Macquarie’s senior leaders look forward

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Vice-Chancellor, Professor S Bruce Dowton addresses Macquarie’s senior leaders

150 of Macquarie’s senior academic and professional staff have met to review progress of the vision outlined in the strategic framework, Our University: A Framing of Futures.

Vice-Chancellor, Professor S Bruce Dowton welcomed the leaders with a presentation on the value of effective, shared leadership and importance of strategic thinking. The presentation included a brief history of the University and formulation of the strategic framework, including an explanation of its key priorities, purpose, vision and values. Attendees were also invited to engage with each other as a broader, distributed leadership team for the University.

Staff who’ve joined since the strategy’s publication particularly appreciated the opportunity to understand the context in which it was formed and to talk with colleagues who provided more background and detail.

As well, the Vice-Chancellor revealed results from this year’s leadership group survey that show a team excited about our potential and ready to advance the University’s goals, but keen for more clarity around the prioritisation and application of the values to decision-making. The results also suggest leaders are eager to learn more about how we differentiate ourselves in a largely homogenous Australian sector, and about areas of focus for distinctiveness in the future.

forum-attendeesFor their part, attendees were encouraged to provide frank feedback on the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats faced by the University, both externally and from within. The results were illuminating and will inform planning and resource allocation as we progress throughout the next year. This, underpinned by the start of a collective shift to a more shared approach to leadership, will strengthen the links to and responsibilities for delivering A Framing of Futures.

In closing the forum, the Vice-Chancellor asked staff to continue working together to find innovative ways to meet current and future challenges. “I encourage you to consider projects or challenges in your area that a colleague you met today could help you with, and to share your thoughts about the help you could offer someone else,” Professor Dowton said.

A key theme that seemed to resonate throughout the day involved the importance of ‘us’ rather than ‘me’ or ‘they’; recognition that a shared approach makes for a much more sustainable and optimised future for the University.

A second, follow-up retreat will happen later this year.

For more information or if you have questions about the event, please contact your manager or head of department.

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