Download Staff Communications Policy

Staff Communications Policy
September 2010
Document title
Staff Communications Policy
September 2010
Document author and department
Sarah Avison, Internal Communications
Manager, Marketing and
Communications Department
Approving body
26 August 2010 –
Deputy Vice-Chancellor’s action
Review date
Edition no.
Review due September 2013.
Autumn 2015 review ongoing,
please direct any queries to
[email protected]
ID code
2102
EITHEROR
For public access online (internet)?
Tick as appropriate
Yes
3
Tick as appropriate
Yes
3
For staff access only (intranet)?
Tick as appropriate
For public access on request copy
to be mailed
Peter Reader,
Director of Marketing and
Communications
Date of approval
Directorate
Responsible person and department
Yes
Password protected
Tick as appropriate
No
Yes
No
3
External queries relating to the document to be referred in the first instance to the Corporate
Governance team: email [email protected]
If you need this document in an alternative format, please
email [email protected]
Contents
Page no.
1.Purpose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
2.Principles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
3.Responsibilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
3.1 Senior management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
3.2Managers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
3.3 All staff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
3.4Committees/Associations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
3.5 Internal communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Categories of information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
4.1 University management and strategic direction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
4.2 Day-to-day work related information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
4.3 University-wide notices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
4.4 Serious incidents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Communication channels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
5.1 Primary channels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
5.2 Secondary channels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
6.
Communicating with non PC-based staff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
7.
Communicating change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
8.
Professionalism in communication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
9.
Related policies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
10. Further information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
4.
5.
UNIVERSITY OF PORTSMOUTH
STAFF COMMUNICATIONS POLICY SEPTEMBER 2010
3
1.Purpose
‘Tell me and I’ll forget;
show me and I may remember;
involve me and I’ll understand.’
3.2Managers
(Heads of Department/School,
Department/School Managers, line managers
and supervisors or equivalent)
• To communicate regularly with their teams,
preferably face to face, to ensure information is
available and understood within the context of the
department and working environment.
Chinese Proverb
Communication takes on many forms and is fundamental
to the success of any organisation, the University being no
exception. The ‘communication of knowledge’ forms part
of the University’s mission statement and communication is
key to the achievement of our aim to ‘support, develop and
value high quality staff’. Communication is also critical in
engaging our staff in the strategic direction of the University,
as detailed in the Human Resources Strategy.
• To ensure they and their staff are maintaining good
communication practice in accordance with this
Policy.
• To maintain open channels of two-way
communication, to listen to feedback and
comment and to keep senior managers informed.
3.3All staff
There are many channels of communication available to
staff within the University and many processes, formal or
informal, for their use within departments and services. This
Policy outlines the responsibilities of all staff in maintaining
good communication practice, the main communication
channels available to staff and how and when they might be
used to be effective.
• To ensure they are informed and have access to
information in order to be as effective as possible
in their role and to support the strategic direction of
the University.
• To ensure they are maintaining good
communication practice in accordance with this
Policy.
More information and guidance on staff communication
within the University is available online at www.port.ac.uk/
staffcommunication.
• To use open channels of two-way communication
to keep line managers and colleagues informed.
• To communicate with colleagues across the
University where necessary.
2.Principles
3.4Committees/Associations
The guiding principles of this Policy are:
• To ensure minutes are made available online in a
timely manner and are advertised via the all-staff
email bulletins.
• to ensure staff are fully informed of all relevant University
activity, to enable them to be as effective as possible in
their role and to support the strategic direction of the
University;
3.5Internal communications
• to ensure all staff are aware of their responsibility for
maintaining good communication practice;
• To maintain this Policy.
• To disseminate information to staff via all
appropriate channels.
• to provide easy access to essential, useful and engaging
information for staff;
• To offer guidance to any areas of the University
in maintaining good communication practice in
accordance with this Policy.
• to provide effective methods of communicating during a
serious incident.
• To support the University in realising the principles
in section 2.
3.Responsibilities
This section details the responsibilities of all staff, and of
particular groups, in communicating effectively within the
University:
3.1Senior management
(Directorate,
Deans, Directors of Professional Services or
equivalent)
• To ensure information is made available to all staff
in a timely manner and via appropriate channels.
• To ensure managers have the relevant information
available to communicate with their staff effectively.
• To maintain open channels of two-way
communication and to listen to feedback and
comment from all staff.
4
STAFF COMMUNICATIONS POLICY SEPTEMBER 2010
4. Categories of information
Different pieces of information will require different channels
of communication and will be the responsibility of different
people to disseminate. Here are the main categories of
message within the University:
4.1University management and
strategic direction
This includes information from senior management
and committees regarding the overall management
of the University and its strategic direction. This
may be updates on regular activities or committee
decisions or it may be new information and activities
that need to be communicated to staff in a timely and
appropriate manner. This may involve communication
of important information via management cascade, as
detailed in section 5.1.1 Strategic communication.
UNIVERSITY OF PORTSMOUTH
4.2Day-to-day work related
information
Prescribed communication
There are some University policies and
processes where face-to-face communication
is prescribed – for example the Performance
and Development Review process requires a
one-to-one discussion, as does the Return to
Work Policy and many others.
Strategic communication
In some circumstances, senior management
will require information to be disseminated
through the University via managers as quickly
as possible and, as far as possible, via faceto-face meetings where understanding of the
information can be assured and feedback can
be gathered and discussed. It is vital that all
staff receive this information within a given
timescale and that all staff understand the
intent and the outcomes of the information and
are given an opportunity to discuss, comment
and provide feedback.
All other face-to-face communication
In all other circumstances as part of the
working environment, staff are encouraged as
often as possible to meet with colleagues or
use the telephone to discuss issues verbally,
rather than relying on email or printed material.
Whilst it is important to manage the amount
of time spent in meetings, well-managed
meetings or discussions are an effective
and efficient way of sharing knowledge,
solving problems and ensuring common
understanding and appreciation of issues.
Research suggests that face-to-face
communication engenders greater trust and
understanding than any other communication
method. It is important therefore, that staff
have opportunities for one-to-one and group
meetings with colleagues and their line
managers on a regular basis and that dialogue
in those meetings is two-way.
This is the information staff members require to carry
out their work day-to-day. It is the responsibility of
individuals and their colleagues and line managers to
communicate this information effectively.
4.3University-wide notices
This is information that all staff or large groups of staff
will benefit from and can be generated by any function
within the University. Such information may be news
items, forthcoming events, useful advice or more
formal notices and is the responsibility of Directorate
and Internal Communications (and Information
Services for service delivery issues) to disseminate to
all staff.
4.4Serious incidents
The Serious Incident Action Plan details what
constitutes a serious incident. During a serious
incident, the Serious Incident Management Team will
be responsible for all communication and will advise
relevant staff should assistance in communicating be
required. Plans are in place for all effective channels of
communication to be utilised where necessary.
5. Communication channels
Here is a summary of the primary and secondary channels
available to staff when communicating information in the
above categories:
5.1Primary channels
The three methods of communicating in this section
have been designated primary channels as these are
the preferred methods of communication amongst
staff. Face to face communication is by far the most
effective method, and the supporting guidance
on staff communication at www.port.ac.uk/
staffcommunication provides evidence to support
this view.
5.1.2Email
Email is one of the most common methods of
communicating within the University, however
it is often considered to be overused and
inappropriate. The supporting online guidance
at www.port.ac.uk/staffcommunication
provides some tips on how to use email more
effectively.
Staff are reminded that general email
communication remains the subject of the
University’s Email Policy, Computer Use
Regulations and the Code of Conduct, which
provide details of appropriate use, email
management, security and confidentiality.
Weekly all-staff email bulletins are distributed
on a Friday afternoon and are collated by
Internal Communications. All-staff emails at all
other times can be sent by selected individuals
within Directorate, Information Services and
Internal Communications and will be sent
as necessary for timely information that is
considered important to all staff.
The communication framework with the online
guidance can be used as a template for departments
to consider their communication practice and how
best to ensure regular opportunities for face-to-face
discussion.
5.1.1 Face-to-face communication
Communicating in person with colleagues is
considered to be the most beneficial method
of ensuring information and knowledge are
shared. The conversational nature allows
for greater understanding of the context of
the message and encourages reflection,
questioning and feedback. Here are some
instances of face-to-face communication
within the University:
UNIVERSITY OF PORTSMOUTH
STAFF COMMUNICATIONS POLICY SEPTEMBER 2010
5
5.1.3Web
5.2.5 Social media and external websites
Social media sites such as Myspace,
Facebook, twitter and any other websites
external to the main University sites are not
within the preferred list of channels with which
to communicate with staff.
Staff are reminded that use of social media,
as with all communication, is undertaken on
behalf of the University, therefore is subject
to the University’s Code of Conduct, the
principles being respect and dignity in all
correspondence.
The University has official Facebook pages for
prospective students and a twitter account for
all audiences, however these are secondary
channels as they cannot be relied upon to
reach a majority of staff.
Staff Essentials (www.port.ac.uk/
staffessentials) pages contain news
items, events and links to useful information
for staff and are maintained by Internal
Communications on a daily basis. Staff are
encouraged to use Staff Essentials, whether
on or off campus, in order to keep up-to-date
with staff-related information.
5.2Secondary channels
The secondary channels listed here are a supplement
to the primary channels in section 5.1. These
channels have varying degrees of popularity and
effectiveness as they are not consistently used across
the campus. Therefore they should not be relied
upon to relay important information. Rather, they are
a back-up to the primary channels and for raising
awareness.
5.2.1Communicator
Communicator is the University’s staff
magazine distributed to all staff on a quarterly
basis. The magazine is designed to provide
more in-depth information into items of
interest to staff, including new developments
in the University, awards and successes, staff
profiles, forthcoming events and a regular
update from the Vice-Chancellor.
5.2.2 Notice boards
There are many notice boards across the
campus displaying information for staff. Staff
with responsibility for the maintenance of
notice boards in their department should
ensure that information is advertised in a timely
manner and, importantly, is removed when out
of date.
6.Communicating with non
PC-based staff
Many members of staff do not have regular access to a PC
to check the Staff Essentials website or their email accounts
and may be missing important information. It is the
responsibility of line managers to ensure that information is
passed to staff in a timely manner, either verbally or in print.
To assist line managers, pages on the Staff Essentials
website are formatted to print as notices that can be pinned
to notice boards. All staff emails will be kept to a brief and
concise format to allow them to be easily read in print.
7. Communicating change
Programmes of change within the University will be more
widely understood and accepted if staff are aware of the
programme as early as possible. An understanding of the
objectives and an involvement in the process will help staff
to accept and embrace change. Internal communication
needs to be a consideration from the beginning of major
projects within the University.
See the online guidance at www.port.ac.uk/
staffcommunication for more information on best
practice in communicating change.
5.2.3 Printed material
Many departments and services need
to produce printed material for use by
staff. Should you wish to produce any
printed material, you are reminded of the
Corporate Identity Guidelines and asked
to contact Corporate Communications via
[email protected]
to discuss your requirements.
5.2.4Portal
6
The staff portal (www.port.ac.uk/
staffportal) is the central area for a range
of information largely related to teaching,
including class details, timetables, student lists
and personal data.
The portal can be used to broadcast
messages to staff and will be used for
important and emergency situations, however
as not all staff use the portal on a regular basis
it will not be used as a main communication
channel.
STAFF COMMUNICATIONS POLICY SEPTEMBER 2010
8.Professionalism in
communication
In all communications staff are reminded of their
responsibility to serve the interests of the University and
ensure appropriate content at all times. Communication is
undertaken on behalf of the University, therefore is subject
to the University’s Code of Conduct, the principles being
respect and dignity in all correspondence.
UNIVERSITY OF PORTSMOUTH
Staff should ensure appropriate response times are adhered
to when communicating, particularly via email. During
absence or when staff will not be able to respond in a
reasonable time, staff should provide an autoreply to their
emails with details of an alternative contact, in line with the
University’s Freedom of Information Act 2000: Dealing with
Requests Policy.
9. Related policies
This Policy should be read in conjunction with the following
documents:
• Human Resources Strategy
• Marketing and Communication Strategy
• Web Policy and Protocols
• Corporate Identity Guidelines
• Staff Email Policy
• Computer Use Regulations
• Code of Conduct
There is also a related Student Communications Policy.
All these policies are available through the Document
Warehouse at www.port.ac.uk/policies.
10.Further information
The Internal Communications function is reviewing current
practice and making improvements across the campus in
order to provide effective channels and processes for staff.
We are here to assist with any aspects of staff
communication, from campaigns to promote your particular
service to tips for communication amongst teams. Feel free
to contact us at [email protected].
UNIVERSITY OF PORTSMOUTH
STAFF COMMUNICATIONS POLICY SEPTEMBER 2010
7
niversity of Portsmouth
U
Marketing and Communications Department
Purple Door Information Centre
28 Guildhall Walk
Portsmouth PO1 2BF
United Kingdom
MD10721 1015
T: +44 (0)23 9284 4444
E:[email protected]
W:www.port.ac.uk