Sustaining and Embedding Innovations - wiki JISC Sustaining and Embedding Innovations / Changing people and culture
  • If you are citizen of an European Union member nation, you may not use this service unless you are at least 16 years old.

  • You already know Dokkio is an AI-powered assistant to organize & manage your digital files & messages. Very soon, Dokkio will support Outlook as well as One Drive. Check it out today!

View
 

Changing people and culture

This section will focus on how best to embed innovations in people in order to:

 

  • Raise the aspirations of staff and students.
  • Motivate staff and students to adopt innovations.
  • Transfer expertise, knowledge and know-how to staff and students.

 

Key tips for changing people and culture include:

 

  • Consider simple approaches such as using early adopters as mentors or buddies to help cascade knowledge to other staff or the use of local (departmental) champions.
  • Develop a vision of how well your project will be embedded in 3-5 years’ time and then identify the enablers and barriers to make the vision happen.
  • Develop a communications and stakeholder engagement strategy and plan with a prime goal of raising the aspirations of staff and students and motivating them to adopt innovations.
  • A communications and engagement plan should aim to convey key simple messages following the “WHY – WHAT – WHEN – WHO – HOW” principles.
  • Consider using change management techniques developed by the sector to overcome people and culture issues.
  • Motivate staff and students to adopt innovations by providing case studies, backed up by strong evidence and testimonials from students and staff.
  • Use technology in a “blended” approach to effectively communicate with stakeholders and to get over key messages e.g. using podcasts, vidcasts and screencasts.
  • Develop Communities of Practice (CoP) or Special Interest Groups (SIGs) to sustain dialogue and build expertise and resources – but these must be “owned” by the community.
  • Ensure senior managers are targeted with the communications plan (e.g. Pro Vice-Chancellors, Principals, Deans and Heads of School/Department) – these people are resource/budget holders and can advise on how best to embed innovations within institutional structures and processes.
  • Incorporating staff support and training into existing institutional mechanisms such as staff development programmes, professional qualifications, peer review and performance review processes.

 

Key Resources

Change Management infoKit