Today‘s Challenge, Tomorrow‘s Promise
Importance of Strategic Leadership
Simon Donoghue Head of the Strategy Project Group University of Leeds
1.
The strategic context
A large complex traditional university ….
Established 102 years ago Research intensive major civic university
―Traditional‖ in its approach £367m turnover 7,500 staff 32,000 students (with an additional 32,000 on short courses) (major expansion)
A challenging and change resistant ―culture‖…
Academic
Academic freedom Independence Questioning / suspicion of authority dept UofL
Citizenship and allegiances
me
Research community
Collegiate
subject
Highly unionised – and active during period
Comfortable with Debate – less comfortable with Action
In a rapidly changing sector ….
Universities previously viewed around social engagement and betterment UK government investment now around Universities as drivers of 21st Century economy
Full economic costing Funding by outputs (quantity and quality)
Student fees paving way to real competitive market
Specific drivers (enterprise, knowledge transfer)
Closure is possible
But a sector with low expectations of strategy….
Low expectations of ―strategies‖ Suspicion
―VC vanity documents‖ Funding Council requirement Little history of actual follow through ―I‘ve got a dragon and I‘m prepared to use it‖
Our starting point
Three previous, relatively longserving VCs - most recent an internal appointment
Bred a culture of slight introspection ?
Denial : League tables – just plain wrong
Comforting reinterpretation : RAE – we did well in terms of ―research power‖ (grade × volume) so we must have done OK Falling in peer group Some long-lived complex problems New VC needed to bring sense of ―reality check‖ but ―blame free‖
2.
The transformation agenda
University of Leeds : 2015
A leading world class University
A global reputation for research and education
An excellent „student experience‟
In the top echelon of UK universities
Why strategies fail….
―Less than 10% of strategies effectively formulated are effectively executed.‖
– Fortune
WHY?
―In the majority of cases—we estimate 70 percent—the real problem isn‘t bad strategy . . . It‘s bad execution.‖
– Fortune
They can‘t DESCRIBE their strategy
They don‘t MANAGE their strategy
They haven‘t made strategy execution a CORE COMPETENCY
Best practice : external reference
“This is definitely a best practice example for other universities that will help raise your international profile“
Dr David Norton, Balanced Scorecard Collaborative
Balanced Scorecard Collaborative Consultancy Balanced Scorecard European Summit
Madrid 2005 Barcelona 2006 Prague 2007
Leadership Foundation AUA Conferences WUN / NCCI Other Universities in the UK
Best practice principles
STRATEGYFOCUSED ORGANISATION BEST PRACTICES
5. GOVERN TO MAKE STRATEGY A CONTINUAL PROCESS
4. MOTIVATE TO MAKE STRATEGY EVERYONE‟S JOB
Source : Balanced Scorecard Collaborative
3.
Developing ownership
Developing strategy
Met with 100 opinion formers and key staff – opened up informal channels
Identify 6 key things that need to be changed – identified common themes Use these to formulate initial ‗draft‘ strategy
Keep the vision and values in focus
Informed by external & internal data
Meet staff and students - listen
Dr Robert Kaplan (Madrid, 2005)
Quite a challenge!!!
4.
Positioning the strategy
“The strategy map has given me and the rest of the team great confidence knowing the University has chosen a certain course. “
Dr Adrian Bailey, Head of the School of Geography
Positioning the Strategy
Vision , Leadership, Ideas
Art
Analysis, Planning, Facts
Activity, Iteration, Experience
Science
Dispiriting
Craft
VISION
REGARD VISION AS SOLUTION OF ELLIPTIC PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATION
Solve over finite region subject to boundary conditions on function and parametric derivatives:
v
1
X (0, v ) X u (0, v )
X (u ,1), X v (u ,1)
X (u,0), X v (u,0)
X (1, v) X u (1, v)
1
u
4.
Academic leadership
“The strategy process has provided the structure for us to develop a vision which is built upon the recognition of our unique position, our breadth, quality and depth, and the value we can create from synergies across the boundaries of our distinctive disciplines“
Professor David Cooper, Dean of the Faculty of Performance, Visual Arts and Communications
Creating a focus upon strategy
Engaging leaders
with the change agenda
Emphasized the importance of leadership
Created ―leadership forum‖ to bring all with leadership role together Importance of quality of engagement, communication and debate at this level Valued and rewarded leadership Ensured leaders had the tools and support to contribute to strategy
Emphasized key priorities – reinforced through planning process
5. Communication, communication, communication….
“One of the challenges has been engaging and communicating with all of our staff, many of whom work part-time…. I’m really pleased with the response and involvement from the team. We’re all really positive about the future, and are genuinely seeing changes on the ground“
Stewart Ross, Director of Sport
Making a difference
6.
Strategy reviews
Strategy reviews
Essential element of the strategy process Informed by evidence based performance analysis
High level regular overview role In depth issue based review Owned by the senior management team
7. Orchestrating new ways of working
“We have made an incredible transformation to the look and feel of our School, creating a first class environment for our students and a place where people want to work and study. Everyone is working together and supporting each other…there is a great feel about the place.“
Denise Bower, Deputy Head of the School of Civil Engineering
New initiatives
8.
This is a CHANGE project !
Change management
Contentment
Renewal
Denial
Confusion
Change management lessons
Effort and communication required to move along life cycle model
Need for leadership – critical to renewal phase Time, effort and energy – change is often complex and ‗muddy‘
Communication – can‘t be overdone
Importance of dealing with people issues – often pockets of hostile, disenfranchised and entrenched staff
Self assessment
University 1. Establishing a Sense of Urgency School/Service
2. Forming a Powerful Guiding Coalition
3. Creating a Vision
4. Communicating the Vision
5. Empowering Others to Act on the Vision
6. Planning for and Creating Short-Term Wins
7. Consolidating Improvements and Producing Still More Change
8. Institutionalising New Approaches
9. Two easy statements : focus and alignment
World-Class - ‗Peaks‘ of Excellence at Leeds
Centre for
International
Business
Algebra and Logic
Cancer Studies
Polymers and
Institute of
Energy Earth and
Environmental
Complex Fluids
English
Medical and Biological
Engineering
Systems Science
Astrophysical &
Geophysical Fluid
Particle Science Dynamics
& Engineering
Astbury
Institute for Transport Studies
Investing in student experience
Investing in our future
Alignment – cascading to the faculties
Enhance our international Profile
T1 Increase the impact of our
Key themes
international activities
Raise our game in research T4 Deliver international excellence in all our areas of research
Inspire our students to develop their full potential T7 Deliver excellent and inspirational learning and teaching
T9
Enhance enterprise and knowledge transfer T10 Enhance performance and value derived from enterprise and knowledge transfer
T3 Create new research and
T6 Translate excellence in research
innovation led international strategic collaborations
T2 Create sustainable recruitment
and scholarship into learning opportunities for students
Increase participation of those who can benefit
T11 Contribute to the enrichment
of high quality international students
T5 Develop selected peaks that
deliver world-leading performance
T8 Provide an exceptional
student experience
of society on a local to global scale
Improving our effectiveness
E1 Build strategic E2
Strategic enablers
partnerships that add significant value
Provide first class facilities
E3
Create time for academic development
E4 Improve core systems
E5 Manage organisational
and processes
performance
Financial sustainability
F1
Valuing & developing all our staff
S1
Aggressively grow research income
F2 Grow additional sources of
profitable income to invest in our future
F4 Ensure all Faculties and S3
Develop leadership skills in a wider range of staff Proactively attract & retain high quality staff
S2 Ensure effective communication
and ownership of values and strategy at all levels
S4 Manage performance and
F3 Manage resources to deliver
strategic priorities
Schools are able to generate surpluses for re-investment
support the development of all staff
10. Something for the bean counters !
“Research wrecked by “bean counters” …. A senior academic said that “bone-headed bean counters” were threatening the sector‟s ability to produce top research stars” – Times Higher Education Supplement June 1st 2007
Monitoring strategic performance
University Scorecard
Key Performance Targets Supporting Measures
Theme Headline Report
Key Performance Targets Projects
Supporting Measures
Narrative
Faculty Scorecard
Key Performance Targets
Supporting Measures
School Scorecard
Key Performance Targets
Supporting Measures
11.
Sustainable impact
Sustainable Impact
Leadership Transformational projects Strategy embedded as a core competency Making everyone‘s role contribute to our strategy Communication, information and understanding Hearts & minds Demonstrating impact
Making an impact – some highlights
Research income up 21% 32 peaks of excellence created SSRs reducing (18.4 to 16.8)
Peer mentoring implemented Moving up Guardian league table Making some outstanding appointments
Alumni fund raised over £0.5m £360m capital investment programme
Investment in communications, environment, wellbeing
Investment in student experience Changing culture of leadership Evidence of strategic focus in academic units
Conclusion
“We intend not only to retain our position as one of the best universities in the country, but join the ranks of the top 50 global players”
“In organisations as large as ours, it is common for strategies to fail. Poor communication and ineffective implementation are commonly-cited underlying reasons”