How can you involve faculty in strategic planning and change management?

Strategic planning and change management are essential processes for any higher education institution that wants to adapt to the changing needs and expectations of students, employers, and society. However, these processes can also be challenging, complex, and stressful, especially for faculty members who may feel excluded, threatened, or overwhelmed by the proposed changes. How can you involve faculty in strategic planning and change management in a way that fosters their engagement, commitment, and collaboration? Here are some tips and best practices to consider.

1 Understand faculty perspectives

Before you initiate any strategic planning or change management process, you need to understand the perspectives, concerns, and motivations of your faculty members. Faculty are the core of any academic institution, and they have a wealth of knowledge, experience, and insights that can inform and enrich your planning and change efforts. However, they may also have fears, doubts, or resistance to change, especially if they perceive it as a threat to their autonomy, identity, or values. Therefore, you need to listen to them, empathize with them, and acknowledge their contributions and challenges. You can use various methods to gather their feedback, such as surveys, interviews, focus groups, or town hall meetings.

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Pedro Luiz Bulgarelli

Especialista em Educação/Acadêmico na +A Educação | Product Manager | Gerente Acadêmico
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O diálogo aberto é um ótimo caminho para compreender as perspectivas do corpo docente quanto as mudanças e a inovação. Nesse sentido abordar a inovação a partir da análise do cenário atual pode ser o primeiro passo para entender a visão de futuro que os docentes possuem para que a partir dela possa ser construído o processo de inovação. Em um segundo momento é trazer o docente para o centro do processo de inovação, fornecendo um espaço de criação e compartilhamento de experiências para juntos os caminhos da inovação se tornem mais claros resultando assim em um caminho de sucesso para a inovação.

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2 Communicate the vision and goals

Once you have a clear understanding of your faculty's perspectives, you need to communicate the vision and goals of your strategic planning and change management process in a clear, compelling, and consistent way. You need to explain why the change is necessary, what are the expected benefits and outcomes, and how it aligns with the mission and values of your institution. You also need to address any questions, doubts, or objections that your faculty may have, and provide them with relevant data, evidence, or examples to support your case. You can use various channels to communicate your vision and goals, such as newsletters, emails, websites, or presentations.

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Pedro Luiz Bulgarelli

Especialista em Educação/Acadêmico na +A Educação | Product Manager | Gerente Acadêmico
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Sempre promovi com os docentes um caminho de transparência e principalmente quanto aos porquês de um planejamento estratégico. Entendo que para chegar a um objetivo seja ele novo ou já bem estabelecido é necessário entender o motivo pelo qual foi estabelecido aquele objetivo. Com isso o ambiente se torna mais propício a mudança pois todos os docentes estão alinhados quanto ao porquê e aos objetivos.

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3 Involve faculty in decision making

One of the most effective ways to involve faculty in strategic planning and change management is to involve them in decision making. This means giving them a voice and a choice in shaping the direction, scope, and pace of the change. You can do this by creating diverse and inclusive committees, task forces, or working groups that represent different disciplines, levels, and interests of your faculty. You can also solicit their input, feedback, or suggestions through surveys, polls, or online platforms. By involving faculty in decision making, you can increase their sense of ownership, responsibility, and accountability for the change.

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Pedro Luiz Bulgarelli

Especialista em Educação/Acadêmico na +A Educação | Product Manager | Gerente Acadêmico
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A uniformidade do corpo docente quanto a aplicação do planejamento estratégico só se dá quando todos possuem papel ativo no seu desenvolvimento e para isso é importante estimular um ambiente de colaboração. Mas nem sempre os docentes se sentem seguros em trazer suas visões, por isso uma estratégia que eu aplico e que sempre traz um ótimo resultado é a de criar sessões individuais e sessões em grupo. Assim todos se sentem seguros, contribuem e ampliam o sentimento de pertencimento quanto ao planejamento estratégico e engajados em sua aplicação.

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4 Provide faculty with support and resources

Another way to involve faculty in strategic planning and change management is to provide them with support and resources that enable them to cope with the change and achieve the desired results. This means offering them training, coaching, mentoring, or peer support that can help them develop new skills, knowledge, or attitudes that are required for the change. It also means providing them with adequate time, funding, equipment, or infrastructure that can facilitate their work and reduce their stress. By providing faculty with support and resources, you can enhance their confidence, competence, and satisfaction with the change.

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Alessandro Di Lullo

CEO, Digital Education Council | Co-Founder, SuperCharger Ventures | Academic Fellow in AI Governance
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Establish dedicated centers or programmes for faculty training and research around key strategic areas, for example AI integration in the institution. Make sure to make everyone excited by building initiatives where faculty can propose ideas (or test technologies for example) without the fear of failure.

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5 Recognize and reward faculty achievements

A final way to involve faculty in strategic planning and change management is to recognize and reward their achievements and efforts related to the change. This means celebrating their successes, highlighting their best practices, or acknowledging their challenges and learnings. It also means rewarding them with incentives, recognition, or appreciation that are meaningful, timely, and fair. By recognizing and rewarding faculty achievements, you can boost their morale, motivation, and loyalty to the change.

Strategic planning and change management can be daunting and demanding for faculty, but they can also be exciting and rewarding if you involve them in a respectful, collaborative, and supportive way. By following these tips and best practices, you can foster a positive and productive relationship with your faculty and achieve your strategic goals and objectives together.

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6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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How can you involve faculty in strategic planning and change management?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 Understand faculty perspectives

2 Communicate the vision and goals

3 Involve faculty in decision making

4 Provide faculty with support and resources

5 Recognize and reward faculty achievements

6 Here’s what else to consider

Higher Education

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How can you involve faculty in strategic planning and change management?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 Understand faculty perspectives

2 Communicate the vision and goals

3 Involve faculty in decision making

4 Provide faculty with support and resources

5 Recognize and reward faculty achievements

6 Here’s what else to consider

Higher Education

Rate this article

Thanks for your feedback

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