The traditional hierarchical structures that have long characterised universities, with their clearly defined boundaries between academic and professional services, their departmental silos, and their established power dynamics, are increasingly proving to be barriers rather than enablers of innovation. Successful HE leadership recognises this reality and actively work to create more permeable, collaborative environments where innovation can flourish.

The financial collapse of the University of Dundee should prompt other university governing bodies and senior leadership teams to reflect on the lessons learned to ensure their ongoing success and resilience. 

Of late, I find myself increasingly reflecting on the importance of empathy in everything we do. We live in an ever-changing world with ever increasing expectations, opportunities, noise and threat. I keep coming back to the urgent need for empathy to be baked into our service design and delivery, into how we deliver change and into our leadership styles and how, in these times, we need to lean into this as much as possible.

Successfully implementing organisational strategy requires collective accountability from leadership teams during times of change.

In this article, the first in series of insights focussing on EDI, we explore common challenges facing the HE sector.

Understanding the different types can help individuals and organisations leverage these tools effectively.

In the face of an increasing set of challenges, universities must find new ways to innovate and adapt.

Fostering a strong sense of belonging amongst staff supports a shared sense of purpose and encourages a supportive and enabling environment. This can provide the foundation from which to build on an organisation's institutional and departmental strategic objectives.

Taking the time to collectively articulate and embed shared values, beliefs and behaviours can positively impact business outcomes.

Organisations with clearly defined job roles and job families are better placed to ensure they have the right people, doing the right things

UK universities are facing an increasing set of institutional challenges – reductions in public funding, increased competition for students, ensuring the wellbeing of staff and students, attracting talented staff – so it is vital that university services transition from a siloed provision of services to an integrated model supported by strategic business partnering that enables enhanced decision-making across organisations.

Organisational culture is comprised of commonly held values, beliefs and behaviours. Taking the time to collectively articulate and embed cultural expectations can support employee engagement and well-being which, in turn, can positively impact business outcomes. 

Being able to accurately forecast student numbers and recruit students is vital for the financial health of any university. As such, universities must look beyond how student recruitment teams operate to consider how the wider ecosystem across functions can be nurtured to support overall recruitment ambitions.