Pilot Outputs - Defining your values
The Institutional Experience - University of Sheffield
In practice we tested the values using a combination of an exercise we described as 'values in action', which was inspired by the 'Living the Values' guidance. This involved asking a selected group of staff teams to translate the existing list of values into practical examples in their working life, and within their experience of service delivery. Where this proved difficult we asked staff to suggest alternative words and/or to identify gaps in the existing list. Alongside this staff consultation exercise, I also convened a meeting with the president of our Students' Union, to get some student input as to whether the values were those he and his sabbatical team would expect to be espoused by a service department such as ours. Among the helpful feedback received, an interesting debate emerged around the concept of 'transparency' - some colleagues believing this to be an important concept; others feeling it was a meaningless management 'buzzword'; some feeling concerned that it contradicted their professional requirements around confidentiality; and the student view that it suggested an inappropriate degree of openness which could lead to user concerns around trust. The final product is a very straightforward list of eight words, which we have presented in simple alphabetical order within the strategy.
