The USMG is primarily intended to (1) foster greater communication between all managers within University Services and (2) strengthen alignment in the culture of leadership across all units within the organization.

Some expected and desired outcomes include (but not limited to):

• Increased interactions between the Vice President for University Services, Talent and Organizational Development (T&OD) and US management
• Enhanced and improved communication and community between all managers within the organization
• A focused leadership approach and shared vision
• Opportunities to leverage our collective knowledge and clarify leadership standards/vision

• Overcome barriers created by organizational silos, time constraints, unexpected change, and more

The Vice President’s Senior Leadership Team recommends and invites members based on the following:

• An individual who is responsible for staff members and conducts performance reviews
• Or, an individual who manages major projects/programs/committees that affect University Services/University departments.

For questions about membership, speak with your department’s Senior Leadership Team member or email [email protected].

The USMG is an opportunity for managers to break out of siloed working environments, engage in inter-departmental problem solving and idea-sharing and build community among managers. Group gatherings will allow members to become cognizant/conversant on goals and priorities (for US broadly and for individual departments); receive timely University-wide information; and provide a space to assess and discuss the organizational impact of our goals, priorities and new information. Additional benefits include: increased interaction with the Vice President for University Services, an environment that fosters organic collaboration and a space for leaders to work on personally meaningful projects outside of their functional/operational areas.

USMG gatherings will allow for a more interactive approach to sharing and discussing topics specific to management/leadership, although there may be overlap of information discussed in Leadership Team and Town Hall meetings. Even instances when topics are identical, USMG gatherings are intentionally designed to be dialectic. Examples of interactive components include small-group discussions, community problem solving - a process by which a community collaborates to solve individual or groups issues - and activities that counter the top-down nature of hierarchical organizations.

This interactive approach will provide greater depth, focus and context to every topic; far greater opportunities to hear from managers at all levels; increase collaboration among US managers; and will allow for bold thinking and innovation within our organization.

• All managers are strongly encouraged to attend.
• Utilize the opportunity to build community/collaborate across departments/units
• Actively participate, ask questions and share experiences relevant to role as manager/leader of both people and operations
• Improve communication by sharing what is learned with teams/peers
• A commitment to learning from peers and leadership; a commitment to sharing pertinent lessons and lived-experience

Outside of the gatherings themselves, group members will occasionally be asked to engage in some form of pre-work (approximately an hour or so) in advance of each gathering. Pre-work may include short videos, articles, TED Talks or audio clips which will provide support and context to the work/discussions, as well as foster increased innovation and exploration.

Planned discussion topics and questions will also be shared prior to each gathering in consideration of different learning styles and levels of comfort with small and full group discussions.

Please contact Verita Murrill ([email protected]) if you have any questions or suggestions pertaining to the USMG. If you have questions about the Managers’ ListServ, which is used to communicate important information about the USMG, please contact Saleem Curry ([email protected]).