Manager Handbook

University of Bradford – Managers Handbook 2006-7
University of Bradford Professional Development
Managers Handbook
A guide to Good Practice & University Policy in the Management of People
2nd Edition - in 11 sections:
1. Managing Yourself
2. Managing Performance – when things are going well
3. Equality and Diversity
4. Managing Performance – when things are not going so well
5. Leadership
6. Recruitment and Selection
7. The Planning Process
8. Managing Change
9. Managing Information
10. Managing Meetings
11. Quality Assurance & Standards
+ an index
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Introduction
This handbook is intended for all new managers – academics, administrators and
support staff, etc. Managers who are also new to the University may find a lot
of additional information in the Staff Handbook for (all) new staff, available on
the web, and on paper from People Development (email:
staffdev@bradford.ac.uk ).
People are the most valuable resource the organisation has. They can also be a
most problematic resource. For most managers in the University it’s the people
issues that take up the time and energy, and cause the greatest frustration.
Not all people who become managers are naturally adept at handling people
problems. The aim of this handbook is to outline an approach to managing people
and highlight the available resources, policies and good practice. Much of the
information and advice is generic. The handbook provides an overview of where
University policy documents, codes of practice and other guidance can be found.
The text offers an explanation of the linkages between different policies and
codes of practice.
The handbook has been produced as part of the University’s HR Strategy, and is
intended as a resource to complement a programme of other courses for
managers. It is designed to help managers in their work, to help the University
achieve the goals of its Corporate Strategy in line with its commitment to
Confronting Inequality and Celebrating Diversity and in line with the national
Investors in People standard.
The Managers Handbook is divided into a large number of short sections, to

enable skim reading and for managers to use as a reference work. To follow
some of these topics may require hopping between sections in order to find all
the relevant information. The handbook recognises that management is not a
linear process, and has struggled to present its contents in a neat list of
connected topics. There are links across topic areas, and many bits of
information, inevitably, that do not fall neatly into the classifications we are
using.
This Managers Handbook, together with the Staff Handbook, the Staff
Development Policy and the HR Strategy (and a number of other resources and
information) are available on the web at www.brad.ac.uk/admin/staffdev . The
Corporate Strategy is available at www.brad.ac.uk/admin/planning .
During 2006-7 there will be changes to the names of some of the admin areas
referred to in this handbook. People Development is likely to change its name to
Educational and Professional Development, and there may be some changes to
web addresses as a result.
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Please send any additions, comments or suggestions for the content and layout
of this handbook to People Development. Email staffdev@bradford.ac.uk
The first edition of the Managers Handbook was published in 2003. This, the
second edition has updated entries but retains the same format.
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Contents
1 Managing 2.13 Training going so

Yourself Records & well
Progress Files
2.14 Mentoring
1.1 Looking after 4.1 Handling
2.15 Career
yourself Complaints
Development
1.2 Understanding 4.2 Workloads
2.16 Recognition &
& meeting your 4.3 Academic
Reward
own needs issues – ref to
2.17 Development
1.3 Issues of power Teaching
within existing
& control Quality
job
1.4 Delegation & Assurance,
2.18 Promotion &
Trust Course
Regrading
1.5 Learning from Approval, Exam
2.19 Professional
experience & Regs, etc.
Bodies
reflection 4.4 Time
2.20 How to get it
1.6 Stress Management
totally wrong
Management 4.5 Communication
Skills
3 Equality &
2 Managing 4.6 Counselling
Diversity
Performance 4.7 Problem-
(1) Solving
3.1 General 4.8 Mediation &
When things principles Arbitration
are going 3.2 Impact 4.9 Sickness &
well Assessments Absence
3.3 Gender 4.10 Payroll
2.1 Induction 3.4 Gender re- 4.11 Health & Safety
2.2 Motivating staff assignment 4.12 Occupational
2.3 Work / Life 3.5 Race Health
balance 3.6 Religion 4.13 Stress
2.4 Appraisal 3.7 Disability 4.14 Mental Health
2.5 Coaching 3.8 Age 4.15 Code of
2.6 Helping others 3.9 Sexual Conduct on
learn from Orientation Relations
experience & 3.10 Family between Staff &
reflection Responsibilities Students
2.7 Learning on the 3.11 Full v Part-time 4.16 Harassment
job work 4.17 Bullying
2.8 Probation & 3.12 Monitoring 4.18 Dealing with
Progress 3.13 Targets Poor
2.9 Setting SMART 3.14 Action Planning Performance
objectives 3.15 Positive Action 4.19 Capability
2.10 Personal / Procedure
Professional 4 Managing 4.20 Discipline &
Development Performance Grievance
Plans procedures
(2)
2.11 Competencies
2.12 Staff When things 5 Leadership
Development are not
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5.1 Leadership, Planning 10.3 Organising

Management or Process Meetings
Administration 7.11 Setting 10.4 How to be a
5.2 Mission & objectives for good Chair
Vision staff 10.5 Minute taking &
5.3 Values & 7.12 Monitoring Agreeing Action
Culture Progress Points
5.4 Walking the talk 7.13 Contingency & 10.6 How to avoid
Risk Planning the chair
6 Recruitment 7.14 Buisiness 10.7 Task versus
Recovery Plan Process
& Selection
10.8 Facilitation
6.1 The process 8 Managing 10.9 Group
Change dynamics &
6.2 Training
Energy
6.3 Exit interviews
8.1 Keeping people 10.10 Teamwork
6.4 Planning the
informed 10.11 Making
process
8.2 Restructuring meetings fun
6.5 Permission to
appoint 8.3 Techniques and
6.6 Producing the Models 11 Quality
Post 8.4 Grievance and Assurance &
Specification Loss Standards
6.7 Internal
candidates 9 Managing 11.1 Customers &
6.8 Performative Information Stakeholders
Tasks & other a) Quality
tests 9.1 How to avoid Assurance and
information Enhancement
7 The Planning overload b) Customer Care
Process 9.2 Keeping Staff c) Service Level
informed Agreements
7.1 Planning is 9.3 Email lists d) Stakeholders
more than 9.4 Language,
producing a KISS 11.2 Assuring quality
plan 9.5 Eliciting in Higher
7.2 Project Feedback Education
Planning 9.6 Staff Surveys a) Advisory
7.3 The Bradford 9.7 3600 Feedback Boards
Method 9.8 Learning from b) External
7.4 The Planning Feedback examiners
Cycle 9.9 The role of c) Professional
7.5 Corporate Marketing & Bodies
Strategy Corporate d) Institutional
7.6 The Balance Communication audit
Scorecard s e) Discipline Level
7.7 The Annual Engagement /
Operating 10 Managing Subject Review
Statement
Meetings
7.8 Planning Units 11.3 External quality
7.9 Annual Plans & standards
10.1 University a) Management
Planning
committees Standards
Guidance
10.2 How many? b) Investors in
7.10 A Departmental
/ Divisional People
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c) Customer First e) EQUIS Index

d) EFQM f) ISO 9000/1
Excellence
Model
1 Managing Yourself
1.1 Looking after yourself
Step 1 is, paradoxically, to look after yourself, to “keep a clear head when all
around are losing theirs” (Kipling). This is not just the ability to stay calm in a
crisis, but the ability to understand your own emotional state, when dealing with
others who are getting worked up about something. The issue can be
summarized by the phrase “Emotional Intelligence”. There are a number of
books available on this subject. Managers find it difficult to take good,
rational decisions, when their own feelings have been aroused. If you are feeling
anxious (angry, afraid, whatever), the chances are that your emotional state will
affect the quality of decisions you take. If you can, discuss the situation with
someone who is not themselves involved in the issue – a colleague, a coach or
mentor (see §2.14), or someone in HR - and see what a dispassionate viewpoint
suggests before taking a decision. Talking to someone else will also help you
clarify your own thoughts. Doing this might appear to be a sign of weakness.
The traditional view is that a good manager should be able to do it on their own.
However, there is plenty of evidence to show that traditionally managers make
less effective decisions when they act alone. Talking it through with someone
else is going to be a recurring theme in this section of the handbook.
n.b. HR = Human Resources. In this context it includes both Personnel and

People Development.
1.2 Understanding & meeting your own needs
People have different needs. Some have greater needs for security, others
need variety and risk. Some managers get the job because senior management
want to effect change and innovation, others are appointed as a “safe pair of
hands”. Usually it is a mixture of the two and depends on the situation. People
Development a video on “Leadership Style” (produced by Fenman). A manager /
leader is most likely to act effectively when decisions are based on the
overlapping parts of the diagram. (See also §5.1)
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There are number of ways of classifying leadership style, and of classifying

people’s needs and preferences.
A manager will not be happy and effective in the role if her / his own needs are
not understood and being met (in part, at least). Equally the people being
managed will not be happy if their needs are not being met.
1.3 Issues of power & control
Managers rely on two types of power – “role power” and “personal power” – in
order to influence others. Management has been somewhat cynically described
as the art of persuading others they want to do what the manager / organisation
needs them to do. In many parts of the University this is not difficult to
achieve, as staff are generally well motivated to do what is required of them.
Role power is defined as the power that comes from position and from
expertise. People are persuaded to do things because of the importance or
expertise of the manager (role power). People are equally influenced by personal
power. This is defined as the respect shown to managers because people like
them, and the confidence manager’s gain from having a good relationship with
their staff. Again, the effectiveness of personal or role power depends on the
situation – see diagram.
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At the right hand end of the diagram are situations, which call for a high
quantity of role power: “Do this, because I tell you!” At the left hand end are
situations where managers rely on a high quantity of personal power: “Could you
please do me a favour!” Most situations are in the middle area and require a
mixture of personal and role power in order to be effective. Some managers are
more comfortable at one end of the spectrum than the other. Good working
relationships are built around a flexible approach to management.
A good model for understanding the way different situations require different
types of influencing skills is Situational Leadership. This is fully explained in
Ken Blanchard’s book “Leadership and the One Minute Manager”. His model
looks like this:
There are two dimensions “directiveness” and “supportiveness”. Each can be

“low” or “high”, creating four quadrants. Each quadrant requires a different
style of management depending on the needs of the person being managed.
Typically, a new starter will need telling what to do (quadrant 1). As the new
person gets established they develop and learn new skills (quadrant 2) – the
required management role here is “coaching” (more on this in section §2.5 of this
handbook). Thereafter the person will require supporting (quadrant 3), before
they can be left to work on their own (quadrant 4). The typical route through
the four quadrants flows as the diagram suggests from 1 to 2 to 3 to 4.
However, situations change and staff who appeared competent and could be left
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to work unsupervised (quadrant 4) may feel a lack of confidence in some areas

and need the active support of their manager (quadrant 3) or may need to
develop new skills (quadrant 2) or need a directive approach (quadrant 1) when
encountering a new or difficult situation. Getting it right as a manager will
mean assessing the needs of the situation and the person being managed.
Equally, as a manager you should be aware of what you need at any one time from
your manager. Do you need to be left to get on with it, could you do with some
support, or coaching?
1.4 Delegation & Trust
A common complaint about managers is that they don’t delegate. There are a
number of reasons why managers sometimes feel reluctant to delegate:
a) managers want to protect their staff – for laudable reasons (the task
may be uninteresting or menial), or for less laudable reasons (the task in
stimulating, the person who achieves the task will get recognition)
b) managers have perfectionist tendencies – no one else could do the task
well enough, or as well as they could
c) managers don’t trust their staff to do it – if they don’t have the skill,
this could be a good opportunity for coaching and staff development
d) it’s quicker to do it yourself – this may be true, but each little job adds
another straw to the camel’s back
Awareness helps, planning helps, and a commitment to helping others learn and
develop helps.
1.5 Learning from experience & reflection
Theoretical frameworks can be very helpful in raising a manager’s awareness and

understanding, but research shows that managers learn most from reflecting on
experience.
Reflection is the process of thinking that helps turn experience into learning. A
lot of professional bodies, and some of our academic courses, now require people
to demonstrate their continued professional development (CPD) through writing
a reflective journal. This is often linked to a Personal or Professional
Development Plan (PDP). For new managers learning from experience and
reflection is easier if the manager works in a climate where
a) mistakes are seen as learning opportunities – not things to be covered up
in order to avoid blame
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b) Facilitative questions get asked e.g. “what is there for us to learn from
this situation?” & “what do we need to do differently in future to improve
the way we do things?”
It is also helpful not to make the kind of judgements which conclude that change
is impossible. This is very common, and leaves people at all levels feeling they
are helpless victims of the University, of the Government, of their own
personality – the list is endless! Managers do not learn effectively from
experience if they think like victims.
Writing a journal helps the process of learning from reflection, as does talking
things through with a coach or mentor or with colleagues and friends. Guidance
on the writing of reflective journals is available on the Staff Development
website www.brad.ac.uk/admin/staffdev .
Learning from experience and reflection is one of the outcomes of coaching.

(§2.5)
1.6 Stress Management
The message of this first section of the manager’s handbook is that if you are
managing your own emotions, and being flexible in dealing with situations and
people, and learning from reflection on experience, you will probably be managing
yourself OK, and that is the first step towards managing others effectively.
However, there will almost inevitably be times when situations or people “get to
you”, and you may experience symptoms of stress. There is more information on
stress management in the University’s Occupational Stress Policy, available at
www.brad.ac.uk/admin/personnel/stressmanagement.html
and in section §4.13 below. Symptoms are varied and include:
 irritability – often not with those causing the stress – irritability at
home is often a symptom of stress at work (and vice-versa)
 sleeplessness – or waking up in the night worrying about things
 absentmindedness – forgetting appointments, losing things
 listlessness – lack of energy, putting things off
Note your own symptoms and causes, and learn from them. If it is pressure of
work causing the stress, then slow down and relax for a bit or take some
exercise. If you feel badly about something you have done or not done, then
find that friendly colleague, mentor, HR professional to talk it through with – i.e.
get it off your chest and welcome some advice. A stressed manager is of little
value to anyone, so sort out the feelings of stress first, then, when you’re in
better shape, deal with the cause; remembering that even if you can’t deal with
an external cause of stress, you can mitigate the effect it has on you by
managing your response to it. If the stress continues, seek professional help –
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e.g. from a doctor or the Counselling Service, or talk to your manager about the
causes.
More in §4.13

2 Managing Performance (1)

- When things are going well
2.1 Induction
Get off to a good start – especially with staff you are responsible for managing
or working with. As part of your induction to the job you have as manager, take
the time to get to know these people, what they do, and what they think about
feel about the jobs they do, and what they expect from you. Also make sure you
get any people who work for you off to a good start. If you are setting on a new
member of staff, the quality of their induction will affect the quality of their
work.
2.2 Motivating staff
Most managers are responsible for some staff. The most important job of a
manager is to keep their staff motivated to work and to maintain or improve
their performance. Generally speaking, motivation is improved through
communication, recognition and concern for people’s job satisfaction. Threats
are a last resort. Demotivation leads to absence, stress and bad behaviour.
Time spent listening to staff – individually or at staff meetings – is usually
repaid if problems get nipped in the bud. Sometimes problems do go away on
their own, but all too often they do not. The sections that follow look at a
number of specific ideas, policies, and procedures for maintaining motivation.
2.3 Work / Life balance
There are many jobs at the University where the boundary between work and
home can get a bit blurred. This has its positive sides. People take work home.
You can use University email from home. Some people can easily work from
home whilst waiting for the plumber or when children are sick. Equally it is
possible whilst at the University to deal with some personal matters, e.g. things
that can only be sorted out by making a phone call or visit during normal office
hours. It can also have its negative sides. Presenteeism (the opposite of
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absenteeism) can lead people to work long hours, get over-tired, to neglect their
families and friends, and to fail to recognise the symptoms of stress §4.13. The
key word is balance - between Home, Work and Social Life. Whether it looks
like an impossible triangle, as in the diagram, is another matter.
As a manager it will probably be helpful if you provide a good example to others.
The “life” bit of a good work/life balance will vary from person to person. A
single person may have a varied social-life, or a recreational hobby. People with
small children or other caring responsibilities may spend most of their time with
the family and/or dependent(s).
There are a number of policies and good practice on the Personnel website
www.brad.ac.uk/admin/personnel/work-lifebalance
including sections on adoption leave, family responsibility leave, holiday leave, job
share, maternity leave and paternity provision, as well as some useful links to
external sites.
2.4 Appraisal
The University requires that all members of staff be appraised. The appraisal
scheme were revised in 2006 as part of a performance management framework,
and are available at www.brad.ac.uk/admin/staffdev .
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A good appraisal can be one of the best ways of recognising good performance
and motivating a member of staff who is doing well. Equally, an appraisal can be
used for problem-solving and improving performance.
People Development have a number of videos and DVDs on appraisal which can be
borrowed. There are training courses for appraisees and new appraisers at least
twice a year. Refresher sessions are available for appraisers whose training
preceded the 2006 revisions.
Allocating appraisers needs some thought. See the notes of guidance for more
information. The pattern emerging from the University’s experience of
appraisal is that appraisal works best as a line manage function, done by the
manager with overall responsibility for the appraisee’s performance.
In preparing for an appraisal, both appraisees and appraisers are encouraged to

work with the following framework – i.e. come prepared to talk about:
1. what’s gone well in the past year – things that warrant praise and
recognition
2. what challenges lie on the horizon, what needs preparing for, what could
be improved in the appraisee’s job, and link these with the planning
process
3. SMART (see §2.9) objectives for the coming period
4. personal aspirations – what would the appraisee like an opportunity to do,
where does the appraisee see themselves in “n” years time (the number
“n” will depend on the age, career pattern or length of contract of the
appraisee)
One of aims of an appraisal is to align the energies of the appraisee with the
objectives of the work, i.e. to help the appraisee plan what they need to do in
the current year, what the staff development implications are for both the
individual and the University, and what needs further planning as a result.
Information from appraisals helps departments, schools, etc. produce their own
staff development plan. A parallel aim will be to help the appraisee plan their
own development – an individual professional development plan to achieve agreed
work objectives. The achievement of the plan then becomes the basis for the
appraisee’s training record (§2.13). The appraisal offers the opportunity to plan,
to review and to set objectives. These intertwine as themes throughout an
appraisal interview. See §s 7.4 & 7.9 for ideas on how to fit the appraisal
interview into the planning cycle.
The appraisal interview is an opportunity for the manager to review a year’s

work, discuss any recurring problems (but no surprises!), agree an action plan to
maintain or improve performance, and to give and receive some feedback. “Is
there anything I could be doing differently, to improve the way we work
together?” would be a very good question for the manager to ask to elicit some
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useful feedback (more on feedback in §s 9.5 - 9.7). The action plan will include
objectives for the appraisee and any action points for the appraiser.
Appraisal also provides an opportunity to check that the appraisee is working to

the level of competence (§2.11) appropriate to their current grade.
The process of an appraisal interview is to gather information, handle emotion,

and agree an action plan. Objectives, and the kind of questions to ask at each
stage are outlined in handouts given out during appraisal training. Copies are
available on the staff development website.
There are three forms available from Personnel or Staff Development, and on
the Staff Development website.
Form A is for appraisees to fill in before the appraisal interview – and is
voluntary.
Form B is the formal record of the annual appraisal interview and has to be
filled in by the appraiser and includes the topics covered and agreed actions and
objectives. Form B is then countersigned by the appraisee, and kept
confidential in a secure location. Form B may also be seen by the appraiser’s
manager, dean or director.
Form C is the document that is used for planning staff development resources.
It records those outcomes of appraisal which require staff development
resources (time or money) to implement. It enables a School or directorate
(with Corporate Services) to plan the resources available for staff development.
Form C enables appraisers, who are not budget-holders, to recommend that
resources be found for the appraisee, to meet the cost of actions agreed in the
appraisal interview.
The annual appraisal interview is not the only opportunity to appraise someone.
Appraisal is a communication skill that can be used throughout the year, and in
other guises such as coaching, handling complaints and problem solving (see §2.5,
§4.1 & §4.7).
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2.5 Coaching
Managers have a responsibility to ensure that their staffs continue to develop,

to achieve the University’s objectives and their own personal aspirations.
Coaching is the term used to describe what managers do, when they are actively
helping their staff learn from experience, develop their skills and improve their
performance. Coaching is an ongoing process and is most likely to be effective
with staff who are performing well and eager to learn and develop. See also
§2.2 above.
People Development run courses on Coaching and Mentoring (Mentoring is

explored in more detail in §2.14 below). We also have a video on coaching called
“the Helping Hand”, featuring John Cleese and Robert Lindsey. In the
University context, coaching is seen as a line management responsibility;
mentors do not line manage their mentees. There is a book on "Coaching &
Mentoring" by Eric Parsloe and Monika Wray, where the similarities and
distinctions between coaching and mentoring are further explained.
A coaching session will typically enable the manager and member of staff to talk
through issues arising from their work, to identify problems and opportunities
to learn from experience (§2.6 & 1.5). A coach will want to explore both the
“Outer Game” (what’s on the surface of the issue) and the “Inner Game” (below
the surface). Coaching can be done informally – i.e. as and when the occasion
presents itself, but will work most effectively if time is set aside for it.
2.6 Helping others learn from experience and reflection
§1.5 looked at the value to managers of learning from experience and reflection.
For staff this can be learning from individual reflection, and can be assisted in
the way they are helped and encouraged to talk things through with their
manager. It can also take the form of group reflection – the opportunity to
review how things are going. Awaydays can provide good opportunities for
people to reflect. A review meeting prior to drawing up plans for the coming
year can be very helpful. Equally a reflective review meeting at the end of an
academic year may be very useful in preparing for the next. A good format for
review meetings is one that enables the interplay between small group discussion
and large group consensus seeking.
2.7 Learning on the job
People enjoy learning. Staffs needs time to be set aside for staff development
activities, many of which will take them away from the workplace. Some groups
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of staff have this written into their contracts, or codes of practice that govern
their work. One example is in the Guidance for Career Management of Contract
Research Staff (available as a booklet or on
www.brad.ac.uk/admin/personnel/Contractresearch/index.html )
and arrangements for trainees (e.g. on schemes supported by the Learning
Skills Council).
People benefit from learning on the job. It can be frustrating to go on a staff

development event, for example, and then find there is no opportunity to
practice and develop the learning from the course when back at a work. A good
manager will take time to talk to staff about the outcomes of staff development
activities, and plan opportunities to further develop those outcomes whilst at
work.
Some learning on the job has no connection with formal staff development or
training, but is every bit as important, both to the job itself and to the
individual. Some staff development outcomes of appraisal interviews require no
additional resources, but do require planning into the job.
Departmental awaydays help in the process of planning, and ensuring that

everyone knows what they are doing – especially when there are new procedures
to implement, or other innovations to consider and respond to.
All this learning on the job is the responsibility of the manager, to plan and to
ensure that it happens.
2.8 Probation & Progress
All new staff is appointed subject to a satisfactory period of probation. For

many staff this involves no more than a memo from Personnel after someone has
been in post for six months asking the manager to confirm that performance has
been satisfactory. In most cases confirmation is routine. Managers should
note, though, that if they are having reservations about the ability of a new
person to do the job, this is the time to discuss it with the member of staff and
with Personnel. In case of doubt, the probationary period can be extended.
Managers will need to be clear how they will recognise the improvements they
are looking for, and that they can justify future decisions.
For new members of academic staff the initial probationary period can be up to
three years. Details are found in the Guide for new University Lecturers,
Teachers and their Mentors (available from HR). There is a Sub-Cttee on
Probation and Progress for Lecturers and Teachers responsible for monitoring
and agreeing progress. Mentors are allocated at the time of issuing a contract.
Mentor training is available from the Staff Development Unit.
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Some appointments may be subject to additional or different periods of review,

depending on the seniority or special circumstances of the post. The purpose of
a probationary period is not only to protect the University, but also to ensure
appropriate support and development for the new member of staff.
2.9 Setting SMART objectives
 Specific
 Measurable
 Achievable
 Realistic
 Time-bound
Setting SMART objectives (as an outcome of appraisal, coaching or when

planning learning on the job) is one way to ensure that ideas get turned into
action, and that plans get implemented. The questions to ask (of yourself, and
the staff involved) are:
1. What exactly do we want to achieve? - be specific about the detail!

2. How will we know when we have achieved it? – can it be measured?
3. Can we actually do it, do the people involved have the time, the skill,
etc? - is it achievable?
4. Is it feasible in the circumstances, or is it merely a wish or
aspiration? – Are we being realistic?
5. Set target dates, and milestones (dates by which key things must be
done en route). Use project planning techniques (e.g. a Gantt chart) –
agree how long the task will take - ensure your objectives are time-
bound!
See §7.2 for more on Project Planning
2.10 Personal / Professional Development Plans (PDPs)
Another way of ensuring that staff development actually happens is for the
member of staff concerned to produce, in agreement with their manager, their
own personal or professional development plan (the abbreviation to PDP avoids
the need to define the distinction between “personal” and “professional”). The
intention is to ensure the plan is well formulated (e.g. SMART) and “owned” by
all the parties whose co-operation is required to implement it. PDPs are already
required for some groups of staff, e.g. new lecturers and university teachers
(outlined in a booklet available from Personnel - and on the web soon) and for
contract research staff (follow the link to "contract research staff" on the
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Research front page of the University's website). PDPs are also being
introduced for postgraduate research students (see also §2.13).
For new lecturers the PDP is produced in collaboration with a mentor, approved
by the relevant line manager, and has to be submitted to Personnel within three
months of starting. For managers the PDP is produced as result of 360 0
feedback (§9.7) and appraisal, and agreed with the manager’s own manager.
The PDP will contain a list of objectives, and activities to achieve those
objectives. Some of these will be attendance at courses, conferences, etc.
Some will involve reading, writing research papers, etc. For managers it is
likely to involve developing competencies.
2.11 Competencies
A competency can be described as what you need to be able to do to perform

well in your job. Defining the competencies required for a job means knowing -
a) what you expect the person to be able to do before they start the
job,
b) what you expect the person to develop in post in order to perform
well &
c) what you expect the person to be doing to demonstrate they are
working to their HERA role descriptor – i.e. that they are working
to the level expected for their pay grade.
Competencies listed under “a” will be part of the Post Specification (§6.6) and
identified as part of the process of Recruitment & Selection (§6.1).
Competencies that come in the “b” list are the things that have to be developed
on the job, through coaching and staff development. Competencies that come
under “c” are the basis for performance management. Gaps between actual and
desired competence can be identified through the appraisal process (§2.4), and
through 3600 feedback (§9.7).
The process of assimilating staff in 2005 onto the single pay spine introduced
the HERA (Higher Education Role Analysis) list of competencies required for
each pay grade. These competencies will form the basis of how the University
grades posts and checks that people are performing to the appropriate level. To
deal with cases of underperformance, there is the Capability Procedure (§4.19)
For management development the benchmark is the National Management

Standards, which can be found on www.management-standards.org .
2.12 Staff Development
p18
Four important principles:

1. that staff development is the responsibility of managers, however
2. there are people in Learner Support Services and in HR to support and
advise managers, &
3. there are lots of opportunities for staff development provided centrally
by the University, however
4. there are equally lots of things people can do for their own staff
development which don’t require the involvement of anyone else.
The University’s staff development policy is on www.brad.ac.uk/admin/staffdev .

The University has a Staff Development & Training sub-committee chaired by a
PVC. It’s a sub-committee of HR Committee (§10.1).
In addition to People Development, the University has a number of other

functions whose job it is to provide staff training and development. These
include:
 IT training – provided by the Learning Support Services)
 Health & Safety Services
 The Teaching Quality Enhancement Group – in relation to learning &
teaching
 The Graduate School – in relation to research for both staff and
postgraduate research students
 The Research Office – for information about research funding
 Business Support – in relation to 3rd mission (Knowledge Transfer)
activities
Other central admin departments (e.g. Finance and Personnel) provide seminars
for staff on developments in their fields.
The School of Lifelong Education & Development provide courses for the general
public which can also be attended by University staff. Staff are able to study
a University undergraduate or postgraduate course without incurring a
fee. Places on the part-time MBA at the School of Management are limited to 3
places per year.
Staff wishing to study for qualifications at other institutions of further or

higher education may apply for funding from their School or Directorate (within
Corporate Services)
People Development will also fund and facilitate departmental awaydays, but
please do ask well in advance, as the staff developers keep themselves very busy
and have full diaries. The budget has its limitations, too.
p19
2.13 Training Records & Progress Files
The University is required by Equal Opportunities legislation to show that is not

allowing any unwitting discrimination to affect the way it manages people. To
demonstrate that career development is equally accessible to all staff, we need
in future to keep a record of staff development opportunities that have been
offered to and taken up by individuals. Staff development plans are recorded as
PDPs (§2.10) and as the action plan from an appraisal (§2.4). Training records
need to be kept on the HR system and agreed as a true record by appraisers.
Introduction of this is dependent on the successful introduction of the new HR
software, and we sit with fingers crossed as this version of the handbook goes
to press.
Agreed training records will then need to be put through an equal opportunities
monitoring process to see if all groups of staff are getting fair access to
training and development. This will inevitably require some extra work to go into
the process of managing staff and their development. However, what will be
required for staff is very similar to what is also being required for students.
For students the key term is “progress files”. For more on progress files search
the QAA website (www.qaa.ac.uk) or consult the Teaching Quality Enhancement
Group.
2.14 Mentoring
There are two kinds of mentoring arrangements at the University – formal, and
informal.
Formal mentoring is required for new academic and research staff. New
lecturers and university teachers are given a mentor on appointment. This is an
experienced colleague in the same department, not the head of department (i.e.
not the line manager). New contract research staff are given a mentor who is
not the “principle investigator” – i.e. not the person leading the research project
they are working on. Mentors are offered training by the Staff Development
Unit. Other new staff may be given a mentor or a “guide” to help them through
the process of induction. Additional information in:
 the Guide for new Lecturers, Teachers and their Mentors
 the Guidance for Career Management of Contract Research Staff
 the proposed new Career Development Scheme (see next section)
 school or divisional induction check lists
Informal mentoring is by definition less structured and not a requirement. Many

staff have someone whose experience and insight they respect, with whom they
discuss issues arising in their work, and developments in their field. Young
researchers will often identify a professor they want to work with and learn
p20
from. Senior managers often find it useful to have a mentor in another

university or in a different business completely.
2.15 Career Development
Career development depends on two things

a) availability of opportunities to develop skills and knowledge, and
b) availability of opportunities to advance (better job, better pay)
The annual appraisal interview is the best occasion to discuss these issues, and
to agree plans and any resources required to support them.
The HERA role descriptors (see section on Competencies §2.11) give a list of
competencies required for any given grade within the University’s single pay
spine. To progress up the grades may be straightforward for some individuals,
but for others may require planning and support.
During 2007 it is hoped to introduce a new Career Development Scheme that will
enable and support staff to advance their skills and knowledge. The aim is to
help staff make progress up the salary skills, but this is dependent on
opportunities for progression becoming available. Success on a career
development scheme cannot in itself guarantee promotion or regrading. The
scheme will involve the production and implementation of a personal development
plan, aided by a mentor.
2.16 Recognition & Reward
There is a false assumption in many parts of the world that people are only
motivated to work for the money. It is unlikely that people would work without
pay, but it is also true that the recognition people get for their contribution is
an equally important motivator. Reward (pay) is what gets people’s bodies to
work but recognition is what engages their brain, creativity and energy.
Recognition involves showing you value the person, and what they achieve, that
thanks are given for a job well done, and that individuals are treated with
respect. See also section 3 on Equality and Diversity.
The reward system is constrained by national pay rates and complex procedures
for promotion and regrading, and so may be difficult for a manager to directly
influence There are a number of discretionary increments at the top of each
pay scale within the single pay spine. These discretionary increments and non
pecuniary methods for showing recognition are more easily within the control
and gift of managers.
p21
Another way of looking at reward and recognition is in terms of Maslow’s

“hierarchy of needs” (diagram below) The reward system meets steps 1 & 2 of
Maslow’s hierarchy, which have to be met before higher needs can be satisfied.
Steps 3 to 5 are then achieved through recognition of the individual and their
contribution to the organisation.
University staff often complain about lack of recognition. A sincere “thank you”
at the right moment goes a long way to redressing the situation.
Recognition (in the form of reward) can be given as discretionary awards or

increments. There has for the last few years been an annual pot of money for
this, and applications are usually sought in the period before or around Easter
(for website with the relevant document see §2.18).
2.17 Development within existing job
People approach their own development in different ways. Some see

development as a route to achieving promotion or some other ambition. Others
undertake development activities for their own sake. It can sometimes be
difficult for staff and their managers to justify time spent on staff
development if it isn’t apparently leading anywhere.
p22
The purpose of an appraisal is help staff develop in their existing jobs, and the
approach to staff development that involves managers discussing the outcomes
of development activities with staff (§2.4) is to ensure that staff development
is relevant to the current job and followed up in relation to the person’s current
performance.
If that, coincidentally, helps the individual’s case for promotion, so much the
better.
This can lead to a situation where staff end up working at one grade higher than
the one they are paid for. That might be a very good outcome for the staff
development policy, but could fail to recognise the individual’s contribution, and
lead to demotivation. In such cases it is possible to make the case for a one-
off payment or additional increment, as mentioned in §2.16. (For documentation
– see next section §2.18)
If competencies to develop in-post (§2.11) are identified well in advance, it is

easier to distinguish the expected development and performance from the
exceptional. The competencies required for any particular grade on the single
pay spine can be found in the relevant HERA role descriptor, though some
interpretation may be required to turn a generic competency into something
specific for a particular job.
2.18 Promotion & Regrading
Promotion, in the University context, has traditionally meant two things. One
meaning is to get a new job at a higher level in the hierarchy, usually by
competing with others for a vacant higher level position. All University staff
can do this, and the procedure is outlined in the Recruitment & Selection Codes
of Practice (+ see section 5 of this handbook). The other meaning is to pass
through a ceiling or “bar” in the existing job, which may, or may not, entail a
change in duties or job title. In practice the meanings overlap and are often
confused. Academic staff progress within their existing post by “promotion” –
from lecturer to senior lecturer and onwards to reader or a personal chair.
Additional responsibilities are taken on as a result of, or in order to achieve
promotion. Administrative, clerical and technical staff achieve the same thing
by having their posts regraded. In this context, “promotion” or “regrading” has
looked very similar.
This second meaning of promotion, and regrading, has traditionally been

achieved by presenting a written case to a committee – usually in the depths of
winter. Academics may also be interviewed by the relevant committee.
Administrators are not, usually, interviewed in regrading cases. At the time of
writing it is a bit early to say exact what processes for regarding will be
p23
introduced now that we have the single pay spine. Watch for announcements on
staff briefing, and details on the HR website.
Traditionally the documentation for each year’s “exercise” (as it has been
euphemistically called) appears before Christmas with a target date for
completion early in the new year, and a decision some time around Easter.
2.19 Professional Bodies
Many of the University’s awards are recognised (or validated) by national

professional bodies. Many of the University's administrators, too, are members
of professional bodies. Professional bodies take an interest in the continued
professional development (CPD) of their members – including the staff who
teach the subject in higher education. As mentioned in §2.10, they may require
that members maintain their membership through presentation of a portfolio of
CPD activities and a reflective journal.
One of the responsibilities of managers in these subject areas is to ensure that

individuals and courses maintain recognition.
p24
2.20 How to get it totally wrong
A quick list of things that are likely to demotivate staff:
 Adopt a “Do as I say”, not “Do as I do” culture. Ensure that there is one
rule for you and a different one for everyone else.
 Tell people what to do – don’t let them work it out for themselves (it
takes too long!).
 Ignore people (especially first thing in the morning), stay in your own
office, and if anyone comes to see you, make it clear that you would
prefer no interruptions. Don’t explain what you are doing. Stay aloof.
 Make it clear you have favourites, who always get it right (no matter
what they do). Show the others you believe they are hopeless – and
point out everything they do wrong.
 Take advice only from people who think like you, and who agree with you.
 Have a blame culture – those that get it wrong feel awful, and those that
don’t, fear they might at any moment. A subtle version of this is to
blame “the University” and dissociate yourself from any senior
management decision. This way you and your staff all become victims.
 Avoid doing anything risky yourself, anything that you might be blamed
for. Make the most inexperienced member of staff responsible for any
new initiative or project.
 Cancel or postpone staff meetings at the last moment, and forget to turn
up at the rearranged time.
 Treat clerical and technical staff as if they were servants. If that
doesn’t work pretend they’re slaves.
Add your own examples, with insights from the way you have been managed in
the past!

3 Equality & Diversity
3.1 General principles
The University is committed to treating all its staff, students and other
stakeholders equitably. Equitably is not necessarily the same as equally.
Treating everyone the same does not guarantee equality of opportunity. The
University’s strapline "confronting inequality, celebrating diversity" contains the
other key concept. Diversity, in this context, means respecting individual
p25
difference - working with people for who and what they are - avoiding
stereotyping.
Equality of opportunity is protected in law. It is illegal to discriminate (directly

or indirectly) against groups or members of groups covered by equal
opportunities legislation. Diversity is not enshrined in law, but takes the values
of equal opportunities legislation into the way individuals are managed.
Discrimination is easy. Treating one person less favourably than another can
happen for a variety of reasons, usually a mix of misunderstanding and
frustration. People who do things differently are more difficult to manage.
People whose belief systems are different can be more difficult to manage.
The University has a variety of policies, codes of practice and staff with
relevant expertise, to help managers get it right.
The University has a section of HR that specialises in Equality & Diversity with
responsibilities across the range of equal opportunities issues. The University
also has a senior academic, Professor Uduak Archibong, in a leadership role as
Equality and Diversity “Champion”. Each School or department has an Equal
Opportunities facilitator whose role it is to assist managers in that area. There
is, in addition, a separate Disabilities Office which looks primarily after the
needs of disabled students but which also advises staff. Other parts of HR
(e.g. Personnel) can also provide advice and support. The University has an
Equality and Diversity Committee – a joint committee of Senate and Council.
The University's codes of practice and policies on a wide range of Equality and
Diversity issues can be found on the Personnel website:
http://www.brad.ac.uk/admin/personnel/equality&diversity/EOPoliciesList.htm
Other links you may wish to follow include
Personal Harassment & Bullying Policy Policy Statement on Equal Opportunities
Job Share Policy Policy on Maternity, Paternity, Adoptive &

Family Responsibility
‘Learning together’
National support comes from the Equality Challenge Unit (part of Universities
UK). Their website is www.ecu.ac.uk .
The 21st century has seen the introduction of new legislation on a variety of
equal opportunities issues. Employers in the public service (which includes
universities) are expected not only to respond to equality and diversity issues,
but to be proactive through publishing policies and schemes, undertaking impact
assessments and monitoring the effect of their actions.
p26
3.2 Impact Assessments
The full information and guidance can be found on www.brad.ac.uk/equality . The

need for employers in the public service to do impact assessments is one of the
requirements of recent equal opportunities legislation. It was the effect of the
Stephen Lawrence inquiry and the conclusion that the Metropolitan Police was
“institutionally racist” that triggered the current legislative framework. The
framework has been extended from race to other equal opportunities legislation.
Essentially, it is not sufficient for an organisation to claim that it doesn’t
discriminate, it now has to demonstrate that it isn’t unwittingly discriminating
through the way its policies and procedures are implemented. Policies and
procedures need to be proactively examined, monitored and checked. Stage 1 of
this process is the “impact assessment”.
3.3 Gender
There are a number of issues in relation to gender, e.g:

- the disproportionately small number of women in senior positions,
- some jobs have been seen traditionally, and may still be seen as
more appropriate for one gender
- maternity, career breaks and responsibility for looking after
children
- differences in communicative style between men and women
- sexual attraction & unequal power
To address these issues requires managerial resolve and sensitivity. Where

targets have been set, there needs to be action to ensure progress. When staff
resist progress, or wish to move faster than managers are comfortable with,
then discussions require sensitivity and reflection. The more a manager is aware
of his / her own views and feelings in relation to gender issues, the easier it is
to engage with others in discussion. Awareness can be raised by attending
courses (the Equality & Diversity course is a good starting point), or by reading.
John Gray’s "Men are from Mars, Women from Venus", and Deborah Tannen’s
“You just don’t understand me” have helped many understand the issues involved.
3.4 Gender reassignment
People who feel strongly that the gender they have been given is not the one
they want, can have their gender reassigned. This involves a complex process of
psychological and social adjustment, has legal implications and usually requires
medication and surgery. The more support individuals have from their
workplace, the easier it will be for all to manage. The problem for managers is
not just the inconvenience of a member of staff taking time off for elective
p27
surgery, but dealing sensitively with their own embarrassment and the feelings
of other staff. The best solution is to take advice from the person undergoing
the gender reassignment, and agree how and when to inform other staff and
other parts of the University. People undergoing gender reassignment are
protected by existing equal opportunities legislation.
3.5 Race
The Race Relations Amendment Act puts a much stronger requirement on the
University to ensure racial equality and prevent discrimination. It requires the
University to demonstrate that it has the procedures in place and is taking
appropriate action. Institutional Racism is the term used to describe the many
ways in which an organisation can inadvertently and subtly reinforce racial
stereotypes and effectively discriminate, even though it has an equal
opportunities policy. About half the undergraduates in the University are from
black and minority ethnic communities in Britain. We also have a large number of
international students. The University has an increasing number of black and
minority ethnic staff, but there is little or no representation at senior levels.
People who experience racism overtly or in more subtle forms need to have their
concerns taken seriously and if necessary acted upon. See section §4.16 for the
University’s policy and procedures on harassment, and §4.1 for the more general
issue of handling complaints.
Page 29 of the 2004 Staff Satisfaction Survey (available on the staff

development website www.brad.ac.uk/admin/staffdev ) shows that 4% of staff
who filled in the survey report experiencing racial discrimination at work. The
survey also shows that only 18% of those experiencing discrimination (of any
kind) reported it, and of those only 31% thought the University was supportive.
There is clearly some progress to be made.
3.6 Religion
Religion will be included in the legal framework of equal opportunities legislation

very soon. The University has a number of Christian chaplains and a Muslim
Adviser, who can offer information and advice to both staff and students.
Names and contact information is on http://www.brad.ac.uk/admin/student-
services/sis/religious.htm
Islam and its influence in society has attracted a lot of attention in recent
years. The general issues that affect University managers are
 Time for prayers (staff and students)

 The timing and effect of Ramadhan and Eid(s).
p28
 Halal food
Devout Muslims pray five times a day at times determined in advance and which
vary with the time of year. The University has a room in the Communal Building,
which is used as a prayer room – though prayers may be said in any location that
is sufficiently private. Staff and students may request that a suitable room be
available near their place of study / work.
The Muslim year is based on the lunar cycle and the timing of its festivals
advances by about fourteen days each solar year. Consequently the main
festivals which impact on working and student life are on different dates each
year. The precise date for a festival depends on the sighting of the new moon,
which means that only approximate dates can be given in advance. Ramadhan is
the month of fasting. It has its origins in the same tradition as the Christian
idea of Lent. Muslims observing Ramadhan don't eat or drink during the hours
of daylight. In 2006 Ramadhan will be in October. At the end of Ramadhan is
the feast of Eid-ul-Fitr, which has the equivalent importance to Muslims that
Christmas does for Christians. Hence most Muslim staff and students would
expect to take one or two days’ holiday. There is a second Eid about two months
later, of similar importance.
Most large caterers in Bradford understand the need to provide Halal food for
Muslims. Many Muslims have adopted the tactic of only eating vegetarian food
when meals are provided.
The dates of key religious holidays can be found on the University’s calendar.
More information via the link at the top of this section.
3.7 Disability
The University’s Disabilities Office covers both students and staff. They
ensure that the appropriate personal, financial and technical support is available
to help people with a disability work and study. They can help apply for external
sources of funding, advise on reasonable adjustments that can and should be
made for people with a disability, and have a lot of expertise and knowledge
about the various technical aids and innovations that are available. They run a
number of workshops and training courses on the requirements of the Disability
Discrimination Act (DDA) or on Mental Health issues.
The most common disability the University has to work with is dyslexia. Many
disabilities are hidden, and have variable effects. The DDA defines a disability
as “a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term
adverse effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities”.
p29
The DDA requires that organisations make “reasonable adjustments” to enable

equitable treatment.
More information from the Disabilities Office, and their website

www.brad.ac.uk/admin/disab .
3.8 Age
Age discrimination is being added to the list of things covered by equal

opportunities legislation. Expect briefing information from Personnel as soon as
the legislation comes into force. Some of the more interesting implications of
the Age legislation relate to whether or not it will be legal to have a compulsory
age of retirement. Expect more information as and when the legislation kicks in.
3.9 Sexual Orientation
Sexual Orientation is also covered by equal opportunities legislation. One of the

issues with sexual orientation is that where prejudice exists, especially in males,
it is pretty deep rooted. On the other hand a person’s sexual orientation is not
usually a factor in the way they do their job or the way they study. Anyone -
heterosexual, gay or lesbian - whose sexuality influences the way they go about
their work could become a cause for victimisation. It is very easy for people to
be the butt of comments or jokes - in other words to be harassed as a result of
information about, or allusions to their sexual orientation. Excusing this as
harmless fun or the normal banter of working life is no longer acceptable.
3.10 Family Responsibilities
These include responsibilities for elderly relatives, people with disabilities as

well as young children. The University also has arrangements for Maternity and
Paternity leave. Staff with young children may need some flexibility in work
times and to take time off or make special arrangements during school holidays.
Any member of staff with family responsibilities may need to take time for
hospital appointments, etc.
This is an equal opportunities issue, as women take on a disproportionate amount

of family responsibilities. See also the §2.3 on work-life balance. The policy
on Entitlements to Maternity, Paternity, Adoptive & Family Responsibility Leave
can be found via
http://www.brad.ac.uk/admin/personnel/FamilyResponsibility.htm
p30
The more flexibility managers can offer in these circumstances, the greater the
flexibility staff will be willing to show in return, to ensure that the work gets
done. Difficulty in making arrangements for dependent relatives will increase
stress and could affect performance. Performance issues that appear to be
connected with family responsibilities, e.g. time keeping, need sensitive
treatment.
3.11 Full v Part-time work
Part-time staff can feel discriminated against if they are unable to participate
in staff meetings, training and development events, and other important
occasions due to their pattern of working. Solutions include rearranging some
meetings to enable part-time staff to attend, paying hourly paid staff for some
meetings, and showing flexibility. The School of Lifelong Education &
Development has a handbook for part-time lecturers, which may also be of
interest to part-time teachers in other Schools
http://www.brad.ac.uk/admin/conted/adulted/handbook/ .
3.12 Monitoring
Institutional discrimination is less obvious in individual cases, but can be seen

very clearly in statistics. The fact that one person doesn’t get a job is not
necessarily a result of prejudice against that individual, but if the statistics
show that, for example, minority ethnic people are not applying for jobs, being
shortlisted, or getting the job, then there is a trend which adversely effects
one group, and which requires further investigation. The equal opportunities
legislation puts a duty on the Funding Council, and the University to undertake
impact assessments, to monitor its staff and students and to keep records of
gender, ethnicity, etc., in order to learn from these statistics.
3.13 Targets
Where monitoring shows a lower than expected number of women, people from
an ethnic minority, people with disabilities, etc., the next step is to set targets.
The University now has a set of equal opportunities targets as part of its Human
Resource Strategy. The documents can be found via the Personnel website.
Targets define the number of such people you would expect, or the number to
be aimed for within a given period. The purpose of targets is to stimulate
initiative and changes in traditional practice, and help managers monitor
progress. Targets are quite different to quotas. In British equal opportunities
legislation, quotas are illegal, but targets are encouraged.
p31
3.14 Action Planning
Nothing changes unless there is action. To achieve change requires planning and
commitment. Each School / department is required to have an equal
opportunities action plan which is monitored by the University’s Equal
Opportunities Committee. The problem with equality and diversity issues is that
where there is a problem, there are usually many reasons to explain why, and
there is often resistance to change. The University is committed to overcoming
these problems, but the route is not easy and not always straightforward. It is
sometimes easier for managers to see the difficulties in implementation, than to
understand why the proposed action is important.
3.15 Positive Action
Positive action enables inequalities to be redressed, by taking a specific

initiative aimed at improving opportunity for a disadvantaged group. Positive
action is legal and encouraged. It is Positive Discrimination that is illegal.
Special courses preparing women for jobs in a traditionally male area such as
engineering is an example of positive action. Giving women jobs in preference to
men just because they are female is an example of positive discrimination (and
illegal). Initiatives the University is taking to widen participation offer other
examples of positive action in student recruitment. Individual managers can also
take positive action to demonstrate that they are welcoming, including and
meeting the specific needs of all people who work for them, or who may work for
them in future.

4 Managing Performance (2)

- When things are not going so well
4.1 Handling Complaints
The difficulty in listening to a member of staff complaining about something, is

to know
a) if they are asking you to do something about it, or just wanting you to
listen and sympathise,
b) if this will sort itself out over time, or requires an intervention,
c) if an intervention is required, whether action should be taken by you, the
complainant or by someone else,
d) if this is best dealt with by a formal or informal approach.
p32
It may also be, of course, you who wants to initiate the complaint – to or about a
member of your staff.
The University has a number of policies that may apply, and help manage a
complaint.
Discipline & Grievance procedure (This is usually the last resort, so more on this
at the end of the section, §4.20)
Code of Practice on Harassment & Bullying (§4.16 & §4.17)
Occupational Stress Management Policy (§4.13).
The best source of advice is HR. Personnel, People Development or the Advisor
on Equality and Diversity may be able to help, depending on the situation. Other
possibilities are the Counselling Service, Occupational Health and the
Disabilities Office. More on these situations below - §4.6, §4.12 & §4.14).
Complaints about the conduct of others may also be covered by the University’s
policy on “whistleblowing: ”
http://www.brad.ac.uk/admin/personnel/PublicInterestDisclosure.htm
Generally speaking, the best advice, when a member of staff comes to you with a
complaint, is to gather all the information first, handle any emotion and then,
and only then, work out an action plan. The action plan should be agreed with
the complainant, and preferably reflect what the complainant wants done about
the situation. This approach is very similar to an appraisal (§2.4). If the
issues emerging are complex or sensitive, a good outcome is to agree to reflect
on what you have heard and to meet again in a few days time. In the intervening
period you can consult others and weigh up the pros and cons of possible
solutions. A period of reflection will also enable you to decide which of the
various policies and procedures will be most useful to follow. A harassment case
follows a different route than a formal grievance.
A fuller flowchart explaining this is available on

www.brad.ac.uk/admin/personnel/StressManagementFlowchart.pdf
Confidentiality can be tricky. Where the issue is sensitive, the complainant may
ask you to keep the content confidential. A request for confidentiality should
be respected, of course, but can be problematic:
a) if the complainant also wants you to act on the complaint – others may
need to be told some of the detail in order for action to be effective –
you will need to be clear about what can and can’t remain confidential in
order to achieve the complainant’s desired outcome
b) if keeping the confidentiality conflicts with the University’s duty of care
for its employees – if keeping the confidentiality could leave the
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University liable for any consequences - worst case scenarios are if a

crime has been committed or the complainant talks about taking action
that may result in self-harm or damage to others
c) if the content of the complaint causes you to worry and lose sleep –
keeping a confidentiality can be a burden – managing your own feelings
about the issue is important (refer back to section 1.1).
HR staff have to deal with such issues in much of their work, and will be a good
source of advice, and be able to handle any sensitive and confidential issues you
might need to talk through.
4.2 Workloads
Workload can be a problematic issue, if a member of staff is

a) doing too much
b) doing too little
c) claiming to be overworked but is actually prioritising the wrong things
Some academic areas now have a workload model. There is a Workload

Agreement between the University and the AUT (UCU), which outlines the
principles (on the web via the Equality & Diversity link on the Personnel website
www.brad.ac.uk/admin/personnel ). Early workload models were designed to
share out the existing work equitably between colleagues. These models have
points systems to measure the equivalence of different activities. Teaching a
module could then be compared with supervising a PhD student or being
admissions tutor, etc, but often cause tensions when staff disagree about the
workload involved in specific duties. Recent workload models have related duties
to income generated. This enables people to understand if their workload is
covering their salary and other costs. People can then see that teaching an
undergraduate module with 200 students is more cost effective than a
postgraduate module with 10 students. It does not remove the difficulty in
assessing the value of being an admissions tutor, but the underlying principle is
sound.
In recent years too, a lot of work has been done on “transparency reviews”. The
aim is to check if the time and resources spent on research (rather than
teaching) match the income distribution. Government has been concerned that
the one should not subsidise the other.
Workload models provide an objective means of distributing work equally. An

underpinning economic model can help in prioritising tasks and allocating time
appropriately. A time management course may also help (more below in §4.4).
Workload models do not necessarily address the more complicated issue that
arises when one person appears to require a lot longer to do a task than others.
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Agreeing the amount of time to give to a task is part of a SMART objective

(§2.9). There may be personality differences that have to be allowed for,
between, for example, the perfectionist who wants to get every detail right
before moving on to something else, and the person (at the other end of the
spectrum) who longs to get this task out of the way as soon as possible and move
on to something more interesting. Both can be problematic and need managing
differently. The perfectionist may need to be reassured that they won’t be
judged on the quality, if asked to submit something by a deadline. Agreeing how
long a piece of work should take may require negotiating. (People Development
have a video on Negotiating Skills, which can be borrowed.)
4.3 Academic issues
There are regulations and codes of practice determining how academic courses
are agreed, monitored and reviewed. Annual course monitoring is based on
feedback from students. There are exam regulations and a host of
requirements that must be complied with if the quality of academic courses is to
be assured. It's all on the website of the Academic Standards & Support Unit
www.brad.ac.uk/admin/acsec ,
4.4 Time Management
Most of us have too much to do, so working out what not to do is the commonest
time management issue. Having clear objectives and a plan makes it easier to
see priorities. Time management is always a balance between, on the one hand,
what the individual wants to do, enjoys doing and gets a sense of accomplishment
and fulfilment from, and on the other hand, the things that have to be done.
Time management becomes a problem when there isn’t sufficient time for
“progress tasks” or things that fit into the “important but not urgent” box – see
diagram from Stephen Covey’s “First things first”.
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If you spend too much time in quadrant 1 you are driven by crisis management,
rather than strategic planning. Too much time in quadrant 3 = lack of control
over your own time. Too much time in quadrant 4 = lack of commitment.
Reassessing what's important may help - quadrant 4 activities may be relaxing,
and hence important for stress management.
More of this, and other helpful models and techniques on the Time Management
course.
One of the reasons staff find it difficult to manage time is because they need
to be able to say “No!” or because they lack the skills to negotiate priorities
with others. At which point we move from Time Management to Communication
Skills.
4.5 Communication Skills
Whenever staff are asked “What could be improved?” the most common answer
is “Communication”. The difficulty is to know what specifically would improve
communication. There are probably several layers of an onion that need to be
peeled away before a clear action point emerges which, if enacted, would
improve communication in a way that people would recognise and acknowledge.
a) Listening Skills
The first step is to listen actively – to let people know that you are listening.
The best way to do this is to repeat back to people what they have said to you in
a way that shows you have heard and understood what they are trying to say.
People Development have an entertaining video called “Dealing with Difficult
People – part 1” in which a number of useful listening skills are presented. It can
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sometimes be hard to listen if you disagree with what is being said. The trick is
to be able to repeat another’s viewpoint whilst also letting them know you don’t
necessarily share it. Getting into an argument about the rights and wrongs of
the other person’s viewpoint is not good listening.
b) Assertiveness
Assertiveness is a collection of communication techniques that are useful for all
– especially for managers. The Staff Development Unit has a copy of the Video
Arts “Straight Talking” in which John Cleese explains and demonstrates a
number of these. The alternative to “assertive” behaviour is “passive” or
“aggressive” behaviour. Aggressive behaviour can be defined as behaviour that
meets the needs of yourself at the expense of others. Passive behaviour meets
the needs of others at the expense of your own. An aggressive style of
management is driven by a concern to meet the manager’s own needs. An
assertive style gets the balance right.
Transactional Analysis (TA) is a theoretical framework that describes

assertiveness in two further ways – from an “I’m OK; You’re OK” perspective and
communication that is adult to adult. Negotiating skills describe the same thing
in terms of winning and losing.
Aggressive Assertive Passive
I’m OK; you’re not I’m OK; you’re OK You’re OK; I’m not
Parent to Child Adult to Adult Child to Child (or Parent)
I win : you lose Win : win You win : I lose
More on TA can be found in Stewart & Joine’s book “TA today” or in Thomas
Harris's “I’m OK; You’re OK”. The Negotiating Skills video is available from
People Development.
c) Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP)

NLP is another useful model for understanding and developing communication
skills. NLP models the mentality and behaviour of effective communicators and
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presents it as insights and techniques that others can learn. There are many
good books on the subject, and courses available.
d) Feedback & Self-disclosure

People are less likely to feel that communication with their manager is a
problem, if
i. there are regular meetings (individually or with other staff)
ii. they are receiving regular feedback (positive or negative) on their work ,
and
iii. they understand what their manager thinks and feels – i.e. the manager
discloses thoughts and feelings
The Johari Window is a model that illustrates the value of “ii” & “iii”
A blind spot is defined as things that are known by others but not by the person
concerned. The value of feedback is that it reduces the blind spot. People get
the information they need to understand how others see them. Equally self-
disclosure reduces the “secret”. Managers often withhold information from
staff with the good intention of protecting their staff from worry. In reality,
staff are less likely to feel worried, if they believe their manager is open with
them.
4.6 Counselling
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People have different views on counselling. Some managers are good

counsellors, others have to learn the skills. Most managers end up having to
counsel staff at some point in their careers. Skilled counsellors are good
listeners who are able to empathise with people, and handle emotion (others’ and
their own). Less adept managers give advice such as “I’ll tell you what you should
do,” and “Pull yourself together!”
The important issue for managers is to judge where the boundary is between
what they can and should handle, and the moment when they should hand over to
the professionals. The professionals, in our case, are the University Counselling
Service, who offer a service to both staff and students. HR professionals may
also be useful sources of help in deciding when or if to refer a member of staff
for counselling. There is a leaflet available from the Counselling Service which
explains the service provided. The Counselling Service can offer appointments
at very short notice, if required. They also run training courses for staff.
One indication of a need for counselling is when an emotional issue appears to

involve a lot more than the immediate work problem that triggered it. If talking
it through, allowing a show of emotion and agreeing a way forward does not
lighten the situation, or if you find yourself dealing with the same response on
repeated occasions, it’s probably worth consulting the professionals.
4.7 Problem-Solving
Problems come in two distinct forms

a) technical / rational problems
b) people / emotional problems
The danger for managers is to believe that an elegant technical / rational

solution will solve a people / emotional problem. It may, but it may not. A
parallel danger is for managers to assume that people problems are insolvable, or
beyond their ability to solve. Some are, but most are not. There is a tendency
for men to want to problem-solve earlier than women. In such situations it is
typically the man who says “I know what we should do” (and move into action-
planning mode) while the women is still wanting to talk the situation through.
For some people having the opportunity to talk the problem through with their
manager is sufficient for feelings to subside and solutions to appear.
Problem-solving is a process that comprises a number of distinct stages.

Training consultants have their favourite problem-solving strategies, usually
with memorable acronyms. One is IDEAL:
Identify the problem
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Define the problem (from a number of perspectives)

Examine possible solutions
Act (implement the preferred solution)
Look again (review the effects, assess the results)
Defining the problem is the creative stage. Problems look very different when
viewed from different vantage points. The video “Ideas into Action” (from the
Staff Development Unit) provides some interesting examples. Talking a problem
through with someone not directly involved can also be helpful in exploring
alternative ways of defining it.
4.8 Mediation & Arbitration
When conflicts between members of staff get difficult to resolve, it can be

helpful to get someone external to the dispute to mediate or arbitrate.
Mediation is the process a third party goes through to get both parties in the
dispute to establish some common ground. Progress can then hopefully be made
towards an agreement that will resolve the situation. People engaged in a long
running or emotional dispute - many are long running and emotional - often have
difficulty in understanding the other party's position, and find it equally
difficult to suggest a way forward that is agreeable to the other. It is very
easy for the manager to be seen as partisan, or even part of the problem. The
person acting as mediator has to be neutral, and trusted by both sides. The
process is a lengthy one. The mediator will need to spend a lot of time listening
to each party. A difficult dispute may require a number of people to mediate,
before progress can be made.
Arbitration is slightly different. In this case the arbiter makes a decision that
both parties agree to be bound by. Arbitration may be used in the traditional
trade union context, where a third party - typically ACAS - takes a decision
based on a case presented by each side. In disputes between staff in the
University arbitration may be used when the facts of a case are difficult to
establish because each party insists on a different interpretation of events.
The University can use an arbitrator to establish the version of events that will
be used as a basis for further action.
If you think mediation or arbitration might help a dispute in your area, ask
Personnel and/or People Development for advice.
4.9 Sickness & Absence
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Some aspects of sickness and absence are relatively easy. In some cases it can
get very complicated, and requires close adherence to agreed policy. The
University has a relatively recent Sickness Management Policy & Procedures.
( www.brad.ac.uk/admin/personnel/SicknessManagementPolicy.htm ) which
explains it all. In a nutshell, there is information about
a) short periods of absence - distinguishing the period for no certificate,
self-certification, and when a doctor's note is required
b) keeping records of absence for all staff
c) longer periods of absence - how to maintain appropriate contact with the
sick person, when (if at all) to refer to Occupational Health, and when full
pay changes to half pay
d) dismissal (the worst-case outcome)
e) supporting a member of staff returning to work after a long absence.
It may be that a continued concern with sickness and/or absence leads to

questions of “capability”. More on this in §4.19 below.
4.10 Payroll
Payroll is a section of Finance, and looks after the computer software that gets
the right money into our banks on the right day. They work closely with
Personnel to ensure that people starting work, or changing their pattern of work
get the correct pay.
A number of things to note:
a) Different groups of staff within the University get paid at different

times. Those previously known as academic and related staff (grades 6-
10 on the single pay spine) get paid monthly. Money goes into the bank on
the Friday before the last Saturday in the month. Clerical and technical
staff (grades 1-5) get paid four weekly (i.e. thirteen times a year) - some
manual staff (grades 1 & 2) are paid weekly, (more information on
http://www.brad.ac.uk/admin/finance/private/pay.htm )
b) There are key dates beyond which pay for that period cannot be stopped
- if you do have a member of staff whose attendance is erratic and want
to stop (part of) their pay, it is helpful to consult Payroll in advance to
discover the deadlines and what action you can effectively take. It is a
good idea to consult with Personnel before deciding to stop anyone's pay.
4.11 Health & Safety
Health & safety is one of the roles and responsibilities of all staff. Safety
Services is part of Personnel, Planning & Academic Administration. They have a
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website: www.brad.ac.uk/admin/safety which contains the University's "Safety

Manual", policies and details of training courses (including First Aid training).
There is a lot of legislation to back up the work of Safety Services. Each
School or Department has its own Safety Rep. The University has a person with
special responsibility for Radiation Protection. There is also a Safety
Committee. Safety concerns to watch out for include the obvious like
laboratory work, and manual handling, but also apparently innocuous things like
sitting in front of a computer screen all day, and anything that may lead to
repetitive strain injury. In an increasingly litigious world, lapses in safety
vigilance can prove costly. Security Staff are all trained first-aiders. Most
departments also have first-aiders. First aid training has to be followed up by
refresher training every three years.
4.12 Occupational Health
Managers are most likely to need the services of Occupational Health in cases
of sickness and absence. The Occupational Health doctor or nurse can be asked
to give an opinion on a member of staff's ability to do the job, or other work-
related health questions. In long periods of absence the manager can ask
Personnel to refer a member of staff to Occupational Health. Equally, any
member of staff can consult the Occupational Health nurse. More information
about this in the handbook for new staff - paper version from the Staff
Development Office - on the web at
www.brad.ac.uk/admin/staffdev/hbk/occhlth.php
4.13 Stress
This adds to the section earlier on about stress (§1.6), and reiterates one or
two of the points made in §4.1. If a member of staff is suffering from stress,
they may come to you to let you know. They may however come about something
different - a complaint which may or may not be a symptom or cause of stress.
You may suspect a colleague is suffering from stress before they do. They may
be reluctant to accept your diagnosis. Stress can be difficult to recognise and
to do anything about. Stress is, however, now seen as a Health & Safety issue
(§4.11), and something the University has to take seriously. Where cases of
work-related stress come before the courts the resulting compensation can be
considerable.
The flowchart available on the Personnel website

www.brad.ac.uk/admin/personnel/StressManagementFlowchart.pdf
is designed to help managers in all these cases, and indicate where support and
help may be found.
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Some symptoms of stress were listed in §1.6.

What to do about it falls into a number of categories
a) remove the cause of the stress - if it's work-related, this is the bit that
may require a managerial intervention
b) relax - listen to music (there are some CDs and tapes purpose-made for
relaxation, but perhaps not to everyone's taste)
c) take exercise - get the immune system in good shape again
d) medication - minimize the physical effects
If a member of staff is identified as suffering from stress it may require some

creativity from the manager to work out how to minimize the cause of stress,
and maintain motivation and commitment to the job.
4.14 Mental Health
Some cases of stress lead to mental health problems. Some people have a
history of mental health issues. The University's Disability Office has taken a
keen interest in mental health recently, and is a good source of advice and help.
The legal definition of a disability (see §3.7) includes mental health problems.
4.15 Code of Conduct on Relations between Staff & Students
The document is not available on the web, Its committee reference is =

PE13/00-01, and is available from Personnel. Key points for managers to note
are
a) the need for managers to declare an interest if they are involved in a
personal relationship with a member of their staff, or, in academic areas,
with one of the department’s students,
b) the need for other staff to inform their line manager if they are involved
in a relationship which is covered by the Code of Conduct.
4.16 Harassment
The University has a code of practice on harassment & bullying –

www.brad.ac.uk/admin/personnel/Harassmentpolicy.htm
a network of harassment contact persons and others called "named persons" who
take cases up on behalf of the University. More explanation, and a list of names
of these people can be found in the new staff handbook available from Staff
Development or
www.brad.ac.uk/admin/staffdev/hbk/harass.php . Paper copies are available
from Personnel or Staff Development.
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Three additional points for managers to note

a) Some harassment cases start and finish as complaints brought to a
manager and dealt with as any other problem. Managers do not have to
use the harassment procedures if the problem can be resolved by other
managerial action. The harassment code of practice exists to deal with
cases which staff or students are reluctant to take up through a manager
- for whatever reason.
b) The University code of practice allows staff to choose who they talk to
about a complaint of harassment - hence the long list of "contact
persons". Managers can feel isolated or frustrated if they are not
involved - especially if later there appear to be implications about the
way the manager has handled (or failed to handle) the situation. The
Staff Development Unit is a source of help and support for managers in
such cases. If the complainant has chosen not to inform their manager,
there may be some feedback for the manager to learn from. See section
on Feedback §9.8
c) People can feel very strongly about "accusations" of harassment - the
procedures are clear that a complaint is not an accusation, but that's not
how it feels to those who may be the subject of one. The procedure
allows people on the receiving end of a complaint to talk the issues
through with a staff development adviser.
4.17 Bullying
Bullying is covered by the same procedures and approach as harassment.

Bullying is a highly emotive term and is most commonly associated with the
activities of children in a playground. However, a significant number of people
at work think they get bullied, and usually by their manager. The manager, on
the other hand, probably thinks they are being tough on poor performance, and
doing their best to motivate staff whose competence is in question. The
emotional state of the manager, and their view of the member of staff are
factors that can tip the balance between firm management of poor performance
and something that looks and feels like bullying. If the manager is feeling
frustrated or angry, best advice is to be open and say "I'm feeling some
frustration about this" (and then go on to explain why, describing the
circumstances but not judging the person). An indirect expression of anger is
likely to come out as a judgment of the member of staff, e.g. "How could you be
so stupid!". If the manager communicates a view over time that the person is
stupid, and treats the person as if they are stupid, that encourages patterns of
behaviour that can become bullying.
4.18 Dealing with Poor Performance
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A recent addition to the staff development available for managers is a workshop

on performance management. The trap is to see this as only useful for dealing
with poor performance. Performance needs managing whether good,
satisfactory or poor. The techniques for managing poor performance are part of
a general approach to managing performance as a whole.
People Development have a Fenman DVD on managing performance problems, in

which PEG model (problem – expectation – gap) is explained. You can borrow
this from People Development – more than once, if necessary.
The problem with identifying poor performance is that there is no neat

boundary between satisfactory and poor. In many cases it is an accumulation of
disappointments, errors, minor incidents or bits of behaviour that change the
judgement. This can also affect the extent to which the manager trusts the
member of staff. There may need to be a substantial improvement before that
trust can be re-established.
The first step is for the manager to be clear in their own mind what the gap is
between the expected performance and the actual performance. Is it a skills
gap, a lack of understanding, a motivation issue, or a blind spot? The more
specific a manager can be about the gap between expected and actual
performance, the easier it will be to see the way forward. If the gap isn’t
clear, it may be helpful to talk it through with your own manager, a mentor,
colleague or personnel officer.
The second step is to discuss the matter with the member of staff concerned.
The format of the discussion will be similar to an appraisal. The manager's
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first task is to gather information - to establish the facts, the viewpoint of all
parties, and the reasons why things have been done or not done. The outcome
will be agreed actions to improve performance with target dates to review the
situation, and with a clear picture of how the required improvement in
performance will be recognised. This may also require the manager to take
action or do something differently. In some cases poor performance may be
attributable to things the manager has or hasn't done. The manager should keep
a record of the agreements and subsequent progress (or lack of it).
Acknowledgement of progress will act as a motivator. The best motivation to
maintain improvement will be continued positive feedback from the manager. A
failure to meet agreed targets is the point at which the disciplinary procedure
can be invoked.
4.19 Capability Procedure
This is also known as the Efficiency procedure, and full documentation can be
found on the Personnel website. The formal procedure relates only to support
staff. For academic staff there is “Statute 29”.
http://www.brad.ac.uk/admin/personnel/Statute29.htm
If someone is not capable of doing their job, then there is an argument for
saying that it is neither fair to them, their colleagues or the organisation as a
whole for them to continue in that job. The capability question may be raised by
skill (i.e lack of it), attitude or health. Capability questions require sensitive
interventions and need formal monitoring. Capability is, however, one of a
limited number of legitimate reasons for dismissal. The University is
determined to get to grips with performance issues, but is also committed to
fair and equitable treatment of its staff. The University has an obligation
under its “duty of care” to find alternative work or arrangements for people if
they become incapable of doing the job through accident, illness or disability.
This may involve transfer to a different job, or may involved working part-time
rather than full-time. It depends on the circumstances.
New staff are given a probationary period (usually six months) in which to
demonstrate they are capable of the job. There have been a number of
instances in the University when a manager has signed off the probationary
period without a proper assessment of capability, then asked Personnel to help
with a performance problem that could have been identified during the
probationary period.
4.20 Discipline & Grievance procedures
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A manager may be tempted to discipline a member of staff for a single serious

incidence of unacceptable behaviour, or for repeated poor performance.
Discipline, or the threat of discipline may achieve the required change in
behaviour.
Managers often complain that the University does not give them the necessary
support or levers to manage poor performance. HR’s perspective on this is that
managers often expect HR to intervene when the necessary preliminary steps
have not been undertaken or recorded. Managers tend to have informal
meetings about poor performance. They mention their concerns, but do not keep
records and agree improvements or targets.
The key bit of advice to managers is to decide when things need to become
formal, and from that point on, talk the situation through with HR, and follow
their advice to the letter. Procedures have to be followed precisely if a
member of staff is to be disciplined - usually in the form of a "warning". The
procedure will involve a "verbal warning" (which must still be recorded), a
"written warning" and a "final written warning"! Only then can an employer
dismiss an employee. Failure to follow the procedures can lead to delay, or in
worst case scenarios - a claim for unfair dismissal, and an employment tribunal.
A member of staff with a grievance has to go through an agreed process too.

The difficult thing is when staff fail to distinguish the difference between
(informally) discussing a complaint, and formally invoking the Grievance
Procedure.
The Discipline & Grievance procedure for academic staff is known as Statute 29
and can be found on the Personnel website
www.brad.ac.uk/admin/personnel/Statute29.htm
Procedures for other staff will be similar and Personnel staff will be able to
advise.

5 Leadership
5.1 Leadership, Management or Administration
Terminology can be problematic. It is a subject of fashion as well as semantics.
Administration used to be preferred term for what happened behinds the

scenes within a university. Management seems to be the preferred term when
difficult decisions are required. Increasing student numbers within existing
resources needs “managing”. Leadership is the term used to describe the
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qualities required of senior managers that enable them to engage and enthuse
staff. Leadership is also a
It used to be said that some people were born leaders. The current orthodoxy
is that leaders can be developed, and that all people have leadership potential.
Managers need to be both administrators – making sure that what needs to
happen is achieved efficiently and effectively, and leaders – inspiring and
motivating staff to continually improve the way they do things.
One helpful way to visualise the three terms – administration, management and
leadership – is as a series of overlapping circles. Leadership is different from
administration, but management entails a good bit of both.
The bits of administration that fall outside the remit of management are those
bits done by clerical and other support staff. The bits of leadership that are
not included in management are the leadership qualities that any individual might
demonstrate in challenging circumstances, or the leadership qualities that any
member of a team can demonstrate without needing to be the appointed
manager. Another way to use the distinctions in meaning between these three
terms is to look at the difference between the manager as administrator and
the manager as leader - as summarized in the table below:
Manager as adminstrator Manager as leader
• Does what is required • Innovates & develops

• Focuses on systems and • Focuses on people
structure • Inspires trust
• Relies on control • Has long-range perspective
• Has short-range view • Asks how and why
• Asks what and when • Has his/her eye on the horizon
• Has his/her eye on the bottom • Challenges the status quo
line • Is his/her own person
• Accepts the status quo • Does the right thing
• Does things right
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Another way of seeing this distinction is between the rational and emotional
dimensions to management. The rational dimension is concerned with plans,
objectives and strategies. The emotional dimension is about vision, values, and
teambuilding. A good manager needs to be effective in both dimensions.
5.2 Mission & Vision
Universities have always had a mission, which can be articulated in various ways.
The University of Bradford has a number of straplines or slogans which are
designed to inspire and engage both staff and students:-
“Give Invention Light”, “Making Knowledge Work”,

“Confronting Inequality: Celebrating Diversity”
Each capture a significant chunk of what the University sees as its purpose in
life. If a few more prosaic bits are added e.g. to educate students, to
undertake research, then we have a reasonably succinct way of summarizing the
mission of the University.
The more problematic bit is the vision. What is the University trying to
become? Is it satisfactory to remain as we have been? Do we need to be
different? What is realistic for a university like Bradford? These questions
and more have exercised senior managers for quite of few years. Each time a
new Corporate Strategy, the vision is articulated a bit differently.
For some academics the vision that engages them is linked to their research.
For others it is knowledge transfer or widening participation. If a vision is to
have significance for staff, then it will need to be articulated by their manager
in terms that relate to their particular bit of the institution, and what that
particular team has set itself to achieve. It may also be useful for the team to
have its own mission statement.
5.3 Values & Culture
Leaders determine the culture of the organisation, and their values determine
the way others behave. Plans and strategies are about what to do. Values and
culture are about how we do it. A lot of people say that the University of
Bradford is a friendly place. Friendliness would appear to be one of our values.
It underpins the way a lot of services are provided. Values are not always easy
to articulate. A lot of thought went into the list of values in the 2004-9
Corporate Strategy:
 Confronting inequality, celebrating diversity
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 Freedom of thought and expression
 Openness, transparency and an ethical approach to all activities
 Application, innovation and partnership
 Providing a stimulating, healthy and safe environment in which to learn

and work
 Achieving sustainable development

Some of these are not, strictly speaking, values – but do attempt to capture the
basis upon which we put our strategic aims into practice.
Culture is a broader concept. It can be defined as the set of behaviours that

determine what people perceive as normal within their workplace. Culture can
be mapped using questionnaires and inventories. “Leaders create a culture of
excellence” is the starting point for the EFQM Excellence Model. (see § 11.3d).
Managers can consciously set out to create a culture of innovation, continuous
improvement, customer service. To do this they will need a strategy and
objectives, but also an agreement with their staff on how they are to work
together to achieve these things.
5.4 Walking the Talk
“You can’t talk yourself out of what you behave yourself into!” said Steven Covey
to capture the old adage that actions speak louder than words. Walking the
talk matters to staff. It is dispiriting to be told one thing and then seeing it
being contradicted. So, don’t agree to something if you are not prepared to do
it, don’t make promises you can’t keep and don’t agree a policy or procedure that
you are not prepared to implement yourself.
Leadership can be surprisingly simple.

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6 Recruitment & Selection
6.1 The process
The whole process of recruiting and selecting a new member of staff includes:
 Exit Interviews
 Reviewing staffing needs
 Permission to appoint
 Codes of Practice
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 Job Descriptions & Post Specifications

 Advertising
 Selecting a panel
 Chairing
 Shortlisting
 Interviewing
 Making an appointment
 Issuing Contracts
 Induction
The University has two recruitment and selection codes of practice – one for
academic staff, and one for all other posts. These are available on the web at
http://www.brad.ac.uk/admin/personnel/recruitment,selection,induction/
index.html and in hard copy from HR. The aim of the code of practice is to
enable managers to appoint the most suitable person for the post, and to ensure
that the process used is in line with best practice and equal opportunities
legislation.
The key requirement is that the criteria for selection be agreed in advance and
written in the post specification, and that the post specification is clearly linked
to the job description. Academic & Related posts (grade 6 and above) have
more specific requirements about the composition of interview panels than do
other posts. Professorial and senior management posts have additional
requirements for external people on the panel. The detail is all in the University
Calendar.
6.2 Training
The University requires that anyone taking part in the recruitment and selection
process should have been trained. Exceptions may be made for one member of
a panel, if it could not reasonably have been predicted in advance that the
person concerned would be needed, or if it has not been possible for the person
to attend a training course.
There is a Recruitment & Selection course, which takes 2 days +

an additional day’s training on the Disability Discrimination Act.
There is an additional half day’s training for chairs of panels.
Alternative training is provided for lay members of the University’s Council who
take part in professorial and scale 6 appointments.
New managers need to ensure that they have either been trained, or enrolled on
the next available course. Dates and venues can be found on the Training and
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Development website: http://www.brad.ac.uk/dev-prog/ or

www.brad.ac.uk/admin/staffdev .
6.3 Exit Interviews
These are not always included as part of the process. However, people leaving a
job can provide very useful feedback and other information for managers to
reflect on before planning a new appointment. If someone has already handed in
their notice, they will probably feel that they can be disarmingly honest with
their manager. It will work best if the interview concentrates on the future –
i.e. what there is to learn from experience and what could be improved, and if
the manager resists the temptation to explain the past and be defensive. See
also section on receiving feedback §9.5 - §9.7.
6.4 Planning the process
The recruitment and selection process is a project to plan (see also §7.2).
Start, if you can with the end in mind. When do you want to have the new start
in post? So, when does that new person need to be offered the job, so they can
work whatever notice they need to with their existing employer. N.b academic
and related staff have to give three months notice. So, when will interviews
need to be held, and when will the shortlisting meeting need to take place in
order to give interviewees and panel adequate time to prepare? When will the
job need to be advertised in order to get plenty of applications for shortlisting?
When does all the information need to get to Personnel before a job can be
advertised? Who is going to produce the job description, post specification and
further particulars, and when? It may well be that when planned backwards, it
becomes clear that the schedule can’t fit into the available time, or that the
schedule is very tight. At which point it is helpful to have a contingency plan.
It is very easy for a process to suffer delay. But if all the dates, for the
shortlisting meeting, and for interviews, are all arranged well in advance, the
process is more likely to run smoothly.
6.5 Permission to appoint
A number of questions may determine whether or not a manager will get

permission to appoint, e.g. -
a) Is the proposed post in the budget, or supported by some other source
of income?
b) Is the planning unit's current financial position, and the University's
current financial position a factor?
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c) Does the proposed post help meet an important objective for the planning
unit / University as whole?
Depending on circumstances a variety of different hurdles may be put in the way

of managers wishing to appoint to a new post, or reappoint when someone leaves.
For a while the University has had a RSA1 form, which managers have to
complete when seeking permission to appoint. Best advice is to check the
current arrangements with Personnel, and likely time scales. Organisations
often seek to save money by delaying permission to appoint.
6.6 Producing the post specification
As people learn on the recruitment and selection training, the more time spent
devising the spec, the more likely it is that subsequent parts of the process run
trouble free. The more people who see the draft spec, the more likely it is that
the end product will be the best it can be. Terms used need to be
understandable to people outside the University, as the spec is part of the
information sent to applicants.
6.7 Internal candidates
The process used needs to be equally appropriate to both external and internal
candidates.
6.8 Performative Tasks & other tests
Answers to interview questions are not the only evidence used to assess an
applicant’s suitability for the post. For clerical staff there may be typing tests,
or in-tray exercises. For lecturers there may be a presentation to staff and /
or students. It depends on the nature of the job and the requirements of the
post specification.
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7 The Planning Process
7.1 Planning is more than producing a plan
A plan is worth nothing once written, but planning is everything. This sentiment
is attributed to General Eisenhower at the time of the D-day landings in 1944.
It captures what is a difficult paradox for some managers. Since the University
made planning an explicit process in the late nineties, there have been a number
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of examples of managers producing plans, and submitting them to senior

management, without involving their staff at all. We have mentioned before
that managers often believe that they are protecting their staff from a chore
by doing this. The reverse is most probably the case – that staff welcome the
opportunity to get involved in the planning of their work. Planning is a process
that ideally involves as wide a range of people as possible.
7.2 Project Planning
Stephen Covey in his book “the Seven Habits of Highly Successful People” says
“Start with the end in mind”. This is a nicely ambiguous phrase, as it could mean
start with the goal in mind – i.e. work out your objectives in advance. It could
also mean start planning from the end point – i.e. plan backwards. This duality is
the essence of project planning. An example of this was given in §6.4. If you
know what the goal is and where you want to be at the end, or when something
has to be done by, then you can work out the sequence of things that need to
take place to achieve it. The other part of project planning is to be able to
prepare parts of the project in good time, so they are ready when they are
needed. What needs to be done in what order? And, what needs to be prepared
so it is ready when it is needed? There are techniques and models that can be
used. Gantt charts can be drawn, and software such as Microsoft Project can
be used.
7.3 The Bradford Method
This is the name given to the methodology the University has adopted for its
larger or costlier projects. A project sponsor will be nominated – usually a
member of senior management, together with a project manager. A small
number of other staff may be involved on the project board. The project
comes into life with a PID – project initiation document which needs to be
agreed and resourced before the project starts work. This methodology is a
variation of the PRINCE 2 project management process widely used in industry.
It came into the University in 2006 and will no doubt be well established by the
time you read this.
7.4 The Planning Cycle
The University business year runs from August 1st to July 31st. At the beginning
of each business year a new plan comes into effect. Some plans, like the
Corporate Plan are 5 year plans. The detail, though, is in the annual plan – called
the Operating Statement - which lasts one year. The problem with planning
cycles, as these annual reiterations are called, is that they overlap. You have to
start planning year 2’s annual plan before the end of year 1, if it is to be ready
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on time to start on August 1st. Given the number of people who need to be
consulted in the production of an annual plan, and the time this takes, it is not
surprising that many of us start planning year 2 before we have reached
Christmas of year one.
The planning cycle can be drawn as a circle, but this has the unfortunate effect
of making it look as if you finish where you started. Representing the planning
cycle as a sine wave has the advantage of showing a downward slope in which the
primary task is top down, followed by an upward slope that is primarily bottom
up.
The top down (left hand) side starts with objectives set. This will be a result of
the planning that went on in the previous cycle. These are then implemented. It
is top down because implementation of objectives agreed at a higher level is the
primary task. This process continues all year of course, but at some point in the
middle of the planning cycle, the primary purpose shifts from implementing last
year’s objectives into devising and drafting the coming year’s objectives. The
above diagram was produced to illustrate the view that the best time for an
individual appraisal was at the bottom of the cycle at the moment when it was
appropriate to be both reviewing and planning. When exactly this falls in the
calendar year will depend on circumstances. Some planning for year 2 starts
before Christmas. Individual workplans for the following year may wait until
after Easter. The trick is for each manager to work out their own planning cycle
based on their department’s circumstances. (See §7.11 for more on individual
objectives.)
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7.5 The University’s Corporate Strategy
The University has a corporate strategy (also called a corporate plan) which
lasts for five years. A new one will be required for 2009, but may well be
drafted earlier. A five year plan will probably need replacing after three years.
In other words - planning for five years ahead produces a plan that will probably
remain current for three years before it needs rethinking. The actual date for
a new corporate strategy will depend on the arrival of a new VC and any number
of other external factors. Copies of the current corporate strategy is
available in summary form as a fold out poster issued to all staff by Corporate
Communications, and in its completeness on the web – via the Planning website:
www.brad.ac.uk/admin/planning .
The 2004-9 Corporate Strategy contains a list of strategic aims and a number
of specific objectives under
 Learning & Teaching
 Research & Innovation
 Knowledge Transfer
 Human Resources
 Estates
There is a separate Finance Strategy.
It is the job of managers to interpret these strategic aims & objectives for the
area of the University for which they are responsible.
7.6 The Balanced Scorecard
It is the responsibility of the deputy vice-chancellor to performance manage the

corporate strategy. One vehicle for doing this is the Balanced Scorecard.
Originally devised as a means of making sure that companies took more than
financial information into account when deciding strategy, the balance scorecard
arranges key performance indicators into four broad areas.
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The intention is that strategy is steered by a balanced view of all four. Within
each of the four areas a number of key performance indicators (KPIs) provide
data that can be used to measure performance. A useful analogy for
understanding this is to imagine these KPIs as the dials on the dashboard. What
are the key indicators that need to be monitored in order to steer the vehicle in
the right direction and keep it performing well? In the University’s case, these
key indicators are what then gets reported to Senate and Council. They provide
the information which enables senior management to judge whether the
corporate strategy is on target.
The method used to simplify the reporting of these KPIs is a

traffic light. Green signifies OK, on target. Amber notes a
potential problem. Red requires attention and probably
intervention. Just to make things a bit more complicated there
is also the notion of trajectory. A particular measure may be
off target now (currently amber), but likely to get better in
future (trajectory = green) or even worse over time due to
adverse external factors (trajectory = red).
7.7 The Annual Operating Statement
This is the University’s annual plan – as mentioned in previous sections – and the
bit that has to be monitored. It contains a list of objectives for the current
year in table form – and has the relevant previous year’s objectives in the
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preceding column for reference. The objectives are arranged as in the

Corporate Strategy. Monitoring is done by Strategy Committee. The
University is accountable to the Higher Education Funding Council for England,
as well as to itself, for the achievement of the objectives stated in the
Operating Statement.
7.8 Planning Units
Planning and budgeting is done by Planning Unit (hence the name). The
University has 8 planning units (in 2007). Seven are academic Schools. The
other is Corporate Services. The component parts of each planning unit can be
found in diagram form in the Organisation Diagram available in the Handbook for
New Staff or on www.brad.ac.uk/admin/staffdev
7.9 Annual Plans & Planning Guidance
Each planning unit has to produce the first draft of its plan by about February.
The document that describes what is required is called the “Planning Guidance”.
This usually appears in November. The process for producing a planning unit plan
will depend on its size and constituents. If all staff are to be involved in the
process then the February deadline will need to be preceded by planning
meetings in each planning unit’s component parts.
7.10 A Departmental / Divisional Planning Process
This is the point at which most staff can get involved. A departmental or
divisional awayday is a good occasion to get staff reflecting on progress in
implementing the current plan, and starting to think about what may usefully be
included in the coming year’s plan. As stated earlier, it is involvement in the
process of planning that adds the value for individuals, for their managers and
for the whole department / division.
This can be represented by an inverse sine wave showing the process from the
midpoint in one annual cycle to the midpoint in the next.
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7.11 Setting objectives for staff
There is a hierarchy of objectives:
 University objectives
 Planning Unit objectives
 Departmental / Divisional objectives
 Workgroup / Unit objectives
 Individual objectives
Not everyone will experience the fourth layer. It depends on the job.
Each of these objectives can be visualised as a Russian Doll with smaller

objectives for individuals nesting inside larger workgroup objectives, which
themselves nest in departmental objectives and so on. As the planning process
goes up to the apex of the cycle, individuals and their managers can plan the
implications for themselves as individuals. Departmental planning becomes
individual workload planning and prioritisation (see §4.4 on time management).
At the apex of the planning cycle each member of staff should understand their
objectives for the coming year. This is another good moment for an appraisal
(see §2.4)
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7.12 Monitoring Progress
The accompaniment to good planning is good monitoring. See also §7.6 on the
Balanced Scorecard. Plans cannot accurately predict the future, and things
happen that require the plan to be adjusted en route. If the objectives of the
plan are not going to be achieved, for whatever reason, the sooner that is
acknowledged and the reasons understood, the easier it will be for a contingency
plan to be agreed and put in place.
At this point it is probably worth adding again that objectives are far easier to
monitor if they are SMART – i.e. if outcomes are measurable, and it is clear how
you will recognise the desired result.
7.13 Contingency and Risk planning
Plans cannot predict the future but they can assess the likelihood of success.
Equally the planning process can be used to assess the risk of things going
wrong, and make sure the necessary contingencies have been planned for.
7.14 Business Recovery Plan
The biggest risk is of some major disaster befalling the University or the
building you work in. The Business Recovery Plan is designed to help the
University get back to business as normal as soon as possible. Each School and
Directorate with Corporate Services should have its own.
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8 Managing Change
8.1 Keeping people informed
The ability to help staff through change is an important managerial competency.

Some people welcome change and find it stimulating. Other people prefer things
to stay as they are and resist change when it is proposed. People find it easier
to manage change if they are given plenty of opportunity to discuss the
proposals, and feel as if they are fully involved in the process. This usually
means having plenty of time to talk about the change with their manager. “We
weren’t consulted!” is a frequent complaint from staff. The defence is twofold:
that staff didn’t show much interest when managers attempted to consult them,
and /or that decisions needed to be taken quickly and there wasn’t time to
consult everyone. To avoid this situation requires foresight and planning.
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One of the roles for any manager is to scan the horizon, and to be able to inform
staff about likely changes. If staff have been informed in advance, they will
find it easier to accept decisions that need to be made quickly. If managers
make the likely changes interesting, and talk about the opportunities presented,
and give staff time to discuss and reflect, the chances are that when action is
required, managers will get the necessary commitment and motivation from their
staff; and people will feel as if they were consulted. Inviting senior managers
and other proponents and champions of change to attend meetings with staff is
another way of engaging interest and motivation for proposed changes.
8.2 Restructuring
At periodic intervals the University needs to restructure itself. Small schools

are merged into larger ones; new services (like the Hub) trigger reorganisation
of other central services; new appointments bring associated changes in their
wake. Such changes are often not immediate but require offices to be
refurbished and other things to be re-organised.
8.3 Techniques and Models
Some techniques and models for managing change:
a) Forcefield Analysis – is a means of enabling people to plan and implement

change. The first stage is to list the driving forces behind change and
the restraining forces, then to plan how to facilitate the driving forces,
and to minimize the restraining ones.
b) Project Planning (see §7.2)
c) The Seven Habits of Highly Successful People – offers guidance to
individual managers on how to look after themselves (§1.1) during the
process of change.
i. Be proactive
ii. Begin with the end in mind
iii. Put first things first
iv. Think win-win
v. First understand, then be understood
vi. Synergize
vii. ’Sharpen the Saw’
More in the book of the same name by Stephen Covey.
8.4 Grievance and Loss
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Change causes an emotional response in many people. The new brings a sense of
loss for the old. People need to let go of the old in order to accept the new.
Counsellors have noticed the similarity between the emotional process of change
management at work and the process of grieving and loss that is more usually
associated with the death of a friend of relative. Change causes uncertainty,
starting a process that goes through some or all of the stages in the diagram
below.
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9 Managing Information
9.1 How to avoid information overload
a) How to avoid overloading yourself

b) How to avoid overloading others
The first point is that people express paradoxical wants. They want to be
informed, but they don’t want to feel overloaded by unnecessary information.
There are techniques that can be learnt to assist with speed-reading and recall.
Building good working relationships with senior managers, colleagues and others
in the University can help in ensuring that people are predisposed to inform you
about things. Delegating the reading of incoming reports and mail may achieve
two purposes – informing others and ensuring you only need read the summary or
key points.
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If there is too much information, then it might be helpful to agree with

colleagues what information you will pass on, and what you will bin. If you do
pass on information, let people know why you are doing it, what’s interesting
about it, and what use it may be. This will take a bit longer than just passing it
on without comment, but will ensure that information passed on will be read in
the way you intended.
9.2 Keeping Staff informed
Managers have a responsibility to brief their staff. This can take place at
staff meetings, or be in the form of a newsletter or email. Managers often
emerge from senior management meetings with a lot of information but not sure
what to do with it. Clarifying in those meetings the specific message to
transmit to your staff will help.
9.3 Language, KISS
It is a myth to believe that staff will find out what is going on by reading the
minutes of committees and management meetings. Minutes are rarely written in
a style that makes their content accessible. When there are difficult decisions
to report, there is a tendency to indirect language, which makes the meaning
even more difficult to decipher. The intention is usually to prevent
misinterpretation. The effect is often the reverse. Simple Language = short
statements with clear, direct messages. See the website of the Plain English
Society for guides on how to do it - http://www.plainenglish.co.uk/guides.html .
KISS = Keep It Simple Stupid, or in an intellectual environment: Keep it simple,

s’il vous plait.
9.4 Email lists
Most departments now have email lists of staff, and may have other lists for
specific groups. Academic departments have several email lists for their
students. Lists are part of the Majordomo service provided by the Computer
Centre (Learner Support Services). Each list has a list owner, who keeps
membership up to date. The trap for managers with email lists is the
temptation to forward incoming messages to the list, without explaining why.
9.5 Eliciting Feedback
Managers learn from feedback. Feedback comes from staff, from the
manager’s manager, and from colleagues at similar levels. Feedback may also
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come from outside sources – from external examiners, professional bodies, from
colleagues in other institutions and from parents and potential students on open
days.
Staff, too, learn from feedback. However, the results of various surveys the
University has undertaken to assess the views of its staff show that many staff
do not believe they regularly receive constructive feedback.
Managers often fear receiving feedback because it feels like failure. It isn’t,
it’s just information to learn from. Managers often fear giving feedback for
fear that it will upset the recipient. It won’t if it is balanced – a mix of what’s
going well, and what could be improved (see §2.4 on appraisal). The other
problem with positive feedback is the fear that it is conditional – a prelude to
being asked to take on additional work. This can usually be avoided if a piece of
specific positive feedback is linked to thanks for a job well done, and not linked
to a request to do something.
9.6 Staff Surveys
The University undertook its first staff satisfaction survey in 2002. The third
is due Easter 2007. Results can be found on the staffdevelopment website:
www.brad.ac.uk/admin/staffdev . Staff fill in a lengthy questionnaire, which
then gives results for the University as a whole and for each School or admin
directorate. Other means of surveying staff opinion are through market
surveys and focus groups. The University has used each of these in the past.
9.7 3600 Feedback
3600 feedback is the term used to describe systems that provide feedback
from a variety of directions – up, down and sideways.
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For several years the University has had a 3600 feedback scheme for managers.
Initially this was for senior managers, and subsequently for all managers The
result of taking part is a 3600 feedback report, offering strengths and
weaknesses and pointers to future development. A second copy of the report
goes to the manager’s manager. The result can be discussed at appraisal and
used by managers to inform their PDP (professional development plan). Details
are on the staff development website.
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9.8 Learning from Feedback
Working with a mentor or coach, managers can use the results of feedback to
help them devise their own Professional Development Plan (PDP) (§2.10). A plan,
with agreed targets would be a good outcome of an appraisal (§2.4), and provide
a structure for further development.
9.9 The role of Marketing & Corporate Communications
Corporate Communications are responsible for News & Views, for Staff Briefing
and for press releases. If there is something going on in your area that others
in the University or outside will be interested to hear about, they will be
interested to hear from you.
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10 Managing Meetings
10.1 University committees
The best way to get an overview of University committees in probably to start

with the diagram on the Academic Standards and Support Unit website:
http://www.brad.ac.uk/admin/planning/committees/ISSC/2001-02/Documents/
ISSC%202%20Final%20Comm%20diagram.pdf
University committee meetings are published in a committee calendar – which

can also be found on www.brad.ac.uk/admin/assu . Meetings come in a
predictable sequence to enable outcomes from sub-cttees to go to committees,
and from there to Senate and on to Council. Agendas are usually arranged by
the chair of the committee and the committee’s secretary. If you need to find
out who these people are, best contact ASSU. If they don’t know, they’ll know
someone who does.
10.2 How many meetings?
University committees are replicated at Planning Unit level, by a number of

School committees, sometimes divisional committees too. If you have the right
number of meetings you succeed in involving and engaging staff in what is going
on. Too many duplicates effort and wastes time. Questions to ask yourself are:
 What is the purpose of the meeting? (What is the desired outcome?)
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 Are there any other benefits? (Networking: chance to talk to X about

Y?)
 Who needs to be there?
 How long does it need?
 What would be the consequence of not having the meeting, or not going
to the meeting?
The set of slides used on the “Managing Meetings” course can be found at
www.brad.ac.uk/admin/staffdev/programmes/materials.html
10.3 Organising Meetings
Most managers have to go to lots of meetings. The trick is to ensure that they
are either useful or at least relaxing. To ensure meetings are useful, plan in
advance, and ensure you know what the desired outcome is. If you don’t know,
ask – you’ll be doing everyone else a service! Some meetings are more valuable
as a way of networking and meeting people. If this is the case make sure there
is time for informal discussion during the time people are together.
10.4 How to be a good Chair
The role of the chair is to

a) manage the business of the meeting, and
b) manage the people present in the meeting
For formal meetings, manage the business by preparing the agenda in advance,
know what the desired outcome is of each item on the agenda (is it to inform all
present, to reach consensus, to make a recommendation to a higher committee,
etc.?), to agree timings (decide in advance how long each item should take – if its
overruns, get the meeting’s permission to continue this item, or cut short
discussion and move on). A good chair will also be able to periodically summarize
the discussion. This will be particularly helpful to the minute taker. It can also
be useful to draw people’s attention to any difficulties in the process, e.g.
“We’ve discussed this for ten minutes and seem no nearer agreement on what to
do”. At which point the chair can ask for suggestions on alternative ways to
handle the issue.
To manage the people present, the chair needs to ensure that there is equitable
treatment of all present. Everyone gets a chance to speak. Dominant people can
be asked to let quieter people make their contribution first. One technique is
to ensure that quiet people sit opposite the chair, and dominant people sit next
to the chair. It’s easier to get the opportunity to speak when able to make eye
contact with the chair. Quiet people often have to be invited to contribute, but
then make very good contributions.
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In less formal meetings, especially those that are designed to generate ideas,
asking someone to make notes on a flipchart is a good way of enabling all to stay
focused. For further information see the “Facilitation Skills” materials on
www.brad.ac.uk/admin/staffdev/programmes/materials.html
10.5 Taking Minutes and Agreeing Action Points
A good business meeting will produce a record of its deliberations. Parliament

produces a transcript (published in Hansard). University committees produce
minutes with key terms like ”received”, “noted” & “resolved” to record the
difference between information and decisions. Less formal staff meetings only
need agreed action points, preferably with someone’s name against them. The
trap is to produce long, well-documented minutes that nobody then needs or
reads. People Development run courses in Managing Meetings, and in Committee
Servicing.
10.6 How to avoid the chair
Some people don’t make good chairs of meetings. An alternative is to rotate the
chair. Ask a different member of staff to chair each meeting. This will
increase variety, ensure that different people take responsibility for the
conduct of the meeting, and enable you to find out who the best chairs are in
your workgroup. It is not common practice in the University but often works
well in outside organisations.
10.7 Task versus Process
As suggested in 9.4, a good chair manages the balance between the business of
the meeting (the task) and the process – the people issues. In team meetings
and facilitated awaydays, the process is often more important than the task. In
such meetings it is more important that everyone is present, enjoying each
other’s company, discussing things together, than to take decisions. Such
meetings are longer, and enable plenty of time for a topic to be discussed. They
can be social occasions too, and be at a venue away from the workplace, and
include a walk or a meal.
10.8 Facilitation
The difference between chairing a meeting and facilitating is not huge. The two
roles overlap. Chairs do a lot of the things facilitators do, and vice-versa.
p68
The key difference is the status and involvement of the person leading the
meeting. A chair is there usually by dint of their role. The VC chairs senate,
because he is the chief executive. The chair is usually involved in the business
at hand. Sometimes the chair’s preference for a particular decision makes the
running of the meeting biased or partial. A facilitator is usually chose because
of personal qualities (e.g. trusted) as well as skill. Facilitators are impartial, or
neutral, and have no interest in the outcome. They usually want an outcome, but
do not have a political interest in whatever decisions are reached.
10.9 Group dynamics & Energy
Meetings can be political, with different factions arguing for decisions based on
different values and philosophies. Meetings can have difficult characters in
them, sometimes several at a time. At times like these the chair or facilitator
has to watch the group dynamics as well as the business. If the meeting has to
argue, it is generally better to have factions of the meeting arguing with each
other, than to have the meeting arguing with the chair. Not all arguing is bad. A
meeting where people are reluctant to speak out and risk an argument, is less
easy to manage in some respects than a meeting when the issues are out in the
open.
One way of understanding group dynamics is the sequence:
Forming  Storming  Norming  Performing 
If the group is allowed to do the necessary “storming”, it can then move on to

“norming” (agreeing how to resolve conflict in future) and go on to be an
effective team.
Facilitation skills, assertiveness training, and understanding how to deal with

difficult people will be helpful. People Development have courses, plus videos
and DVDs you can borrow on these subjects.
p69
10.10 Teamwork
Good teams sometimes just happen; mostly they have to be developed and
trained. People Development have lots of teambuilding exercises. Some of
these get people working together, and learning from the experience. Exercises
are debriefed in order to allow learning points to emerge, and an action plan to
be agreed for future exercises. Team building exercises raise awareness of
communication issues and group dynamics. This can be helped by Belbin’s analysis
of team roles, which enables members to understand the contribution they each
make to the team, and that a good team has a variety of different roles to
perform. The idea that a good team is formed of people who are all very similar
to each other is a myth.
10.11 Making meetings fun
The purpose of a meeting is to achieve its objectives, but, having said that,
meetings achieve their purposes through the engagement and energy of the
people present. If the meeting is formal and high status (e.g. a formal
committee) people expect the business to be dealt with in a serious fashion.
Even so, appropriate and timely lightness helps maintain energy and engagement.
It can be very difficult to maintain people’s engagement in staff meetings, if the
energy drops. People vote with their feet. People are more likely to engage in
staff meetings if the process is fun. Some ways of enlivening a meeting have
been suggested above in §10.6 & §10.7. Other possibilities are to
a) have different speakers – from within your staff, or from outside,
b) ask someone to prepare a presentation using Powerpoint or other visual
aids,
c) show a training video (People Development and TQEG have lots to choose
from.
d) bring cakes,
e) start the meeting on time with a few lively anecdotes. Invite others to
let you know what has entertained them in the last week. Even if it’s only
last night’s TV, it will enable those who are there on time to feel their
effort was worthwhile,
f) welcome late arrivals, and let them know what they’ve missed.

11 Quality Assurance & Standards
11.1 Customers & Stakeholders
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Quality can be measured objectively and through people's perceptions. The

people involved are those providing the quality, and those on the receiving end -
stakeholders and customers. The University has to provide statistics on its
students, and learn from the perceptions of its stakeholders. It has to ensure
that its processes provide the appropriate quality, and that quality is improving.
a) Quality Assurance & Enhancement
Quality assurance is the term used to describe the processes in place to

check that the quality is OK. Quality Enhancement is about improving the
quality. Quality can be assured by internal checks, formal inspections and
comparisons with external benchmarks. Enhancement takes place through
quality improvement teams, improvement projects and through training and
development.
b) Customer Care
Although the idea of customer care does not traditionally sit easily in a
University, most people are now aware of the need to treat people who bring
money into the University as customers. Students and their parents are
more easily identified as customers during the recruitment process.
Prospective students and their parents judge universities by the quality of
their reception at Open Days, and other recruitment events. By the end of
their courses students are more like the product of the educational process.
There is also the idea of the “internal customer”. Anyone who provides a
service for someone else is in a supplier – customer relationship. Improving
customer service has an impact on income, if the customer pays for the
service. If the customer does not pay, then the impact is on job satisfaction.
People thrive on positive feedback. Such feedback will not be present where
there is poor customer service.
c) Service Level Agreements
Several parts of the University now have Service Level Agreements with
their internal customers. These agreements define the level of service that
can be expected. Internal customers can be very demanding. A service
level agreement enables the supplier to be clear about what can be provided
with the resources allocated.
d) Stakeholders
Customers are stakeholders, but so are a number of other people – the

funders of teaching and research, for example + a number of other people (in
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the City of Bradford, in professional bodies, etc) who have a stake in the
success of the University. Although the concept of stakeholders is
relatively new, the idea of a wide range of interested parties having a stake
in the University is not. The University Calendar lists a wide range of
organisations that are entitled to send a representative to a meeting of the
University’s Court, on the basis of their stake in the University.
11.2 Assuring quality in Higher Education
a) Advisory Boards
Each academic school and some departments have one. Representatives

come from relevant industries and professional bodies. The can give
feedback to schools and departments and make recommendations about
future developments.
b) External examiners
The traditional way in which quality is assured across higher education is

through the network of external examiners. Each board of examiners has
one. External examiners make reports, which form part of the Annual
Course Monitoring.
c) Professional Bodies
Many of the University’s courses are validated by professional bodies. This

is always the case where the University course is the route into a profession
such as Pharmacy or Nursing. Professional bodies can be quite strict about
the criteria they use to validate courses, and may even wish to determine
what goes into the curriculum.
d) Institutional audit
This is the name for the Higher Education Quality Assurance Agency’s
inspections of universities. Auditors meet people (individuals and groups)
who contribute to the quality of our educational provision, and the way that
quality is assured. It involves people in Corporate Services as well as those
in Schools. More details of the procedures on QAA’s own website
(www.qaa.ac.uk ) or from Academic Standards and Support Unit –
www.brad.ac.uk/admin/acsec
e) Discipline Level Engagement / Subject Review
p72
The arrangements for Institutional Audit replaced the need for each
department to have a Subject Review (as was the case a few years ago).
Instead a number of academic areas will be chosen for a “Discipline Level
Engagement” as part of the Institutional Audit. Only if the Discipline Level
Engagement is unsatisfactory will departments have to have a full Subject
Review. More information from the same sources as for Institutional Audit.
11.3 External quality standards
a) Management Standards
The national management standards list the competencies that form the
basis of national management qualifications. They were originally produced
by an organisation called the Management Charter Initiative, and now form
the basis of a number of management qualifications at levels ranging from
first-line supervisors through to senior managers. Details on
www.management-standards.org/
b) Investors in People (IiP)
The University has achieved recognition as an Investor in People.

Maintaining recognition is one of the objectives of the Corporate Strategy.
There is lots of information about IiP on the People Development website
(www.brad.ac.uk/admin/staffdev ) and a link to the Investors in People UK
website. IiP is based on good practice in the management & development of
people – i.e. the same basis as the content of this handbook. To retain
recognition, the University has to demonstrate continuous improvement.
c) Customer First
Bradford was the first university in the country to achieve the Customer
First standard. This is required of us by Yorkshire Forward (the regional
development agency) who fund a significant amount of our Knowledge
Transfer activity. Customer First does not cover the whole university, only
those parts that receive funding from Yorkshire Forward. More information
on www.customerfirst.org
d) EFQM Excellence Model
EFQM = European Foundation for Quality Management. The EFQM

Excellence model is a framework that organisations can use to assess the
quality of their processes. It has 5 “enablers” and 4 “result areas”. The
enablers are what need to be in place to assure the quality of the results.
p73
The results, in turn, provide feedback from which the enablers can be
improved.
A number of University departments are using the model as a basis for

management development and quality improvement. For more information
contact the People Development. The European Centre for Total Quality
Management (at the University’s School of Management) has further
expertise on using the EFQM Excellence Model as a basis for quality
management. Organisations working with the EFQM Excellence Model
can be assessed for a quality award, at regional, national or European
level. The regional awards are run by Excellence Yorkshire.
The EFQM Excellence Model is different to the other quality models

listed here. Firstly, it is not a “standard” to achieve, but rather a means
to continuous improvement. Secondly, it embraces all of an
organisation’s activity. The quality standards, such as Investors in
People, and those listed below.
e) EQUIS
This is the name of a European quality award for business schools that the
School of Management has achieved. It’s the European Quality
Improvement System.
f) ISO 9000/1
This is the international standard for process management. It is the award

that organisations interested in Total Quality Management most often look
to for recognition of the quality of their processes. There hasn’t been much
interest in achieving this award at the University.
p74

p75
Index
Change 50, 51
clerical 19, 20, 34, 40, 44
3600 feedback 14, 15, 54 coaching 6, 7, 11, 12, 14, 15
3rd mission 15 Code of Conduct on Relations
between Staff & Students 35
Codes of Practice 19, 42
A Committee Servicing 57
communication 9, 11, 30, 31, 58
absence 9, 33, 34
Communication Skills 29, 30
academic 7, 12, 13, 16, 21, 28, 29, 34,
competencies 14, 15, 17, 19, 61
36, 38, 39, 42, 43, 48, 60, 61
complaint 7, 27, 35, 36, 39, 50
Academic issues 29
Computer Centre 53
Academic Standards & Support Unit29
Confidentiality 27
ACAS 33
contact persons 36
action plan 11, 16, 26, 27, 58
continued professional development7,
Action Planning 26
19
Action Points 56
Contract Research Staff 12, 16
Administration 3, 34, 39
Corporate Communications 3, 46, 55
Advertising 42
Corporate Plan 2, 3, 45, 46, 48, 61
Advisory Boards 60
Council 12, 21, 25, 43, 47, 48, 55
Age 24
Counselling 3, 8, 27, 32
Aggressive behaviour 30
Counselling Service 8, 27, 32
anger 37
Counsellors 51
Annual Course Monitoring 29 60
CPD 7, 19
Annual Operating Statement 48
criteria for selection 42
annual plan 45, 48
culture 20, 41
Annual Plans 3, 48
Customer Care 3, 59
appointment 16, 42, 43
Customer First 3, 61
appraisal10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18,
customers 59, 60
27, 38, 46, 49, 53, 54, 55
Customers & Stakeholders 3, 59
Arbitration 33
Assertiveness 30
AUT 28 D
awaydays 13, 16, 57
DDA 24
Dealing with Difficult People 30
B Dealing with Poor Performance 3, 37
Delegating 52
blame 7, 20
Delegation & Trust 3, 7
Blanchard 6
Departmental / Divisional Planning
blind spot 31, 37
Process 3, 48
briefing 19, 24
Development within existing job 3, 18
Bullying 21, 27, 36
Disabilities 21, 24, 27
Disabilities Office 21, 24, 27
C Disability 3, 24, 35, 43
Discipline 3, 27, 38, 39, 61
Calendar 42, 60 Discipline & Grievance procedures 3,
capability 34, 38 38
career development 16, 17 Discipline Level Engagement 3, 61
Chairing 42 Discrimination 21, 24, 26, 43
p76
dismissal 33, 38, 39 H

diversity 20, 21, 26, 41
Diversity1, 2, 3, 17, 20, 21, 22, 27, 28, Handling Complaints 26
40 Harassment 21, 27, 36
doctor 8, 33, 34 health 34, 35, 38
duty of care 27, 38 Health & Safety 15, 34, 35
dyslexia 24 Helping Hand 12
Helping others learn from experience
and reflection 12
E
hierarchy of needs 17
EFQM 3, 41, 61, 62 hierarchy of objectives 49
Eid(s) 23 home 8, 9
Eliciting Feedback 3, 53 How to avoid the chair 57
Email lists 3, 53 How to get it totally wrong 20
emotional state 4, 36 HR 4, 8, 13, 15, 16, 19, 21, 27, 28, 32,
enablers 61 38, 39, 42
Equal Opportunities 16, 21, 26 HR Strategy 2
Equality & Diversity 3, 20, 21, 22, 28 Human Resource Strategy 25
Equality Challenge Unit 21
EQUIS 3, 62 I
ethnic minority 25
Excellence 3, 41, 61, 62 IDEAL 32
Excellence Model 3, 41, 61, 62 Ideas into Action 33
Excellence Yorkshire 62 Impact Assessments 21
Exit Interviews 42, 43 induction 8, 16, 42
External examiners 3, 60 Induction 8, 42
information overload 52
Inner Game 12
F
Institutional Audit 61
Facilitation 3, 56, 57, 58 internal customer 59, 60
feedback11, 14, 15, 29, 31, 36, 38, 43, international 23, 62
53, 54, 55, 59, 60, 61 Interviewing 42
Feedback 3, 31, 36, 53, 54, 55 Investors in People 61, 62
festivals 23 ISO 9000/1 62
Finance 15, 34, 47 Issues of power & control 5
First Aid 34 Issuing Contracts 42
First things first 29 IT training 15
Forcefield Analysis 51
Form A 11 J
Form B 11
Form C 11 Job Descriptions 42
frustration 21, 36 Johari Window 31
G K
Gender 22 Keeping people informed 50

Gender reassignment 22 Keeping Staff informed 52
Graduate School 15 KISS 53
Grievance 27, 38, 39, 51
Grievance and Loss 51
Group dynamics & Energy 58 L
Language 53
Leadership 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 21, 39, 40, 42
p77
Leadership and the One Minute O

Manager 6
Leadership Style 4 objectives 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 29, 40,
Learning from experience & reflection 41, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 58, 61
7 Objectives 11
Learning from Feedback 55 Occupational Health 27, 33, 34
Learning on the job 12 Occupational Stress Policy 8
Learning Support 15, 53 Operating Statement 45, 48
Lecturers 13, 16 Organising Meetings 56
legislation 16, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, Outer Game 12
34, 42
Lifelong Education 15, 25
listening 9, 26, 30, 33 P
Listening Skills 30
panel 42, 43
Looking after yourself 4
Payroll 34
Loss 51
PDP 7, 14, 54, 55
Performance 8, 25, 26, 37
M Permission to appoint 42, 43
personal power 5, 6
Majordomo 53 Personnel 4, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 21,
Making an appointment 42 24, 25, 27, 28, 33, 34, 35, 36, 38,
Making meetings fun 58 39, 43, 44
Management Standards 15, 61 Plain English 53
Managing Information 52 planning cycle 11, 45, 46, 49
Managing Performance 8, 26 Planning Guidance 48
Marketing 3, 55 Planning is more than producing a
Marketing & Corporate plan 44
Communications 46, 55 Planning Process 44, 48
Maslow 17 Planning the process 43
mediation 33 Planning Unit 48, 49, 55
Mediation & Arbitration 33 portfolio 19
meetings 9, 12, 20, 25, 31, 39, 48, 51, Positive Action 26
52, 53, 55, 56, 57, 58 Positive Discrimination 26
Men are from Mars, Women from post specification 42, 43, 44
Venus 22 Presenteeism 9
Mental Health 24, 35 Probation & Progress 13
mentoring 12, 16 probationary period 13, 38
Mentoring 12, 16 Problem-Solving 3, 32
Mentors 13, 16 professional bodies 7, 19, 53, 60
Merger 51 professional development plan 7, 10,
Minutes 53, 56 14, 54, 55
mission 15, 40, 41 Professorial 42
monitoring 13, 16, 21, 25, 29, 38, 50 Project Planning 14, 45, 51
Monitoring Progress 50 promotion 17, 18, 19
Motivating staff 9 Promotion & Regrading 19
motivation 9, 35, 37, 38, 51
Muslim 23
Q
N QAA 16, 61
Quality 15, 59, 60, 61, 62
Negotiating Skills 28, 31 Quality Assurance & Standards 59
Neuro-Linguistic Programming 31 Quality Enhancement 15, 59
News & Views 55 quotas 26
nurse 34
p78
R students 14, 15, 16, 20, 21, 23, 24, 25,

28, 29, 32, 35, 36, 40, 44, 53, 59
Race 22 Subject Review 61
Ramadhan 23
reasonable adjustments 24
T
Recognition & Reward 17
recruitment 26, 42, 43, 44, 59 Targets 25
Recruitment & Selection 15, 19, 42, 43 Task versus Process 57
reflection 7, 8, 12, 22, 27 Teaching Quality Enhancement Group
reflective journal 7, 19 15, 16
Relations between Staff & Students 35 Teamwork 58
Research Office 15 technical 19, 20, 24, 32, 34
Restructuring 51 Techniques and Models 51
Reviewing staffing needs 42 Threats 9
Risk 50 time management 28, 29, 49
role power 5, 6 Time Management 29
Total Quality Management 62
S TQEG 59
Training 15, 16, 32, 42, 43
Safety 15, 34, 35 Transactional Analysis 30
School of Lifelong Education & Trust 7
Development 15, 25
selection 42, 43, 44
U
Self-disclosure 31
Senate 21, 47, 55 Understanding & meeting your own
Service Level Agreements 60 needs 4
Seven Habits of Highly Successful unfair dismissal 39
People 45, 51
Sexual Orientation 24
Shortlisting 42 V
sickness 33, 34
Sickness & Absence 33 values 21, 40, 41, 58
Situational Leadership 6 verbal warning 39
SMART objectives 13, 14 vision 40, 41
Staff Briefing 55
Staff Development 7, 11, 13, 15, 16,
W
30, 31, 33, 35, 36, 42, 43, 48, 58, 61
Stakeholders 59, 60 Walking the talk 41
Standards 29, 55, 59, 61 warning 39
Straight Talking 30 Work / Life balance 9
stress 8, 9, 25, 29, 35 workload planning 49
Stress 8, 27, 35 Workloads 28
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University of Bradford – Managers Handbook 2006-7

University of Bradford Professional Development

2nd Edition - in 11 sections:

The Managers Handbook is divided into a large number of short sections, to

1 Managing 2.13 Training going so

5.1 Leadership, Planning 10.3 Organising

c) Customer First e) EQUIS Index

1.1 Looking after yourself

n.b. HR = Human Resources. In this context it includes both Personnel and

1.2 Understanding & meeting your own needs

There are number of ways of classifying leadership style, and of classifying

1.3 Issues of power & control

There are two dimensions “directiveness” and “supportiveness”. Each can be

to work unsupervised (quadrant 4) may feel a lack of confidence in some areas

1.4 Delegation & Trust

1.5 Learning from experience & reflection

Theoretical frameworks can be very helpful in raising a manager’s awareness and

Learning from experience and reflection is one of the outcomes of coaching.

1.6 Stress Management

2 Managing Performance (1)

2.2 Motivating staff

2.3 Work / Life balance

As a manager it will probably be helpful if you provide a good example to others.

In preparing for an appraisal, both appraisees and appraisers are encouraged to

The appraisal interview is an opportunity for the manager to review a year’s

Appraisal also provides an opportunity to check that the appraisee is working to

The process of an appraisal interview is to gather information, handle emotion,

Managers have a responsibility to ensure that their staffs continue to develop,

People Development run courses on Coaching and Mentoring (Mentoring is

2.6 Helping others learn from experience and reflection

2.7 Learning on the job

People benefit from learning on the job. It can be frustrating to go on a staff

Departmental awaydays help in the process of planning, and ensuring that

2.8 Probation & Progress

All new staff is appointed subject to a satisfactory period of probation. For

Some appointments may be subject to additional or different periods of review,

2.9 Setting SMART objectives

Setting SMART objectives (as an outcome of appraisal, coaching or when

1. What exactly do we want to achieve? - be specific about the detail!

See §7.2 for more on Project Planning

2.10 Personal / Professional Development Plans (PDPs)

A competency can be described as what you need to be able to do to perform

For management development the benchmark is the National Management

2.12 Staff Development

Four important principles:

The University’s staff development policy is on www.brad.ac.uk/admin/staffdev .

In addition to People Development, the University has a number of other

Staff wishing to study for qualifications at other institutions of further or

2.13 Training Records & Progress Files

The University is required by Equal Opportunities legislation to show that is not

Informal mentoring is by definition less structured and not a requirement. Many

from. Senior managers often find it useful to have a mentor in another

2.15 Career Development

Career development depends on two things

2.16 Recognition & Reward

Another way of looking at reward and recognition is in terms of Maslow’s

Recognition (in the form of reward) can be given as discretionary awards or

2.17 Development within existing job

People approach their own development in different ways. Some see

If competencies to develop in-post (§2.11) are identified well in advance, it is

2.18 Promotion & Regrading

This second meaning of promotion, and regrading, has traditionally been

2.19 Professional Bodies

Many of the University’s awards are recognised (or validated) by national