Psychologies, Politics and Practicalities

1. Navigating Strategic Change
John Pritchard, Director of Strategic Planning,
Durham University
Olivia Kew-Fickus, Director of Strategic Planning
University of Birmingham

2. Navigating Strategic Change
Session Overview
• Where are we going and how are we going to get there?
• Are we there yet? Is everyone still on board?
• How will you navigate the journey?

5. Thinking Big

6. Thinking Long

7. Thinking
D E E P

8. • Strategic thinking is identifying, imagining and
understanding possible and plausible futures for your
institution

9. Diagnosis
Guiding Policy
Action Plan

11. Establish effective structures for deliberation and
engagement

12. Establish a credible evidence base

13. Determine priorities and trade-offs

15. Determine priorities and trade-offs

16. Strategic Decision Making
1. Identify the choice alternatives
2. Identify the criteria relevant to the decision
3. Weight the criteria
4. Assess each choice alternative in relation to the criteria
5. Review scores for each alternative and confirm choice

17. Market
Demand
Market
Capacity
Widening
Participation
Finance Average Tariff
Subject Area A
Subject Area B
Subject Area C
Subject Area D
Subject Area E

18. Translate strategy into operational outcomes

19. ACTION
GOAL IMPLEMENTATION POLICIES
/ CRITICAL INITIATIVES
AIMS RESOURCES
GAP ANALYSIS KPIs
OBJECTIVES DEPENDENCIES & RISKS

20. Facilitate/influence effective strategic dialogue

21. Julie Hodges
Managing and Leading
People through
Organizational Change:
The theory and practice
of sustaining change
through people

22. Entering the Zoud

23. The Zoud and the role of the strategic change agent
• Accept the uncomfortable
• Review the situation
• Identify wants and needs
• Be objective
• Be flexible
• Recognise triggers
• Actively support others
• Be honest
• Assume responsibility

27. • Help colleagues to think big, long and deep
• Establish effective structures for deliberation and stakeholder
engagement (formal and informal)
• Establish a credible evidence base
• Determine priorities and trade-offs
• Translate strategy into operational outcomes:
what are your five bold steps?
• Facilitate/influence effective strategic dialogue
Enter the Zoud
Be political (remember Machiavelli)
Be persistent

29. Getting from here to there: local implementation

30. A bit of background
• University of Birmingham – new VC (Sir David Eastwood)
in 2009
• Awakening the “sleeping giant”
• Strategic Framework 2010-2015: “Shaping our Future”
– Five areas: Research Excellence, Student Experience, Engagement,
Financial Sustainability, Destination of Choice
– Five values: Excellence, Distinctiveness, Impact, Pride, Confidence
• Strategic Framework 2015-2020: “Making Important Things
Happen”
– Four areas: Research, Education, Influence, Resources
– Five values: Excellence, Leadership, Pioneering Spirit, Purposefulness,
Pragmatism
• College strategies developed over past year
• School strategies under development, different stages

31. What did your institutional strategy ever do for you?
• Strategy = where you are going and how
you get there
• Institutional strategy = Compass
• Specifies some main roads (institutional
initiatives)
• But universities are complex…
• …and the institutional strategy requires a local
response to work out the detailed route

32. So what stands in your way to develop local
strategy?
• People don’t see the need…cynicism…academic
disengagement…
• Things keep changing…
• I don’t understand how what I’m doing aligns with the
institutional strategy…
• I need to be fleet of foot and able to respond to emerging
opportunities…
• Everyone thinks their bit is the most important…
• I can’t get the resources I need…
• The institutional strategy doesn’t address what I think is
important…
• Political sensitivities…

33. And what’s your toolbox?
Challenges Tools
• Getting people on
board
• Cynicism
• Politics
• Alignment
• Seizing opportunities –
carpe diem!
• Resources
• Prioritisation
• Listening – “Where is the energy?”
• Feedback – gives credibility
• Honesty – acknowledge issues
• Scenarios
• Resonant phrases
• Problems and solutions don’t always
emerge together
• Powerful examples
• “Ambitious realism”
• Your “story”
• Repitch for the local audience
• Champions
• KPIs – but only if people feel they matter
• SWOT and starters for ten

34. The Strategy Book
Max McKeown
A practical toolkit for those who
would manage strategic change

35. • Initially give people space to get
things off their chests
• Be authentic and avoid
defensiveness
• Get people beyond the immediate
• Consistency of messaging
• Don’t get so far ahead that people
can’t see you
• Look back periodically to give
yourself perspective
• Help colleagues to think big, long and deep
• Establish effective structures for deliberation and
stakeholder engagement (formal and informal)
• Establish a credible evidence base
• Determine priorities and trade-offs
• Translate strategy into operational outcomes:
what are your five bold steps?
• Facilitate/influence effective strategic dialogue
Enter the Zoud
Be political (remember Machiavelli)
Be persistent