All Change and Programme Management Office courses

A practical session where you will learn to crochet a Granny Square. Once you know the humble Granny Square you can make numerous projects - more than just blankets!

If you have a crochet hook and yarn please bring it with you on the day, if not materials will be provided. No previous experience or knowledge necessary.

One of the most important parts of a manager’s role is to support the development of others. This sounds like it should be easy but it can be trickier than it sounds. Come along and listen to some experienced managers discussing how they motivate and develop their teams.

Many of us struggle with having potentially difficult conversations whether because of the fear of ‘getting it wrong’ or not knowing how to approach a situation objectively and with care. This sometimes results in issues not being addressed, which in turn can be detrimental to the individual, the team and, ultimately, the organisation. This practical 90-minute session aims to provide the structure, tools and tips to improve their skills to manage challenging conversations.

Be prepared to participate in Breakout Rooms.

Micro-coaching is a short, focused conversation using coaching skills. It can help us to generate insights and identify next steps with a specific opportunity or challenge. Micro-coaching is enriched by identifying how we want to feel in these specific situations, leading to better performance and wellbeing. This will be an interactive and future-focused workshop, and will include a guided micro-coaching activity where you will each use a deck of cards.

In this workshop, you will experience a guided micro-coaching activity to identify how you can make progress with an opportunity or challenge in an upcoming conversation or meeting that is important to you. We will each use the physical Emotional Culture Deck, which is an engaging and effective tool that takes a future-focused approach. The micro-coaching activity will include guided individual reflection and confidential paired conversations. By the end of the workshop, you will have generated ideas for practical next steps to get closer to your desired outcomes in your upcoming conversation or meeting. You will also have identified some effective coaching questions that you can use on your own, or with others, at work. We will use Slido and small group conversations to share insights. You are invited to come to this experiential and interactive workshop with an upcoming conversation or meeting in mind. This workshop will be a safe and confidential space; you are invited to contribute, and to share only what you feel comfortable with.

• Slido is an easy-to-use audience engagement tool that you can access via your mobile phone browser. It does not require downloads or registration. Please bring your mobile phone to access Slido in the session.

Note: there is also a 60-minute session via MS Teams on Tuesday 14th May if you would prefer a shorter virtual experience of micro-coaching, using a shared digital version of the Emotional Culture Deck.

About the facilitator: Sonali Kumarakulasinghe is a Coach, Facilitator and Consultant. She takes a Solution Focused approach and her coaching style is informal, focused and appreciative. Sonali has an MSc in Organisational Behaviour (Psychology) and she is a Certified Practitioner with the Emotional Culture Deck."

Micro-coaching is a short, focused conversation using coaching skills. It can help us to generate insights and identify next steps with a specific opportunity or challenge. Micro-coaching is enriched by identifying how we want to feel in these specific situations, leading to better performance and wellbeing. This will be an interactive and future-focused session, and will include a short, guided micro-coaching activity using a shared digital version of a card deck.

In this session, you will experience a short, guided micro-coaching activity to identify how you can make progress with an opportunity or challenge in an upcoming conversation or meeting that is important to you. We will use a shared digital version of the Emotional Culture Deck, an effective tool that takes a future-focused approach. The micro-coaching activity will consist of a short guided individual reflection. By the end of the activity, you will have generated ideas for practical next steps to get closer to your desired outcomes in your upcoming conversation or meeting. We will use Slido and short breakout groups to share general insights. You are invited to come to this interactive session with an upcoming conversation or meeting in mind. This session will be a safe and confidential space; you are invited to contribute, and to share only what you feel comfortable with.

• Slido is an easy-to-use audience engagement tool that you can access via your mobile phone browser. It does not require downloads or registration. Please bring your mobile phone to access Slido in the session.

Note: there are also 90-minute, in-person workshops on Monday 13th May if you would prefer a richer, hands-on experience of micro-coaching using the physical Emotional Culture Deck.

About the facilitator: Sonali Kumarakulasinghe is a Coach, Facilitator and Consultant. She takes a Solution Focused approach and her coaching style is informal, focused and appreciative. Sonali has an MSc in Organisational Behaviour (Psychology) and she is a Certified Practitioner with the Emotional Culture Deck."

The panel discussion on 'Developing Your Emotional Intelligence' offers participants invaluable insights and practical strategies from a diverse array of leaders, cultivating essential skills in self-awareness, empathy, and effective communication crucial for both personal and professional advancement.

Self-coaching for personal and professional growth empowers participants with vital skills and tools to proactively navigate their development journey with purpose and effectiveness.

An interactive session exploring ways in which you can prepare yourself for interviews, considering both the practical and the mental preparation to help you achieve the best possible interview you could have.

Be prepared to participate in breakout rooms.

An interactive session to signpost some of the many training and development options open to you and some options to consider reflecting on your career and progress.

A Q+A session will be held at the end for any specific queries.

Find out about a day in a Muslim's life and how the prayer is not only a pivotol part but a lot more than that!

Looking at how to turn failure into a positive rather than a negative. Discover the genuine benefits of failure. Guidance and techniques to show how to identify failure early and understand it.

A curated learning path on key skills for Mentoring (both for Mentors and Mentees). This Learning Path was created originally for the UIS Mentoring Scheme, but has kindly been made available for us all.

For more resources see the University of Cambridge's LinkedIn Learning Hub.

The course can be accessed here.

A curated learning path on working remotely. For more resources see the University of Cambridge's LinkedIn Learning Hub.

The course can be accessed here.

Discussion Topic: Discussing the difficult stuff: facing up to challenging conversations

This series follows on from the very popular first series held from April-July 2021. These informal drop-in sessions are designed to provide both new and more experienced leaders and managers, across all staff groups, with a safe space to share practice and discuss some of the challenges that can arise when supporting others to develop and strengthen their performance. Each session will start an hour of Q&A and discussion with a panel of experienced managers drawn from across the University. This will be followed by half an hour of small group discussion to allow participants the opportunity to meet other managers and share practice, in a smaller, more intimate setting. Those wishing to leave after the first hour and not stay on for final half hour in break out rooms, are free to do so. The format of the sessions is designed to facilitate peer support and learning. The sessions are not training sessions, although recommendations for training and other resources will be provided.

Comments from Series 1 participants: “I am loving all of these sessions and am so happy to have discovered a platform where ‘it all makes sense’” “It’s lovely to convene a group of people interested in leadership and developing their skills in this area.” “I intend to participate in as many sessions as I can because this forum gives a focused approach on developing leadership skills that are expected within the University. I had been looking for some sort of a planned approach to this and am really glad I found this.”

Panellists

Ken Billington - HR Adviser, School of Technology

Bruce Daniels - Administration and Operations Manager, Gurdon Institute

Emma Marron - Head of HR Shared Services, Human Resources Division

Questions we will consider during the session

1. What’s the most difficult conversation that you have had to have as a manager?

2. Was it as bad as you thought it was going to be?

3. Why do you think we avoid these conversations?

4. What can be the consequences of avoiding a difficult conversation?

5. How do you prepare for a meeting like this, both practically and mentally?

6. What mistakes have you made in the past, when trying to do this?

7. What approaches have you developed that you find work well?

8. What advice would you give to another manager who was dreading a difficult conversation?

9. How do you decompress after a meeting like this and ensure that your well-being is not impacted?

Are we more distracted these days? We often find ourselves multi-tasking and juggling multiple digital tasks and distractions during the course of our everyday work and lives. So how can we create positive digital habits that allow us to focus and make the best of our time on screen?

Questions to think about before this session:

• What are your biggest digital distractions?
• What do you wish you had more time to do during the course of the day?

These events are sponsored by ourcambridge and UIS as part of the Digital Workplace Programme

This interactive session aims to support our mentees to find a mentor. A selection of our currently available mentors will introduce themselves and share a little bit about their background, knowledge, and experience. It offers the opportunity for mentees to get to know some of our available mentors and consider whether they may be a good potential match. There will then be time for questions so that you can consider which potential mentors could best support your growth, learning, and career development.

Please take advantage of this chance to connect with mentors willing to share their experiences and assist you in achieving your goals. Sign up now and start your mentorship journey!

During this interactive session the ourcambridge Simplifying our Processes team will look at how habits can be established and how this can be applied to Lean tools and techniques, so helping to embed Continuous Improvement across the University. We will then discuss the impact that this could have on wellbeing.

Ourcambridge offer a wide range of opportunities for professional services employees wishing to develop their confidence and skills, and broaden their networks. At this session, we will provide an overview of the opportunities we offer to support your career development and information about how you can access these. The session will cover:

• Prioritising your personal development – what to consider and making the most of the SRD process

• Developing your Digital Skills – learn more about recent exciting developments in this area, including the new JISC self-assessment tool to review your digital skills

• Lean Practitioner training and certification – how might this support you in your role and what skills will it support you to develop?

• Communities of Practice – what are they and how can you join one to meet others working in similar areas?

• The Self-Match Mentoring Scheme – why you should find a mentor or how you can become one to others

• Speed mentoring – for those who are short of time but would still welcome a bit of extra support and advice

• Becoming an ourcambridge champion – what does this involve and how might it benefit your career development?

Join is for an afternoon of Christmas activities, designed to share information and enable networking amongst champions

Join us for an informal session where you can have your say about getting the most of being an ourcambridge champion and help shape the future of the ourcambridge programme. You will take part in a facilitated conversation by a member of the ourcambridge team.

An interactive workshop to determine the format and structure of the ourcambridge champions MS Teams group, including channels.

The workshop will be facilitated by a member of the ourcambridge team.

Places are limited and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

Please do not sign up to this workshop if you are booked to attend the session on Tuesday 13th October

Have you ever wondered how senior managers balance demanding job roles and extensive workloads? The ourcambridge team have brought together an experienced panel of senior managers who are happy to share an honest insight into the realities of their workload management. The session will include the opportunity to ask questions to the panel and provide some top tips and interesting reflections.

Speakers:

• Emma Rampton, Registrary
• Professor Anna Vignoles, Professor of Education, Faculty of Education
• Dr Nick Bampos, Deputy Head of Department, Department of Chemistry
• Dr Karen Kennedy, Director of Strategic Partnerships Office

Chair/Facilitator:

Jenny Rampling, Senior Programme Co-ordinator, ourcambridge

Speakers: Joanne Bishenden and Ian Matthias from PA Consulting Title: ourcambridge seminar: Engaging with Academics Effectively Wednesday 24 July 3-4pm Faculty of Classics, Lecture Theatre 1.02, Sidgwick Site

The ourcambridge team are involved in a number of projects that aim to improve staff wellbeing and recognise the critical contribution that professional services staff make to the University. This session will provide an overview of the ourcambridge programme, how our projects aim to support staff and highlight the ways professional services staff can get involved.

Speakers:

• Rachel Machon, Head of HR for ourcambridge and Supporting Our Staff Lead
• Jenny Rampling - Senior Programme Coordinator
• Claire Brind - Senior Programme Coordinator
• Freya Villis - Senior Programme Coordinator
• Dr Fatima Baldo - Professional Services Graduate Trainee

Over the past year, ourcambridge has worked with professional services staff from across the University to develop a set of core values that underpin the way we work. The values that you chose together were: Trust, Respect, Integrity and Collaboration. Embedding these as part of our culture means truly living them in the way in the way we work, through our actions and behaviours.

This focus group provides the opportunity for you to share your ideas for practical ways in which we can bring these values to life in our daily work. We will discuss the types of initiatives, tools and resources that individuals, managers, and teams may find most useful for promoting and embedding these new values. The focus group will be formed of 6 colleagues using Microsoft Teams.

The sessions will be led by Fatima Baldo, Jenny Rampling and Freya Villis, Senior Programme Co-ordinators

This peer support session offers you the opportunity to meet other mentees on the self-match mentoring programme. The session will be lightly facilitated by Ceren Caser, a longstanding and enthusiastic member of the programme and member of the mentoring project team. It is a short, informal session designed to offer mentees the chance to share their experiences and talk over any challenges they may be having. Talking to others can help to motivate you and keep you on track towards your goals, so that you can get the most out of your mentoring relationship. It is also a great way for you to network with others in the University.

Join the Post Graduate Masters community for their summer event. The session will kick off with an opportunity for members to share their experience and thoughts on assessments - what types of assessment are used, what is working well and what isn’t.

The second part of the event will explore the future of the CoP, including reflections from the current CoP team, an introduction to the new Teaching & Learning CoP, and a discussion on the future of the CoP.

Join us for the second Project Management Community of Practice Café Event focussed on: How important do you think it is to define roles and responsibilities?

These events will provide you with the opportunity to network with fellow CoP members in an informal breakout room format. Each session will start with an opening question, in this instance: How important do you think it is to define roles and responsibilities?, which you will have the opportunity to discuss in informal small groups.

They provide the space and opportunity to share knowledge, experience and answer questions in a safe and supportive environment.

Join us for the inaugural Project Management Community of Practice Topic Talk on frameworks and methodologies - the most popular area of discussion in the scoping survey.

The panel discussion will provide you with an opportunity to hear from colleagues working in project management across the University. Panellists will discuss which frameworks and methodologies they have used when managing projects, and provide real world examples of how these have been implemented within the University context.

Panellists:

• Katrina West - Business Improvement Manager (PG Funding Project), Cambridge Admissions Office
• Claire Michel - Medicine & Veterinary Medicine Curriculum Review Manager, Office of the School of Biological Sciences
• Mark Rowland - Head of Delivery Management Office, University Information Services

This will be followed by time to ask questions to panel members in a safe and supportive environment.

In this session we will explore the diverse ways in which we engage with the online world, and discuss mental and emotional health in the context of the different digital cultures we live in: social media, video streaming, and work collaboration platforms, among others. The concept of being Digitally Well will be introduced as a way of differentiating between digital habits that are humane and nourishing and those that are harmful and depleting, with a particular emphasis on emotional regulation and body awareness practices.

Questions to think about before this session:

· What are your most and least favourite online activities, and what emotional impact do they have on you?

· What online activities do you tend to seek out when you are experiencing difficult emotions?

About the Trainer

Teodora Pavkovic is an external trainer who will be leading the course. She is a psychologist, parenting coach and digital wellness consultant who utilizes the principles of emotional intelligence, neuroscience and positive psychology to inform and improve digital wellness for individuals, families and organizations. She conducts one-on-one coaching with children and adults, facilitates talks and workshops with educators and corporates, consults with a variety of for- and non-profit organizations and speaks on expert panels and at international conferences. As a certified digital wellness educator and member of both the British and American Psychological Associations, as well as co-chair of the parenting professionals group of the Children's Screen-Time Action Network and advisory board member of several educational and mental health organizations, Teodora is committed to helping individuals and groups preserve and protect their wellbeing and relationships in this increasingly digital world.

These events are sponsored by HR, ourcambridge and UIS as part of the Digital Workplace and Cambridge Works Programmes.

This is an interactive session designed to support you if you are coming to the end of a fixed term contract, so that you can feel more confident and positive about managing this significant period of change. We will start with introductions to allow you to get to know each other and share a little about your current situation and any particular challenges you are facing, then go on to discuss how you can manage the upcoming changes, and signpost you towards help and support that is available.

A short course explaining how we identify, map and analyse business processes at the University of Cambridge

The Professional Services Recognition Awards aim to recognise, highlight and celebrate the very best work across all professional service areas in the University. In September, colleagues were invited to nominate individuals and teams that they believed had made a difference to them, their team, and/or to the wider University in the academic year 2020-21. They were asked to nominate under the categories listed below, all of which reflect the Professional Services Values of trust, respect, integrity and collaboration. The awards aim to recognise those colleagues who have truly demonstrated these values in their day to day work.

Award Categories

· Innovating and Improving: Congratulating those who have innovatively and effectively improved or simplified a system or process, and in doing so have made it more efficient.

· Being kind to colleagues: Thanking those who have shown kindness and compassion for their colleagues, whether that is supporting them with a piece of work, or simply in day-to-day interactions.

· Going above and beyond: Appreciating those who have gone above and beyond the call of duty, been flexible and adaptable in order to solve an unexpected problem, showing resilience and agility.

· Creating an inclusive community: Rewarding those who have helped to create an inclusive environment for all, by showing a high level of courtesy for, and trust in others.

· Working as a team: Celebrating those who have worked collaboratively with others, either within or across disciplinary or departmental borders, to get something done.

· Being an Unsung Hero: Recognising those who have quietly gone about their daily work and might otherwise go unnoticed, but who make a real difference to their team, department and/or the wider University.

The Project Management Community of Practice brings you project management topics in bite sized chunks. Listen to your colleagues from across Collegiate Cambridge discuss all things project management. Click the links below to listen to the podcast:

Podcast 1: Meet the Core Group - Hosted by Ellie Wolmark from the CRUK Cambridge Centre, the Core Team tell you who they are, what their role is and discuss why they joined the CoP.

Podcast 2: Interesting Routes into Project Management part 1 - There is no one route into project management. Tori Helmer and Heather Biggs tell us their stories and give insights into their career journeys.

Podcast 3: Interesting Routes into Project Management part 2 - The second part of this podcast features Bethan Everson and Katie Light telling their stories.

Podcast 4: An Introduction to Communications - Katie Edwards and Craig Brierley give a fantastic overview of what comms entails, and how you can use it within a project for maximum impact.

Podcast 5: An Introduction to Stakeholder Management - Greg Strachan and Sally Measures give their take on Stakeholder Management within a project.

Podcast 6: An introduction to Retrospectives - Holly Cox and Signe Jensen talk about what retrospectives mean within project management.

Podcast 7: Data Management - Carrie Brennan talks about data management within a project.

What are the key elements for a successful project?

Join us for the basics of how to organise a simple project- a chance to hear advice and guidance from experience project managers and ask your questions

Look forward to seeing you there!

Reimagining Professional Services (RPS) is one of 13 projects which make up the University’s Recovery Plan. Join us for an informal question and answer session on RPS with Academic Secretary, Mike Glover.

The session follows Issue Two of The Cat’s Whiskers, the exclusive vlog for ourcambridge champions, in which Mike Glover talks to Kate Maxwell and Rachel Machon about RPS and his hopes for the future.

The workshop is part of the first stage of the ‘Reimagining Professional Services’ programme where we will discuss what is working well for staff, and where there is room for improvement, for the benefit of the collegiate University.

In a world where there is never enough time and we are juggling multiple priorities, this session will explore ways in which to identify areas in our lives that we need to improve and utilise the Lotus Blossom tool to generate ideas for making that improvement happen. Lotus Blossom provides a useful tool at all stages of the continuous improvement cycle whether it is used to find the root cause of a problem or to generate ideas to overcome that problem. In this session, we will demonstrate how it can be used to address more personal areas for improvement.

"Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it" - William Arthur Ward

We all like to feel appreciated but how often do we take the time to say thank you and praise a colleague for a job well done? From a University perspective, recognition and appreciation are vital: they create a positive working environment, motivate people, make them feel valued, help them to see the purpose and importance of their work, and improve performance by reinforcing positive behaviours and embedding values.

We are offering this session to provide an opportunity for colleagues to share ideas and approaches for recognising and appreciating the contribution of others. Colleagues from departments who have launched their own recognition initiatives will be invited to share their experiences.

In this session we will look at how creating a strong professional presence or ‘brand’ can help you achieve your career goals. You will learn some top tips for enhancing your profile, together with strategies for developing behaviours that will help you stand out from the crowd and open up opportunities.

Communication is an important part of any mentoring relationship. The key skills of active listening and asking good questions can make a real positive contribution to its success. Come and get some practical advice and learn some useful tips from two experts. The session is equally relevant to both mentors and mentees.

We will begin by considering together how it feels to receive feedback and will then go on to consider the skills and techniques needed to give feedback well.

We will begin by considering together how it feels to receive feedback and will then go on to consider the skills and techniques needed to give feedback well.

This session provides an introduction for both mentors and mentees. We will discuss the benefits of mentoring and provide guidance on how to set objectives for the mentoring relationship and how to prepare for your first session together. We will also offer some tips about how to be a good mentee and mentor.

A short how-to guide to creating and using SIPOC analysis in process improvement

A short introduction to De Bono's Six Thinking Hats - a creative thinking tool for creative meetings.

Have you ever wished you could get 10 minutes with a senior colleague to ask their advice on how they would handle something? Have you ever wondered how others approach challenging problems? This is your opportunity to ask. We are bringing together a panel of very experienced colleagues from across the University for a special speed mentoring session so that they can offer you their support and advice.

Speed mentoring offers you the opportunity for a series of short, focused conversations about a specific question or issue you are struggling with. You will rotate around four different mentors, spending around 10 minutes with each, to gain different perspectives on an issue you are seeking to resolve or a project you are trying to progress.

"I liked that there were a diverse background of university staff involved in the session, and all of the mentors were really engaged and enthusiastic. I felt that I could be honest about some of my experiences in the University, good and bad. All the mentors I spoke to acted as a good sound board for the issues that I wanted to discuss and they have given me some excellent advice and ideas."

"The fact that we saw 4 different mentees was brilliant - we gained different perspectives, saw different mentoring types and were also introduced to people and roles we may not have known about."

Mentors:

• Charlotte Knights - Senior Professional Services Manager, Human Resources Division

• Andy Hyland - Learning and Development Consultant, Human Resources Division

• Kirstie Buckridge - Organisational Development Consultant, Human Resources Division

• Bruce Daniels - Assistant Director for Research Operations School of Physical Sciences, Research Office

• Suzanne Fowler - Head of HR Policy and Strategic Projects, Human Resources Division

• Elle Wills - ED&I Advisor, Cambridge University Libraries

In this uplifting session mental wellbeing expert Sam Thorogood from Tiny Pause will take staff through active listening techniques to strengthen relationships and understand the neuroscience of stress, relationships and connection.

In this session we will discuss together how to get your mentoring relationship off to a good start, how to build trust with your mentor and build your confidence as a mentee. We will also touch on how to overcome any obstacles in the mentoring relationship.

In this session we will discuss together how to get your mentoring relationship off to a good start, how to build trust with your mentee and build your confidence as a mentor. We will also touch on how to overcome any obstacles in the mentoring relationship.