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Are you ready for Making a Difference?

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With only two weeks to go before our first-ever Making a Difference at Durham event, Dialogue speaks to members of our University Executive team about what colleagues can expect from the event on 15 September.

Are you ready for Making a Difference?

This is an all-staff event which has been developed around the key areas of focus from the recent staff survey. It will give colleagues the opportunity to come together, to engage in two-way discussions with University Executive Committee (UEC) members and peers and to hear about available resources, activities and benefits that can make a difference to all members of staff.

The day will include a series of panel-hosted Learning Conversations to discuss the three areas of focus identified in the Staff Survey: ‘Creating a Caring Culture’, ‘Being Fair and Equitable’ and ‘Leading by Example and Building Trust’.

What to expect: watch our videos on the three themes listed above.

Joanne Race, Director of Human Resources and Organisational Development, is panel lead for the 'Creating a Caring Culture' conversation. She explains: “There’s a real sense of drive and sense of priority for work in this area, and many colleagues have already contributed to many positive changes in the area of wellbeing here at Durham.

My Executive colleagues and I are looking forward to broadening engagement on this subject. Change won’t be achieved through top-down initiatives, we need to seek feedback and ideas. We’ll do this through open conversations and listening.

Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Dr Shaid Mahmood, is leading the ‘Being Fair and Equitable’ session. He says: “The staff survey threw up a number of really important thematic challenges. Many of them lie in the fairness and equity theme that I am championing. This event is an opportunity for a real, quality conversation about how we create an environment where people truly feel like they really belong and that they’ve helped to co-create.”

Panel lead for 'Leading by Example and Building Trust', Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost, Professor Antony Long, says: “We know from the staff survey there are issues that we need to address. We are sincere about the challenges our staff face and committed to listening empathetically.

“An important part of what we are doing is placing greater emphasis on two-way communication. I’d really encourage everyone to come along to the event and share their thoughts and reflections so we can learn from each other.”

At the time of writing, registration has closed for the event, but please visit our SharePoint site to stay up to date with the latest information and learning from the event.

 

 

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