIALORGANISATIONAL

Partners in Change How we changed: Personal - we formed a collaborative alliance based on non-territoriality, integrity, mutual support and a common vision. Interpersonal - we mirrored our alliance principles to our staff, strengthened by our communication strategies. We walked the talk. Managerial - we used a participative model as we developed standardised systems, processes and common practices. Fostering staff engagement and a supportive environment. Organisational - we optimised each College’s administrative structure, resource distribution and alignment of best practice.

Partners in Change The ALLIANCE formula: Assess the need for an alliance Link up with suitable alliance partners Liaise, connect and build your alliance Inform each other at all times Articulate the alliance’s strategy Network Communicate your strength in numbers Enjoy life… celebrate!

Remember to…. have fun !!

PARTNERS IN CHANGE: HOW FOUR FOUNDATION COLLEGE MANAGERS MADE A DIFFERENCE Conference Presentation – 2006 TEM Conference, Sydney Hilton Darlene Sebalj, Susan Hudson, Jan Ryan & Juliet Wight Boycott